What inspired you to create art and become an artist? (Events, feelings, experiences...)
My inspiration to create art and become an artist is the result of a variety of events and emotions. I grew up in a rural environment and spent my childhood playing outside in nature, exploring everything there was to discover. However, as an only child, I was often alone, and with my sensitivity and creative imagination, I often felt different from the other children. My thoughts and ideas often did not fit the expectations placed on me, and I was also repeatedly bullied by peers.In search of free spaces and refuges for my imagination, I eventually found these in nature, in books, and in painting and drawing. A decisive experience was the special atmosphere in the painting room of a children's art school, where I was allowed to unfold and let my creativity run free. This experience deeply shaped me and laid the foundation for my artistic career.
Painting and drawing have continuously accompanied me ever since and have developed in harmony with my personality. After professional detours as a draftsman and interior designer, during my parental leave, I had the opportunity to participate in the founding of a new art house and rent a small studio.
As part of an artists' group, we had the opportunity from 2015 to organize joint exhibitions. During this, I realized that my art could bring people joy and relaxation. This realization was a great inspiration for me to continue and share my works with others.
What is your artistic background, and what techniques and themes have you experimented with so far?
I have always drawn a lot and initially painted with watercolors. Even as a teenager, I attended various art courses, and my studies in interior architecture also placed great emphasis on drawing techniques, anatomy, the artistic handling of writing, sculptural design, and the proper use of color. Indeed, I also enjoy handicrafts such as sewing or tufting. Currently, I work a lot with abstract oil and acrylic paints, but dance representations as ink drawings are also a theme for me from time to time.
What are three aspects that distinguish you from other artists and make your work unique?
My art is profound because I feel a lot and think a lot at the same time, and I let all of that flow into my pictures. I often receive feedback that my art touches people in the heart and speaks to them on a deep emotional level.
Due to my own history, I have developed a great love for nature and recognized how much relaxation and joy one can find when one is outside with open eyes and engages with sensory impressions. In my works, I want to express this deep connection to nature and thus help others establish this connection. My paintings are an invitation to reduce stress, dream, and relax.
I use my imagination to create layered, mysterious, and openly interpretable works. I also look beneath the surfaces and let a universe emerge in which there are no precisely defined situations or spaces. Individual elements may appear familiar (leaves, people, animals), but they are not naturalistic depictions; rather, they reflect the essence of things as I see them. My paintings are also always an invitation to let one's own imagination play.
Where does your inspiration come from?
Avoiding sensory overload is always a theme for me, as I am very sensitive. Therefore, my inspiration is to create a counterpoint to our hectic, loud, and fast-paced world. I am a "finder of joy" and focus on the small, precious moments that bring relaxation and joy. My focus on the beauty of the moment is not naive but rather a conscious decision. I see the mindful and grateful anchoring in a beautiful moment as a strategy to find strength, especially in difficult times.
What is your artistic approach? What visions, sensations, or feelings do you want to evoke in the viewer?
My art is an invitation to the viewers to let their eyes and hearts travel over the work with joy of discovery, vivacity, and curiosity. I want to inspire people to consciously anchor themselves in nature and in emotional and positive moments. My vision is that a person who is relaxed and sees, feels, and rests within themselves consciously will also meet their fellow human beings with kindness.
What is the creation process of your works? Spontaneous or with a long preparation process (technically, inspiration from art classics or others)?
My works are always a finely adjusted interplay of heart and mind: The creation process begins very spontaneously and is emotionally driven, incorporating moods and memories of special experiences and perceptions. In the further course, I also allow purely factual knowledge about composition, interplay of colors, or light and shadow to flow in, so that in the end a pleasantly "readable" work for the eye is created. I rarely make sketches, but when I do, it is especially for large formats that could otherwise become quickly cluttered.
Do you use a specific working technique? If so, can you explain it?
My works are built up layer by layer from the background to the foreground to create depth. An interesting interplay of small and large objects, sharpness and blur, as well as light/dark contrasts and highlights is important to me. I also repeatedly use graphic elements that connect lines and shapes together.
Are there innovative aspects in your work? Can you tell us what they are? My abstractions produce an organic precision that still follows its own internal logic—objects are recognizable but not truly tangible. My paintings are characterized by vibrant colors, multifaceted structures, and an expressive energy that immerses the viewer in an intense atmosphere.
Do you have a format or medium with which you feel most comfortable? If so, why? I prefer colors that are highly pigmented and remain open and blendable for a long time. The high-quality pigments facilitate mixing and enhance the luminosity, and the open oils or acrylics provide a lot of flexibility, especially for larger formats.
Where do you produce your works? At home, in a shared workshop, or in your own workshop? And how do you organize your creative work in this space?
Since 2019, I have been working in a small, ivy-covered workshop building in a large, old garden. I fell in love with it at first sight and just had to rent this little house! I love the peace and seclusion there, and my painting students also appreciate the harmonious atmosphere. I am quite well organized with my materials—although I delve into chaos while painting, I also like to tidy up again because it clears my head.
Does your work lead you to travel to meet new collectors, for fairs or exhibitions? If so, what does it bring you? I don’t travel very often, but when I do, the contact with art lovers and my artistic network is naturally the main reason. When I exhibit regionally or nationally, the most interesting conversations take place at the openings. I find it very exciting to listen carefully and dive into the thought world of my counterpart. This is a great inspiration. So far, I have always implemented exhibitions and art fairs abroad in cooperation with galleries, also to keep the organizational effort for me minimal.
How do you envision the development of your work and your career as an artist in the future?
I like to continue evolving and am interested in a variety of subjects; there is no stagnation for me. My artistic style also continues to evolve, and I am curious myself to see how I will be painting in a few years. For my artistic career, I hope to be able to help even more people with my art to relax and find their happiness in the elements of nature.
What is the theme, style, or technique of your latest artistic production?
I often walk among the fields and am very fascinated by expansive cloud formations. I have explored this theme in my last three works—I love to represent the sky in an abstract way while capturing the perspectival depth at the same time. These works are particularly dear to me because they convey a lot of freedom and give a feeling of being able to breathe deeply.
Can you tell us about your most significant fair experience?
My most important fair experience so far was "World Art Dubai" in 2021. I was represented at the booth of a German gallery and would not have considered on my own to let my paintings travel that far.
If you could have created a famous work of art history, which would you choose? And why?
I would have chosen "Starry Night" by Vincent van Gogh. Van Gogh's works have fascinated me since I was a child, and I totally resonate with his brushwork and the colorfulness and expressiveness of his paintings.
If you could invite a famous artist (dead or alive) to dinner, who would it be? How would you suggest spending the evening?
I would have loved to spend time with Gabriele Münter, who was a visionary painter. With her, I would have liked to visit a contemporary art exhibition and exchange thoughts about it. At a private dinner, I would have liked to learn more about her experiences and challenges at a time when art was still a male-dominated field.
Olimpia Gaia Martinelli
