Crystal Fisher did not have a future in art.
Or at least that is how the Clyde-based artist and member of the Westlock Art Club interpreted the meaning behind an art mark she received in high school.
“When I was young, in grade school I loved painting and drawing, anything artsy,” she said, before a Feb. 3 reception at the Barrhead Art Club, where she is the featured artist for the month.
However, when she was in Grade 10 she quit her art class because of how a teacher made her feel.
“She dropped me down from a 95 (per cent) to a 60 (per cent) and I was devastated, so I quit the class after three months,” Fisher said.
It would take another 10 years before Fisher realized how much she missed doing art.
“I was in Michaels craft store and I decided to take an art class and I did this painting,” she said.
From there Fisher continued to paint, mostly in various art classes, but after about five years she decided to expand her horizons and start working from home.
“I’m not sure why, but it seemed the work I produced during the art class was just better anything I ever tried at home, but a couple of years ago I realized I needed to put the hours behind my art. You just can’t get really, really good unless you put in the hours.”
And that is what she has done. In the last two years Fisher has created more than 525 separate pieces, of which she has sold more than 300, many at her thrift store, The Garage Sale.
“At first I wouldn’t even own up to it and I would tell my customers the work was from a local artist,” she said, adding eventually a customer realized that Fisher was the artist.
Due to her success, Fisher decided to pursue art full time and sell her store.
“Art, for me, has become an integral part of my life. I let my work portray my personality and I am always looking for ways to improve my technique as well as my experience, which I can bring to my work,” she said.
To do that Fisher travels as much as she can, either to take courses, as she did when she went to Ontario and Calgary for glassblowing courses, or last year when she took a 12-country cruise that included the Panama Canal and New York City.
“I did art the whole trip, whether it was taking a course, going to a museum, art galleries,” she said, noting one of her favourite experiences was a drawing course at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
Although when Fisher first returned to art she focused mainly on painting, using oil as her main medium, but has branched out to other forms.
Some of Fisher’s favourite mediums are photography, acrylic, spray paint, inks and spray paint. In addition, Fisher recently has begun to explore glass blowing, aluminum and blacksmithing.
“Working in aluminum is interesting. What I do is take aluminum pieces that I melt with my forge and then pour it into my molds which I also make,” she said. “One of my favourite pieces that I created through blacksmithing is a knife that I made using a railway spike.”
Fisher’s artwork will be displayed at the Barrhead Art Club until Feb. 24. The art club is open every Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. For more information of Fisher’s art go to www.crystalfisherart.com.
