Artist Stories. Berenika Drazewska
The poetry of shifting light
What media of art do you work in?
I’m a painter and I work across a range of painting media. In the last few years I have probably been reaching most often for watercolors and soft pastels. They are great for quickly capturing the elusive mood and feeling of a scene when painting en plein air, which I try to do at least once a week. But my painting tutor at the Open College of the Arts where I’m studying for my BA degree in Painting has been urging me to work more in oil and acrylic. As a result, I have been using these quite a lot recently and have grown very fond of them.
I especially like working at the intersection of different media. Each of these four has specific qualities that allow me to evoke a different quality of light (my favorite subject). For example, if I make a little painting in watercolor, I then may paint a similar scene again in oil or acrylic, looking for the kind of transparency and fluidity that characterizes watercolors. This way of working is exciting and conducive to producing the kind of work I am after.
How would you describe your genre of painting?
I mainly work in the figurative (representational) tradition; I most often explore landscapes and floral still lifes. But actually, I’m all about painting light! My most vivid childhood memories involve beautiful natural light, and it is without a doubt my favorite subject to paint. It’s what I look for first in a scene before deciding whether I want to paint it or not. This means that I try to work from life as much as possible, because I get to observe the behavior of light and shadows. They are never dull or static - they constantly shift, flicker, change color etc., so there is always something interesting to notice. I feel very drawn to observing the hidden life of light and the moods it creates. There is a poetry to it that I try to show in my paintings.
Describe your creative process. When you begin a painting, do you have an idea of what the end result is? Do you prepare sketches first? Do you know the colors you are going to use?
I like to keep my creative process varied and exciting depending on what feels right for the particular scene or subject. Often it starts with my noticing a particular quality of light in a scene, or perhaps an interesting shape of a shadow. Then I usually take a few photos, and maybe draw a quick notan sketch or a 4-5 value study (especially useful when working in watercolor). I don’t like to treat my photos as blueprints for the final painting – I try to keep the original image in my mind and respond to that while painting. I often write down a few words to describe the scene and the feelings it stirs in me. Other times I’ll be responding to some invented landscapes that I keep in my mind at a given time; in such cases I often make many drawings in my sketchbook – some more figurative, some more abstract – before starting the painting.
I am very inspired by color and I often feel the need to just play with it. I think about and try out different color combinations which might give rise to a painting at some time in the future. Right now I’m obsessed with a color called Green Gold – it’s a delicious, warm green that dilutes into yellow; I love it so much that I have bought this color in every medium! I find it works beautifully with coral, magenta and royal blue. Another favorite of mine is deep, dark turquoise – I think of it as the color of the Mediterranean Sea at night. So gorgeous! I’d pair it with cadmium orange and just a hint of magenta, and either a warm brown, or slate blue and indigo. But even though I make lots of swatches, I find that when I paint I often choose the colors intuitively – if I feel like the painting needs a particular color, I’ll reach for it without thinking twice.
How do you hope viewers interpret your artwork?
Observing the ephemeral natural light is such a pleasure to me. I’m not only attracted to its beauty, but also – subconsciously, I think – to the positive messages typically associated with it in popular culture. While light can mean different things for different people, these are generally positive, uplifting messages such as hope, serenity, grace, knowledge… I also find intriguing the meanings given to light and shadow in Jungian psychology. Light is like a lens through which I look at the world, and I love sharing what I see through it by way of painting!
What is your favorite praise you have received from a client/viewer about your work?
I’ve had people tell me that since they saw my work, they’ve been paying a lot more attention to light and shadows. A collector has recently mentioned that they now stop and take pictures whenever they see a beautiful shadow pattern. I myself take the same kind of pictures! This kind of visual connection is thrilling for me. I firmly believe that this is what painting should do – it should allow us see more in our everyday lives.
Outside of being an artist, what are some other things/hobbies you enjoy?
I love to sing. I struggle to keep myself from humming for most of the day!
What is an interesting piece of trivia about you that people don’t know?
I actually sold my first painting when I was about 12 years old. I come from a family of painters, so it was easy to start painting quite early in life. My mum had a collector pass by her atelier, and among the paintings the lady bought there was a piece I had painted using oil paints on a wood panel.
Tell us about your family.
My mum is a full-time painter, as was her grandfather and great-grandmother. My grandfather, his father and grandfather were writers – novelists and a playwright, who also wrote for the papers. It hasn’t been easy for any of them, but ultimately art is a heart’s calling.
What has been your strongest influence in your art career thus far?
It is hard to name just one. My mum has probably had the earliest and most extended influence on me as a painter in that she has shaped and always nurtured my artistic sensibilities. As a child I could watch her for hours as she unhurriedly and confidently conjured up dreamy landscapes and richly textured still lifes on a blank canvas. She has also transmitted to me her deep love for nature. I think that my art is also a way for myself to remember those lessons in our modern life that often feels rushed and lived in front of screens.
My mum had many art books and auction catalogues and I remember browsing them with her on hours on end. That’s how I was first introduced to the sensuous work of the French and Polish Impressionists such as Claude Monet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Władysław Podkowiński.... When it comes to watercolorists, I admire my teacher, Mr Ong Kim Seng, and the British painter Lucy Willis for the beautiful brushwork and subtle handling of paint in their sun-drenched landscapes. It’s like they paint with liquified sunlight!
What is your vision for yourself as an artist 5 years from now?
I’m not very big on planning. I want to continue painting every day as I do now, although it would be nice to move to a more spacious studio and be able to experiment with larger formats, too. Perhaps in five years I will find myself working with an art gallery, if our artistic visions are aligned. The real dream would be to see my work hanging in a fine arts museum’s permanent collection some day!
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