Austin-based artist Monica Alfonso received her MFA in painting in 2006 from Syracuse University and BFA in studio art from The University of Texas at Austin in 2000. She has exhibited her work nationally in juried exhibitions and her work is in many private collections. Monica currently teaches in the School of Art and Design at Texas State University in San Marcos, TX. Her work is inspired by vintage photographs, most specifically family snapshots. While loosely based on the photographic image, the paintings transform the subjects within, and reflect a nostalgic view of the past. The palette and distortions that characterize the paintings are inspired by the aesthetic of the faded photograph.