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Anastasia Trusova is the real example of that. Brought up in difficult conditions, her artistic spirit grew even stronger. Highly influenced by the environment she grew up in, she paints in a live and almost self telling way. It is a time machine, a transporter into a Russian snow fairytale where all the beauties and difficulties come to life. Her paintings take you to a different world, they are a rest to the tired eye and beauty to the home.
Where are you from? Where does the art journey start for you?
What is the first emotion that drives you towards creating an art piece? Do you recognize the connection immediately and let yourself flow on the creative process? Or do you "bake" the inspiration for some time?
What is the back story of your design? Because every one of us sees the world through separate lenses. How hard it must be to transfer it to other people?
When it comes to making a living from your art, what are the main struggles? And what would be your advice for starting artists?
What do you prefer, single pieces or storytelling through a whole project? And what approach do you use in each case?
Why do you use certain materials? What connects you with them, and makes you feel they are perfect for your art piece?
What does ART, in general, mean to you?
By Milena Spasojevic
Anastasia Trusova is the real example of that. Brought up in difficult conditions, her artistic spirit grew even stronger. Highly influenced by the environment she grew up in, she paints in a live and almost self telling way. It is a time machine, a transporter into a Russian snow fairytale where all the beauties and difficulties come to life. Her paintings take you to a different world, they are a rest to the tired eye and beauty to the home.
Where are you from? Where does the art journey start for you?
What is the first emotion that drives you towards creating an art piece? Do you recognize the connection immediately and let yourself flow on the creative process? Or do you "bake" the inspiration for some time?
What is the back story of your design? Because every one of us sees the world through separate lenses. How hard it must be to transfer it to other people?
When it comes to making a living from your art, what are the main struggles? And what would be your advice for starting artists?
What do you prefer, single pieces or storytelling through a whole project? And what approach do you use in each case?
Why do you use certain materials? What connects you with them, and makes you feel they are perfect for your art piece?
What does ART, in general, mean to you?
By Milena Spasojevic
When we first encountered Lois art we thought she is doing sketches from new-age Disney movies. All those details and the strong personality of her designs must be from a serious department full of very talented artists, working for a huge company. But, my oh my, we were so wrong.
The talented artist from The Netherlands spent most of her life working on her craft. She is a digital artist, without the limits for her imagination. Her designs move the most delicate feelings inside your soul and wake up your inner child. With a serious response to major social issues she is speaking her truth, the best way she can - through art powered with a creative spark.
Where are you from? Where does the art journey start for you?
What is the first emotion that drives you towards creating an art piece? Do you recognize the connection immediately and let yourself flow on the creative process? Or do you "bake" the inspiration for some time?
What is the back story of your design? Because every one of us sees the world through separate lenses. How hard it must be to transfer it to other people?
When it comes to making a living from your art, what are the main struggles? And what would be your advice for starting artists?
What do you prefer, single pieces or storytelling through a whole project? And what approach do you use in each case?
Why do you use certain materials? What connects you with them, and makes you feel they are perfect for your art piece?
What does ART, in general, mean to you?
By Milena Spasojevic
When we first encountered Lois art we thought she is doing sketches from new-age Disney movies. All those details and the strong personality of her designs must be from a serious department full of very talented artists, working for a huge company. But, my oh my, we were so wrong.
The talented artist from The Netherlands spent most of her life working on her craft. She is a digital artist, without the limits for her imagination. Her designs move the most delicate feelings inside your soul and wake up your inner child. With a serious response to major social issues she is speaking her truth, the best way she can - through art powered with a creative spark.
Where are you from? Where does the art journey start for you?
What is the first emotion that drives you towards creating an art piece? Do you recognize the connection immediately and let yourself flow on the creative process? Or do you "bake" the inspiration for some time?
What is the back story of your design? Because every one of us sees the world through separate lenses. How hard it must be to transfer it to other people?
When it comes to making a living from your art, what are the main struggles? And what would be your advice for starting artists?
What do you prefer, single pieces or storytelling through a whole project? And what approach do you use in each case?
Why do you use certain materials? What connects you with them, and makes you feel they are perfect for your art piece?
What does ART, in general, mean to you?
By Milena Spasojevic
The complexity of human beings and all of their emotional states has always been a lesson to learn from. And the artistic approach that explores the world around us is a neverending process that keeps on rewarding. Giving us "live" examples, and showing us various emotional states. But how to keep it in one place, how to take those lessons to the future? How to prepare the young and give them the wisdom they are promised?
The artistic duo Coderch-Malavia is solving that mystery. Their dedication and love for their craft, have brought to life one of the most beautiful sculptures of modern time. While looking at them we can feel "the moment", we can develop empathy for the emotional states of their sculptures... And you will realize slowly, we can fall in love with their art.
Where are you from? Where does the art journey start for you?
When I was very young I was lucky enough to find a teacher of Plastic Arts who saw in me the love and sensitivity I had for volume. He supported me and helped me by teaching me the basics of modeling. He took me to the house of Manuel Hugué, a famous Catalonian sculptor of the early twentieth century. This was for me a turning point. I discovered a whole new world andI realized sculpture, and Art in general, is the perfect way to express my ideas and my feelings.
I've always liked to draw and I've always loved nature, the human body, chemistry and physiology. Before I started my university studies I did not really know very well whether I wanted to follow one way or another.
Suddenly something clicked in my mind, just like when inspiration comes to you, and I realized that I wanted to study fine arts.
Once in class, the first contact I had with sculpture, especially the modeling, was like a crush. . . it was love at first sight.
What is the first emotion that drives you towards creating an art piece? Do you recognize the connection immediately and let yourself flow on the creative process? Or do you "bake" the inspiration for some time?
The fact that a work of art can emerge from the collaboration of two different sensibilities might catch people's attention because it might seem complicated, but in reality we believe that this alliance empowers the finalresult. However, starting a project from a dual dynamic requires much more previous work. We start from several brainstorming sessions in which we put all the cards down on the table. During this process we share our ideas, no matter if they are good or bad, to get to a point where we understand what is important to us and what is that we want to develop.
Meeting and discussing is simple, the complicated part is organizing and sharing the physical creation of the work itself, because you need double discipline, you must learn to trust your partner and be able to share your ideas and your work with him, and, above all, you must put your ego aside in order to stay equal to commit to the final result.
What is the back story of your design? Because every one of us sees the world through separate lenses. How hard it must be to transfer it to other people?
When it comes to making a living from your art, what are the main struggles? And what would be your advice for starting artists?
What do you prefer, single pieces or storytelling through a whole project? And what approach do you use in each case?
Why do you use certain materials? What connects you with them, and makes you feel they are perfect for your art piece?
What does ART, in general, mean to you?
By Milena Spasojevic
The complexity of human beings and all of their emotional states has always been a lesson to learn from. And the artistic approach that explores the world around us is a neverending process that keeps on rewarding. Giving us "live" examples, and showing us various emotional states. But how to keep it in one place, how to take those lessons to the future? How to prepare the young and give them the wisdom they are promised?
The artistic duo Coderch-Malavia is solving that mystery. Their dedication and love for their craft, have brought to life one of the most beautiful sculptures of modern time. While looking at them we can feel "the moment", we can develop empathy for the emotional states of their sculptures... And you will realize slowly, we can fall in love with their art.
Where are you from? Where does the art journey start for you?
When I was very young I was lucky enough to find a teacher of Plastic Arts who saw in me the love and sensitivity I had for volume. He supported me and helped me by teaching me the basics of modeling. He took me to the house of Manuel Hugué, a famous Catalonian sculptor of the early twentieth century. This was for me a turning point. I discovered a whole new world andI realized sculpture, and Art in general, is the perfect way to express my ideas and my feelings.
I've always liked to draw and I've always loved nature, the human body, chemistry and physiology. Before I started my university studies I did not really know very well whether I wanted to follow one way or another.
Suddenly something clicked in my mind, just like when inspiration comes to you, and I realized that I wanted to study fine arts.
Once in class, the first contact I had with sculpture, especially the modeling, was like a crush. . . it was love at first sight.
What is the first emotion that drives you towards creating an art piece? Do you recognize the connection immediately and let yourself flow on the creative process? Or do you "bake" the inspiration for some time?
The fact that a work of art can emerge from the collaboration of two different sensibilities might catch people's attention because it might seem complicated, but in reality we believe that this alliance empowers the finalresult. However, starting a project from a dual dynamic requires much more previous work. We start from several brainstorming sessions in which we put all the cards down on the table. During this process we share our ideas, no matter if they are good or bad, to get to a point where we understand what is important to us and what is that we want to develop.
Meeting and discussing is simple, the complicated part is organizing and sharing the physical creation of the work itself, because you need double discipline, you must learn to trust your partner and be able to share your ideas and your work with him, and, above all, you must put your ego aside in order to stay equal to commit to the final result.
What is the back story of your design? Because every one of us sees the world through separate lenses. How hard it must be to transfer it to other people?
When it comes to making a living from your art, what are the main struggles? And what would be your advice for starting artists?
What do you prefer, single pieces or storytelling through a whole project? And what approach do you use in each case?
Why do you use certain materials? What connects you with them, and makes you feel they are perfect for your art piece?
What does ART, in general, mean to you?
By Milena Spasojevic
I once heard that the most classic works of art require the most time and dedication. The path is already there. But path covered in the greatness that comes even from ancient time. How do we walk that path with confidence? What goes into creating a Classique masterpiece? And how does an artist reinvent himself?
All of these questions came to my mind when I encountered the work of José Manuel Martínez Pérez. If you are new in the art world his pieces will send you back to history classes in school. But is it really like that?
His art carries a deep emotion of the modern world. If you stare a couple of seconds into his work you will find yourself in conversation with the piece. And is there a more satisfying feeling?
Where are you from? Where does the art journey start for you?
I was born in Lepe, a bright town on the coast of Huelva in Andalusia. I started very young, in adolescence, copying drawing pictures and curiously observing my surroundings, everything seemed to me a reason to tell something.
What is the first emotion that drives you towards creating an art piece? Do you recognize the connection immediately and let yourself flow on the creative process? Or do you "bake" the inspiration for some time?
The truth is, I don't think too much when I work. Intuition is very present in the seed of my work, I think that the visceral guides me, it is an impulse, a need. The creative process is changing and in my case it evolves with the work, I doubt and modify the original idea a lot until the piece tells me that it is on the way, then I start to close and think about the final result.
What is the back story of your design? Because every one of us sees the world through separate lenses. How hard it must be to transfer it to other people?
The human in its broadest sense. Life, the feminine, the masculine, constant duality, life, death, old age, the beginning, the end, ultimately human passions. Sometimes I use my work as a catharsis of my own life, healthy with my sculptures. People who look at a sculpture complete the work and in the creative process, the viewer's gaze is essential, it gives meaning to the work of any artist. I do not like to explain what I do, I find the reading that others do fascinating, I do not like to close the speech with my opinion.
When it comes to making a living from your art, what are the main struggles? And what would be your advice for starting artists?
Constancy, passion and the trade. It is very important to work every day and look at every moment for motivation and surprise or novelty. To a beginning artist I would say: live, experiment, carefully observe your surroundings and nature, but above all, always work sincerely without expecting easy applause from others.
What do you prefer, single pieces or storytelling through a whole project? And what approach do you use in each case?
Sometimes I make individual pieces and sometimes I make series with a specific theme. The advantage of the series is that you delve into a topic and the work evolves, but I avoid lengthening the series a lot so as not to repeat myself.
Why do you use certain materials? What connects you with them, and makes you feel they are perfect for your art piece?
I use many final materials, bronze, wood, resins, etc. I always model with clay, a humble material that comes out of the earth and water, it seems to me a perfect and changing medium for my work, it allows me to get to what I want.
What does ART, in general, mean to you?
It is the main motivation of my life, I dedicate a large part of my day to day to give shape to new ideas. For me it is a job, a joy and above all a privilege that I appreciate every morning. Art is essential for happiness and for connection or communication with others.
The FOURLINEdesign team would like to thank José Manuel Martínez Pérez for sharing inspiring thoughts with our community.
By Milena Spasojevic
I once heard that the most classic works of art require the most time and dedication. The path is already there. But path covered in the greatness that comes even from ancient time. How do we walk that path with confidence? What goes into creating a Classique masterpiece? And how does an artist reinvent himself?
All of these questions came to my mind when I encountered the work of José Manuel Martínez Pérez. If you are new in the art world his pieces will send you back to history classes in school. But is it really like that?
His art carries a deep emotion of the modern world. If you stare a couple of seconds into his work you will find yourself in conversation with the piece. And is there a more satisfying feeling?
Where are you from? Where does the art journey start for you?
I was born in Lepe, a bright town on the coast of Huelva in Andalusia. I started very young, in adolescence, copying drawing pictures and curiously observing my surroundings, everything seemed to me a reason to tell something.
What is the first emotion that drives you towards creating an art piece? Do you recognize the connection immediately and let yourself flow on the creative process? Or do you "bake" the inspiration for some time?
The truth is, I don't think too much when I work. Intuition is very present in the seed of my work, I think that the visceral guides me, it is an impulse, a need. The creative process is changing and in my case it evolves with the work, I doubt and modify the original idea a lot until the piece tells me that it is on the way, then I start to close and think about the final result.
What is the back story of your design? Because every one of us sees the world through separate lenses. How hard it must be to transfer it to other people?
The human in its broadest sense. Life, the feminine, the masculine, constant duality, life, death, old age, the beginning, the end, ultimately human passions. Sometimes I use my work as a catharsis of my own life, healthy with my sculptures. People who look at a sculpture complete the work and in the creative process, the viewer's gaze is essential, it gives meaning to the work of any artist. I do not like to explain what I do, I find the reading that others do fascinating, I do not like to close the speech with my opinion.
When it comes to making a living from your art, what are the main struggles? And what would be your advice for starting artists?
Constancy, passion and the trade. It is very important to work every day and look at every moment for motivation and surprise or novelty. To a beginning artist I would say: live, experiment, carefully observe your surroundings and nature, but above all, always work sincerely without expecting easy applause from others.
What do you prefer, single pieces or storytelling through a whole project? And what approach do you use in each case?
Sometimes I make individual pieces and sometimes I make series with a specific theme. The advantage of the series is that you delve into a topic and the work evolves, but I avoid lengthening the series a lot so as not to repeat myself.
Why do you use certain materials? What connects you with them, and makes you feel they are perfect for your art piece?
I use many final materials, bronze, wood, resins, etc. I always model with clay, a humble material that comes out of the earth and water, it seems to me a perfect and changing medium for my work, it allows me to get to what I want.
What does ART, in general, mean to you?
It is the main motivation of my life, I dedicate a large part of my day to day to give shape to new ideas. For me it is a job, a joy and above all a privilege that I appreciate every morning. Art is essential for happiness and for connection or communication with others.
The FOURLINEdesign team would like to thank José Manuel Martínez Pérez for sharing inspiring thoughts with our community.
By Milena Spasojevic
By Milena Spasojevic
By Milena Spasojevic
If you take a look across your room, what can you notice about the decoration? In the majority of homes, we encounter commercialized, regular items. Although they might come from your favorite thrift store or Ikea, one thing is for sure - they are welcomed by the masses.
And as easy as it might be to neglect the effort of your amazing thrift store owner or designers in Ikea, we need to go to the stream of their work.
How they develop their design? Where do they start? Where does the inspiration come from? Surprisingly or not, most of them have deep knowledge of the History of Art and design itself. One of their major advice is to visit the museums. Go through the old photos, search for young inspiring people. In the journey of "developing the skill", we encounter Anouk Pantovola. A girl with a wild imagination and great skills that bring her thoughts to life.
Where are you from? Where does the art journey start for you?
I originally hail from The Netherlands, but I have lived in London, Scotland and Spain for most of my adult years
My art journey began from the day I could hold a pencil in my hands. I began to draw and paint and never stopped.
As a child I made cloth dolls with my mother at home and I have very fond memories of that.
We would use an old sock for example which we filled with cotton and dried lavender, and decorated it like primitive small dolls.
Later on we used paper mache for doll making.
I always knew I wanted to be an artist and never had any other career ideas, except for a little while when I wanted to be an archeologist..
I studied Fine Arts in Arnhem where I learned about puppet stop-motion animation. This rekindled my love for puppets and miniature worlds.
But Pantovola was born some ten years after graduating art school, in 2015, when I lived on a narrow canal boat in London and I did not have much space for art making. I remembered the small cloth dolls I made at home with my mother for which not much else was needed than some fabrics, needle and thread. The first Pantovola dolls were born there, and it was the beginning of this journey.
What is the first emotion that drives you towards creating an art piece? Do you recognize the connection immediately and let yourself flow on the creative process? Or do you "bake" the inspiration for some time?
Stories are always developing in my head, at all times, and my work directly derives from these stories.
But the story can be seen as a whole, a world or kind of universe, where all these ideas and creatures meet and live, they are all connected somehow.
When I create, I do not plan ahead too much, I let the work create itself, I let it use my hands and yes, in that sense I go with the flow.
But the heart and soul of everything I make has its roots in these worlds I have been creating in my mind since I can remember.
What is the backstory of your design? Because every one of us sees the world through separate lenses. How hard it must be to transfer it to other people?
I believe that there are things we all, as humans, recognize, some kind of archetypes that we have a deep understanding of. I have always had a great love and fascination for fairytales and folklore, and a lot of the themes, objects and subjects in these tales are, I believe, universally understood. We all understand at some level what they mean and what they are telling us.
I hope that my work has a similar effect in the sense that I do not wish to explain too much, but I hope that the work speaks for itself.
Perhaps it says different things to different people, that is okay, as long as it speaks of something and that a glimpse of the Pantovola world can be discovered through the eyes of the dolls.
When it comes to making a living from your art, what are the main struggles? And what would be your advice for starting artists?
For me the main struggle is money itself, I don't like money, but we all need it to live.
To connect something so magical to me as my work to something so mundane and sinister as money, is the difficult bit. However, it is a truth of the world and there is just no escaping from that. So I see it as wearing different 'hats' for different occasions. When it comes to selling my work, I have to be practical and I put my 'real world hat' on.
But when I create, I leave that hat somewhere far out of sight in the shadows.
My advice for starting artists would be to always look within, to what is unique about you. And to not let social media and all the images that are thrown your way distract you from what YOUR unique vision is. To try not to compare yourself to others too much. There is only one you who can create what you create, and that should be your focus, in my opinion.
And keep at it even though everyone around you may be telling you that your dreams of being an artist are silly. They are not silly, they are magical, and also achievable.
I very much like reading about the lives of artists from the past, and it mesmerizes me to find out about all their struggles and tribulations. Yet despite all these horrid things these people endured, they managed to leave a legacy of beautiful works of art.
This not only helps me put my own struggles into perspective, it also gives me hope that beauty is the thing that prevails in the end.
What do you prefer, single pieces or storytelling through a whole project? And what approach do you use in each case?
I like to work on bigger projects sometimes because there is a great focus within that. But I am often also a little impatient and I like to see results quickly, so this is what I love about making my Pantovola Petit figurines;
they come to life from idea to finished doll in a fairly short amount of time, and that can be really satisfying.
But as I mentioned earlier, the larger story is always at the root of everything I make, so not one piece really stands alone, if that makes sense.
Why do you use certain materials? What connects you with them, and makes you feel they are perfect for your art piece?
My favorite materials are old textiles, with worn threads and perhaps a coffee stain spill that escaped a dainty porcelain cup in 1892.
So I collect and am sometimes gifted, antique textiles and lace.
The history in the threads, the secrets, the stories, the hands that held these fibers, is what makes working with these materials so special to me,
It feels like a connection to a larger story.
But I also absolutely love painting on fabric, and for these purposes I use unbleached cotton which I firmly stuff with recycled cotton fluff filling, to create the doll or sculpture.
This then makes for a great surface to paint my creature's faces on, and adorn them with what I like to call '3-D paintings"
What does ART, in general, mean to you?
Art is life. It is the blood that makes us human because in it we reflect who we are and how we perceive the world around us.
Art gives meaning to our lives. I believe it is as vital as food, water, and oxygen.
The FOURLINEdesign team would like to thank Anouk Pantovola for sharing inspiring thoughts with our community.
By Milena Spasojevic
If you take a look across your room, what can you notice about the decoration? In the majority of homes, we encounter commercialized, regular items. Although they might come from your favorite thrift store or Ikea, one thing is for sure - they are welcomed by the masses.
And as easy as it might be to neglect the effort of your amazing thrift store owner or designers in Ikea, we need to go to the stream of their work.
How they develop their design? Where do they start? Where does the inspiration come from? Surprisingly or not, most of them have deep knowledge of the History of Art and design itself. One of their major advice is to visit the museums. Go through the old photos, search for young inspiring people. In the journey of "developing the skill", we encounter Anouk Pantovola. A girl with a wild imagination and great skills that bring her thoughts to life.
Where are you from? Where does the art journey start for you?
I originally hail from The Netherlands, but I have lived in London, Scotland and Spain for most of my adult years
My art journey began from the day I could hold a pencil in my hands. I began to draw and paint and never stopped.
As a child I made cloth dolls with my mother at home and I have very fond memories of that.
We would use an old sock for example which we filled with cotton and dried lavender, and decorated it like primitive small dolls.
Later on we used paper mache for doll making.
I always knew I wanted to be an artist and never had any other career ideas, except for a little while when I wanted to be an archeologist..
I studied Fine Arts in Arnhem where I learned about puppet stop-motion animation. This rekindled my love for puppets and miniature worlds.
But Pantovola was born some ten years after graduating art school, in 2015, when I lived on a narrow canal boat in London and I did not have much space for art making. I remembered the small cloth dolls I made at home with my mother for which not much else was needed than some fabrics, needle and thread. The first Pantovola dolls were born there, and it was the beginning of this journey.
What is the first emotion that drives you towards creating an art piece? Do you recognize the connection immediately and let yourself flow on the creative process? Or do you "bake" the inspiration for some time?
Stories are always developing in my head, at all times, and my work directly derives from these stories.
But the story can be seen as a whole, a world or kind of universe, where all these ideas and creatures meet and live, they are all connected somehow.
When I create, I do not plan ahead too much, I let the work create itself, I let it use my hands and yes, in that sense I go with the flow.
But the heart and soul of everything I make has its roots in these worlds I have been creating in my mind since I can remember.
What is the backstory of your design? Because every one of us sees the world through separate lenses. How hard it must be to transfer it to other people?
I believe that there are things we all, as humans, recognize, some kind of archetypes that we have a deep understanding of. I have always had a great love and fascination for fairytales and folklore, and a lot of the themes, objects and subjects in these tales are, I believe, universally understood. We all understand at some level what they mean and what they are telling us.
I hope that my work has a similar effect in the sense that I do not wish to explain too much, but I hope that the work speaks for itself.
Perhaps it says different things to different people, that is okay, as long as it speaks of something and that a glimpse of the Pantovola world can be discovered through the eyes of the dolls.
When it comes to making a living from your art, what are the main struggles? And what would be your advice for starting artists?
For me the main struggle is money itself, I don't like money, but we all need it to live.
To connect something so magical to me as my work to something so mundane and sinister as money, is the difficult bit. However, it is a truth of the world and there is just no escaping from that. So I see it as wearing different 'hats' for different occasions. When it comes to selling my work, I have to be practical and I put my 'real world hat' on.
But when I create, I leave that hat somewhere far out of sight in the shadows.
My advice for starting artists would be to always look within, to what is unique about you. And to not let social media and all the images that are thrown your way distract you from what YOUR unique vision is. To try not to compare yourself to others too much. There is only one you who can create what you create, and that should be your focus, in my opinion.
And keep at it even though everyone around you may be telling you that your dreams of being an artist are silly. They are not silly, they are magical, and also achievable.
I very much like reading about the lives of artists from the past, and it mesmerizes me to find out about all their struggles and tribulations. Yet despite all these horrid things these people endured, they managed to leave a legacy of beautiful works of art.
This not only helps me put my own struggles into perspective, it also gives me hope that beauty is the thing that prevails in the end.
What do you prefer, single pieces or storytelling through a whole project? And what approach do you use in each case?
I like to work on bigger projects sometimes because there is a great focus within that. But I am often also a little impatient and I like to see results quickly, so this is what I love about making my Pantovola Petit figurines;
they come to life from idea to finished doll in a fairly short amount of time, and that can be really satisfying.
But as I mentioned earlier, the larger story is always at the root of everything I make, so not one piece really stands alone, if that makes sense.
Why do you use certain materials? What connects you with them, and makes you feel they are perfect for your art piece?
My favorite materials are old textiles, with worn threads and perhaps a coffee stain spill that escaped a dainty porcelain cup in 1892.
So I collect and am sometimes gifted, antique textiles and lace.
The history in the threads, the secrets, the stories, the hands that held these fibers, is what makes working with these materials so special to me,
It feels like a connection to a larger story.
But I also absolutely love painting on fabric, and for these purposes I use unbleached cotton which I firmly stuff with recycled cotton fluff filling, to create the doll or sculpture.
This then makes for a great surface to paint my creature's faces on, and adorn them with what I like to call '3-D paintings"
What does ART, in general, mean to you?
Art is life. It is the blood that makes us human because in it we reflect who we are and how we perceive the world around us.
Art gives meaning to our lives. I believe it is as vital as food, water, and oxygen.
The FOURLINEdesign team would like to thank Anouk Pantovola for sharing inspiring thoughts with our community.
By Milena Spasojevic
By Milena Spasojevic
By Milena Spasojevic
By Milena Spasojevic
By Milena Spasojevic
By Milena Spasojević
By Milena Spasojević
Decorating your home can feel like one of the tasks on your to-do list. But after a couple of months of moving in you start noticing small things. Small things that maybe were rushed into.
So always take your time. No matter if you are planning a new life, or just treating yourself with a small item. It is always good to surround ourselves with items that give us great positive energy. That makes us smile, that pushes the positive thoughts into our head... The things that give value and bring more than what we gave for their price.
I love when we find people who think in the same direction and nurture the same values. One of those people is Jolene, the artist behind the River Ceramics, from the coast of Margaret River.
Where are you from? Where does the art journey start for you?
The art journey for me is driven by a question. I wonder? Curiosity, joy and interest in all the variable which contribute to a final outcome. As I come from a (building) design background, I have noticed that it is consideration of these elements bridging both function and aesthetic which keep me intrigued.
What is the first emotion that drives you towards creating an art piece? Do you recognize the connection immediately and let yourself flow on the creative process? Or do you "bake" the inspiration for some time?
I have experienced both a rush to experiment and try design ideas as soon as possible, and also, particularly as I mature, an interest in planting just a little seed and trusting that it will keep growing without my direct interference. As I spend so much time in the creative zone, I suspect it is somewhat of a rich soil, so I don’t always rush in anymore. My main emotional state is curious, excited, interested. I feel a freedom and safety in my current creative process.
What is the back story of your design? Because every one of us sees the world through separate lenses. How hard it must be to transfer it to other people?
The back story of my design process is equal parts a love of art and beauty, to a strong sense of practical application. I don’t love fluff and fancy, with a preference for everything having a dual purpose and to “make sense”. I think I have found it easier to adapt to spending time in a creative field for which there is a clear purposeful outcome. Perhaps I found it easier to find my value as an artist that way as I had something solid to lean into.
When it comes to making a living from your art, what are the main struggles? And what would be your advice for starting artists?
I have been very lucky in many many ways in my small artistic business. Although I acknowledge that I worked very hard, I can also see that timing was really on my side. My biggest piece of advise is that you need to be willing to fail. Take that prospect as lightly as you can, and see each mistake or failure as a rung to improving in some way. I am genuinely so grateful for all of my mistakes, but I think that was only possible as I had prepared myself in advance for them to be inevitable.
What do you prefer, single pieces or story telling through a whole project? And what approach do you use in each case?
I definitely prefer story telling through a whole project. I consider each collection like a rabbit hole, each with branching opportunities to explore. Some of them end quickly, and others lead deeper and deeper until the story is told.
Why do you use certain materials? What connects you with them, and makes you feel they are perfect for your art piece?
Similar to my reason for choosing art, and the factors which drive my design, my materials are chosen for both practical application and beauty. It has taken me a lot of trial and error to arrive and my current kit of materials. Additional to this is both environmental and personal considerations. I use natural earth materials, and locally sourced materials wherever possible, including wild clay which I procure and process from our own garden. This gives me such a deep sense of gratitude and connection to my work and the land we walk on.
What does ART, in general, mean to you?
Art to me is expression and freedom. It is an opportunity to explore those parts of ourselves with which we are not easily in touch with in most other parts of our lives. With the added element of tactile earth in my craft, it is also the opportunity to connect, ground and meditate.
The FOURLINEdesign team would like to thank Jolene for sharing inspiring thoughts with our community.
By Milena Spasojevic
Decorating your home can feel like one of the tasks on your to-do list. But after a couple of months of moving in you start noticing small things. Small things that maybe were rushed into.
So always take your time. No matter if you are planning a new life, or just treating yourself with a small item. It is always good to surround ourselves with items that give us great positive energy. That makes us smile, that pushes the positive thoughts into our head... The things that give value and bring more than what we gave for their price.
I love when we find people who think in the same direction and nurture the same values. One of those people is Jolene, the artist behind the River Ceramics, from the coast of Margaret River.
Where are you from? Where does the art journey start for you?
The art journey for me is driven by a question. I wonder? Curiosity, joy and interest in all the variable which contribute to a final outcome. As I come from a (building) design background, I have noticed that it is consideration of these elements bridging both function and aesthetic which keep me intrigued.
What is the first emotion that drives you towards creating an art piece? Do you recognize the connection immediately and let yourself flow on the creative process? Or do you "bake" the inspiration for some time?
I have experienced both a rush to experiment and try design ideas as soon as possible, and also, particularly as I mature, an interest in planting just a little seed and trusting that it will keep growing without my direct interference. As I spend so much time in the creative zone, I suspect it is somewhat of a rich soil, so I don’t always rush in anymore. My main emotional state is curious, excited, interested. I feel a freedom and safety in my current creative process.
What is the back story of your design? Because every one of us sees the world through separate lenses. How hard it must be to transfer it to other people?
The back story of my design process is equal parts a love of art and beauty, to a strong sense of practical application. I don’t love fluff and fancy, with a preference for everything having a dual purpose and to “make sense”. I think I have found it easier to adapt to spending time in a creative field for which there is a clear purposeful outcome. Perhaps I found it easier to find my value as an artist that way as I had something solid to lean into.
When it comes to making a living from your art, what are the main struggles? And what would be your advice for starting artists?
I have been very lucky in many many ways in my small artistic business. Although I acknowledge that I worked very hard, I can also see that timing was really on my side. My biggest piece of advise is that you need to be willing to fail. Take that prospect as lightly as you can, and see each mistake or failure as a rung to improving in some way. I am genuinely so grateful for all of my mistakes, but I think that was only possible as I had prepared myself in advance for them to be inevitable.
What do you prefer, single pieces or story telling through a whole project? And what approach do you use in each case?
I definitely prefer story telling through a whole project. I consider each collection like a rabbit hole, each with branching opportunities to explore. Some of them end quickly, and others lead deeper and deeper until the story is told.
Why do you use certain materials? What connects you with them, and makes you feel they are perfect for your art piece?
Similar to my reason for choosing art, and the factors which drive my design, my materials are chosen for both practical application and beauty. It has taken me a lot of trial and error to arrive and my current kit of materials. Additional to this is both environmental and personal considerations. I use natural earth materials, and locally sourced materials wherever possible, including wild clay which I procure and process from our own garden. This gives me such a deep sense of gratitude and connection to my work and the land we walk on.
What does ART, in general, mean to you?
Art to me is expression and freedom. It is an opportunity to explore those parts of ourselves with which we are not easily in touch with in most other parts of our lives. With the added element of tactile earth in my craft, it is also the opportunity to connect, ground and meditate.
The FOURLINEdesign team would like to thank Jolene for sharing inspiring thoughts with our community.
By Milena Spasojevic