Artist of the Month - Alice McIntyre

Artist of the Month - Alice McIntyre

Grace Middleton

This month, we’re thrilled to introduce Alice McIntyre as our Artist of the Month, a multidisciplinary designer whose work varies between serene, minimalist landscapes and intricate printable escape rooms. Drawing inspiration from fleeting moments in nature, beloved literary classics, and the stories people carry with them, Alice creates art that is both visually striking and rooted in storytelling. From clean geometric lines to puzzle-packed worlds, her creative practice proves that you don’t have to choose just one path, you can explore them all.

Q: Where have you found inspiration lately?

A. I’m always finding inspiration in the little things– like a spring bud blooming early, a bird flying into my viewfinder, or petting a random cat I saw on the street. It doesn’t always translate directly, as I can usually be found somewhere on a spectrum of design extremes. I design deceptively simple landscapes that highlight the clean geometry of pencil lines that follow the stark edge of a mountain or the blunt stop of the horizon, but I also make and design printable escape rooms that couldn’t be more complex.

Basically, my mind has trouble focusing on one thing and will frequently find ways to run from one extreme to the other– or pet a cat.

Q: Is there a piece of art or a project that you are particularly excited about right now?

A. I was recently commissioned to create a custom landscape art print of Beinn Artair (Ben Arthur/The Cobbler) in the Scottish Highlands. It was particularly exciting because the summit has such a strong and recognisable shape that lends itself perfectly to minimalism and strong lines. It made me want to get out my one-man tent immediately and pack my bags for the highlands. (Maybe I’ll wait a month or two when it’s a little warmer out there.)

I can’t wait to see it printed from Grace’s Giclee!

Q: What kinds of tools or references do you like to use when creating artwork?

A. I read a LOT, so I’m constantly having to prevent myself from coming up with new ideas for escape rooms and puzzles, as the final product takes a really long time! But my favourites are always inspired by the classics, like Alice in Wonderland or anything Agatha Christie. I love putting a unique spin on a story with colourful and cryptic puzzles that test critical thinking, but also pelt your mind back to the good old days when you could escape into a brilliant book or eat cheese without regret.

My landscape prints are all inspired by real viewpoints. So they aren’t just works of art to me, they’re also memories! Most of my landscape prints are places I’ve seen with my own eyes, or been commissioned for a view that means a lot to a client. I’ve captured proposals, wedding ceremonies, reunions, first hikes and people’s best travel memories. It’s always so humbling to know someone can look at their wall every day and smile at something you’ve created for them.

Q: What artists or artworks do you admire or consider influential to your work & why?

A. Ooh! That’s such a hard question. I’ve always been an art lover. I get new favourites all the time, especially in the world of modern graphic design, but I’ll always love classical artists like Vermeer, Monet and Van Gogh. A modern favourite is Jack Vettriano, and I’ve been obsessed for years with the work of Brooke Shaden.

I think, all in all, I love art that tells a story. It doesn’t have to be a still image, it doesn’t have to be complicated, or even match the ideals of what is considered ‘good art’. It just has to make you feel something. Make you feel human. I think that’s super important for the times we now find ourselves in. In art, we find a human connection, so art has to be human.

Q: What advice do you have for other new or aspiring artists?

A. I don’t have any advice that hasn’t been given before, but if I were to repeat some:

Just make what you love, someone else is bound to love it too.

Change up your style whenever you like. No one says you have to do one thing or only have one style– experiment!

Always pet a cat, they carry inspiration in abundance.

Q: Professionally, what has been your biggest achievement so far?

A. I’ve had an Etsy shop for years, but it’s getting harder and harder to run a successful shop, so this year I finally set up my own website for my escape room designs. If you’re curious, you can find it at PaperBox Escape Rooms!

Q: What is your first memory of creating art?

A. I don’t think I fell out of the womb with a pencil or anything like that, but I was always one of those attention-seeking kids that loved drawing, dancing, and making bizarre puppet theatre shows out of cereal boxes. I received my first set of professional Copic markers at eleven, and I remember cherishing them so much that I hardly used them and they ended up drying out with age.

The moral of the story is… don’t wait– create!

Q: How do you spend your time when you’re not creating artwork?

A. As most creatives do, I spend a lot of time working at my full-time job, but as my landscape prints would have you believe, I love any opportunity to get out into the great outdoors, seeking fresh air, peace and quiet, and impeccably lit views that I can’t wait to turn into the next art piece!

If there is a snow-capped mountain with a fathomless lake and nothing on the air but the birds and the sound of your own heartbeat somewhere out there, you can bet it’s on my bucket list.

Q: What work do you most enjoy doing?

A. I like to split my time between my passions (mostly so I don’t get bored and procrastinate), but I secretly love working on commissions. People tend to share a whole story to go along with it, and I might have mentioned earlier that I LOVE when art can capture a story or a moment in time.

Q: What is your dream project?

A. I’d like to witness all the most incredible viewpoints around the world with my own two eyes and turn them all into minimal landscapes. They would be displayed one by one, evenly spaced, in colours of the spectrum that can only be witnessed by a mantis shrimp, on a white wall, in a MOMA somewhere in the world.

The wall would be infinite, because I could never decide what would be the last piece, and there would always be something more. This would never happen, because I am an expert procrastinator and I do not possess The Time Machine– ooh what a great idea for my next escape room… heck, I told you I had a problem.

Find Alice Online:

Alice’s work reminds us that art doesn’t have to shout to make an impact, sometimes it simply needs to make you feel. Whether she’s preserving a once-in-a-lifetime viewpoint or building a puzzle-filled universe, her pieces celebrate curiosity, storytelling, and the beauty of paying attention. We’re honoured to print Alice’s landscapes and be a small part of bringing her visions to life. 

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