Alicia Prendergast, using art to surge past adversities

"It makes me feel free ... I don't feel like I am a part of this earth," is how self-taught artist, 22-year-old single mother Alicia Prendergast, feels she when indulges in her passion - painting portraits, murals and a little bit of everything.

Prendergast, who uses her skills to express herself visually and bring awareness to people who deal with adversity, stress and depression, fell in love with art at an early age but had to stop for a while.

"I found out I was pregnant at 17 as a grade-11 student at Godfrey Stewart High. I could not paint, because of the paint scent. I had to stop going to school for a term," Prendergast told THE STAR. "I knew I was going to pass my visual arts exams, so I shifted my focus on other CSEC subjects. A week after giving birth, I went back to the same school and had to play catch-up. I did all the preparations on my own and graduated with 12 CSEC subjects."

"Everyone at school was accepting of everything. My parents (Camille and Gary Prendergast) supported me through my time off from school, and my teacher, Allison Johnson, sent me assignments to keep me on par," she added. Prendergast recalled that in 2004, while in basic school, she discovered that she likes to draw.

"At age 11, I was just a person that liked to draw, but didn't think that I could reach my full potential to actually paint," said Prendergast. "It was the year of my primary school graduation; everyone was receiving tablets as gifts from their parents, but my mother didn't have the sufficient funds to purchase one for me. For me not to feel 'any way', she whispered in my ears that she was going to get a gift for me quickly. When she gave me the gift and I unwrapped it, it was a case of crayons and a paint set."

Prendergast, who is originally from Whitehouse, Westmoreland, tucked away the paint set in her closet for four years. However, after moving to a new home in Little London, painted for the first time when she was 16.

"I had a blank canvas I bought from my high school art teacher, but I was shying away because I didn't believe I could do it. I had it for months, but one day I decided to try and paint. The result was great, and I showed my teacher the painting the next day. I painted American actor Robert De Niro, and ever since then I never stopped," said Prendergast.

As her confidence grew, she fell in love with images of abstract, realistic and biblical sceneries. A visit to the Edna Manley School of the Visual and Performing Arts convinced her that she could become an artist and art teacher. She is now enrolled at Edna Manley, and is set to graduate with a bachelor's degree in art education next year.

Prendergast is motivated and intrigued by the fact that people look at her work with disbelief.

"Living in Westmoreland, people will say, 'She is a girl; really, is you paint that? People don't believe that females can do certain things, like paint. It makes me want to do more and show them that a woman can do this, too," she said. "I feel like I am in my own space, and I can express myself without being judged. I can speak without using my voice verbally. I want to bring awareness as well, because I feel like a lot of premature deaths and suicides could be prevented if more persons had more avenues to express themselves," added Prendergast.

Prendergast, who hopes to become an internationally acclaimed artist one day with her own gallery, printery and other businesses, is now teaching her young son the techniques in art. She is also currently writing a children's book that she hopes to publish.