FIGURATIVE MEETS ABSTRACT IN BLISSFUL HARMONY: INTERVIEW WITH SPANISH PAINTER, ANDREA CASTRO

ANDREA CASTRO

1. What was it that triggered your interest in painting as a child ?

Manga comics! When I was 11, there was a girl in my class that read and drew manga. I remember being deeply amazed and inspired by the drawings she could do, so I started to draw mangas myself. From there, it all evolved naturally and I started taking art lessons when I was 14.


 

2. Describe the process of creating a new piece.

Sometimes there is one image or a collection of images that inspire me for a certain concept; it’s as if those images crave for self expression. Other times, I have a composition in my sketchbook that I’d like to try out along with a few notes on what I want to achieve. My sketches aren’t very detailed, and I tend to write more than to draw. (Whoever saw my sketchbook wouldn’t believe I can paint!)

I always start to paint realistically first and then I loosen myself and add the abstract parts and more dynamic brushstrokes at the end.

3. What does “a normal day of an artist” in your life look like?

It looks like waking up around 8am (I admit, sometimes at 9am), having breakfast and then going for an hour walk to get inspired. Once I come back home, I check some emails and then I paint until lunchtime. After lunch, I paint until half past seven and then I stop for the day.

4. Tell us more about your workspace. What is the funniest or weirdest thing that happened to you in the studio ?

My studio is divided in two rooms. Actually, these were the two extra bedrooms we had at home, but now no one can sleep there as I invaded everything! In one room there is my computer and the finished paintings organized in what before was a bookshelf. The other room is where I paint. There is a big easel and two smaller ones, and all my unfinished work.

One of the funniest things (apart from not having a room for people to come and spend the night) that happened in my studio? Well,

"once I needed a boost of inspiration to finish a painting so, after watching the unfinished canvas for half an hour, I thought about doing something different. I ended up standing in my chair screaming “I am a GREAT artist!!!” .…Yep, talk about confidence! "

And yes, I finished the painting! (Sorry about that neighbours).

5. When it comes to creating a new portrait, what tends to be more important to you, the subject of your painting, or the way it is executed ?

At the beginning I focused too much on the way I execute it. I worried about all the details the portrait had and I was afraid to hide parts of the face. Now I can work more freely and give more importance to the subject of my paintings.

"...because I realized sometimes there is more said in things that are hidden than in a painting that is perfectly done."

6. Your portraits are all about expressing emotions. Describe a real-life situation that inspired you.

Before I started my “Fragments” series, which are oil painting and collage, I felt I spent too much time in my comfort zone and I needed to get out from it. Therefore, before I started all those paintings that were challenging for me, I painted “The Loop”, which in reality are my thoughts on how we repeat our daily live, our routine, to feel at ease. But the only way we grow is by getting out of those patterns and trying new things. Once I finished this painting and had this internal conversation with myself, I could finally start my new series of paintings.

7. In your opinion, what is the role of the artist in today’s society ?

I use art to speak out, to express myself, and I think that can be extrapolated to other artists as well. Whether you create art as a criticism, to express your emotions or to talk about your religion, in the end you’re using your point of view to speak out.

" Artists say what they think needs to be said in their own personal way, as if it was a secret code. And I think one of the best responses an artist can get is to feel listened and seen."

  

8. Where do you feel Art is going ?

I think Art is going everywhere thanks to the internet. Of course it’s not the same looking at a piece of art through the screen, but we’re getting more used to art. It feels more normal, more real. Also, what I love the most is that you’re not only looking at the piece of work that the artist creates, but also the artist itself thanks to social media. You finally get to have a connection between the artist that was missing in the galleries. I feel very fortunate to live in this era and to be able to sustain myself selling my art online.

" With reference to the Art itself, I think Art has always been a reflection of its own era, and right now we’re deep into global communication."