Zac Albrecht-Heiks
From the mountains of Colorado comes Britta Albrecht, a watercolorist and illustrator. Albrecht's work frequently uses natural imagery to convey the human relationship with the landscape, and she distills it into something beautiful that resonates with feeling and style. This week, she opens an exhibition at The ART.i.factory (4 pm Saturday April 13. Free. 930 Baca St., Ste. C, 982-5000), presented by Curate Santa Fe, to show her work. (Layne Radlauer)
In a nutshell, how would you describe your work?
I'm kind of a newly myself artist. I've been doing freelance for a couple years since moving to Santa Fe. I started making drawings and watercolors and selling them. I feel like I have a very unique style. I'd describe it as natural and illustrative. Part of it is abstraction, but you can identify different shapes and scenes of the world. It's illustrative and tells a story. I'm curious how others might categorize it. I was in touch with [Niomi Fawn], a curator in Santa Fe … They got in touch with me for doing a solo show this spring. They work with the ART.i.factory; that gallery is nice for an artist like me starting off. I don't feel intimidated to make a large body of work.
Why do you use watercolors?
I really like watercolor because it's not very forgiving and does whatever it wants. I find it really interesting working with that unplanned medium and finding ways to work with mistakes. Working with the challenges that it brings is fascinating and curious. I find I can be more playful with this medium.
What do you take inspiration from?
The biggest inspiration for me is the positive effects art has on my experiences dealing with anxiety and depression. I find it that watercolors balance me and creates a sense of calm that I need in my life. I can clear my head and explore. … [My work] brings life to the mountains as our neighbors and friends, as lame as that may sound. New Mexico is energizing, in that regard.
