Today we’d like to introduce you to Alice Colin.
Hi Alice, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Hi! My name is Alice Colin. I am a visual artist who specializes in mixed media painting.
I was born and raised in Bordeaux, France, but lived in many countries, studying and working corporate jobs for years. I landed in Charleston 6 years ago where I am settled now with my husband and our 2 young sons, both born here. I love my city and I am involved as much as possible in my community.
Moving to Charleston, I started a small online business focused on selling sustainable french fashion into the US. When this finally started to take off, Covid hit and I had to close shop early 2020. During that time, I was also pregnant with my second child and I was painting more and more for the benefit of friends and family, progressively starting to find my own style but also understanding what I wanted to do with my art and the PURPOSE I wanted to give it.
Since late Summer 2020 now, I started to show my work at various art pop-ups, and worked diligently towards my goal of becoming the full-time artist I am today.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I think everybody struggles at some point but it is part of the process of finding yourself and your career path. In my case, I lived in so many places that each time was like starting over : new homes, new friends, new jobs…Each time you lose yourself in the new habitat and absorb everything around you with an open heart and an open mind. Cultural differences and new languages can make it hard to socialize and blend in. But it was a challenge I enjoyed and I always ended up finding my place because there are always great people to welcome you and help you settle.
All of these experiences around the world were incredibly rich but I wanted stability for my children and also I wanted to grow into a career I was passionate about, feeling that I finally had reached the maturity and material means to do it. Since I was a child I had always wanted to “do art” but I was told so many times this would land nowhere that I had given up and choosen a business career. However, I am a strong believer that whatever you are meant to do, it always goes back to you at some point. And it finally did for me here in Charleston.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
This is a great question! Thank you for asking and taking the time to read about my work.
I create visual artworks using acrylic colors combined with recycled elements from daily life such as newspaper, leather, fabrics, discarded packagings, jar labels and basically anything I find cool and interesting. My creative process aims at expressing emotions and thoughts through colors and patterns in a constant search for balance between shapes and shades.
My inspiration comes from my travels, countries I lived in, and people’s skin colors and facial expressions in general, thus my numerous portraits (I paint mostly portraits) trying to capture all the history, culture, and emotions that the human skin can hold and express.
I am passionate about creating art as a form of communication that is why I also love doing art workshops to challenge people to play with their identity and personality. Next on the line is an opportunity for me to give classes at the women detention center, MUSC hospital and a local school where I was commissioned to paint a giant mural earlier this year.
In 2022, I also started to make statement jewelry pieces (earrings and necklaces) with painted canvas, beads, leather, cotton fringes, silk ribbons and hand-embroidery. They can be worn as jewelry or displayed as artworks. I call them conceptual jewelry (and these are some of the pieces currently displayed at the Grand Bohemian gallery downtown which is a huge deal for me!).
Who else deserves credit in your story?
My friends, family, and of course my husband! He is the one who encouraged me to pursue this crazy dream of being an artist even when I was doubting myself. This past summer for example, he convinced me to apply to have my work displayed at the Spoleto Festival and I got selected but also ended up on the cover of Charleston City Paper!
Contact Info:
- Website: alicecolin.com
- Instagram: alicecolin.art
- Facebook: Alice Colin Art
- TikTok: Alice Colin Art
Image Credits
Alice Colin Art
