Please tell us about your journey as an artist.
I’m Angie Kapnoula. I’m Greek and I live in Vathylakos,a village near Thessaloniki. I am 41 years old and am a teacher in a language school and a self taught artist. Art has been part of my life . Painting is my passion and my soul therapy!
I am amazed by the fact that there is always something new to learn and explore. When I was a teenager I used to draw and paint cartoon characters from the comics. I used to read (mickey mouse etc.) as a way to unwind from studying. As I became older, during our summer holidays I found myself standing and watching painters on the street creating landscapes, seascapes, portraits of tourists on canvases, I never left before they finished, so I could ask all of my questions about the techniques and the materials they used!That was the starting point of my oil painting journey. Soon after came the TV series of painting with Bob Ross, my favorite thing to watch. I learnt a lot and I was fortunate enough to have his DVD workshop ,my easel and a new set of oil paintings tubes as a birthday gift from my boyfriend back then who is my husband now.That made me fall in love with oils and with a lot of practice I managed to create my own artworks!
When our daughter was in kindergarten I started working as a teacher and I also had just took on crafts. Around that time, with encouragement from my husband and my best friend Niki I started my Facebook page "Angie in craftland". I decorated Easter candles , created handpainted wooden ornaments and signs for home decor, etc. I appreciate every handmade thing because I know that it takes a lot of love and “meraki”,as my father says (he was a carpenter) to create it.
My true love is painting, it is my goal and my dream to become an art therapist because I truly believe that it is a powerful tool of expression, but most importantly a great remedy!
What is your medium and why did you choose it?
I can’t say what my favorite medium is because I am a style hopper and I enjoy trying out different things and techniques. As a kid, I started with markers and color pencils and then fell in love with oil paints.
During the pandemic I needed a distraction, so I focused on learning and developing new skills. I found a beautiful art community on Instagram and I binged watching YouTube videos of watercolor painting. I found watercolor painting soothing but at the same time really adventurous. Watercolor has a mind of its own, it has a lot of “happy accidents “as Bob Ross said. I found it really liberating. After that, I got familiarised with gouache, which reminds me of oil painting but without the drying time. Currently I “study” painting with acrylics. I always have a sketchbook close to me so I can easily draw or paint something when I just want to spend some “me”time or try out an idea.That is a habit that I don’t want to quit! Markers and colored pencils are great for that!
What was the inspiration behind this work?
I’m the daughter of a wonderful mother, who raised me with plentiful love and affection. One of my mom’s favourite things was collecting glass snowballs and decorating them all around the house on Christmas holidays. She rejoiced like a little child. During the last few years, my mom has been suffering from dementia. So this Christmas I put out the snowballs and decorated them myself for her. This watercolor painting I made is totally dedicated to my loving mother to honour her. Maybe it represents this little globe in her head that carries fragments and glimpses of all the beautiful memories she lived. And hopefully with a little shake they can float on the surface for a few moments and remind her of that joy she felt once. We all can shake his globe in our heads every once in a while just to remind ourselves how grateful we must be for all that we experienced, we gave and earned from life.
Who is your favorite artist? Why?
There are so many brilliant artists that I admire and get inspired by!To name a few: Claude Monnet , Klimt, Van Gogh, Frida Kahlo, Kusama Yayoi, Georgia O’Keeffe and the list is never ending! Moreover there are so many great artists on social media who offer tutorials, lessons and tips for everyone who wants to give it a try and I am really grateful for them,too! As a proud mom I couldn’t leave out of the list my forever favorite artist, our daughter, Evi. She’s 13 years old now and she had started painting when she was 1.5 years old, and she never stopped! She never stops to amaze us with her creativity, devotion and passion for painting. She paints and draws every single day. She creates characters and I really like watching everyday life through her drawings!
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