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What inspired you to create art and become an artist? (events, feelings, experiences...)
I drew and painted a lot as a child. I got top marks in fine art at school. This paved the way for me to become a graphic designer. During my studies, I learnt how to implement ideas visually in order to convey certain messages. My studies were purely manual, i.e. I learnt at the drawing board with pencil and brush.
After my studies, I worked for many years in the advertising industry and in publishing, both freelance and employed, in the field of applied arts. In 1993 I started with desktop tape publishing, i.e. print media design on the computer. From 2000 onwards, self-taught further training in website design. The triumph of the internet began!
Since 2012 I have dedicated myself to fine art in the form of modern painting. Instead of the drawing board and computer, I switched to the studio easel. As I have learnt various art techniques, I have always experimented with new techniques. In 2020, for example, I found fluid art, also known as pouring, to create dynamic works of art. The special thing about it is that I combine this abstract expressionist style with naturalistic motifs that I paint very precisely.
However, I also use other styles to depict living creatures artistically; I develop a separate series for each style.
Many of my motifs show living creatures. Elephants in particular have enchanted me. With my pictures I combine my love of painting and animals. I also want to artistically show the uniqueness and vulnerability of these creatures. I also enjoy painting portraits of people. It is important to me that "something" beyond language is expressed in my artistic depictions. I work in series.
What is your artistic background, the techniques and subjects you have experimented with so far?
I am a trained graphic designer with a 4-year degree in drawing and graphics. I learnt painting self-taught. Started in 2012 with acrylic colour painting. Later also in oil. I am well versed in many techniques, also due to my graphic design studies in . I experiment a lot with backgrounds, how I depict them and later complete them with motifs. My preferences lie in the area of realistic and naturalistic painting, also photorealistic. I also use the so-called pouring technique in the fluid art style. I often combine abstract backgrounds with real motifs, such as wild animals or portraits. I also create paintings in a surrealistic style, using a wide variety of forms and compositions that combine to form a whole.
My techniques: Painting in acrylic and oil, palette knife work, impact metal, pouring, foil technique, grids with ruler, pencil, coloured pencil, and others.
My topics: Living creatures: Wild animals especially elephants, predators, insects and birds that live in my home country. Portraits of women and men (David Bowie, Pete Burns, etc.).
What are the 3 aspects that differentiate you from other artists, making your work unique?
My 3 aspects that set me apart from others:
1st aspect: I am the only artist in the world who has dealt with the African elephant in such an extensive and versatile artistic way. My artistic project for elephant conservation has been running since 2015. I have depicted the majestic elephant in many techniques and styles. I have also exhibited and sold my elephant paintings for elephant conservation.
2. My series of wild animals on fluid art backgrounds can no longer be found anywhere else. I precisely paint an expressive animal(s) on a fluid art background in a technique that allows me to explore the fluidity of colour and movement. These works are characterised by a unique fusion of realism and abstraction - animal subjects depicted with stunning accuracy are set against fluid, abstract backgrounds, giving each work a dreamlike quality. My work explores the relationship between nature and art, emphasising the balance between control and freedom.
With my extraordinary animal paintings, I aim to draw attention to the creatures that share our planet and without which human life would be unimaginable.
3. I have been working professionally and persistently for decades. My artistic work began at the age of 16 and continues to this day, as I have a lot of patience and stamina, even though I have a complicated personality. I have high expectations of myself and my work. That is why this is an important aspect, as I never give up in my artistic work - despite defeats.
Where does your inspiration come from?
My inspiration comes from nature in all its guises, especially from the animal world. I am very close to nature, I like trees, plants, everything green, and of course animals. Humans are also part of nature, so it makes sense for me to work with people, especially faces. Many of my motifs show living creatures. Elephants in particular have enchanted me. I combine my love of painting and animals in my pictures. I also want to artistically show the uniqueness and vulnerability of these creatures. It is important to me that "something" beyond language is expressed in my artistic depictions.
What is your artistic approach? What visions, sensations or feelings do you want to evoke in the viewer?
With my animal paintings, I want to draw attention to the creatures that share our planet and without which human life would be unimaginable. Animals must be respected and protected, and this is a responsibility that everyone should take to heart. With my pictures I want to show the uniqueness and vulnerability of these creatures.
At the same time, as a contrast, the cultivated human being, especially women in their uniqueness. To express femininity in a special way - not sexist but emotional and vulnerable, but also strong.
Women and animals are still oppressed in many cultures. Animals come 2nd after humans, it shouldn't be like that. Animals also have a personality!
What is the process of creating your works? Spontaneous or with a long preparatory process (technical, inspiration from art classics or other)?
Only when I paint abstract pictures in between is it a spontaneous process. All other works are based on certain thoughts and ideas. A sometimes lengthy process with scribbles, or a process that I only organize mentally: Which motif do I want to use, which colors do I use, and which technique do I use for the background. And depending on which of my series I want to create a new picture for, I have already resolved the technique in advance, as they should be consistent. For example, a precisely painted bird on a fluid art background; my only considerations would be which bird and which colors for the background, and which image format. For the women series, I have a fixed image format; this and the associated technique are already determined; thus, there is no long preparation process. The elephant series is very different. The most complex works required an extremely long preparation process. I also photograph wild animals myself, and if I find a motif particularly appealing, I select it for my painting. A new image can then spontaneously emerge from this. So I can say that working in series makes my preparation a lot easier because certain tools and techniques, including styles, are fixed.
Do you use a particular work technique? if so, can you explain it?
I use a variety of techniques. I have different working methods for my series. One of these is the pouring technique, in which acrylic paints of a specific mixture and consistency are made to flow, creating unique shapes and patterns. This method allows me to explore the interaction of colors and create rich textures and visual depth. The flowing backgrounds convey a sense of movement, almost as if the forms are emerging from abstract chaos into the clarity of realism. This dynamic quality adds an additional layer of complexity to my works. Pouring is a complex technique that requires a lot of knowledge to achieve appealing results. I often use this technique for backgrounds where a precisely painted motif is the focus in the foreground.
Are there any innovative aspects in your work? Can you tell us which ones?
Many of my works are characterized by a unique fusion of realism and abstraction. Animal subjects, depicted with astonishing accuracy, are set against flowing, abstract backgrounds, lending each work a dreamlike quality. When depicting women, I demonstrate my technical mastery by capturing their essence with lifelike precision, thus lending each of their subjects a vibrant sense of presence.
Do you have a format or medium that you are most comfortable with? if yes, why ?
I can handle any format, from very small to very large. It's no problem for me whether I paint small or large; both have their appeal. With very large formats, at least approximately 80x80 cm, the results are naturally even more impressive. My smallest formats so far have been 10x10 cm, with which I created a beautiful animal series featuring an elephant with butterfly ears. The largest picture format to date has been 100x150 cm, which depicts my hometown on aluminum dibond and can be viewed year-round on our city wall as a unique original.
Where do you produce your works? At home, in a shared workshop or in your own workshop? And in this space, how do you organize your creative work?
I have a studio at home, a separate room where I paint, and a storage room for finished paintings. My studio contains my easels, work table, shelves, and all my work materials. It's a room without computers. My PCs are in the office, where I do my online art work. I really enjoy working from home because it gives me much more flexibility and allows me to paint whenever I need to.
Does your work lead you to travel to meet new collectors, for fairs or exhibitions? If so, what does it bring you?
I hold several exhibitions annually in various locations, but they're mostly in my region of or in , near the border where I live. These types of exhibitions allow me to connect with other artists and generate sales. I can also talk about my artwork at openings and draw attention to it. My experience over the past five years has been that it's easier to sell through physical exhibitions than through online art portals. I'd like to sell more online to avoid the hassle of traveling, but sometimes but sometimes I enjoy it.
How do you imagine the evolution of your work and your career as an artist in the future?
Since I've been working with visual (commercial) and artistic representations for many decades, I want to continue building on this, further develop my projects, and gain more attention from art collectors. I would love to exhibit my work in a gallery. However, my ambition has become much smaller; I paint primarily to please myself, not the art world!
What is the theme, style or technique of your latest artistic production?
I've started a new series on a large canvas format, which I believe also contains many graphic elements. As a graphic artist, I love painting flat surfaces and find it easy. My first painting in this series has a slightly surreal feel: three lion heads in warm colors, depicted surrounded by numerous flat shapes in a variety of designs, which I painted spontaneously and intuitively. I will paint more animal heads in this style, always using the appropriate color tones. Each motif becomes a continuum of colors, shapes, and levels.
Can you tell us about your most important exhibition experience?
An interesting experience at an exhibition of my paintings was when I noticed how many women and girls also ire my favorite subject, the elephant. Animals have always been and continue to be symbolic protagonists in the visual arts!
If you could have created a famous work in the history of art, which one would you choose? And why ?
Mona Lisa, because the painting is a magnificent masterpiece, a mystery as to whether it's a man or a woman. Of course, I've already seen Mona Lisa in the Louvre – breathtaking. A stoic calm and serenity in monotonous colors, I like that.
If you could invite one famous artist (dead or alive) to dinner, who would it be? How would you suggest he spend the evening?
Salvador Dali. I'd love for him to describe his surreal paintings to me, why he painted like that, and how. Over a Mediterranean meal on a terrace in Figueras.
Olimpia Gaia Martinelli 
