Still Life 1

Beatrix Fekete

“Someone told me not to dare to start a painting until I had already done forty sketches. I make micro drawings daily to capture the spontaneous events of my day. It is a kind of sacred ceremony, but also a fun tribute to my life just before bedtime.

I choose oil for its delicacy, its endless variability to interpret the meaning of my ideas. I love this medium for that reason. By using oil you also become part of its history, one of a long list of artists who have developed both themselves and the medium at the same time.

The right composition is the hardest and most important bit for me, seeing beyond the distractions of details is an absurd challenge. Although, when I have found the core, the it-ness of my subject, I’m safe from there. Thereafter, I confidently paint in my classical manner, with a few colours building up my layers. Only gentle touches on the linen. I have finished a piece when there is no question left to answer. The feeling of victory that follows that moment compares to nothing.” – Beatrix Fekete