Hazel Restrick is a visual artist who graduated as a mature student with an Honours Degree in Fine Art Painting from Limerick School of Art & Design. Within her art practice, Hazel is particularly drawn to and inspired by the architecture of place.
Early work
Initially, Hazel worked with fabric and upcycled everyday materials, studying fashion design and working as a seamstress. During the film era of photography, Hazel co-founded a photographic studio with a commercial photographer in rural Ireland. This collaboration empowered her with newfound skills in both photography and producing a high standard of commercial images. Hazel devoted herself to mastering the processes of producing black and white images in the darkroom for publication across various print media outlets around Ireland. Following this Hazel trained in the art and craft of gilding, learning traditional water gilding and techniques such as pastiglia and shellac metal leaf finishes. Upon mastering these skills she worked in the Antique and Fine Art business in Ireland. Restoring and gilding Italian and French period pieces.
Education
In order to expand her career towards fine art, Hazel completed a portfolio course within the Art, Craft and Design department in Abbeyleix FEC, Co.Laois. Here she had an introduction to creative embroidery and discovered a new way to work with fabric. During this period of study Hazel was awarded the opportunity along with one other student to participate in a fully funded (by Laois County Council et al) student exchange with O’More College of Art in Franklin, Tennessee, USA. Participating in their summer courses and sharing in the wonderful hospitality provided by the Williamson County twinning committee which included a visit to the Grand Ole Osprey in Nashville.
On entering her degree course at Limerick School of Art & Design, she was guided in developing skills in research and analysis, a broad use of materials, sculpture, photography, sketching and painting. As a mature student, Hazel graduated with an Honours Degree in Fine Art Painting from Limerick School of Art & Design.
Place
Within her art practice, Hazel is particularly drawn to and inspired by the architecture of place, her research and analysis considers how power and knowledge emerge in spaces and places. Often exploring ancient and modern mapmaking in relation to a sense of place, she reflects on a fundamental need in finding one’s place and the impacts of having been displaced. Working with particular themes, sculptures are created from found and sometimes discarded materials, valued for their imperfect beauty and their once important role in the world. Moulding and sculpting new imagined models of place. Sculpting, writing, photography, sketching and paint are tools used to explore these spaces, before the final image emerges.
