What made you decide to become an artist? What is your field of study ?
It's not that I decided to become an artist, I loved drawing and painting since I was a child. I actually entered a contest when I was 11 or 12 which was very frustrating because I didn't even get a mention but when I went to get my drawing I asked the organizer and she said to me: "Why didn't you do it yourself? It made me very angry and I didn't draw anymore.
What are the three things that make you different from other artists?
I am not in the minds of others, I paint what comes to mind at the moment. The colors, the shapes, they follow one another according to my mood and jazz is my great companion.
Where does your inspiration come from?
My older sister used to paint and I think that had to do with the fact that I wanted to do it too. She took lessons with Gustavo Alamon, a renowned Uruguayan painter. And I copied what he did. She was 14 years older than me. And I also had a friend who painted and he guided me through my first still life when I was 14.
Tell us about the conception of your works, do you have a long preparation work or is it rather spontaneous?
My work is spontaneous, but I have spent a lot of time studying famous painters. When I lived in Buenos Aires, I used to go to exhibitions. I worked in a wood-decorating workshop, where I mainly painted Naive squares on the tops of sewing boxes, pill boxes, dressers.
What do you want to show through his work?
Anything that people want to interpret. Color, shapes and movement create special images for the observer. I give them a name, it's obvious. But each could give them their own title.
Do you use unusual techniques or materials in your work?
So far I have worked in oil and acrylic, but the use of colorful spices like paprika, turmeric etc. ran through my head.
Do you have a preferred format and why?
I used rectangular canvases because they are the most accessible where I live.
What difficulties do you encounter in your work?
Sometimes the economic one, since most of the paintings that I started in 2018 after the pandemic and I could neither exhibit nor sell to buy more material.
How do you work? At home, in a shared studio, in your own studio?
At home and until 7 months ago I painted on chairs. Until I could have an easel.
Does the work of an artist take you to travel a lot?
Not yet. Since I only started recently.
What was the best moment of your career?
When I decided to start painting again. And it was a creation of more or less 10 or 12 paintings in a few months.
How do you see your work in ten years?
More elaborate and more mature.
What are you currently working on? Are you planning an exhibition soon?
I am not working at the moment, I have been visiting relatives for two months. But I can't wait to return to my paintings and my pets, which I miss a lot.
If you could have created a masterpiece in the history of art, which one would you choose?
The night
If you could invite a famous artist to dinner (dead or alive), which one would you choose?
Van Gogh
Olimpia Gaia Martinelli
