I came across Aleah Chapin's work a few months back, and was moved by the life in her art. The realism, combined with her use of colouring, had a real impact on me. Aleah has been an artist since she can remember. She remembers her mother (Deborah Koff-Chapin) showing her how to draw a face, and her father teaching her how to draw a cube in 3D; and sees those experiences as the foundation of her work today. Aleah started drawing people at a young age, progressed to sculpting around 10 years of age, and painting when she was 14. Once painting, Aleah had the opportunity to use a local artist's studio (Pete Jordan), and spent a few hours weekly working there. 

Aleah wanted her art to make a positive difference in the world, but that lead to a lack of direction in her work. She struggled a while to find her voice. While in graduate school at the New York Academy of Art, she realized that she just needed to use her own voice to talk about things she knew - she could definitely add value to the conversation in that way. And, what value she has added. She decided to start her Aunties Project, which has grown to an even larger project, including more and more women. It has shown her "the power of a simple image, the strength of vulnerability and the connectedness of individualism."