Alex Silver, the artist behind H.A.N.D. Painting Co. has always been a passionate creative, but his journey to art did not follow a traditional path. Starting his career as a firefighter in San Luis Obispo County, Silver found the desire to focus on a career of helping others in his community. This propelled him into the world of science and medicine completing his Bachelor degree in science from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in 2012, followed by a Doctorate degree in Chiropractic Medicine from Palmer College Chiropractic West in 2017.
In Fall of 2019, Silver opened a private Chiropractic practice in Santa Monica, California where shortly after opening, the world shut down due to COVID-19. When the pandemic hit, like many others, Silver’s career as a Chiropractor was brought to an abrupt holt as the spread of the virus made his job impossible to perform. As an avid surfer of 25 years and unable to practice Chiropractic in a hands-on environment, Silver felt an urgency for a creative outlet that incorporated two of his greatest loves, surfing and connection. It was in this moment, spurred on by the global pandemic that a new creative path appeared. What existed as a weekend hobby transitioned into an everyday practice. “I fell in love with the creative process, and found that the pandemic changed how people interacted with each other” said Silver, “I realized that there was an opportunity to continue my original desire to reach people in my community positively, but in a new medium.” Silver’s artwork serves as a daily reminder to be kind to one another, to share words of encouragement, and empower his community to have a nice day.
Born and raised on the beaches of Los Angeles, Silver has grown to understand the deep-rooted connection we have to our natural environment. Silver has realized the importance of respecting our earth and is passionate about incorporating sustainable practices into his artistic process. Diving deep into H.A.N.D. art’s Surfboard Series, Silver utilizes recycled, broken surfboards as a way to honor the life of a surfboard. Each surfboard can live on, serving as platform to promote Silver’s positive message - Be Kind to All, Treat Others With Respect, and Love Yourself. His art takes something that had a finite purpose and restores it with a new reason for being. Each surfboard created embodies these artistic principles, serving as a physical representation of the fundamental principles and mantras Silver lives by and encourages others to embody.
“Have A Nice Day” Painting Co. was created with the purpose of effecting others positively, encouraging others to have a nice day. Everyone deserves to have the best day, but sometimes it doesn’t feel within us – this was made even more apparent during the pandemic. Art with a Purpose is the foundation of Silver’s creativity process. Whether it’s smiling at a stranger or complimenting someone for their help, acting with kindness can have a big impact on the lives around you. The goal of H.A.N.D. art is to create a ripple effect of kindness and positivity throughout our communities.
In the Summer of 2021, Silver was asked to donate a piece of artwork to the St. Jude Children’s Hospital’s Silent auction in support of their presence at the LA Art Show. After raising money for the charity and being exhibited at the art show itself, Silver was asked to perform a live surfboard painting exhibition at their Invest In Hope fall fundraiser which was then auctioned off at the event. Painting at a live exhibition allowed Silver to interact with the guests, offering them an interactive and front row seat in the creative process. Each guest who visited his workspace was asked to give a word of affirmation that meant something to them, which Silver then included it in the art piece. This live painting exhibition offered a unique opportunity for guests to be emersed in the art and part of the final creation.