Elisa Gonzàles Arias of Estoy hecha un pincel

Art and expression: Estoy hecha un pincel

This month, for "Art and expressions", I want to talk to you about a lovely illustrator that I've knew by chance, navigating on internet. I found her blog (estoyhechaunpincel.blogspot.com) and I've immediately though that her works were so nice that I couldn't not to talk about her. It was a pleasure to interview her: as other great illustrator I've wrote about before, she was so nice and available...

Her name is Elisa Gonzales Arias, but in her blog, she uses the nickname Chloé because "I wanted to give a name to my project. When I began with illustrations I had a lot of ideas in mind and to have a name groups them altogether". 

She works as teacher in a primary school in Madrid and if you're wondering what teaching has to do with art she says: "It may seems something completely different from art, but I can tell you is not. Kids's form of inspiration is really inspiring and at the same time I try to make them be creative all the time, so art is always present in the classes. It's amazing how much they can learn from experiencing and creating things with just a brief previous explanation". I don't know why, but reading this in my mind she looks like Jess, the character played by Zoey Deschanel in the tv show New Girl...

As she said, what she likes the most is comunicate, that's why she studied enghlish philology, french, italian and german, "This let me know many people from different cultures and do what I like the ost: comunicate. But soon I understood that comunication was not only to use a language to talk to others, but I also needed to express myself and I began writing short stories. At the beginning I kept them for me but later I decided to send them to competition and it was very motivating. I learnt a lot from that because I kept reading all the time as a way to improve my own writing. After that I continued to exploring ways of expression and I started painting. At the beginning I only used watercolors, then, I tried more materials: oils, charcoal and markers. I've always drawn and painted women. I think women can express so many things: love, suffering, strenght, weakness, wisdom, emotion, etc. At the present, I've focused my drawings on fashion which I consider another way of expression and violà!".

When I asked her on ehat she's focusing right now, she said: "At the moment my goal is fashion sketching. It takes me a lot of time because I try to laern from others so I keep browsing for other illustrators all the time. There are really good professionals! I also like to keep update with fashion so I also look at fashion blogs and magazines. Besides, I have started writing a book which combines text with sketches. I'm really enjoyinig it. I want to make something fresh and funny so many amsing ideas come to my mind and sometimes I find myself laughing alone in my studio...".

To questions Where do you get your inspiration? And what is your relationship with art?, she said: "I get my inspiration from almost everything: magazines, television, people in the street, prints in sofas, colors in furniture, nature, and of course in great illustrators that I worship such as Jordi Labanda, Kiraz, Arturo Elena, etc. I am also a big follower of blogs BD (Bande Dessinée). There are excellent illustrators in France and Belgium that I admire. Although they're not precisely focused on fashion, they are so carefree that I check them everydayand get inspired to draw and write. If you don't know Diglee or Margaux Motin you should take a look at their works. They are excellent!" - and  - "My relationship with art have always existed. When I was a little child I used to draw portraits of people I saw in magazines. In those times I only used a pencil because I didn't even know what charchoal was, yet. I also liked writing fairy tales. My mother had an old typewriter and I loved using it. 

 

Nowadays it continues to be present in all aspects of my life. When I am not drawing, painting, reading or writing I try to learn how to play the piano or the guitar. Besides, it's almost impossible to disconnect from this world since all my friends have made from art their profession. Most of them are musicians (by the way, you should listen to Vikxie, Matiné, Bobo, Vincente Zambudio, etc...), producers, fashion designers, etc. Even my best friend in school is now an excellent player in a classical music orchestra. I didn't choose my friends because they were artists but I think no matter what form of expression you choose, this is a philosophy of life and finally you end up meeting people who feel the same way as you do.".

I liked what she said when I asked her what art means to her: "For me art is a kind of sensitivity that makes you see the essence of things. In my opinion, it's a double-edged weapon since you can find happiness in things or situations where others cannot buy also suffer much more because you're always skin-deep. Apart from that your mind is always working on something because inspiration is continuosly surrounding youand sometimes it's impossible to keep your head still".

In a time in which everyone seem to have come into harmony with the world of networks, I asked her what is her favourite means of comunication to express herself and her creations: "Definitely my favourite means of expression is illustration  combined with writing. I think they complement each other perfectly. In the present, I love fashion sketching because I can express through colors, prints and outfits my mood. I conseder clothes a very important part of our personality and depending on how we feel we wear one or other thing. Fashion sketching like getting dressed. I draw what I'd put in that precise moment. This may depend on a piece of new I've seen on tv, a firend phone call, if I am ill or great, if I'm tired or relaxed, etc.".

Her favourite motto is: "Passionate and hard working". To those, instead, who want to pursue the career of illustrator, she suggests: "Go for it and don't forget using social networks! Internet is an excellent weapon to know and learnfrom others and make yourself known. It also is excellent to get feedback".

Interview Elisa was a pleasure, she was so kind and available, and I want to thank her first for giving me the chance to write this post and then I wish her all the best. And don't forget , if you want to know more about her, visit her blog and her facebook page

As for me, instead, I hope you liked this post. I'll see you next month!