Creation club presents to you ! She's the winner of the Sea Secrets contest. This is the work she won with: [link] One of the prizes was this special interview for the club. I think you will find a lot of interesting facts and useful tips for being a successful artist. She's a very talented sculptor and recently received a DD. At least you can take a look at her gallery - it speaks for itself!

1. Tell us about your art. How do your ideas come to you? What do you put in it? What provokes your creativity?

My art has always been an integral part of who I am. I don’t know where my creativeness comes from – it is just in me. I suppose there are quite a few other artistic people in my family. My world has always been full of shapes and colours. I have always loved nature too and right from when I can remember as a tiny tot I’ve always been a nature watcher. As a child I was always painting and drawing but what I liked best was modelling things – mostly animals. My creativity doesn’t need provoking really, it’s overflowing & there isn’t time to try all the ideas in my head. The ideas can come from anything, a snatch of conversation, a photo, something I see around me, a joke – the sources are endless. Obviously my sense of humour goes in there, and my love of odd looking or colourful animals. I suppose my work is just full of me.

2. Have you studied art or you are self-taught?

My father discouraged me from studying art because “Art won’t get you a good job” so I was pushed into sciences. The art won in the end but I’m self-taught. That has some advantages. I don’t have someone else’s ideas imprinted on my work. The disadvantage is that it takes longer to explore techniques than if you go to art college and can try everything out.

3. Describe briefly the technique that you're using most often.

My main art is my work as a ceramic animal artist. My animals are hand modelled in clay, and then I use various techniques for decorating them. Sometimes I incorporate metal wire in my work too.

4. Tell us more about the work you won with. What inspired you? What happened in your mind and heart when you were creating it?

Actually it was made for another competition. It was for a potters’ fair where we had a themed competition. Since the fair was on the coast they’d chosen “The Sea” as the theme. I didn’t win that one though I was very pleased with my entry. The octopus as an animal appeals to my sense of humour but is difficult to model on its own because the tentacles are so fragile. The solution was to put it on a two part wheel thrown “box” pot. It was a challenging piece to make successfully so I was delighted that the colours of the octopus came out so well.

5. Do you participate often in contests and did you think you would win?

There are quite often themed competitions at potters’ fairs here in France and I am quite successful, having won several over the years. It is good to have my imagination stretched to doing things that I wouldn’t necessarily do otherwise. I also enter because it is interesting to see how different people interpret the same theme. The first time I ever won in an art competition was when I was about twelve years old and my art teacher encouraged me to enter a competition run by a local newspaper. I was ever so proud when my collage won a prize. I only recently joined DA so this is the first competition I’ve entered here – and I won, WOW! When I entered I had no idea whether or not I would win. I didn’t get a chance to look at the later entries towards the end of the competition because I won while I was away from home for a while. The nice surprise was waiting for me when I got home. Thanks for choosing my work as the winner.

6. What is Deviant Art to you?
*An overwhelmingly big community of artists, aspiring artists, and art lovers.
*A feast for the eyes.
*Help and advice for those who need it.
*Fun
*Mutual support.
*A place where artists aren’t treated as a weird bunch
*There are all sorts of different levels of knowledge and skill on DA but comments are valuable from anyone. They range from the “That’s cool”, which is important for knowing which pieces are most liked, to more serious critique on what aspects of a piece people appreciate or dislike and why.

I’ve been meaning to join for a while and have often looked at artwork on DA, but I only got round to joining this summer. I’m glad I did.

7. What is your preferred style of art?

Nature I think. It surpasses all our meagre efforts, and it isn’t even trying. Often we are just trying to capture what nature has set out before us.

8. Would you share with us a little secret which helps you in creating your work?

Ooh! – that’s a difficult one. Maybe that I’ve found that my best work comes spontaneously from my heart rather than when I’ve followed other people’s advice.

Another thing is that touching and feeling my sculptures is as important as looking at them as I create them.

9. Is there an artist who inspires you?

Lots of them!, and most of them aren’t famous because getting well known as an artist is such a lottery. They inspire me to try new things and go further in my techniques.

10. What does creativity mean to you?

My life would be miserable without it. If I’d had a “normal” job I would be better paid but much poorer in other ways. I’m creative in so many other areas of my life too.

11. If you had to create an original character what would it be?

Some sort of animal, quite possibly imaginary, to animate in plasticine for a film – I’ve always fancied doing that but never had the time or the opportunity to try. One thing is certain – it would be brightly coloured and funny looking.

12. Can you give the other artists some advice?

If you’re an artist you’re an artist. Yes you need to work on technique but if you’re interested enough your art will find a way of getting out. Don’t try to suppress it, or try to succeed in areas that just aren’t really you. I think it is better to be good at one or two particular areas of art rather than doing so many different things that you don’t learn any of them properly. Certainly if you want to be a professional artist you need a coherent style to present to the public.

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