Lily McAlpin, born in 1994 on the North Shore of Massachusetts, is an emerging landscape painter currently based in Boulder, Colorado. She relocated to this vibrant mountain town in 2017 after earning a BA in Cultural Anthropology and Studio Art from the University of Vermont. Initially focusing on photography and printmaking, Lily discovered her passion for painting in 2022, drawing inspiration from her film photography.

In just two years of self-taught practice, Lily held her first solo gallery show in the summer of 2024. Her work has been featured at esteemed Boulder venues such as The Dairy Art Center, BMoCA, and The Museum of Boulder. Additionally, she has been selected for juried fine art festivals, including the Art Fair Jackson Hole and the Kimball Arts Festival, where she received the Best in Show award for her digital line art series two years in a row.

Lily's trusted film camera is a constant source of inspiration, the grainy photos that ignite her creative process. These photographs play a crucial role in her artistic approach, guiding her in composition, contrast, and tonality. In her studio, Lily translates these visual memories onto canvas. Her artistic journey is deeply influenced by her experiences in the natural world. The rhythmic steps of her outdoor adventures, the cadence of her breath, and her immersion in nature seamlessly combine to inform her creative process. Each painting represents the culmination of an adventure, intertwining the journey and the artwork.