Thursday, October 13, 2016

DPW Spotlight Interview: Anja Berliner

Each week we will spotlight a different DPW artist who will give away one of their best paintings.

To enter to win Anja's painting, "086 Mantelwetter" go to Daily Paintworks and click on the link at the top of the page announcing their interview.

From Anja's DPW Gallery:

She was born in the sixties in Saarbruecken/Germany near the french border and graduated at the University of Arts Berlin.

With the daily paintings Anja Berliner just started in July 2016. She loves the unspectacular moments of the daily life in Berlin. And raspberry cake. (click to view gallery)

Tell us a bit about how you first started painting.

I can't remember when I began. As child I assume. Seriously, I started painting three months ago.

Did you have any stops and starts in your painting career?

Yes and no. I painted about one picture in four years. Then this year in July, I began with daily painting. But drawing I practiced very much and continuously over the years.

086 Mantelwetter
(click to view)

Enter to win by clicking on the link at the top of the DPW home page announcing Anja's interview.

What mediums and genres have you experimented with?

I have drawn with graphite, colored pencils, fineliner, charcoal and have painted with watercolors, gouache, acrylics, oil painting, oil pastel. I printed with screen, linoleum, etching, stencils and experimented with machine embroidery.

Which ones have "stuck" and which ones have fallen away?

Acrylics have stuck, as well as watercolors and oil painting. Charcoal and red chalk have definitely fallen away. I hate the noise they make on the paper and the dust and smear all over.

068 Mops
(click to view)

Which ones are you looking forward to exploring?

I look forward to exploring oil painting.

Who or what inspires you most?

The interplay of sunlight and shadow, colors, every day things like the subway and the coffee, working people and pastries. And of course wonderful artists such as Wayne Thiebauld, Andy Warhol, Xenia Hausner, Carol Marine, David Shevlino and so many more.

082 Die schwarze Tasche
(click to view)

What does procrastination look like for you?

Many works in progress and not finished.

What techniques work to ensure that you make time for your art?

Wanting to show my daily paintings on my blog forces me to paint.

064 Die blaue Tür
(click to view)

How do you generally arrive at ideas for your paintings?

I paint what I love or what touches my mind.

How do you keep art "fresh?" What techniques have helped you avoid burnout and keep your work vibrant and engaging?

When painting, I think about how much I love the smell and the colors and the light and the noise. I try to be IN the situation like an actor who IS the person he plays in that moment. About the avoidance of burnout, I can't say anything yet. I just began the daily painting three months ago.

063 Himbeerkuchen No.5
(click to view)

What do you feel you are learning about right now as an artist?

Not to struggle with the whether and why at each new painting. Since I decided to do my daily paintings, I don't question it. I just do it. At least for one year. That saves a lot of energy.

What makes you happiest about your art?

The shining of the colors. The smell of the brush cleaner. And the miracle when I paint abstract strokes with the blind confidence of a sailor on the high seas and suddenly it turns indeed into a raspberry cake.

Thanks, Anja!

© 2016 Sophie Marine

No comments:

Post a Comment

Hello! Thank you for reading the interviews of some of the amazing artists from Daily Paintworks! If you'd like to leave a comment on this blog, it will be greatly appreciated. If you don't see your comment show up, we recommend you try a different browser. Unfortunately blogger seems to have an issue processing comments sometimes from certain browsers, especially if you aren't using a google account. This is a problem on bloggers' end and not within our control. The comments on all posts older than 30 days are moderated to prevent spam.