"Art Keeps Me Young."

As part of the celebration of Pepper Street's 25th anniversary we profile some artists.

As Pepper Street Arts Centre celebrates its 25th birthday, one longtime volunteer reflects on her passion. Anne Martin was born into an arty family. “Both my parents were artists,” Anne says. “I studied fashion and worked as a knitwear designer and then craft editor of Woman’s Day magazine.”

When Anne moved to Adelaide from interstate 20 years ago, she and her husband Ben lived in a large house on Glynburn Road at Kensington Gardens. In checking out the local area Anne discovered Pepper Street Arts Centre, an arts and cultural initiative of the City of Burnside. Anne says the Centre brings local creative people together and gives them a creative space. “I love the networking with other artists, swapping ideas and sharing events or craft fairs.”

Anne’s craft talents include knitting, sewing, beading, embroidery and crocheting. But her great love is mosaics. “I hand paint and glaze my own tiles,” she says. “That way I can get bright colours, crystal glazes and blended colours.” Anne has adorned her house and garden with stunning mosaics, many of them as large as 6 m x 2 m. There are two strong themes to her work – birds and marine life.

The grandmother of five teaches craft at her home on Wednesday nights. “I help my students make whatever they want to - whether embroidery, knitting or crochet.” Anne’s class is so popular it is full and she is thinking of starting another one. She also gives talks at Pepper Street on creative knitting and crochet. But one art she does not teach is mosaics. “It is difficult to take all my tiles and equipment to Pepper Street and I don’t have room here for classes. The pretty bit of mosaics is the easy part, it is the preparation and the problem-solving that is hard.”

One of the projects Anne is proud of is her coordination of the four mosaics in the underground walkway at the George Bolton Swimming Centre Burnside. Students from three local primary schools designed the mosaics. “The style they came up with actually reflected them as students and I think that image will stay with me forever,” Anne says.

If you like Anne’s work she will do commissions but she says, “I have to like the client and I have to like the subject. It’s very important otherwise it just becomes tedious.” In addition the client has to like Anne’s style. “I love decorative, colourful, and whimsical. If you want geometric and stylised I am not your artist.”

Anne has plans for more mosaic design and has identified places in the garden where she will display them. “I’ve always made things,” Anne says. “I am sure art keeps me young and sane. I totally lose myself and it feeds my soul. If I don’t get studio time I get a bit edgy.”

At 64, Anne says she now paces herself. “I knit or crochet every night unless I have had a big day on mosaics then I rest my hands.”