On Nature's Beauty & Balance
Rhia Janta-Cooper
April 8, 2021
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Dear Rhia,
Nature is the main focus in your paintings. How so? It is just visual observation. I see the beauty and want to capture and share it with everyone who values the natural world in all its forms. I was always stunned by the environment surrounding me. A sunrise, grass with dew on it, a cat, a snowy landscape, or especially a Scottish countryside, and beauty of this sort make me speechless and force me to capture it in some ways. |
Rhia & her dog, Harvey |
Sometimes not having any sketch block or camera, a picture stays burned in my mind until I put it to paper. For example, today, I've seen yellow with some red spots tulips standing in the sun on a dark background. The petals were practically glowing lit by the sun rays. I have to draw it; I just have to, and there is no other reason behind it.
You have a series on Sunrises and Sunsets. What's the level of difficulty in capturing each bouquet of colors and light with every sunrise and sunset you chase?
I don't see any level of difficulty to capture a sunrise or a sunset. You have to decide your palette accordingly, determine which colours play a role in this particular setting, consider the light and intensity of it carefully and position the shadows with the right hues and in the right places. That's all. Observing the sunset and translating it to canvas or paper in the way you see it and want to create is not more complex than creating any other artwork.
Did your work schedule and routine change in any way because of the pandemic?
Actually, not at all, and here it is why: I am on the autistic spectrum, just on its edge. I am autistic, but it is practically invisible. However, being autistic makes me less chatty and less socially active. I don't have the desire to be a party animal or social butterfly. I am happy being part of a tiny "minority group" that includes my husband and our pet Harvey. Thankfully walking my pet and friend Harvey is allowed in the pandemic, and our daily walks make me happy and the lockdown is quite bearable because of it.
You have a series on Sunrises and Sunsets. What's the level of difficulty in capturing each bouquet of colors and light with every sunrise and sunset you chase?
I don't see any level of difficulty to capture a sunrise or a sunset. You have to decide your palette accordingly, determine which colours play a role in this particular setting, consider the light and intensity of it carefully and position the shadows with the right hues and in the right places. That's all. Observing the sunset and translating it to canvas or paper in the way you see it and want to create is not more complex than creating any other artwork.
Did your work schedule and routine change in any way because of the pandemic?
Actually, not at all, and here it is why: I am on the autistic spectrum, just on its edge. I am autistic, but it is practically invisible. However, being autistic makes me less chatty and less socially active. I don't have the desire to be a party animal or social butterfly. I am happy being part of a tiny "minority group" that includes my husband and our pet Harvey. Thankfully walking my pet and friend Harvey is allowed in the pandemic, and our daily walks make me happy and the lockdown is quite bearable because of it.
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Have you made any artistic discoveries during these recent months?
Yes, I discovered coloured pencils again. It makes me happy to use them. It took me quite a while to find the suitable surface for this particular medium. Not every piece of paper is adequate. I found out that papers specifically made for pastels are the best for pencils, too. However, not all are the same either. Some pastel papers are too abrasive so that they take all your pencil and you have to use the sharpener all the time. It makes you buy new pencils frequently which is a costly solution.Paper that is too abrasive is not as good, Finding the most suitable surface is still a work in progress.
Do you listen to music while you paint? If yes, what type of music do you enjoy most while you work and create?
Yes, but only when I do abstract art because I tend to use the brush according to the tact of the music. However, I can't paint in the realistic style and listen to the music. It does not go well. To paint in this style takes your all concentration; the music can only be a distraction.
Otherwise, I love all sorts of music, from jazz to classic, from Lorena McKennit to Lady GaGa, from Judas Priest, Deep Purple to Blackmore's Night :-) I love them all! Some are oldies. Some are not.
Have you heard any good news lately that has filled you with hope?
Yes. The vaccines bring great hope to us all, am I right?
How do your paintings affect the mood of the viewer and your own?
I am a sort of happy person, and my art reflects it. For me, optimism is essential in my work and life in general. A positive attitude to life is what I want to capture, emit and display in my artworks. Anyway, I firmly believe that art based on nature has the power to promote our well-being.
Yes, I discovered coloured pencils again. It makes me happy to use them. It took me quite a while to find the suitable surface for this particular medium. Not every piece of paper is adequate. I found out that papers specifically made for pastels are the best for pencils, too. However, not all are the same either. Some pastel papers are too abrasive so that they take all your pencil and you have to use the sharpener all the time. It makes you buy new pencils frequently which is a costly solution.Paper that is too abrasive is not as good, Finding the most suitable surface is still a work in progress.
Do you listen to music while you paint? If yes, what type of music do you enjoy most while you work and create?
Yes, but only when I do abstract art because I tend to use the brush according to the tact of the music. However, I can't paint in the realistic style and listen to the music. It does not go well. To paint in this style takes your all concentration; the music can only be a distraction.
Otherwise, I love all sorts of music, from jazz to classic, from Lorena McKennit to Lady GaGa, from Judas Priest, Deep Purple to Blackmore's Night :-) I love them all! Some are oldies. Some are not.
Have you heard any good news lately that has filled you with hope?
Yes. The vaccines bring great hope to us all, am I right?
How do your paintings affect the mood of the viewer and your own?
I am a sort of happy person, and my art reflects it. For me, optimism is essential in my work and life in general. A positive attitude to life is what I want to capture, emit and display in my artworks. Anyway, I firmly believe that art based on nature has the power to promote our well-being.
Where are the places you are looking forward to explore and paint as soon as things return to normal?
I wish to go North again. It will be Scotland, especially the beautiful Isle of Skye in the Highlands. I can't wait to go there.
We have an ongoing campaign titled #BeatTheBlues on ways of prioritizing mental health. What do you do on a daily basis to #BeatTheBlues?
I draw and paint daily. It helps. I'm happy to be able to give my view of the environment to my art viewers. It is a privilege for me and a great place to be. I love very much what I'm painting, and I constantly search for new inspirations and ideas. So, visit my pages RhiaJantaCooper.com and #BeatTheBlues!
Your favorite word today:
It is a sentence :-) "Nature is abundant in forms and beauty if only we venture to perceive it."
Thank you!
I wish to go North again. It will be Scotland, especially the beautiful Isle of Skye in the Highlands. I can't wait to go there.
We have an ongoing campaign titled #BeatTheBlues on ways of prioritizing mental health. What do you do on a daily basis to #BeatTheBlues?
I draw and paint daily. It helps. I'm happy to be able to give my view of the environment to my art viewers. It is a privilege for me and a great place to be. I love very much what I'm painting, and I constantly search for new inspirations and ideas. So, visit my pages RhiaJantaCooper.com and #BeatTheBlues!
Your favorite word today:
It is a sentence :-) "Nature is abundant in forms and beauty if only we venture to perceive it."
Thank you!