Alex Snellgrove lives and works in the village of Blackheath in the Blue Mountains, west of Sydney.

Her practice is a personal interpretation of her surroundings: the atmosphere and character of the landscape, wildlife, history and landmarks in the mountains. 

In particular, it’s the sense of space and fresh air she loves. This comes across in her work, especially her new book, Blue. 

She has been an artist since 2007, firstly specialising in paintings of Sydney inner suburbs, and later, the coast. Living in the suburb of Coogee, where she spent her early childhood and later as an adult, she was captivated by the easy relationship Australians enjoy with the ocean, and by the water itself. This led to a series of solo and group shows over twelve years.

In addition, she is an Urban Sketcher, with an ongoing interest in the built environment. She has led sketching groups in Australia, Italy, the UK, Thailand and Bali. The aim is always to find something fresh and new to say about each place using out of the ordinary materials and techniques.

Her portrait of Helen Pitt was shortlisted for the Portia Geach prize, and she has won the Waverley Prize for Landscape and the 9x5 Prize.