We had the good fortune of connecting with Alessandra Volker and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Alessandra, how has your background shaped the person you are today?
My name is Alessandra Volker. I’m 49 years old and I’m from Brazil. when I was a kid I loved to paint, color and make things with my hands. I also loved watching my mother and grandmother crocheting and knitting. I thought the activity was awesome. You could make beautiful things just using a yarn and needles so I always asked them to teach me. I think when you have family members who like crafts, you end up being influenced by them. Consequently, during my whole life I was always exploring some kind of art: sculpting, oil painting, decorative country painting, making candles, and last but not least patchwork and using pencils on fabric. i also have a post graduation in animation and 3D modeling.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Well, I love doing what I do and I’m very proud of my teaching ability. I love teaching everything I learn, from sewing a button to surfing the internet. People generally say that the way I explain things is easy to understand. It wasn’t easy to get to where I’m today. My brothers once told me that art doesn’t bring money and fame and that I should do something to get a lot of money. So I was always in doubt if I should follow my dreams or just continue doing what I was doing. I used to teach languages but that was not my dream. So in 2014 I decided to start teaching crafts, mainly patchwork. Since then, that’s what I’ve been doing and this was the way I found to put everything together: teaching and art. I’ve learned that we always have to follow our dreams and never give up. One of my dreams was that someone would recognize my talent. It was when I decided to enroll as a teacher for the International Quilt Festival in Houston. After some months I’ve received an email telling that I had been selected to be a teacher this year. I couldn’t believe my eyes. I’ve almost died of happiness! LOL Persistence is what makes you succeed. I want that people recognize that I’m really good in what I do and I’d love that the could see me with other eyes. I’d love that they could see me as someone different, as someone who could really make them believe that they are capable of learning hand crafting or whatever they want and also as an artist.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I would take them to an Italian restaurant, in my city, which has wonderful homemade Italian pasta. Then I would invite them to visit our “Imperial Museum” where they would learn about the history of Brazil. Finally I would take them to a pizza place called Borgo Del Vino, where they could have some drinks and enjoy the wonderful view of the place. Finally, something that they can’t miss is the samba schools. They need to visit one of the rehearsals to feel the beat of samba.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I’d like to dedicate to my husband , my mother and my sister who have always encouraged me to follow my dreams. I’d also give credit to Airton Spengler who is a wonderful artist and the first one to recognize my art.

Website: https://www.alessandravolkerstudio.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alessandravolkerstudio

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alessandravolker/

Twitter: @VolkerStudio

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alessandravolkerstudio

Youtube: Alessandra Volker Studio

Other: TikTok – @alessandravolkerstudio portfolio – https://alessandravolker.myportfolio.com

Image Credits
All the photos were taken by myself

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