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“ It took me four years to paint like Raphael, but a lifetime to paint like a child.”
Why do you create art?To me art is my passion so it feels like a NEED to create and it also brings me so much joy, I am so grateful for it!
If you read this and you have ANY passion no matter what it is, it is an incredible privilege. It fills so much of our lifes.
The possibilities in creating and learning are endless. Culturally there are exhibitions movies and art walks. Books about the subject can fill our libraries and creatives communities are so much fun!
Tell us about your journey to become an artist?I started to draw and take classes in my twenties but I never thought it would be anything else than a hobby. As we had our first child I stayed home and we moved a lot. I found myself in other countries with a lot of time on my hands. That is when I dived into creating, experimenting and shortly I was asked to give a class and offered to exhibit.
Tell us about the journey to claim the title artist?That is funny you are asking that, because it is a theme that I still don’t know what to think about. To give a short answer, the title was claimed in my tax declaration...lol..
But feeling wise, I am not sure. When I grew up, being an artist was a BIG TITLE that was not easily claimed, then came the general opinion that everyone was an artist.. For some reason I have always had a preference for the term ‘painter’…..well, until I have figure it out I prefer spending my time painting.
What is about making art that stirs your soul?When I create it feels like charging my batteries or coming home. It gives me so much joy and energy. I remember coming out of a academic drawing session and having this light jumpy step, it just makes me so happy and excited, so alive.
What is currently inspiring you?At the moment there is something new in the air. After having painted a lot of ladies with characters I am moving on to..who knows what. When that happens I tend to go all over the place. At the moment I am super motivated to sketch outside, take some classes, make my own sketchbooks, throw a challenges and create very different things, until suddenly something will catch my attention and I am off again in another direction and a technic starts developing in my paintings. It is an exciting but also exhausting time since my head is spinning but I also know myself and how I function. ..(and so does my poor husband)
What does your creative practice look like and do you have any rituals?I mostly create in my studio. But this year I also have started drawing at home or go sketching outside.
When I get to my studio, I first drink a cup of tea and take out a journal. I write in it a few thought about my creative day. It can be an idea, something that made me wonder, colors that attract me or when I am not pleased where my creations are going etc.
I than start painting, drawing or just experimenting. I also film the online classes and need to edit them, prepare workshops and all the administrative part that goes with it.
I also have a studio sketchbook, where I scribble my ideas, make comments about it. I collect images or pattern that inspire me. That also helps never to run out of ideas, because I think we forget them otherwise.
A new habit that I have started this year is also to go sketching outside and just capture a moment of the day.
Art books and magazines are also very important to me. I enjoy so much to go through them.
Since I also like handy work I like to build my own canvases and sketchbooks.
And last but not least, I love to spend time with other creatives. In my classes we are a great creative community as well at the studio with the other 3 studio mates. A lot of exchanging is happening as well as online.
How do you keep your creative practice fresh and inspired?I never stop! That just works for me. (Except once a year during our family vacation) That is something that just happens on its own. I think we all have a strong point somewhere. Some are extremely talented in drawing other are fantastic with colors, my strong point is my creativity and my imagination. I hardly ever run out of ideas or inspiration. My problem is the opposite I need to canalize my energy and my ideas.
What sort of creative walls do you hit? And how to you move through them?I sometimes hit a wall in the sense that I am not progressing and my paintings take directions that I don’t like and it frustrates me. The last few years my painting have more and more turned into illustrations and I was fighting it until I gave up and just accept it. I even took a children’s illustration class thinking if I can’t fight it just as well go with it. …but I have not done anything with it so far.
A time when I usually feel lost and out of place is after our vacation. It is a bit painful to be in the studio and feel detached. I just go anyway even if it is to clean or just potter around. Usually after two weeks I am back in a row. There is this quote from Picasso that I completely agree:
Inspiration exists but it has to find you working
How has your process evolved?I started painting and having no clue what I was doing but it had a certain look to it, not so different to what I do now. I than started taking classes, drawing from life, copying past artists, done academic drawing and then moved right back to where I had started, painting from my imagination but with more experience. My working process has developed over the years and also my personal signature.
Do you have a Creative Self Care Practice?I do paint or draw a lot just for the sake of creating, not sharing it with anyone. Drawing and painting itself has something so meditative about it. I also have a huge need of constantly learning something new …and I love to treat myself with art materials. Who need jewelry when there are art supplies!!!
Where can we find you?In my studio for workshops in Rolle, Switzerland
Online: classes and connecting: Website
Online community on Facebook
Facebook page:
Instagram: @yvonne_morell_painting
Yvonne has created two very sweet lessons for the Make Create Express workshop:
