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Biography
Alix Rowena Stefan's vibrant painting style has helped to shape
the expression of American art. The rich natural beauty of Alix'
art flows from a unique combination of her background and spirit.
Born in Fond-du-Lac, Wisconsin, Alix moved with her family to the
tropical island of Puerto Rico at an early age. Being raised in
the Caribbean, she grew to love the richness of nature and the warmth
and passion of the Puerto Rican culture. This early environment
and her mother's urging toward self expression have profoundly affected
the development of her artistic vision and skillfully exuberant
style.
As a high-school student Alix returned to the United States and
settled near Albany, New York, where she completed school and reacquainted
herself with American culture. A few years later, she married and
relocated to Tucson, Arizona. A devoted mother, Alix raised two
sons while further exploring her artistic abilities at the University
of Arizona. Inspired by her coursework and the southwestern desert,
she began to paint professionally. Most of her early work emphasized
palette-knife oil painting, where Spanish missions and the vivid
beauty of the Arizona desert in bloom became important subjects
for her paintings.
Alix continued to broaden her artistic and business experience
by exploring opportunities in the gift industry. She first worked
as an art director for a greeting card company and then started
her own small manufacturing business selling a variety of hand-decorated
products. After ten successful years in business, Alix sold her
company and returned to her initial passion - original fine art.
This time her work emphasized acrylic painting and mono-prints enhanced
by hand. She also remained active in the art community by teaching
art classes privately and judging art shows.
Most recently, Alix has gained an affinity for plein-air painting;
that is, painting outdoors directly from nature to spontaneously
capture the effects of light and color. Alix continues to develop
her skills by studying with some of the best representational painters
in the country. She has also been active in several plein-air workshops
in Arizona and in France, practicing the French impressionist style
right at its historical roots.
Alix Stefan's art appears in galleries, and in private and corporate
collections, nationally and internationally.
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