Alix St Clair
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“You don’t have to be a profound intellectual to be a great artist”.
You don’t have to be a great artist either, but this quote gives me the freedom to enjoy the creative journey and meet some wonderful people. I attended art classes in Upper Hutt with Mary Archibald (Amour), a multi-talented artist who constantly challenged her students to try different media, styles, techniques and approaches, always extending us in new directions. I moved from water colour to oils to acrylics, but it was a class on paper mosaic that caught my attention and started me on my current path. I have created mosaics inspired by photos, magazine ads, media promos and other artists’ work, even decorating a few 3D objects along the way. Most recently I have taken to exploring musical themes on the surfaces of various stringed instruments. It's a messy business, involving trays and trays of small pieces of coloured paper, masses of glossy magazines gathered from friends and op shops, and a chance gust of wind through the studio window can create loud protests and multi-coloured mayhem. However it’s a very relaxing pastime, probably floating somewhere on the continuum between art and craft. Since moving to Mangawhai in 2022, I have joined a few art groups where I have taken up a brush again to experiment with painting still-life and floral art in acrylics. |
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