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Interview with an Artist

Cruzy presents "Interview with an Artist".
Exclusive interviews for Cruzy.org of emerging visual & performing artists.
Please contact us, if you have an interview of an artist (performing or visual; individual or group) that you would like to post on the Cruzy Website.

Cruzy.org presents:
 

Marie Gabrielle

Local watercolor painter in Santa Cruz, CA
September 2004
 

When I was a child I was already interested in drawing. I knew at a very young age that I wanted to become an artist; I knew that my career would not be conventional. In my family were a lot of artists - my mother was a painter, my uncle a writer. My grandfather was a well known and great comedian, so I was thinking of becoming an actress myself.
Half way through High school, I decided against it and aimed for painting and drawing, but I was not sure what direction I would take or how I could accomplish that. I was a rebel during my teenage years. My family offered me to choose to either study or go to work - I decided to find a job where I could draw and paint. I found work immediately as a textile designer. This worked out
well. I stayed for about six years. During that time I also worked as a colorist for a high fashion fabric maker. At that time it didn't even occur to me to be a painter.
I got restless and started traveling. In Spain I met my first husband - who was an American citizen - and moved to the US with him. We got married and I had my first child.
I tried to get back into textile design but couldn't find work in that profession. I wound up doing a few art related jobs - window displays, tried to sell my own line of greeting cards to Hallmark (which didn't work out) and worked in an import store. I had the idea of starting my own import store selling high quality French fashion. I did not like working in a store, so I gave up on that idea.
Eventually we moved to Santa Cruz. Here I saw a watercolor exhibit of Millard Sheets.

The colors and shapes were so strong and vibrant. I love strong colors and never thought one
could get those with watercolor. After I had my second child I took a watercolor painting class through Parks and Rec. This was about 20 years ago - Since then it has been an uphill road to success.
My second husband and I love to travel and pick places where I can paint. This results
into a collection of paintings from different places of the world: US, Europe, South America,
South Pacific.
Once a year I take a group of people to France for a two-week painting holiday. I want to spend a big chunk of the year in France, which is my birth home and where I have a small house.
Santa Cruz is my home of adoption and I love it here.

I am inspired by diversity. Moving around, being in different places always makes me appreciate coming back here. I love to discover different textures, architecture, light, landscapes, shapes. When I come back to Santa Cruz I appreciate the ocean, cypresses, wooden buildings ... anew. The variety touches my enthusiasm.

I am blessed. People say about me that I am a hard and talented worker, but I feel I am blessed. I met great people along the way who helped me and encouraged me. When I was still quite new at painting I went to Carmel to a gallery named Fireside (which no longer exists).
The owner was a very personable lady with enthusiasm, who kept encouraging me to bring her my paintings to sell. I was shy and not so sure about my ability and procrastinated. I started out with greeting cards which she sold - and in 1990 I had my first woman show and sold 13 paintings in her gallery. She helped build my confidence - I was very happy and worked for that gallery for
several years. Other experiences with galleries have not always been that pleasant. The galleries don't always treat you so well.
During the economic boom I let the galleries slide away, selling my work directly. I like meeting the people who buy my paintings and to build a personal relationship. When I see the enthusiasm about my work reflected in a client's face, I feel very touched and encouraged. It inspires me to keep doing good work and to keep improving my skills.

I have been participating in the 'Open Studios' here in Santa Cruz for many years and I am still overwhelmed by the support I am getting through 'Open Studios'. I have great appreciation for this organization - I feel that I owe a big part of my success to 'Open Studios'.
Every year it's an amazing experience. I have developed a big family of friends and supporters here. Every year, right after 'Open Studios' end I start working on my show for the following year. I want to show something new every year, I want to outdo myself. This audience appreciation and support feed me with the desire to keep them interested.
I like to focus on the good things - yes, I got turned down from shows and was disappointed then, but it's the good things I want to focus on. I want to be known and remembered as a painter.I am more interested in the process of the painting than the result. I have published cards and prints. I like my work and I am focused on my work - I don't like to compete.
I am fortunate to make a living with my paintings - I managed to raise my children and sent my daughter to College on my own, which I am really proud of. I met my second husband, Jack, twelve years ago, when I was not as successful and was struggling to raise my children after my divorce. When we started dating he bought a few of my paintings and he has been very supportive of my art. He has helped me with the marketing and promotes my art wherever he can.
We love traveling together.
My daughter helps me at the studio with the framing. When I travel and she takes care of everything. She is my personal assistant and adviser.  To keep growing and feeding my creative side I take workshops myself. I always want to learn and change, want to learn different techniques and keep pushing myself. The last workshop I took was in South America, Uruguay, Argentina... The style being taught was very different from what I am used to paint and I had to push myself and struggled - but I kept trying and the result is a new series of paintings unlike my usual style. These new paintings will be part of the collection that I will be showing at 'Open Studios' October 2, 3, 16 and 17, 2004.
What I see as a healthy challenge is to keep a balance between making a living and being an artist. The right balance is very important, it's pick and choose.
Being an established artist allows me to choose the kind of work I do. Sometimes I have to
turn down a commission because I know this work wouldn't be benefiting me as an artist, other
times the commission is a challenge that I accept and that pushes me in a different
direction and I feel good about the challenge and the results. I know how and when to say 'NO'.

I guess that would be the dark side. I do experience self-doubt sometimes. When people call me talented, I think to myself: 'I don't know that. I just feel blessed'.
My goal is striving for excellence. I want to get to new levels. When I reach a certain level I ask myself: "What comes next?" I need to be challenged. There are different challenges - sometimes the subject matter is the challenge.
I take this group of people to France every year - which is a very informal group. I see people go through challenges there. Depending on one's comfort zone. Like, painters who are used to paint from photos rather then from nature.
I was mentioning my latest workshop in South America earlier. My challenge there was painting city life. My paintings usually don't have too many people in them. I choose flower motifs, quiet and calming landscapes - but not city life. Here I had to push myself. I had to challenge my technique and let go of what I knew.
I am used to paint dry edges, not wet on wet (which we did for that workshop). Watercolor has a huge range of possibilities. A well-experienced painter could paint all the ranges in one painting - from dry on dry and wet on wet and everything in between. If you use acrylic or oil paint, you can paint over, if you make a mistake. Not so with watercolor - you can only change the painting a little bit. This is not a very forgiving medium. You really have to think ahead and have a plan. I develop a plan as I'm working.
I start out with a pencil drawing, which is the outlining of the painting, the contour lines, the figuring out the placement.
With a lot of practice I have become quite a fast painter. When I first started I
threw away a lot of work. One can't be afraid of letting go. One always has to practice and experience. You have to know how to mix your colors, how the different colors work together and react to each other. Each color has its challenge; one has to know how to mix it.
A good brush helps, good quality pigments help, and good paper is crucial. You can do a painting with everything if you know how to use the medium. It comes with lots of experience.
There are no shortcuts.
As a painter I find it very important to take classes. Every teacher teaches something new, something that sticks, something that changes one's technique/style/view.

As I mentioned before, I am usually a happy person. I think that translates into my paintings. People feel this, they like my work. My paintings take them to the place where I actually did the painting. It takes them to beautiful and happy places.
I started out with painting flowers because of the variety of colors I could use. Now I got into pristine landscapes, landscapes without a human trace. I usually have no people in my paintings. But, of course, that is not always avoidable.
For example when I paint Cowell's Beach here in Santa Cruz, there are lots of people, surfers, tourists...
I am growing as a painter and, as I said, I like taking on new challenges to keep my art growing and to expand as an artist to honor myself and the people who love my work and who support me in my work.

About the interviewer:


Ute Bonn

Born in Germany, Ute lives in Santa Cruz, CA since over 12 years.
A musician herself, she released her debut CD: "VoiceDance".
Her previous work at a local newspaper and her own engagement
in the cultural scene in Santa Cruz as a singer/songwriter,
dancer and teacher has brought her in contact
with numerous artists.
To contact Ute Bonn, contact Cruzy.org

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