About me. Drawings is my live
About me
Did you go to art school?
I wanted to, but not yet. I attended a summer painting academy and since I prefer to draw, I took and still take drawing classes more often with different focuses (e.g. figure, portrait, relaxed drawing). I also go for consultations of my work with teachers at the college.
What artistic technique do you use in your work?
The main art technique in my work is ballpoint pen drawing.
What materials do you use in your work?
I use Montblanc ballpoint pens, Montblanc ink, Arches 100% cotton paper, Daniel Smith watercolor
Why a ballpoint pen?
Almost 40 years ago I received a postcard. On the back of it was addressed to me with a congratulatory message and next to it was drawn a small bouquet of flowers in a vase. Ever since then I have wanted to be able to draw so beautifully with a ballpoint pen. By the way, this drawing still manages to intrigue me.
Do you use underdrawing? If so, what kind?
Sometimes I sketch basic outlines but mostly I draw right away with a ballpoint pen.
How long have you been drawing?
For the last 6 years intensively, that is, I try daily.
What fascinates you about pen drawing? What do you enjoy about it?
What makes a drawing a drawing- the linework, every single stroke. The fact that I can't smudge it (I can smudge carbon and pencil and apply large areas of graphite and carbon powder with a brush, but I don't like it, it looks dirty to me and that's why I don't do it), the fact that I can't apply to larger areas with one stroke of a brush or my hand or a rag, but that I can't speed it up, the fact that I have to make every single line, every single stroke.
Why do you draw?
Because I enjoy it immensely. Because drawing doesn't need words. With pictures I can better express my thoughts, point out what I'm interested in, what fascinates me. Places, things, situations that I have drawn remain in my memory, when I look at them I know when they were created, why they were created, how they were created. Drawing also has therapeutic effects on me, it calms me down, I forget about time, about worries, I just devote myself to it at that moment.
What do you draw?
Fragility, strength, delicacy. My view of my surroundings. I accentuate the beauty I see. I find beauty in imperfection and let it shine through. The space where time meets (past present future). My memoirs.
Your works are characterized by fine drawing. How are you able to draw so delicately? And where do you get that patience?
I have a very light hand. I have cultivated that fine skill and patience since I was a little girl in the embroidery and needlework that my mother taught me. And my dad used to make beautifully elaborate things out of wood, which also required patience and precision. I guess it runs in the family.
Do you paint, too?
Occasionally, but mostly, I use painting as a supplement, to complete and enhance the drawing. I like the connection.
Do you keep a sketchbook?
An attempt at keeping a sketchbook was with me. A sketchbook is limiting and blocking for me. When I kept one, a lot of pages (probably most) went through censorship- I ripped them out and shredded them. So I started sketching on just some scraps of paper, and since then I've thrown practically nothing away, managing to finish each piece to my satisfaction. Instead of a sketchbook, I keep a notebook where I write down ideas, processes, whatever.
Where do you get your inspiration from?
From everyday life, from nature, from galleries, from books, from memories, from trips...
What do you do when you don't have inspiration? How do you fight it?
By drawing from life, from memories, from trips, from holidays, I think I have an inexhaustible source.
When do ideas come to you?
Sometimes they come to me, but mostly in the evening when I'm falling asleep. Also on a walk, in nature, when travelling, in new places, sometimes they just come to me.
When do you create? Morning, evening, night and how many hours a day?
I draw mainly in the afternoon and evening. Sometimes 5 hours, sometimes 10, sometimes an hour, but I think it's most important that I currently draw every day.
Do you have a ritual when you draw? Something you don't create without?
I wouldn't call it a ritual. I listen to music or a podcast about art or artists while I'm creating, sometimes I'll watch a movie or documentary related to art, sometimes I just listen to the strokes of the ballpoint pen on the paper while I'm drawing.
Are there works that you go back to, that you don't like, that you redo, that you throw away?
There are drawings that I am not happy with, that I find something about them that bothers me, but I don't throw them away. Even if I don't like a drawing today, I might like it some time from now. Some are done right the first time and I don't interfere with them anymore. Some I interfere with repeatedly as time goes on. And some that I didn't like while I was drawing, I like when I'm done. It's different. But the important thing for me is that I am satisfied with the painting, I don't let it be bad.
What do you think is the most important thing in a drawing?
Probably the most important thing is to be able to see, then gradually technique, practice, perseverance, patience, emotions and heart.
Do you use other techniques besides pen, ink and watercolour?
I started drawing with charcoal and pencil, and sometimes I draw with them, but I don't smudge them. When I felt that I could draw relatively well, I switched to ballpoint pen. I've also tried markers, liners, acrylics, pastels, but the pen is the best for me at the moment, it suits me best.
What do you do when you're not drawing?
Sleep, eat, think, travel, be in the gallery, do housework, read, go for walks, go to the cinema or shopping, that sort of thing.
What art direction do you like and why?
I like something from each one. For example, from Gothic monumentality, from Renaissance a return to the beauty of ancient Rome, from Baroque ornateness, from Rococo colorfulness, from Impressionism speed of work and pastoral colors… But symbolism is probably the closest to my heart, it’s my favourite, and that's because of the way it expresses itself through symbols. I use it in my works, I can hide in my drawings what only I, or the people for whom the drawing is intended, understand. I connect symbols with emotions and with colours.
What is art in your opinion?
Toilet. Nature. A jug. Jewellery. Dessert. Dress. Shoes. Hairstyle. House. Book.... Something created by the hands of a person under the influence of some emotion, something that catches my attention, that tickles me, where I feel that the author left a piece of himself. Something like craft with added value.
Art is an opportunity to do things differently, to make things the way I've always wanted them to be.
Do you have a role model in contemporary art?
Not really. But I like the work of several contemporary artists or some part of someone's work.
Do you invest in art?
I have a couple of paintings from the antique auction. They're small things and I chose them because I liked them. They're not by any well-known artists and the pieces cost a few euros. For me, they are works of art that tickled my fancy.
Do you have any goals in drawing? What are they?
I have dreams, some of them turn into goals over time, but I don't reveal them.
What do you think about contemporary art?
I can't name it in one word or pigeonhole it into a frame or template. I think it reflects the current times we live in. I think it's quite diverse, quite branched out, maybe from a distance at first glance it looks chaotic to me, maybe even frightening in places, but on second glance and up close it's beautiful, amazing, great, though with traces of chaos, a kind of all-over-the-place flavour. I think everyone will find their own thing in it, and if not, they have the opportunity to do as I did, to create a work of art, a world that they will like.
Are doing drawing classes?
No, I haven’t thought about it yet.
Can I find videos of you creating somewhere (e.g. on Youtube or Patreon)?
No, not yet.