I started painting as a child. I loved and enjoyed the process, but, to be candid, I did not know exactly what I was doing as far as concepts, ideas, and thoughts. My focus was just on making pretty images. Growing up in Italy until the age of 19, I have always been surrounded by the incredible Renaissance and Classical art. Churches, museums, and Italian cities carry a certain charm, beauty, and elegance. My only desire was to make images beautiful and near perfect.
Expanding my horizons in the USA
Moving to the United States of America has drastically opened my mind. I still love Classicism; however, I now know that there is so much more in the art world! I found the 20th century so interesting and captivating by discovering contemporary artists that I immediately fell in love with.
Jenna Gribbon
Jenna Gribbon is one of my main inspirations. She paints large scale portraits of her girlfriend and her son. She worked on an amazing series during lockdown in which she shows her private life, and her paintings carry a lot of intimacy. She makes each painting come alive with her lush and confident brushstrokes. From her, I learned the skill of making a painting very intimate, while still keeping a distance from the viewer.
Sarah McEneaney
I also believe that I have been indirectly influenced by Sarah McEneaney, as I discovered her only after starting my Home Series. Sarah McEneaney’s work is very personal. She creates extremely detailed paintings of her daily life, home, studio, and dogs. She combines intense detailed areas with resting flat areas. I admire her pattern work so much that I started to introduce it in my own pieces.
Daniel Heidkamp
Additionally, Daniel Heidkamp caught my attention as he is incredible at painting the interior spaces of houses. He contrasts the interior space with the exterior space so elegantly by using a bright and saturated palette. I admire the layering, depth, and simplicity in his work. In Copycat, his use of lighting makes average spaces such as kitchens and living rooms appear so much more appealing and intriguing.
Ridley Howard
Ridley Howard is great at depicting intimacy without pushing the boundaries too far. The images seem still, but they imply movement. He positions his detailed figures against simple and geometric backgrounds. I applied this technique in my work to allow the viewer to rest in specific areas, such as backgrounds.
David Hockney
I have also been inspired by David Hockney, as he captures moments that exist in a specific time and place. There is often a human interaction that he intensifies and exaggerates to better convey a message. Hockney, through his work, shows the importance of fiction in art and contrasts the idea of reality. I have integrated this concept into my work, allowing myself to narrate my own story within the Home Series.
Inspired by the above-mentioned artists, in 2020, I have finally found my way of making art. My only desire was to make images beautiful and near perfect, but now I have understood what I love painting and what I dislike. Being a very shy person, it is not always easy to talk about myself and my private life. Painting my life, however, is simple and enjoyable. With my Home Series, I have challenged the idea of accepting a boring life due to quarantine. I refused to believe that life would end due to a new and uncomfortable reality.
Instead, I decided to remember the hardships, with a positive light in them. I based some paintings on real events, while I painted others through my imagination. I modified the events based on my own creativity and discoveries. I added some colors, details, and aspects that are fictional, but the viewer does not know which ones are real and which ones are not.
Follow my journey as an artist!
IG: @margheritatibaldoart
