Art requires a certain level of understanding of your own emotions and those of others. Having the ability to express certain feelings is a valuable skill that only few possess. Although we may not initially realize it, we are experiencing art almost every moment of our lives, from the music in the elevator to the television we watch, art is constantly influencing and altering the way in which we live our day to day lives. As you may recall from two weeks ago, I interviewed an artist from the Chestermere Art Guild to gather a take on her thoughts on being an artist. This week, I have interviewed yet another artist from the Chestermere Art Guild to get a different perspective from the practicing artist about their experiences and challenges acquired from their talent.
Balwinder Deol is an aspiring artist at the Chestermere Art Guild. Her upbringing is similar to most flourishing artists of this age, as she followed in her parents footsteps and was inspired by their passion for art. “My father was drawing very well […] I am inspired by my father.” After being inspired by her dad and his passion for art, Deol began making her own paintings and designs. She later went to Punjabi University and completed a masters degree in fine arts. When she moved to Chestermere, she continued painting and joined the Chestermere Art Guild, where she continues to create beautiful works of art.
When I asked Doel about what kept her motivated through all of these years, she described that “painting is in my blood.” This being said, it is clear that Doel has an relentless passion for art, despite the challenges and adversity that she has faced throughout her years as an artist. When her life got busy and other responsibilities crept in the way of her time to be an artist, she describes that she always “restarts it again, again after a long time.”
Doel’s style of painting is quite unique compared to the average artist’s variety of techniques. She emphasizes the use of vibrant colours to make her work come alive, which energizes the viewer with a sense of excitement and wonder. “I love to use all of the colours, I do not stick with limited colours.” As most artists will tend to work with select colours to express their painting, Doel uses the whole rainbow to convey her lively thoughts, emotions, and experiences.
Doel also does some of her work on a miniature scale, which is done by making the images very small. It is a distinctive aspect of her work that other artists usually do not consider. She explains how doing art on a miniature scale “takes a lot of patience, lots of time.” You can imagine the hours upon hours it would take to include all of the small details and features of a painting and not only make them visually appealing to the viewer, but paint them in a miniature size. Doel also specializes in portraits and real-life images of people and portrays them in an electrifying, vibrant way. Although she has created many paintings using these techniques, she explains how she does not want to limit herself to one particular style, as she “want[s] to try everything […] sometimes I will mix everything all together.”
Although most of her current paintings are portraits, she describes her fascination in the beauty of eyes, and how they effortlessly capture the viewer’s attention. “I love to do eyes […] eyes attract me, I think [they attract] everybody.” This is understandable, as eyes are often referred to as ‘windows to the soul’, and can express the deepest of emotions and represent the inner feelings of any individual. Furthermore, Doel hopes that her work is able to inspire others to paint. During exhibits of her art with the Chestermere Art Guild, she has had the opportunity to meet with other aspiring artists and demonstrate to them her specific painting techniques, such as miniature painting. She explains that “Some people ask me to [demonstrate] miniature painting for them.”
Painting is a human skill that is truly extraordinary. The fact that we can interpret and recreate something material that we can see, or express the stirring emotions inside the artist is incredible. Doel’s paintings clearly prove this, as her dynamic staples and range of color is sure to draw any observers’ attention.
