a self-taught mixed-media illustrator based in Cambridge, UK, who likes experimenting mainly with ink and watercolour. My main interests are urban sketching, abstract and expressive art. Through this website I’m documenting my journey into art to inspire other self-taught artists to explore, experiment and create.
My artistic style
My style evolves and changes with every creation I make. I like to explore and play around, and if I’m happy with a technique, I try to incorporate it into my work. I enjoy how the textures and colours come together while creating. By drawing and painting loosely, I let the viewers be driven by their imagination when looking at my artworks. After all, they will see what they want to see based on their individual experiences and current mood. Hopefully, something that makes them happy or starts a conversation.
What I do when I’m not creating art
Although I truly love art, I’m not a full-time artist. I work as a freelance user experience designer in various domains at the moment in the golf industry. I like to improve the lives of others through simple design and creating user-friendly and visually impactful software. When I’m not dedicating myself to any of these two, I love taking care of my indoor plants, practising Pilates, and being outdoors. Hiking and cycling are my favourite activities to discover nature, recharge my batteries, and get inspiration for new ideas.
My journey into art
My relationship with drawing
For as long as I can remember, drawing has been part of my life. I drew in kindergarten, in elementary school, in my spare time, during university years, sometimes even doodling during lengthy meetings. It comes naturally to start drawing when I have paper and a pen in my hand. There were a couple of years when I was mainly doing digital design, such as logos, graphics and illustrations. But I never considered myself good enough to dream about a career as an artist. I used to believe that such things require more talent and perseverance than I have. Then I went to university, graduated, started working, and life went on. There were periods when I felt an urge to draw, so I drew as much as I could until I felt bored with it and took a break from drawing. Then, a couple of years ago, I discovered urban sketching. It was fascinating to capture experiences and scenery by drawing relatively quickly. So I started learning by watching tutorials and completing online courses offered by awesome instructors.
The first drawing challenge
I purchased my first sketchbook, fountain pen with water-resistant ink, watercolour set, and brushes. And I set to myself a challenge: I will draw 100 buildings. That’s it – no deadline, no concrete theme, just buildings. Preferably every day. In the first months, I managed to sketch every morning. Then, of course, other priorities started to sneak into my routine. Even if I didn’t draw every day, I stick to my challenge: draw buildings whenever I can. I loved doing it: take photos from buildings I like, draw them and enjoy the outcome. When I felt confident enough, I started to show the drawings to my family members. After a while, they kept telling me that I should show these to the world, getting incredible support from my partner Daniel. But I was busy drawing, learning, and exploring, and I wasn’t interested in sharing the outcome with a wider audience. So I kept drawing while discovering the amazing medium of watercolour. Since school, I did not use it, so I needed to learn everything from the “mine looks blotchy” stage. I learned about various painting techniques with watercolour by doing several online courses. I still do; it never gets old. Besides drawing the buildings, I started to explore with abstract paintings, which gave me lots of aha moments and more confidence.
My mission and plans
Sometimes I couldn’t believe I created a painting, and I’m capable of such a thing. So I thought that it would be worthwhile to share the progress with those who keep repeating the familiar “I can’t draw”. I want to inspire with my story and showcase the evolution of my craft, to show people that they can achieve their dream with perseverance, a lot of patience and practice. That’s why I created this website and started sharing my journey into art. I’m still learning, and I think I’ll always do. I will continue to explore, experiment and create. Hopefully, there won’t be a long break from art this time.
If you like my creations, please consider supporting me on Ko-Fi. With your generous donation I can invest more of my time creating art, share my learnings and insights, improve my skills, and buy art supplies.
