ABOUT ALI
Ali Mignonne was born in Dallas, Texas, and grew up in a whirlwind of energy, thanks to her teenage parents, four younger siblings, and a neighborhood that felt like a never-ending adventure. Her childhood was from a coming-of-age movie—think secret treehouse meetings, ziplining between trees, creekside campfire sing-alongs, and exploring the woods until dark.
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Of course, life wasn’t all fun and adventure. Family struggles, loss, religious upheaval, and even a stroke at twenty shaped Ali’s path in unexpected ways. But through it all, she held onto her imagination like a lifeline, using creativity to make sense of the chaos and carve out her magical world.
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These days, Ali is a professional artist, known for her textured, sculptural paintings—often featuring trees set against bold, dreamlike landscapes. Her work is full of color, depth, and the same wonder she’s been chasing since childhood. She’s also a writer, weaving together mystery, history, sci-fi, and romance to create stories that draw readers deep into her imaginative world.
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Nature plays a starring role in everything she creates—whether on canvas or the page. Forests, rivers, mountains, and winding trails are more than just scenery; they’re part of the story, just like they were in her own life.
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Now living in Reno, Nevada, Ali finds endless inspiration in the mountains. If she’s not painting or writing, chances are she’s out on a trail or two-stepping at a honky-tonk—because hiking and dancing are her happy places.
ART
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The tradition and love of painting were passed down to Ali through the generations on both her mother and father's side. Her great-grandmother Lillian (father's side) was a prolific oil-painter and tapestry maker, Grandmother Irene (mum's side) a painter and interior decorator, and her mother, Sherri Mignonne, a well-known professional painter. So, it was a natural progression for Ali to pick up the paintbrush. With no formal training, Ali honed her skills by working side by side with her mother and grandmother, studying techniques of artists she admired, and following her most treasured guide, Intuition.
Great-Grandmother and painter
Lillian "Mema Mac" with Ali.
Ali's mom, Sherri Mignonne, blazed the trail, proving the daunting pathway to becoming a professional artist was obtainable.
"Mema" Irene - artist, decorator, and inspiration.
Ali’s trademark sculptural style developed by chance in the early 2000s after a year of home renovations. As she was using joint compound to create a stone wall effect in her bathroom, she discovered the compound's ability to form different shapes. She began experimenting with brick and stone effects throughout her home and then on a series of cat houses built with her granddad, Ray. Before long, she was toying with the idea of sculpting a floor-to-ceiling tree in her dining room, but instead of experimenting on her freshly painted walls, she took her tree idea to canvas. After much trial and error and transitioning from joint compound to paint, she developed her current technique of blending paint with thickening agents and utilizing palette knives and cake decorating tools to create 3-D trees that pop off the canvas.
Having both a passion for nature and a bent towards fantasy, Ali’s works are a mixture of the earth’s wonders and the mind’s fancy. She combines ordinary scenes with out-of-context colors or images to carry the observer past the boundaries of reality. Her paintings are dramatic and evoke strong emotions with high contrast in color and lighting.
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Ali’s paintings have been exhibited in galleries in Arizona, Colorado, Louisiana, and Texas and have been sold to collectors worldwide.
WRITING
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Writing was Ali's first creative love and remains a part of her daily expression. She's written stories, monologues, and songs throughout the years, with Tangled Fates being her first novel and first published work. She is currently writing the sequel "Blackthorn," which she hopes to release in 2026.
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"I want to bring new worlds into existence, things that have never been seen or dreamed. For me, writing is creation- from conception in my imagination, to the moment of glory when I give birth to places and characters I've spent months or years developing."
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- Ali
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Go to Tangled Fates page to learn more and to purchase.
ARTIST STATEMENT
Why Do I Paint What I Paint?
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For me—and I suspect for many artists—painting is an extension of self. When I paint, I pour a piece of myself onto the canvas, to capture what moves me, excites me, and fills me with wonder.
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So, what thrills me?
What Thrills Me?
NATURE THRILLS ME
When I hike beside a trickling stream, with sunlight filtering through the trees, I feel invigorated—fully alive. Stress and negativity fall away as the earth’s energy renews me. Twisting pathways beckon me forward, each bend and turn a gateway to adventure. I feel rooted by the earth, connected to the rocks and roots that my feet roll across.
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I pause, listening—to the flutter of wings, the hum of busy bees, the gentle trickle of water over stones. In that moment, time suspends, and I am completely present. Wildflowers, pinecones, acorns, and leaves become tiny treasures to be discovered and gathered
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And then, there are the trees—towering above me, their endless variety of shapes, colors, and textures never failing to inspire and delight. Nature is a thrilling and boundless muse.
COLOR THRILLS ME
How do I express my love for color? It moves me. It affects my emotions, sets my mood, and transforms my perspective. Every painting begins with color—its shade, its tone, its brightness, its contrast. Color vibrates like music, with different wavelengths creating harmony or discord. The right combination can be mesmerizing, while the wrong one can unsettle. Mastering color is both my greatest challenge and my greatest joy, and it thrills me.
IMAGINATION THRILLS ME
I like to escape reality every chance I get! Reality is fine, but sometimes, it’s a little too… real. I prefer to escape. And when I do, I bring others along for the ride. My paintings are filled with dreamlike visions—white elephants draped in jewels wandering through aspen groves, hot pink trees sprouting from crimson grass beneath an impossibly large moon, giraffes wading in the crystalline waters of an unknown sea. Fantasy fuels my creativity, allowing me to construct worlds where the extraordinary feels natural, and the impossible becomes possible.
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Through my art, I invite you to see the world as I do—to revel in nature’s beauty, to lose yourself in color, and to step into a realm where imagination knows no bounds. Whether you linger before a painting or simply pause to read this statement, I hope, for just a moment, you escape with me.