Hello Dear Howard Fox. Thank you for giving us the chance to Interview with you. Our first question is how the “Covid-19” affects your art?

I cannot say that the pandemic has influenced my style or my subject matter, but in the beginning it did provide a very interesting backdrop to my painting of "Utopia on the River Eden".

I found myself painting an idealized city, infused with beautiful architecture mixed with the sublime that nature offers, while people across the world, as well as myself,  were fearing for their lives and wondering what the future had in store.

Utopian thoughts mixed with the terror of an unseen killer was quite a powerful artistic force.


Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and what drove you to choose art as a career?

I was born in Canada, in the mid fifties in a middle class environment.  From my earliest recollections I was scribbling and or painting on pieces of paper and cardboard.  I can still see myself lying on the floor of the salon, in front of the black and white television screen, my crayons and colored pencils scattered around me, drawing a child’s concept of a city, as well as sports figures.

I was pretty good at it, and never imagined myself being anything else other than an artist.  Sure I dreamed of being a star athelete, but that did not happen.  So I settled on being me, a painter of paintings, a dreamer of dreams.

In other words art chose me.

What was the most challenging project that you worked on?

My latest work, Utopia on the River Eden, was probably the most challenging.  The work is quite large, the largest piece I have done until now.  I was faced with creating a geography conducive to the creation of the idyllic urban-scape, The buildings had to represent much of the eclectic and awe inspiring architecture I had witnessed in my life.

It is important to note, that I grew up in Canada, a virtual wasteland of dull, uninspired right angled architecture.  There was no joy to the buildings, little if any imagination.  Not until I spent time in Israel and Europe could I even imagine the aesthetic and historical possibilities.  Trips to Turkey and the Far East served to expand my understanding of the passion that went into creating urban monuments to the dreams and hopes of humankind.  Of course like all perfect cities, the city is built around a river, the source of life.

I enjoyed the work immensely, surrounded by the silence of a world in lockdown.  it was truly a gratifying experience, and I am happy to say that the work has found a good home.


What is your creative process like? How has your style changed over the years?

Like everyone else, my days and nights are spent with thoughts spinning around in my head.  Unlike most people, I try and harness these thoughts and weave them into ideas to be placed on a white canvas.

Just as the shoe salesman sees the shoes people wear as he/she walks down the street, my brain pays attention to shadows and light, as well as the rather mundane things that for some peculiar reason spark my imagination.

My style has gone through a few changes over the years.  As a kid it was a mixed bag of colored pencil drawings and a stab at oil painting.  I am a self taught painter.

I spent a lot of time doodling in class, with a Bic pen.  After graduating I found myself creating cities on Arches paper using a Bic pen, either black or blue.  Trouble with Bic pens is the ink, it disappears.  On my first trip to Greece, I found myself drinking a beer on Paradise Beach in the small restaurant, when I spotted someone sitting across the room and drawing.

I approached to see what he was drawing, and discovered the Rotring drafting pen.  I fell in love with the pen and the technique.  Dots became me, I just loved the feeling of the dots meshing to create a figure, an object, light and dense shadow.
 
After doing dots for a few years, I realized that I had not given oil colors an chance.  Of course the first painting I did came out as mud.  But as time went on I refined my style.  I was always enamoured with the surrealist painters, as well as Bruegel the Elder.  I found these works magical, both candy for the eye, and food for the brain.

I began painting works I called fiction.  Like a good work of fiction they appeared to be real but were all based on a fictitious story.

 
We want to talk about the “Hotel Utopia” Collection of yours. Can you tell us more about your Collection?

Back in 2014, I had a near fatal heart attack while singing the blues on stage.  After coming back from a stopped heart, the blues man in me prefers to call it a broken heart, I began to wonder what it is all about.  What are we actually in search of?  What makes us happy?

The term utopia seemed to implant itself on my mind.  I was aware that if asked most people when asked about their utopia will speak of a pastoral setting, in the country, yet they choose to live in urban environments, surrounded by traffic, noise, pollution of all sorts, violence, and the loss of the night sky.

Human kind is complex.  Next question was how long do these moments of perfection last?  A moment, a minute, an hour, a day, a week?
That is when it clicked, Hotel Utopia.  A hotel which offers you the Utopian experience for an hour, or a night, a day, a week , for however long it takes.

We complex beings have very different ideas of what Utopia looks like, feels like and smells like.  One man’s heaven is another man’s hell, as the saying goes.

At this time I am focused on Hotel Utopia, and discovering all its dimensions, aesthetics and the eclectic nature of what we call the ideal.


We see that your artworks name like a “Babel the Fall” and “Utopia on the River Eden. Can you share the details of this titles stories with us?

I have long been fascinated by history.  As a Jew, I tap the stories of the Torah for ideas and stories.  For example the “Fall of Babel” depicts the moment the Tower of Babel fell.  The original story from the Bible is only six lines in length, giving only the bare bones of what must have been a truly awesome event.  In my pictorial version of events, it is not only a lack of a common language that drives people apart, but a total breakdown of any means of communication.  In the painting a crane operator, yes I put a modern day crane into the story, armed with a wrecking ball, is supposed to be following directions from another worker.  In the work the laborer gestures from the crane to move left, but instead the crane operator moves his wrecking ball to the right, taking out a few columns and a wall, causing the whole structure to fall.

It is not just a story of miscommunication but a thorough breakdown of society and whatever shared goals, in this case misplaced, they had.  The Torah calls it the work of God, and who am I to disagree.

Utopia works on two levels, the micro, which is the individual human being and on the macro level, which is society as a whole.

Humans have their own tastes, whether it be food, design, lifestyles and or sexual habits, while societies seek the utopian experience through ideologies and religion.

The promise of a messiah, is meant to bring people together to pray for the “coming” and to act in a certain manner in which to insure that the chosen one comes.  I personally am certain that not everyone shares the same concept of the perfect world after the “coming”, but so be it, this idea of a better world for those who believe has worked on many for centuries.

With the arrival of modernity, and the placing of God on the shelf, human kind developed ideologies.  All of them promising a better world, a perfect world in which leaders are glorified, workers are heroes and money can solve all of societies ills.  Take your choice, some have failed miserably while others have done quite well, though never pleasing everyone.

 These works and the titles are meant to help paint a picture.  I employ dilemmas like a Giant Baby attacking the local Walmart, what to do?

 Or a grown up giant is found sleeping on the city’s central bridge, again what to do.  We can either react with violence or more peaceful methods.  Nothing is assured of working, and that is typical of the physical and moral dilemmas that confront us daily as we live our lives.


What are you working on at the moment?

As we speak I am finishing off a piece entitled “Hotel Utopia, The Voyeur”.  The work is made up a brick building, that being the facade of the hotel.  In each window is another scene, depicting the guests enjoying their stay, doing what they have chosen as their moment of utopian bliss.

The viewer of the work is the voyeur, peering from a safe distance into windows hosting scantily clad women doing what women do when they are wearing little.  A party is taking place on the top floor, while next door a woman is painting an oil painting on canvas.  Below is a sexual neural character reading a book.  In a blue lit room a man holds a gun, and appears to be aiming the weapon at someone we do not see.

I have two more windows to fill and am weighing my options, either go for the utterly mundane or the erotic.
 


www.howardfox.com

https://www.instagram.com/howardfox.art/

http://marvelousartgallery.com/

 

Exclusive Interview with Maria Pia Mosquera
(Marvelous Art Gallery – 2021)


Hello Dear  Maria Pia Mosquera. Thank you for giving us the chance to Interview with you. Our first question is how the “Covid-19” affects your art?
 
Hi and thank you for having me! Oh well, this pandemic has had multiple effects on my art. Since Covid-19 came into our lives and the lockdowns started, we had to reassess our social interactions, our relationship with illness and health, time and all those simple pleasures that we took for granted.
 
Firstly, for me, Covid meant that lots of my work as an exhibition designer was postponed or cancelled. This created a vacuum for my creative energy and it took me a couple of weeks to re-channel this creativity. The news we saw from around the world were so devastating, and the sadness that lingered made think deeper about mortality and death. My family is in Colombia, I’m in Australia, and I couldn’t be with them. I felt very low. I started seeking refuge from the news in my imagination and started contemplating how to turn all this darkness around. So, fortunately for me I was able to put to pen to paper, or brush to board, and consolidate The Penitents series.

 
Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and what drove you to choose art as a career?
 
I was born in Bogotá, Colombia. Because of my dad’s work I got to live in different countries, my last stop was Australia 24 years ago. Art has always been an integral part of my life. My mother is a painter and since I was a little girl, I used to love drawing portraits of our pets and later of our family members. Sometimes I would write poems and add landscapes to them, I made my own illustrated books.
 
As a career it took time. The love and desire were always there, but at home my parents didn’t see it at first as a professional option. So, from Law, then Ecology until I got to Graphic Design, which I studied with a major in illustration. From there things started to take off. I have studied in multiple art schools in Colombia and Australia, developing my technique and my visual language.
 

Is the artistic life lonely? What do you do to counteract it?

It can be, but it’s that time with your thoughts that is crucial for invention. I run my own graphic design consultancy, so I do spend a lot of time on my own.  I found that the best way for me to navigate my days is in sections and tasks. If I know what I have to do, there’s not much time to feel lonely or lost, it’s straight to work, no time to waste.
 
I’m a gregarious person, an extrovert even, so I try to catch up with friends and family regularly. I love music, seeing bands is one of my greatest pleasures. Plus, the daily social interactions are what I find interesting and fuel parts of my work. Back at home, I make sure I have plenty of family time, cuddles with my husband, son and cat. Sometimes they tell me I talk too much; I think they forget that probably that day I haven’t spoken to anyone else.
 
Can’t wait for the lockdowns to be over so I get to see people in the flesh again!

 
Can you describe a real-life situation that inspired you as an Artist?

Everyday life inspires me, even the most mundane actions inspire me. Going to the supermarket, catching the bus. I’m always looking and taking these mental pictures. Maybe because I’m always thinking how that would translate into the stories, how would that action be if the people catching the bus are devils and demons, for example. I’m hopeful that my audience can see themselves reflected in the imagery, that moment when you say: “That has happened to me!”

 
We want to talk about the Fantastic creatures in your Artworks. Can you tell us more about your theme and how do you choose the subject of your painting?
 
Since I started making art I realised that the surreal and the absurd attracted me more than hyperrealism and still lives. Story telling is important for me too. So these fantastic creatures are companions, messengers and actors for my crazy ideas. I can make them do whatever I want.
 
A theme that’s constantly present in my work is death, the objective of my current work is to challenge this preconception of death as something macabre. Death is the only thing certain in this life, so putting it in a scary light makes no sense. We can lose fear of something by making it friendly, humorous. The skull (calavera) for example, why fear it? We all have one, underneath our flesh, and it will remain as the eternal smile at the end of our lives. By finding the humour in it I hope to shift this relationship.
 
Death is certain, laugh at it!
 

Can you explain to us and our readers to “The Penitents" Collection of yours?
 
The Penitents are a dream, a place where the boundary between life and death is blurred. In this place, these hooded characters find themselves coexisting with their tormentors, these devils that torture them, this death that haunts them. And the reality is that they have lived with them for so long, that they don’t remember anymore how they got there, or why they are there. They just live with them, under cloak and robe and the weight of their sins, waiting for the eternal smile.
 
In the series, that’s over 30 paintings, and also includes a wallpaper and felt toys, I wanted to show as much as possible of their everyday lives. How they interact with these creatures, how they fill their days, how they learned to coexist. My wish was for the audience to have a giggle and see themselves represented in the characters.
 
The Penitents are deeply rooted to my Latin-American heritage. I see them as celebration of my culture. Growing up in Latin-America, surrounded by so much history, symbolism and faith, all these elements are part of my tradition and are part of my folklore. Something very strong in Latin America is the presence of religious colonial art. In Bogotá for example, it’s present not only in churches and museums, but in people’s homes. Religious art is part of the everyday.  In the paintings there’s also present pagan symbolism.
 
The Penitents borrow the look directly from the Nazarene penitents, they are Catholic religious groups that dress up with the capirotes (pointy hoods) during the processions at Easter. They are present around Latin areas of Europe and Latin-America. And no, they are not KKK — how the KKK took their outfits from them is another story.
 
  
Anything else you'd like to mention that I didn't ask?
 
Something I get asked regularly is that if I’m religious. The answer is no.
I was born and raised Catholic, but for a long time now I don’t practise any religion. My relationship with the church as an institution is very different to my relationship with religious symbolism and elements that are part of my culture.
 
And I guess, what I’m working on now? Currently I’m embarking on the research for a new series, I can tell you there will be more fantastical and crazier creatures, and it will dwell in the lives of the messengers of the underworld, prepare to be tempted.
 
And thank you for having me! xxx
 

 www.maria-pia-mosquera.com 
 
 https://www.instagram.com/mariapiamosquera/
 
http://marvelousartgallery.com/

 
Exclusive Interview with Toto Lara

(Marvelous Art Gallery – 2021)
 
Hello Dear Toto Lara. Thank you for giving us the chance to Interview with you. Our first question is how the “Covid-19” affects your art?

Hello and thank you for inviting me. The truth is that the pandemic has not affected my art in a significant way, I mean in terms of the general topic that characterizes my work. In contrast, I have always been waiting and imagining a dystopic reality as well as landscapes. This can be confirmed through my artwork because my paintings can talk by themselves, and they can narrate stories of a real world rather than a simple artistic illusion or an imaginary world. I personally dedicate my time in trying to take my work out of the canvas in order to enhance my artistic language towards the art of tattooing.

I believe that the only way Covid-19 has impacted my work is by giving me more time to learn a new technique so I can capture my work on flesh.



What is your creative process like? How has your style changed over the years?

My work methodology comes mainly from my own dreams, nightmares, phobias, and fantasies. These images are visualized on paper as sketches, which are the base to structure the form, color, and composition of the painting. From being an architect for over 10 years, I have learned how to analyze deeply the context of my work, and from that point started my creative process.
All my thoughts took finally form on the canvas, where I developed my surrealistic vision of the present where we live. In general, my process includes drawings, photographs, 3D models and painting complemented by the study of artists of my interest and the current news.
 
Regarding the evolution and the progress of my style, I can tell you that the topic and the thing that I am trying to transmit to my audience has always been the same, but the expression and the language have been changed a lot during my career.  I believe that this is a result of a gradual process of constant search of my own way of expression. The study of various techniques, artists, and the concern of how to go further and not just paint, are fundamental. During the years, one gains more knowledge, gets to know theories and is experimenting new techniques. By my personal experience, I can tell you that Architecture and the academic studies of Art, have been a strong pillar that allowed me to paint in the exact way that I have always imagined.
 

We want to talk about the Surreal - Fantasy theme you choose for your main subject for your art. Can you tell us more about your theme and what is your artwork exploring, underneath everything?
 
The central theme is the body in the process of transformation, an actual topic that is part of humanity today, where we can see nature, human beings, machines, technology and artificial intelligence merged to generate a single being. The transformation of the body and its fusion with the abnormal shape is the main topic of my proposal, manifested by a personal perspective.
Our body is one and another, it changes, according to the different places or situations in which it acts, is a mental conflict in the different dimensions we live in. My motivation is presented as a personal effort to analyze human evolution.
In a period dominated by the acceleration of change and the omnipotence of the spectacle through the mass media, the individual is alienated and dissociated. The "I" stops being a stable identity in order to coincide with the body, it is transformed into something changing and diverse.
My proposal seeks to present the metamorphosis of the body as a metaphor for the relationship of the individual with his own self, and with his body, since all the experiences we may have been limited and are thanks to the body. It is the space where all experiences are lived.
I do not want people to see the obvious, to see just a painting, I want them to be able to see through it and discover a reality that does not exist in this dimension.
 

How does art-making impact other parts of your life?
 
Art changed my life, I got to know myself and who I am, I have learned that it is my natural way of communicating with society, here I found tranquility and an emotional stability that I never had before.
 
The Art give me the opportunity to exercise critical thinking, experience a renewed self-awareness, and potentially even a deeper connection to others and their experiences, as we share what we feel and try to interpret what we see.

 
What’s been your greatest artistic success and why?
 
Making a living from Art and doing the thing that I love the most in life. Enjoying every second of my life is something priceless.  

 
How do current trends in the artistic community influence your work?
 
Currently, the tendencies of the world of Art that I am following are mostly inspired by Dark Art. But my studies of color use have strongly influenced my expression. Nowadays my paintings are full of vivid colors, but my message remains dark. In this way I am targeting any kind of audience.

https://www.totolara.com/
 
https://www.instagram.com/totolara/
 
http://marvelousartgallery.com/
 

Exclusive Interview with Jelena Petkovic

(Marvelous Art Gallery – 2021)
 
 
Hello Dear Jelena Petkovic. Thank you for giving us the chance to Interview with you. Our first question is how the “Covid-19” affects your art?

Covid is challenging in a way that we can’t get inspired anymore by having many experiences but for me, Covid helped me take time for myself. This pandemic inspired me to take even more care of my body and mind and that affected my work. It’s not unnatural that when we struggle, we grow at the same time; I understand better my work after this, I have a different attitude towards the art world, I know what’s important to me. Being on my own and not having social life was a great moment to change some of my routines and reflect on where I want to go when this is all over and behind us. I am certain that artworks that I created during the Covid pandemics are my best work so far, and that my ideas for future artworks are even better, I have a better view of myself and my work.


Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and what drove you to choose art as a career?

Art was always in my life. The two adults in the house, my mother and grandfather, both painted, our walls were covered with paintings, we had a bookshelf filled with art books and I loved it! Because of this I went to art high school and continued to an art and design faculty but unfortunately, I never saw painting as a possible career until my life became difficult. When I felt lost is when I decided that I would not waste my time anymore and that I would pursue my passion in life. To be true, we are all afraid of the end, and I just wanted to not have regrets when mine comes. The mere thought of mixing paint and putting it on canvas brings a smile to my face, sometimes I feel it wasn’t a choice of career, I just chose to enjoy living. No mater how hard it gets, for this job I will always be grateful.


What is the hardest part of creating a painting?

Hm... Sticking with it. I usualy get my ideas fast and unintentionally, a picture flashes in my mind but then it’s all about keeping that idea and inspirtion. When I’m in the process of painting I have at least 5 other ideas in my mind that can seem more interesting than what’s in front of me. So, being persistent trough the sketching process and troughout several weeks of painting is difficult. When creating art, you can come to work angry, sad or in any other emotional state but you have to be present. No matter the emotion I have, I need to be into what I’m doing to be able to advance and produce a good piece. When the painting takes long its starts to be hard to keep the interest when I already have the next project in mind. Even when it’s going good, I already know what I am painting, it’s already finished in my head but I have to stick with it until I finish. So, yes, persistance, in my career and in making art is the most dificult and at the same time the most important. 


How does art-making impact other parts of your life?

What I love about art-making is that it’s not separated from my personal life but quite the opposite. If I have a hobby it’s a part of my art, if I have a problem it’s a part of my art, if I have an epiphany it’s definitely a part of my art. Painting to me is reflecting and when I look deeper into who I am, I can find answers to the challenges I face in my life. In my opinion being an artist requires to be our most authentic self, and when that is your work you can’t be less that that in your private life. I don’t even know if I can call it a job, because I am an artist all the time, I am working 24h a day because even my dreams can enter my art and vice versa. Simply, in my work and my life I try to be just me.


We want to talk about the Fantastic – women figures of your Artworks. Can you tell us more about your theme and how do you choose the subject of your painting?
 
The subject itself doesn’t often have much to do with the figure of the woman, she is like a canvas, a support for the story I’m telling but most of the times I can’t imagine painting something without her. I admire the Woman spirit; I see it everywhere and it inspires me. I don’t think that it is because I am a woman, muses are women and they have inspired both genders. The female figure is a base for my paintings and the theme of each painting is the specific field of interest I’m exploring at the moment.
I like to look on the bright side of things. I don’t avoid my anxiety, fears and pain, I get inspired by them to look beyond them and find inspiration. My paintings is how I heal myself, I choose the theme according to the part of me I'm working on at that point. All my paintings come from me facing difficulties in my life and then looking for the bright side of it, that is where my next painting is. The theme is something that would help me understand better my situation and maybe help others facing similar challenges. I get curious instead of being afraid to face my issues, I look for purpose in what can’t be changed and answers in what can. I want to create painting that are inspirational, vibrant, strong because that gives me force in my life.


Do you have long-term goals as an Artist?
 
Like many artists, I would like for my work to mean something. One of my goals is to grow and develop my work to the point where it inspires people through challenges similar to mine. My goal in life and in my work is to be my most authentical self, especially when I’m facing pain and fear. I want everything in my life to be true to who I am, my paintings especially. For this, I still need to work on my technique, ideas and understanding of the world.
 
The goal that follows is to progress in my work to the point where I can paint as a child. This is something Picasso aspired to do, and it took me a long time to understand why. The greatest work comes from confidence and children are the most confident artists, they let themselves go with no restrain and no shame, they are fully present, and they don’t overthink. 
 
I also love writing and I hope that sometimes in the future I can dedicate some of my time to that other passion of mine. I don’t see it as very different from painting, but instead as another way of expression. Whatever the way, I’m telling a story.
 

Anything else you'd like to mention that I didn't ask?

Only that my favorite color is turquoise hehe 😉.
 
  
Thank you for your time!
 
 
 
 
http://marvelousartgallery.com/

Exclusive Interview with
Inge Prins van Wijngaarden
(Marvelous Art Gallery – 2021)

Hello Dear Inge Prins van Wijngaarden. Thank you for giving us the chance to Interview with you. Our first question is how the “Covid-19” affects your art?

Thank you for your interest in my development and work. The Corona crisis has greatly influenced my work. At first I was off balance. As an artist I wanted to contribute to the appreciation of vital workers. That is how I came up with the idea to start an initiative together with the SeeYou@Art foundation and Online Gallery.Art in which vital workers could be nominated for a work of art. In this way, more than 100 vital workers have been thanked in a creative way with a work of art. Wonderful collaboration with a beautiful result. In addition, due to the lock down, I had extra time for my visual work and the research that it requires. Because of and few stimuli I was able to focus enormously, so that various processes went much better and faster.

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and what drove you to choose art as a career?

t the age of 17 I went to live on my own in Amsterdam and I followed and completed an education at The Graphic Lyceum. After that I worked in education for many years. To stay healthy I need to design and create. My life is better in balance now. Besides art, I occasionally do assignments as an independent entrepreneur. In fact, it's more to accurate to state that art chose me.


What is your creative process like? How has your style changed over the years?

I started with figurative painting, especially flowers, trees and vistas.
Because I didn't think much of my work at first, it felt like wasting a lot of material. I had al-ready opted for water mixable oil paint and continued investigating recycled materials. At first I glued pieces of cardboard to the wall and painted on them. Later I taught myself how to make canvases from cardboard. By frequently working with this material, the material challenged me to also use it in other creative ways. It prompted me in a natural way to ab-stract my work. Thematically, I occasionally still make figurative work, but in the process I'm in now, I'm inspired and guided by the material and the inspiration I get from it.
Besides painting techniques I am also interested in craft techniques and haberdashery. Through extensive material research I keep coming up with ideas for new series.
The corrugated cardboard has challenged me and I started researching how I could make wall hangings out of it. First from the ribbed structure and later with the construction of a patchwork. There are different phases in between.
I also researched how to use haberdashery and forgotten arts and crafts techniques in the visual arts. I am often triggered by a current world theme. For example the series 'restricted'.


What was the most challenging project that you worked on and why?

After researching how to sustainably process corrugated cardboard and use it in the visual arts. I really wanted to expose its pure raw form.
I had already made designs for the ZERO waste series. The implementation was quite a quest. Ultimately, I succeeded in impregnating the works in such a way that they are dura-ble, and look pure.
For me, A work of art is successful when people are surprised by it and it gets them thinking: “What am I looking at now?”


We want to talk about the “ZERO waste” Project of yours. Can you tell us more about your “Sustainable art” ?

For me, sustainability is something you can't impose, but something that you can use to inspire. There is so much material around us that we take for granted. With the ZERO waste series I hope to inspire people to start thinking about the materials they use out of habit. And to make more sustainable choices. The series confuses the viewer and triggers him to think about what he is looking at. With the series ZERO waste I was able to exhibit alongside Monika Buch at Bos Fine Art in The Hague. Due to the success and the combination of our work, the works can now also be seen in Utrecht. Bos Fine Art has opened a second location here in a building designed by architect Gerrit Rietveld. A wonderful combination!


What's your tip or best way you maintain a live/work balance? Do you struggle with it?

hen do you know you're lacking balance? I'm not the right person to give other people tips about this. For me, the balance between life and work has always been a challenge. Actually, I'm always working, I watch, observe and save. These observations and material research always take me one step further in my development.
An hour of executive work is not feasible for me. I can completely immerse myself in what I'm doing and enjoy working all day in the Atelier the most. I do not take my computer with me to the studio. And my phone is in silent mode.


We see a touch of fashion in your “ButtON/OFF” collection. Are you interested in fashion, and can you share the details of this series with us?

Certainly I am crazy about beautiful clothes and good design. History has proven that it pays to invest in strong designs. In addition, a good design deserves to be made or repaired. This work translates those thoughts. I have worked with knots in many different forms, but each time I was not satisfied with the result. When I actually wanted to throw in the towel, I still had a lot of recycled buttons left. In an unguarded moment I thought what if I assemble them all on a plate and then see what happens….. I immediately saw that this was the translation and the image that I was looking for. Techni-cally it wasn't good enough but the series 'FAST fashion becomes SLOW art' was born.
Curator Maud Oonk wrote the following about this series: Curator Maud Oonk , Exhibition SeeYou@ART Amsterdam: Inge plays with what you can see in accidentally created forms. This is what you call pareidolia. A form of illusion in which you think you perceive recognizable things. A wellknown example is seeing a face in the moon. With the colors harmony and structure in her work, she reinforces the illusion that the shapes 'mean something'. With the knotting work she also plays with what you think what 'should'. Buttons belong to a blouse or jeans, but by combining hundreds of buttons, a new image is created. If you stare at it any longer, you forget even the function of the knots and it becomes an image in itself.


What are you working on at the moment?

The series ZERO waste still keeps me busy. There are still so many possibilities. I also have ideas for making 3-demensional work in a form that matches the ZERO waste series. In addition, I am working towards a solo & group exhibition in ‘kasteel Groeneveld’ in 2023. For the solo exhibition I will be working on one of the targets of the state forest management: keeping the Dutch forests healthy. In the simultaneous group exhibition with a number of artists from the artist collective 'the Movement', we will show work that adheres to the themes of Dutch Nature and sustainability.


Anything else you'd like to mention that I didn't ask?

No, I do not think so. ’Feel free and think outside the box!’


https://ingeprinsvanwijngaarden.com/

https://www.instagram.com/ilpvw/?hl=nl
http://marvelousartgallery.com

Exclusive Interview with Rivgas

Hello Dear Rivgas. Thank you for giving us the chance to Interview with you. Our first question is how the “Covid-19” affects your art?

Hello, thanks for having me. There are always challenges in life. By finding new ways and staying positive Covid-19 has not significantly affected my art.
 
 
Did you always want to be an artist?


I grew up in a very creative family and many of my relatives are artists. Art has always been a natural part of my life, a way of living. The urge to create has always been there.
 
 
 
We want to talk about the Dark theme you choose for your main subject for your art. Can you tell us more about your theme and what is your artwork exploring, underneath everything?

I had a vision to combine my passion for photography and painting. When I found some old portrait photographs, I realized that all these anonymous people have long since died and been forgotten. My ancestors believed the dead existed beside them, helping them with ordinary tasks in life. My paintings are my own interpretation of the dead walking beside me. Dark art has always fascinated me and permeated my art long before it took on this expression.
 
 
What’s your favourite art work and why?

My favourite artwork is one thing my father made for me. He was a very good wood craftsman. The artwork is richly decorated with patterns inherited and passed down through generations. Patterns that have their very own history, heritage and pride.
 
  
What advice would you give to your younger self?
 
Find ways to mix all your art to find new expression and ways. What’s unique about you, let it influence your creations. Constantly find new ways to express yourself.
 
 
How does art-making impact other parts of your life?
 
Because I like to create during the dark and quiet hours of night, it often results in a lack of sleep. Sometimes it causes a tiredness during the days when I have a lot of other things to do. But for me, it’s worth every second. I can’t imagine a life without creating something. I can’t imagine life itself without art.
 
 
Thank you for your time!
 
 
 
http://marvelousartgallery.com/
 

Exclusive Interview with Emily Whittingham
(Marvelous Art Gallery – 2021)
 
Hello Dear Emily Whittingham. Thank you for giving us the chance to Interview with you. Our first question is how the “Covid-19” affects your art?

Thanks very much for having me! I try to not let Covid-19 affect my art. Covid-19 was one of my worst personal nightmares come to life and I refuse to let it impact my artwork directly in any way. Perhaps the only piece it indirectly affected was a self-portrait I did in April this year.
Having said that, it’s impacted all of the shows I normally trade at, so I’ve had to rely on the Internet to show people my work.
Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and what drove you to choose art as a career?
Let’s see… I’m a bit of an introvert and love tea, classic rock music, skulls, reptiles and birds. I also love cake. I love cake a lot – both making and eating.
Like most children, I loved drawing and making stuff but the art bug really bit me when I was about nine, and I’ve wanted to be some kind of artist ever since. Possible career options have included children’s book illustrator, animator/voice actor, and puppet maker. It wasn’t until I realized that painting what I love can be a career option that I started painting spooky women and monsters. I haven’t looked back.


How would you describe your own personal style?

To sum it up, my style is ‘whimsically gothic’ – perhaps the best way to describe it is to imagine if Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion broke loose and took over the rest of the park!

 
We want to talk about the fantastic figures you choose for your main theme. Can you tell us more about your influences and your inspirations about these fantastic creatures?

I’ve always loved monsters, mythology, spooky stuff and fairy tales. I’m not sure why but I’ve always been naturally drawn to it. I grew up with fairy tales but didn’t get into the darker side until I was about ten or eleven years old. They’ve all stuck with me since and I’ve always enjoyed drawing them.
I draw a lot of inspiration for my work from what I love; classic horror movies and books, tattoo art, fairy tales, and the old nostalgic Disney and Don Bluth animated movies.
One of my main influences that has stuck throughout my artist journey is Tim Burton. I absolutely love his films and his characters, and his spooky yet fun aesthetics have always inspired and appealed to me. Another key inspiration is Jasmine Beckett-Griffith. I adore her paintings, and she’s ultimate career goals for me.
 

What’s the best thing about being an artist for you?
 
There are so many things I love about being an artist - being able to express myself, doing and sharing what I love for a living, making friends with other awesome artists... I can’t pick just one best thing!

 
What are you working on at the moment?
Halloween art. It’s easily the best time of the year for me but I can’t really reveal anything definite yet until mid-September at the latest.
 
Thank you for your time!
Thank YOU for giving me wonderful opportunity! This is a real honour, indeed!
 
 
http://marvelousartgallery.com/
 

Exclusive Interview with Lidia Mikhaylova

(Marvelous Art Gallery)

 
Hello Dear Lidia Mikhaylova. Thank you for giving us the chance to Interview with you. Our first question is how does “Covid-19” affect your art?
 
First, thank you so much Marvelous Art Gallery for giving me the opportunity to talk to you, it is a great honor for me.
I would say that isolation has had a positive effect on my artistic practice. Of course, there were some stressful moments, but painting helped me stay sane and focused. I am deeply convinced that living in a world where we cannot have control over everything and where there are no guarantees, we can nevertheless do our best every day. I spent most of the time in quarantine in Newton, MA, I walked a lot and painted everything that surrounds me. Observing simple American life — these wonderful houses with gardens and the ocean — strengthened my opinion that we are surrounded by wonderful things in everyday life, we just need to learn to notice and appreciate them. During this period, I studied a lot of different techniques, I came up with new projects, I kept painting the ocean and began painting on silk. I have a lot of creative ideas and plans!

 
Can you describe a real-life situation that inspired you?

I have a friend, Zhanna Lee, and she is a Certified Tantra Educator & Holistic Intimacy Coach. I attended her workshop MY BODY IS A TEMPLE; its main idea was to learn how to stay grounded and connected in a non-judgmental and heart-opening environment. During the workshop, a realization came to me that as an artist I can also help women, regardless of age, faith and body shapes, to develop and feel their inner strength and confidence. So I started my Sexual Art project. I chose silk painting for it, which is in my opinion the most refined and lively material, and flowers, as a symbol of female beauty and divine blessing.
 

What memorable responses have you had about your work?

I am a very happy person, because until now I have received only positive responses on my artworks — delight, admiration, gratitude. And I am very glad for this, I have a great feeling of gratitude to my family, my friends and all the buyers of my paintings for supporting me as an artist! I want to tell you about the last review I received for a painting that I named Poppies. I was painting it for a long time and in the final it was very different from the sketch agreed with the customer. In the process of work, I did not put any special meanings into the picture, but simply gave myself up to what came from somewhere from within. I was very worried to show this painting to the customer because she perhaps would not like it,  because I was deviating from the option that we had agreed on. But I did not expect such delight and such personal meanings and insights that the customer saw in it and told me. It was a miracle and magic for me. And it continues to be. I simply called this painting - Poppies, and the customer changed it to Choice. And yes, it really is about choice. About the choice that we make a hundred times a day, and especially about the one when we choose ourselves. And the best praise for me, as an artist, from the client was - “Lidia, your paintings are special, they express a state of soul”. Isn't this the happiness of the artist?
 

We are seeing a lot of artworks related to nature. Would you like to tell us what fascinates you the most about it?

Everything is pure beauty in nature! Sunsets and sunrises, rainbows, century-old trees, ocean and sea spaces, flowers growing in your own garden or being presented by a loved one — all this and more — this is a wonderful reality around us and it is so beautiful that it often seems that everything is a figment of our imagination. In my works, regardless of what I depict on them, first of all I want to show the viewer how beautiful our world is, both internal and external. It is important for me to fill the viewer with kindness, love and sincerity. My dream is that people contemplating my paintings experience the same feelings that they experience when they fall in love.


Can you give us a spoiler on what’s coming next for Lidia Mikhaylova?

I am currently very passionate about silk painting. I participate in some workshops, try different techniques, and the beauty and practicality of this art draws me in more and more. A couple of months ago I watched David Attenborough's amazing film Life on Our Planet. This film is a message to humanity - and it made me think about how we live on a beautiful Earth and interact with what surrounds us. After watching the film, I thought for a long time how to apply myself, how I can help nature. After all, it is very important to be friends with our planet, to listen to it, to follow it, so that there will be enough not only for our century, but also for our children and great-grandchildren. The beauty of our planet inspires me and other artists, and this beauty comes out through our hands to canvases. There are so many living things around, different things, with a rich inner world, and we need to treat nature as living and feeling. See it alive and feeling. And I wondered — What can I do? And an insight appeared - there is the beauty of nature, I have hands, I have all the necessary materials and there is a great desire to create beauty, and also there is a goal for people to see that many beautiful plants and animals are already threatened with extinction. I became interested in painting and maybe even creating clothes with the meaning, wearing them, giving gifts with the meaning - depicting animals and plants that are threatened with extinction. I see you! I see your faces and I want as many people as possible to see you! We see you! This is such a large and ambitious new project that I really want to bring to my life.
 
You can find the Artist in :

http://simpleartforms.com/

https://www.facebook.com/SimpleArtForms/

https://www.instagram.com/simple_art_forms_/

  

http://marvelousartgallery.com/
 

 
Exclusive Interview with Jade Butay

 
Hello Dear Jade Butay. Thank you for giving us the chance to Interview with you. Our first question is how the “Covid-19” affects your art?

Quarantine has been a difficult adjustment. I’m sure everyone can tell you ways they’ve had their lives uprooted by Covid-19. I think my art became my escape. It’s always been a sort of sanctuary away from difficult times; but with Covid I went from working non-stop, shuffling between full time jobs and my art to sitting at home with nothing. It was a very long period of time where I had no distractions. I had to really sit down and come to terms with who I was and what I wanted my art to be. I think it really gave me a chance to explore new directions with my art.


What equipment is a must-have for you no matter where you are going to be working?

So I still use my Nikon D5300, it’s older but I find that it’s my good luck charm. I literally do not take pictures without it. I have also never successfully used a portrait lens for my artwork (despite a thousand attempts). My only lens for my work is a 35mm which means I have a lot of time fixing distortions some days. But it’s worth it. I have a lot more room when I shoot with a 35 so I can frame my scene and adjust as needed.


What professional photographers have influenced your work, and how do you incorporate their techniques into your photographs?

So I have two main influences with my artwork. The indisputably talented Brooke Shaden. She is an incredible fine art photographer. She is also actually one of the artists that influenced me to start taking pictures in the first place. Her art and how she uses it as a reflection of how she sees the world blows my mind. I had never seen fine art photography before her or knew that composition work could be created. I’m so lucky to have met and spoken with her about my artwork. The other artist I really admire is Gregory Crewdson. His pieces are so cinematic in nature that I found myself very drawn to the way he could tell an entire story within one image. I love his use of lighting especially, it’s very dramatic, everything is so intentionally placed.


What drives your choice of subject matter?

Honestly? I think it’s a lack of resources in the beginning. I didn’t have many friends who were interested in being photographed and I definitely didn’t yet understand how to approach models so I found it easiest to take my own picture. I knew exactly what I wanted for the image so it made things easier. Turning those self portraits into fantasy came from the concept of daydreaming to escape reality. I had always loved the way you could create anything within your own mind if you tried hard enough. I wanted to be able to recreate that energy with my camera.


Can you give us a spoiler on what’s coming next for Jade Butay?

That’s a good question. I’m still kind of figuring that out myself. I spent my quarantine opening so many different projects that I’m having a tricky time finishing them all. I’d say what’s next immediately would be my new series, “Beautiful Liar.” This is a series I have been working very hard on since the beginning of 2020 and I’m just now finally getting done with it so I would say to expect that very soon.
 
 
 
 
 
 
http://marvelousartgallery.com/