She falls for IMOCAs... and sketches them!
Illustrator Alexandra Pister is in the spotlight during this Défi Azimut Lorient Agglomération. Her watercolour drawings, faithful to the volumes and colours of the IMOCA boats, can be seen at le Carré until Sunday.
Trained as an agricultural engineer, Alexandra Pister worked in her profession for six years before being overtaken by her two passions: nature, water and surfing on the one hand, and drawing on the other. ‘One day, I decided that I was going to try to turn these two passions into my profession!’ says the young woman matter-of-factly, placing the watercolour painting of Macif Santé Prévoyance that she has just completed at the entrance to the Cité de la Voile Eric Tabarly on her easel.
Based in Barcelona, Alexandra enrolled in a master's degree in product design in 2020, taking evening classes where she learned to capture volumes in perspective. "I love this phase of the work where the object appears. Watercolour does the rest, giving fluidity to the movements," explains the artist, who is happy to offer advice to passers-by who come across her on the pontoons, sketchbooks on her knees. With multiple layers of watercolour and masking resins to insert realistic logos, her technique is now well established.
It was only a short step from Barcelona, where she joined the Red Bull team in 2024 to design the AC75s, to Lorient, where she is now working on the IMOCAs. The Cité de la Voile is exhibiting Alexandra's work in June, and the Défi Azimut Lorient Agglomération is the perfect opportunity to sketch new IMOCAs. On the artist's drawing board, the highly visual Les P'tits Doudous is currently under study. Discover it at la Cité de la Voile in le Karré.