Female pulses...ladies who dare to take risks in order to communicate their inner desires, who are passionate about what they do and spread their creativity around. This is the new category I' ve decided to create here on the blog! We are about to meet together those girls, have a chat with them, ask them about their lives, their passions and of course..their style!!!
So please allow me to introduce you to my friend Anastasia. I am sooooo glad to have her in my life again! You see Anastasia and I where very good friends back in high school - not so long (cough cough !) ago...:):). She was one of my dearest girlfriends with whom I enjoyed spending time and talking about - what else?? - style and boys! Ahh girls in their teens..... But then she left... her family moved to US due to her father's job obligations and we lost touch.
Until.... I started blogging! And we found each other - in fact she found my blog and commented in one of my posts and boom! We were friends again...and I found her lovely blog as well. Anastasia, between jobs and taking care of her beautiful family
( mother of two ) is a renowned painter as well! She has taken part in several exhibitions in Greece and abroad. The moment I layed my eyes on her work I knew I wanted to dedicate a post to it. And last week we finally got together to have some coffee and talk about it.
She invited me to her colourful place - so I grabbed my camera and some chocolate cake and there I was! Talking to my dear friend in person....care to take a glimpse into her world?
Follow me...
When did you realise you were a painter?
Well I guess I always liked to draw since I was a little girl. Being influenced by my family's close friend Lily Imellou who painted, I was fascinated by drawing and thought may be I could be a painter or even a fashion designer! I ended up studying completely different things at college...But when I went back to US with my husband I finally took art classes.
Where do you draw your inspiration from?
Ohh there are so many things that can lead me to the canvas. A colour , a feeling , a textile , a movie atmosphere...in fact my painting the goldfish's kiss must have been the representation of the feelings I had after watching the film Only lovers left alive with the extraordinary Tilda Swinton. Or the paintings I created in Hamburg in which the atmosphere is somehow grey and foggy. Most of the times I start with an idea and as I paint I let myself free to get apart from it and keep on painting until it feels right. Once I draw - one on top of the other - seven different paintings on the same canvas!
What's the most valuable advise you have received concerning your art?
It's not actually an advice. There was a time in my life when everyday routine has absorbed so much of me that I had stopped painting completely. After a while I started having that feeling of emptyness - something was missing. That's when my husband surprised me with a huge order of art supplies - oil paints, brushes and empty canvas were there at my feet waiting for me to use them. And so I did and didn't stop ever since!
Where would rather exhibit your work?
My blog has proven to be an excellent tool to show my work and communicate some thoughts about the theme of each painting. But of course I prefer art gallery exhibitions - a more direct approach which can give you important feedback from people.
3I 've noticed that there are a lot of female figures - with some textile detailing - at your paintings...
As I mentioned before, I once wanted to be a fashion designer! I enjoy browsing fashion magazines and draw inspiration from photoshoots, collections, colours, fabrics, interiors....Sometimes all it takes to get the ideas flowing is an interesting colour combination. I really like soft green along with pink for example!
My kind of girl! So how important is style for you?
Very much! I really like mixing different prints and textiles in order to decorate my home and myself as well. Everything changes around here according to my current mood. This makes me feel rejuvenated and inspired.
Which main garments in your closet define your style? What's your absolute favorite?
There is a classic black coat that never goes out of style. My cowboy boots. Loose feminine dresses. But the absolute favorite is my khaki backpack - an authentic military garment that I could carry around all the time!
We kept on talking about several matters - clothes, cooking, living abroad etc. We discovered we both have a preference for all things French! I left Anastasia's home with a huge smile and a promise to meet again soon. Can't wait for some more coffee and chit - chatting...
Kisses!
y ❤️
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