安琪拉·芭比 came to us LIVE from Spain on Friday, March 11th via Zoom to share insights on her watercolor techniques.

為什麼創作藝術？ 
For pure enjoyment, to have pleasure and to express freely what I feel. It’s a connection with my deeper self and a sensual pleasure of using colour.  Art makes me become whole, integrated, a unity within myself and with the rest of the work.

你畫畫多久了？ 
For about 28 years.

Did you have formal art training?  
I have always been drawing since a very young age, but only attended an art school as an adult. I trained in art therapy for about 10 years at Rudolf Steiner’s Antroposophy and Art Therapy school in Barcelona, following Goethe’s theory of colour. Then I did more training in classical drawing and later attended some master classes by modern masters.

Have you had a mentor?  
Yes, my Anthroposophy teacher for about 15 years.

你是職業藝術家還是業餘愛好者？ 
Painting is my hobby. I am not a professional artist, but I work with professional artists in the painting holiday excursions that I organize.

什麼能激勵你？
Nature is my main source of inspiration, or people as well. And also my mood or feeling. As for painters who inspire me, I would say all the French impressionists, Van Gogh, Kandinsky, Chagall, Picasso, Miró.

你每天都畫畫嗎？
I would love to, but I don’t – just a few days per week.

你是一次只畫一幅畫，還是同時畫好幾幅？
I can do several preliminary sketches or warm-up exercises at the same time, but when I paint the definitive version, it’s only one painting at a time.

你會先創作概念作品嗎？ 
I sometimes do several concept pieces until I get to the right way to express what I want. And then I develop it further on the bigger piece, which is sometimes totally different again. I like to move with the flow of the painting itself and let myself be guided by it.

你畫畫的時候喜歡聽什麼類型的音樂？ 
Many kinds of music, especially the type that helps me connect with my soul, like jazz, Bossa Nova (MPB), Mantras, songwriters.

你喜歡在畫室裡作畫還是在戶外寫生？ 
I love plein air painting in a gorgeous surrounding, but find it difficult from a practical point of view. I need a lot of space to feel comfortable. That is why I prefer painting in a studio. But I can do small sketches in plein air.

你們使用了多少種核心色？ 
Maybe around 15-20 colors, it depends a lot on the subject. I experiment a lot, but about 10 are my absolute favourites.

管狀、盤狀還是棒狀？
Definitely tubes, but I will use sticks sometimes too, and pans, especially in plein air.

你使用遮蔽液嗎？ 
I don’t use it very often, but I sometimes do. I don’t like to set any limitations on myself, so if it helps the end result and my enjoyment in the process, then I’ll use it. Breaking limitations is my mantra.

你如何判斷你的作品是否完成？ 
The painting usually tells me, so I am learning to listen to it and understand its language. Painting is a dialogue between yourself and your paper, your art materials and the water. So for me, it’s about learning to speak and listen with your painting, and finally reaching an agreement.