Born in Fond-du-Lac, Wisconsin, Alix moved to the tropical island of Puerto Rico at an early age. Being raised in the Caribbean, she grew to love the natural beauty of the island and the warmth and passion of the Puerto Rican culture. The exposure to this colorful environment at an early age profoundly affected her artistic vision and exuberant style.

As a teenager 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.

Alix continued to broaden here artistic skills by exploring plein-air painting; that is, painting outdoors directly from nature to spontaneously capture the effects of light and color.  She participated in several plein-air workshops in Arizona and in France, practicing the French impressionist style right at its historical roots. Alix continues to develop her skills by studying with some of the best representational painters in the country.

Alix Stefan’s art appears in galleries, and in private and corporate collections, both nationally and internationally.