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art by alex aspiazu

@alexaspiazuart

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🏳️‍🌈🇵🇸 librarian | actor | artist | freelance illustrator | terse but loving | pagan | feral mother nature energy

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#Hello! I'm Alex (she/ella). I am a librarian, theater actor and illustrator living in the DC metro area. I describe myself as a reluctant land mermaid who grumpily lives too far away from the ocean. This first illustration for #Mermay2026 is a self-portrait so you can get to know me a little bit, and it's actually based on one of the most magical moments in my life when I was visited by a tiny octopus off the pier in Frederiksted (swipe for photo). I use my Instagram grid as an art portfolio, and share my more personal updates, ephemeral thoughts and political leanings through my Stories. I don't do personal commissions but I do make art pieces as labors of love on behalf of myself and others, and I am available for hire to design theater production marketing materials. Just like a mermaid, I am a little wild, a little salty, a little feral, sometimes sweet and occasionally murderous. Don't say I didn't warn you when I carry you off into the heart of the sea. #illustration #selfportrait #mermaid by @alexaspiazuart

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3 months ago

I was genuinely SO excited yesterday to be connected to a Real Life Mothma'am that I had to draw her too! One of the deepest regrets of my life was that I didn't do roller derby when I had two working hips, I would have named myself Ana Phylaxis and I am convinced I would have had a great time. Thanks for letting me revisit that old daydream, @marcia_furman. #mothmaam #rollerderby #illustration by @alexaspiazuart

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19 days ago

What is the point of being an illustrator if not to provide absurd bespoke visual aids for the group text chain? The character of Mothma'am is based on our muse @marleykabin, (c)2026 @alexaspiazuart. #completelystupid #cryptids #mothmaam by @alexaspiazuart

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20 days ago

Super proud of this poster design I made for @songsofthegoat to help promote their newest show: Eurydice by Sarah Ruhl. Working on this was a truly collaborative experience and I know the play will be wonderful, I am very much looking forward to seeing it. 🖤 #illustration #theatreposter #eurydice by @alexaspiazuart

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a month ago

My sweet kiddo asked me why there aren't more trans and non-binary mermaids in my collection and I said you know what, you are exactly right. So for my very last mermaid of #mermay2026, I present to you Tai the Hipster Bartender (based entirely on the luminous Kai Walther, with their permission), who is serving #seafoam spritzes tonight at the Clamshell! I have had so much fun this month, I am learning how much prompts set me free, and how fun it is to compare ideas and execution with other artists making the same work. I feel like I dug in deeper, researched more #procreate tricks, and spent more hours per piece in this challenge than I ever have before. I'm so glad I did this! #illustrator #mermay Now on to my next adventure. 🥰 by @alexaspiazuart

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2 months ago

Super super pleased with this one, for today's prompt #SeaShanty. All the songs are true. -- #eattherich #matriarchynow #mermay2026 #sirensong Special shoutout to @hamish_loves_to_read, for encouraging me to develop dark mermaids 🖤 by @alexaspiazuart

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2 months ago

Today's mermaid is dancing through the night in this #MiamiVibes challenge. I love this one, I think she came out great. I can almost hear the music, can't you? #mermay2026 #illustration #miami by @alexaspiazuart

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2 months ago

Screw thingamabobs. Books are the only collection worth having. #collection #mermay2026 #lookatthisstuffisntitneat #booklover by @alexaspiazuart

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2 months ago

Juuuuust under the wire for this one. I'll confess I didn't have an idea for the #booktok theme and the day came (that day was today) when I woke up with absolutely nothing to offer. I've hit every single day so far, so I wasn't going to quit now, dammit! I thought for some reason of Cthulhu from Lovecraft fame, and I wondered if Cthulhu ever felt like looking pretty and putting on some makeup. Everyone needs their me time! It was a super busy day so I brought my iPad everywhere with me and worked as fast as I could when I could sneak in the time. I used very chaotic brushes so I could lean into the dysfunction, and to be honest I'm pretty pleased with myself. This was fun. #mermay2026 #illustration #hplovecraft #cthulhu by @alexaspiazuart

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2 months ago

Today's illustration is an impassioned plea for the life of the vaquita (vah-KEE-tah) porpoise. If people supposedly only care about cute animals, then you should all care about this lil guy because he is THE CUTEST. He is the most endangered marine mammal. There are only 10-20 of them left in the wild, all in the northern Gulf of Mexico. They were only really discovered in the 1980s, so not a lot is historically known about them in their heyday but there were about 560 left in 1997, 150 in 2007, 20 in 2017 and around maybe 9 of them now. This extinction is happening very very fast. Organizations that support vaquita conservation are Sea Shepherd (@seashepherd), the Porpoise Conservation Society (@porpoisedotorg) , and VaquitaCPR (@vaquitacpr). Send them a little of your cash today: I know I will. #endangered #vaquita #Mermay2026 by @alexaspiazuart

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2 months ago

#couplegoals #kermitandmisspiggy #mermay2026 #muppets it really bothers Ryan that I made Kermit with hair. by @alexaspiazuart

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2 months ago

I knew immediately what I wanted to do for #Merthology Day. My kid is o b s e s s e d with Greek and Roman myths (I was too at their age), but also my partner and I strongly identify with Hades and Persephone: two different people, with different vibes, from different worlds, who see life and love in the same way. I have an older drawing (analog! on wood pulp!) of us in this general configuration, so I wanted to use that as a springboard for this drawing. We also cosplayed them at #Otakon. So there's a lot of significance in this love story for me, is what I'm trying to say, anyway. #mermay2026 #hadesandpersephone by @alexaspiazuart

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2 months ago