Exploring art galleries and studios is a thing of the past, the most visually stimulating and thought-provoking creativity is now on Instagram. Breaking barriers and exploring is what we have to do as a part of the community and discovering new talent is just what we love to do here at A House at the Beach!
Here we are with Vanessa Pess, all the way from Italy, giving us an insight on her creative journey and inspirations.
A little bit about Vanessa, by Vanessa herself-
"Hi! I’m Vanessa, I live in the city of Romeo and Juliet in Italy (if you don’t know what city it is, go check!) and although my Instagram page is (almost) totally dedicated to my illustrations, for many years art has been “just” a passion. After high school I only knew I wanted to know more about different cultures, to speak many languages and to travel as more as I could. Oh, and I loved books. So I graduated in foreign languages and literatures, then I took a master’s degree in book publishing. It was during my master’s classes that I started to become more passionate about illustration, I had an iPad so I tried digital illustration and I fell in love! Meanwhile I was working as a teacher (and still do), it is only recently that I’ve started to sell some of my illustrations. ”
What does creativity feel like?
" Art was never really in my working plans. Even now, I find it hard to consider it a job. It was and still is, before anything else, a hobby.
It all started when I was very little. One of my first memories is my aunt telling me that the drawing I showed her couldn’t be mine because it was too beautiful for a three-year-old child. She thought I was a liar! When I was little I used to spend a lot of time drawing and inventing stories in my head. I was a very quiet, introvert little girl, a blank paper felt like a refuge from the chaotic real world. During my adolescence I wanted to emulate reality as much as I could. I remember spending a lot of time during my high school classes drawing the statues that I found on the history book (all my teachers knew it!). Now I’m no longer interested in realistic drawing, I’d rather play with reality. A few years ago I started drawing on my iPad and I discovered a new world of possibilities!"
A question that I ask everyone, What inspires you?
"Women! in all their glory. I find women very interesting, the way they move, speak and express themselves. The way they dress! They are my favourite subjects. And then, of course, nature. I was lucky enough to visit a lot of exotic places at a very young age, those landscapes are engraved in my memory and are always a source of inspiration."
These women that inspire you, what kind of a message are you trying to communicate through these creations?
"For most of the time, it’s just something that makes me happy. What I would like to communicate, though, is the importance to feel free and to pay attention to the little moments of everyday life."
What is your creative process, and like many designers, how does one come over a creative block?
"I think instantaneous ideas are always the best ones. I don’t like to force the creative process, I like it to flow. It’s important to be curious in general, I think curiosity is the first form of creativity. Also, a creative block is part of the process, you have to accept it. No ones perfect and I try to take inspiration from other designers and build up on that research."
Vanessa, what makes you different from the millions of artists on Instagram?
I think every artist has its own personality, you can see it from the colours they use and the subjects they focus on. I think in my illustrations colours is the real protagonist.
Lastly, what do you think is the future for visual artists?
"I think visual art is generating more and more interest, especially now that we’re living on social media. And this can be a great opportunity for homegrown artists because they can have the visibility that was more difficult to achieve in the past. It’s positive also because artists can get more and more inspiration from other talented artists. I like to look at art as a collective experience, we are all inspired by each other and I love it!"