An Artist from Belgium Gerda Mentens is sharing her vision of herself in Art, lets go for it...
Actually my journey in art started already at the age of 8 when I had a teacher who painted. Her exhibition I visited with children's eyes played already a roll in my life back then. With my father, being a police officer and my mother as a mother at home , I never thought I was going to be an artist. In those days you first have to have a “real diploma”, so you could find a “real” job. In 1980 I graduated to be a professor in arts at the Sint-Maria Institute in Antwerp – Belgium.
Subjects such as perception, colors ,figure and portrait, composition, science, art history ... we learned to deal with various techniques, surfaces, too many to talk about. So much information, so much to do and learn!!! In the two following 2 years, we learned to be teachers in art. Of course, professional competence was the most important.
The search began, I continued teaching until I had good luck of ending up back on my training school as a teacher. For years I was a teacher in the department of art education. It was very exciting, through the different parts of my professional knowledge to learn how young people cope and discuss art.
The motto "If the student is ready, the teacher comes", I have always remain. So I went searching, and found masters on my path, if it was at the other side of the world, I followed my intuition and the people who crossed my path.
Example: 20 years ago, a girlfriend asked me to me to participate in a workshop. It was an innovative artist who wanted to share his vision with us. This artist lived in the Netherlands but came from Serbia. I was young, mother of 2 young children, little money. They urged me to still save money and got involved.
So I did ... A new world opened for me as an artist. I learned to see with other eyes to the world. New insights came by.
15 years ago I got an insanely proposal to go too an Academy in China to follow lessons of masters in art, in a short period of time we got there lessons. Again the same story, but I went. Again I got new insights into art, a vision of people who gave a new turn my life as an artist. …. I learned that the training to be in China was totally different.
I met people with a new or different vision, they looked with different eyes, different "training", they were open for renewal and discussion ... quite fascinating. Because artists evolve, change, get new insights, discover new roads. Art goes by, created today, tomorrow admired and discussed.
Actually my journey in art started already at the age of 8 when I had a teacher who painted. Her exhibition I visited with children's eyes played already a roll in my life back then. With my father, being a police officer and my mother as a mother at home , I never thought I was going to be an artist. In those days you first have to have a “real diploma”, so you could find a “real” job. In 1980 I graduated to be a professor in arts at the Sint-Maria Institute in Antwerp – Belgium.
Gerda Mentens
In my training I got different teachers, artists, real craftsmen for us as students, this training was important and only the beginning of a long and fantastic journey .Subjects such as perception, colors ,figure and portrait, composition, science, art history ... we learned to deal with various techniques, surfaces, too many to talk about. So much information, so much to do and learn!!! In the two following 2 years, we learned to be teachers in art. Of course, professional competence was the most important.
Gerda Mentens
MY PATHThe search began, I continued teaching until I had good luck of ending up back on my training school as a teacher. For years I was a teacher in the department of art education. It was very exciting, through the different parts of my professional knowledge to learn how young people cope and discuss art.
The motto "If the student is ready, the teacher comes", I have always remain. So I went searching, and found masters on my path, if it was at the other side of the world, I followed my intuition and the people who crossed my path.
Gerda Mentens
I gained other insights: Followed painting courses, both in my country: Belgium and abroad.Example: 20 years ago, a girlfriend asked me to me to participate in a workshop. It was an innovative artist who wanted to share his vision with us. This artist lived in the Netherlands but came from Serbia. I was young, mother of 2 young children, little money. They urged me to still save money and got involved.
So I did ... A new world opened for me as an artist. I learned to see with other eyes to the world. New insights came by.
Gerda Mentens
I met people with a new or different vision, they looked with different eyes, different "training", they were open for renewal and discussion ... quite fascinating. Because artists evolve, change, get new insights, discover new roads. Art goes by, created today, tomorrow admired and discussed.
Gerda Mentens
DRAWING
Sketch books are the Bible for each artist, it is a source
of information. Every holiday I use my sketchbook, I study
what I like, sitting and take time for form and color. At home this information is useful to get started.
Gerda Mentens
There are 2 types of drawing, analytical and intuitive. The analytical drawing = Academic drawing
You need to take the time to learn it, to repeat, to look, measure and assess relationships, again and again, ...
The intuitive drawing = eye-hand coordination
YOU SHOULD ONLY BELIEVE WHAT YOU SEE AND NOT WHAT YOU THINK YOU SEE!I maintain that training is of great
importance, and I mean really all day.
Gerda Mentens
As an artist, get your own handwriting, with your lines you can show how you handle your material. No one has the same handwriting. That's a certainty!!!
nice article, Gerda! Now i know a littel bit more of you and your artistic life! Brigitte De Vuyst
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading this post and seeing your wonderful paintings.
ReplyDeleteGerda ! Great watercolorist and great person!!
ReplyDelete