In an illuminating conversation with Tania Rivilis, we delve into the depths of creativity, motivation, and the intricacies of an artist's life. From her initial artsy steps in Germany, spurred by a desire for personal growth and supported by her partner Leo, to the pivotal moment art transformed from a hobby to a professional calling, Tania's story is a testament to the unpredictable paths that lead to self-discovery and fulfilment in art.
We are also thrilled to announce that Tania, has officially joined the Artit Jury Panel. As a member, she will play a crucial role in judging artworks and selecting winning entries for all contests and calls for art hosted by Artit, bringing her unique perspective, insights and expertise to the forefront of our artistic community!
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At what point in your life did you firmly decide to pursue art, and what were the pivotal factors in making that decision?
My art journey began not so long ago, actually - just about 9-10 years ago (10 years, damn, maybe it's time to stop saying "not so long ago"), when I moved to Germany to study and upgrade my Media Design degree. At that time my boyfriend Leo (now husband) and I lived in a quiet town, where I had no friends, and after work I often didn't find something to do that would develop me and make me happy. Leo suggested finding a hobby, to try something that I had been meaning to do for a long time, but because of the city rhythm and lack of time I couldn't afford it. Now that the lifestyle situation was opposite and there was plenty of time for myself, I thought it would be great to try to take up painting - the idea had been in my head for a long time (art history lectures were my favorite at university).
So we went to an art store and bought everything I needed. At first all my attempts were full of fear and thoughts like "Well, Tania, you are not an artist - what the heck are we supposed to do?". I made copies of old masters such as Repin, Serov, Vermeier, etc. - it's always safer to copy, right? But after 1-2 years I started to find some hints of my own art language - with more and more experimenting, using different materials and ideas. A couple of times I went to workshops with some awesome artists. I tried different mediums during that time, but oil remained my permanent medium of choice.
Soon I came across plywood panels in a building store, and it seemed to me that it could be a great surface for oil. And so, after some time and dozens of experiments on such a board, I was contacted first by one gallery, then by another. Suddenly painting turned from a hobby into a professional activity. 5-6 years after my first attempts I became a full-time artist with the ability to proudly call myself that. Life is a curious game - I could never have imagined such a thing.
Discuss your strategies for staying motivated and continually finding inspiration in your artistic practice.
"Inspiration exists, but it has to find you working." (Picasso) is one of my favorite sayings and a motivational anthem that I quote when I am asked about motivation or how I find inspiration. So not, no muses visit me at night bringing the gift of holy inspiration. Yes, it can come to you quite suddenly and be a response of your creative soul to some external or internal factors or emotions, but most often inspiration comes during some action aimed at it. Inspiration is a cool, but tricky ladu, which often doesn't come to you for hours and days of agonizing efforts and hiccups. And when it does come, it does so for only a moment - when many components came together in a single whole without effort. But I think that for this ease to appear you have to be constantly in some creative process, experiment, trial, etc.
In my case, if I am in search of a new idea or want to find a new element in the pictorial language, I give myself time to do some sketches, take another medium (for example pastel or acrylic, something I am not used to and will be more free in expression) or surface and make dozens or even hundreds of small works. Try experimenting for a month with different mediums that are new to you and return after a while to the same oil and you will see that you will introduce new elements and become freer in your choice of technique or subject. It's fun to watch your work with a distracted eye, to see how even the way you hold your brush changes - experimentation is a very productive activity, but you have to prepare yourself for the fact that the process will not bear fruit immediately: first your brain has to absorb a lot of new moves and combinations to create something new and unexpected.
Describe your artistic process from conception to completion. Could you walk us through the steps of your artistic process, starting from the initial idea to the finished piece? How do you develop your concepts, and what are the key stages in creating your final work?
This is a very simple and at the same time complex question. Probably the answer will be quite predictable at first, because I think the artistic process is quite common for all artists: you have an idea, usually a sketch or a note, then you develop it, add more details and make the idea more tangible, draw a sketch and then move on to the final result - a full-fledged work, well thought out and finished. Everything seems to be logical. But there is a nuance: this sequence of processes does not always happen.
Sometimes it is complete chaos - you suddenly take a big canvas and start doing something large and time-consuming, just as an impulse. During the process you realize that it does not work and start to suffer. You suffer for a day, two days and realize that you should think more carefully and start making sketches. Suddenly one of the sketches leads you to another idea - you repaint this canvas, crying over the work done and the wasted oil. In the process you think "What if there was green here" and make the work smaller, but then you add yellow, for example, and think "Damn, how did that get here", but you like it already. And then you go back to the big canvas and redraw the work. And now the work is ready and hangs to dry.
A month passes, you go to the studio and casually glance at this work and realize that the nose could have been made smaller... It's funny to watch these swings from the outside (not so much fun from the inside, though).
What are some upcoming projects or plans you are excited about?
This year I decided to change my strategy a little bit in terms of my art practice. Before, my main goal was to work with galleries and exhibitions. This year I decided to step back a little bit from exhibition activities and devote my time to experimenting, searching for a new artistic language and trying my hand at various open-calls and art competitions.
I am very happy that I have already passed one of the most important open-calls for me: in May the annual Royal Portrait Society exhibition will take place in the heart of London at the Mall Galleries. This is the third year in a row that my work has been selected in this rather challenging and very prestigious competition. And I hope to apply for the society membership, which will be a greatly honorable and significant milestone for me.
I am also very excited about my first workshop that I will be hosting in October in Italy at the Art Escape Italy Art Residency. I was very excited to be invited, as this art residency is taught by some big-name artists and it's nice to be on the list of those names. To be honest I am thrilled, and the fact that the workshop places were sold out in a couple of days and there is even a waiting list, makes me even more excited. I hope I will be able to develop a great and valuable program for the people who will come to the wokrshop. In any case, it will not be boring and I think the guys will take away a lot of useful information that they can apply in their studios.
List five key insights or lessons you wish you had known when you started your artistic journey.
A very intriguing question even for myself - it's exciting to take a ride in my thoughts and past. It would actually be really cool if I could go back in time and name these five lessons that were significant to me at that time and very much needed.
✧ Firstly, I would go back to my school days and tell myself that if you feel that you are drawn to painting - go to art school and don't waste time, start getting knowledge and developing your technique as early as possible.
✧ Secondly, if the first one didn't go through and I still started painting, as it happened, only at the age of 27, I would advise myself to take a bigger brush right away.
✧ The third and very important thing is not to be afraid and not to think what others will say. After all, as Jerry Saltz accurately said "Nobody is f***ing thinking about you" - it would probably save me a lot of nerves and sleepless nights and maybe give me more confidence in my abilities.
✧ Fourth - be interested in contemporary art, not just the classics, be in the know, follow the news, see what's going on in the art market. For some reason, in the early years of my artistic journey, I thought that contemporary art is all crap and people probably just can't draw. Now, of course, with experience and attunement, I go first thing in museums to the halls of contemporary art. Knowing the current agenda is very important not only for inspiration but also for practical familiarity.
✧ Well, and fifth - hang out with artists, communicate with people like you: it helps to survive on this market and inspires a lot.
Share your thoughts on pursuing a creative career, despite potential risks, versus more conventional career paths.
I came to art at 27 as a self-taught artist, but I think even if I had the choice to study to be an artist, I would have been discouraged by everyone around me. In post-soviet times, and probably even now, this profession is not considered profitable, and for some reason artists are immediately prophesied to "suffer and starve", probably keeping in mind the image of Vincent van Gogh from Irving Stone's book. But do we suffer so much, really? Yes, there are agonizing moments of lack of inspiration or torment when work doesn't go on and stuff like that. But any artist will tell you that there is no better place in the world than the studio, and no time is more beautiful than time immersed in art. If you initially get out of the dreamy fairy tale that collectors or buyers will come to your hidden studio, it becomes easier to be an artist in terms of career.
Unfortunately artists are practically not prepared for the harsh reality that they will have to be their own manager, copywriter, content creator, marketer, video operator, storyteller, accountant, and much more. Plus it would be better to know English if it's not your first language and learn how to write official letters and deal with taxes. Knowing how to draw an iliac is cool, but knowing how to sell a job is an art you have to master on your own. As someone who didn't go to art school or art academy, this reality became clear to me a little quicker perhaps. So art as a career is a risk, no doubt, but any profession can bring unpleasant surprises. In my mind, if you master related skills and stay realistic outside the studio - then an art career is a very cool pursuit.
Offer five pieces of advice to artists who are experiencing discouragement or creative blocks.
I'm happy to share my tricks for overcoming creative block - I find myself in this stage several times a day. Of course, there are also prolonged periods when things don't work out or there is no story to inspire me. Here are the top five methods and examples that help me get out of this vicious circle.
✧ The first and probably the main one is to change the medium or material. If you've been painting in oil, get dry pastels, pencils, or something else not similar to oil in technique. If you see that you start to get sucked into a routine or repetition, take a medium break for a few days or even weeks. Start only sketching or doing acrylic sketches. If you used to paint from life, paint from references or imagination and vice versa. In a nutshell, you have to switch mediums and reception so that your brain is surprised and decides it's more fun that way. At first it doesn't really go, but after a few unsuccessful attempts it starts to get better, and then you go to the store to buy all tubes of acrylics (here it is better to keep yourself in control and not to change everything radically - remember the original goal).
✧ Second - take the brush differently. Yes, it sounds strange, but for some reason it gives birth to new and interesting strokes and effects, which gives an incentive to return to the canvas again. For example, I often hold my brush like Voldemort holds his wand.
✧ Third (and this is a lifehack I'm going to steal from Andrew Salgado), if you like to procrastinate with your phone in your hands and hang out for hours looking at memes, then put a book on the couch, chair or wherever you hang out in those moments and at first force yourself to read a couple pages instead of idly scrolling through Instagram. Or I remember one scientist in a podcast said that if you sit down and do nothing, and I mean nothing at all (like you are resting), your brain will get bored and after a short time it will force you to cheer it up with something productive.
✧ Fourth, sports. Sport helps a lot just to unload the brain from accumulated thoughts, frustrations, etc. Run, do yoga, I personally play tennis and jog. It really helps to keep the body and mind in balance.
✧ The fifth and final thing is to give yourself time to rest from the studio. Sometimes it's really better to step away, do other things, forget everything for a while. Sometimes you need to give yourself time to suffer, to grieve, to complain - we are not robots after all, but delicate sensitive membranes that can get tired or burn out. And that's normal.
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Tania's narrative is a rich tapestry woven with moments of uncertainty, exploration, and breakthroughs, mirroring the complex process of creating art itself. As she looks ahead to a year of experimentation and new ventures, including the prestigious Royal Portrait Society exhibition and her first workshop in Italy, Tania remains a beacon of inspiration. Her journey, marked by a continuous search for a new artistic language and embracing open calls and competitions, underscores the essence of a creative life: ever-evolving, challenging, and deeply rewarding. Tania's insights and reflections not only shed light on her path but also serve as a guiding light for fellow artists navigating their own artistic endeavours. Explore her work more thoroughly by visiting her portfolio on Artit.