Written by My name is Marsia Bramucci and I have so many ideas for this post. My only problem will be to put them all in an understandable order. So let’s start with the basics. I am Italian, both parents Italian, born in Rome in 1980 (I am not even 40 yet), where I lived for 15 years. Then I moved with my mother and brother in Greece, finished high school in the Italian school of Athens and then became, by mistake, a graphic & web designer, instead of a professional artist.
Well you see, my painting journey was not so easy. A long, hard and constant fight with my family, with my insecurities, and with just life that made it impossible to let me take this road sooner. It even sent me to the wrong university. I am not complaining. I am a professional graphic designer and love my work very much; I am also able to make my own inserts for my planner. Because, I also love planners very very much!! And most important of all I am a very positive person. And I want to say it now before you keep reading because the following may make you see me differently.
Now, a few words about my art journey. I surely proved that I was an artistic soul from the time I was very little. But, I had my “art call” somewhere around the age of 14. I suddenly drew something that was so perfect. I still remember that. As I worked with shapes, the picture was becoming so alive. I felt, myself, so alive like I suddenly just jumped out of my child world and now I could understand feelings deeply.
It was amazing (if I had a smartphone then, I would have a photo of it right now, unfortunately we didn’t back then). But that “call” lasted less than 30 minutes. In fact, my beautiful drawing ended up in a thousand pieces on the floor just in front of my feet. This was followed by a great scolding, all mine, where the meaning was that I wasn’t good at drawing, I never would be, and that the actual drawing came out good just by accident.
Of course, I had to move on but I needed art in my life. I was already playing piano (I almost completed my piano studies) but, to say the truth, I was good but it wasn’t me. It made me anxious and I had the same feeling when playing guitar, violin, singing, making candles, metal jewelry, haircutting, crazy gardening stuff, photography, singing, manicure, sewing, macramé. The never ending list! (by the way except for the piano, everything else I researched and learned it by myself).
I was just searching for my own ART to express myself. I was good in all art forms above but I needed to find that feeling, relaxing and peaceful, and I couldn’t find it because I had totally deleted the drawing part.
Then when I was 18 years old, I met my husband and he loved my music, he loved my gardening skills, my cooking skills (hey I am good at it for real!), he also loved my haircutting style, poor man, and he loved even more a couple of sketches I made just for fun. He actually went crazy then! He bought me sketchbooks, pencils, markers, brushes, canvas (he is the cutest) and my answer was always that he was wasting money because I was not good with painting and drawing.
Then we had our beautiful daughter and some more years passed. And, at some point, I started painting with acrylics and I liked it so much (every time family or friends would came to see us we would also take a painting while leaving!). But then, I had one of those days where you just can’t paint and this brought me back and reminded me that I wasn’t good at it. The good pieces were just accidents, and I left everything back again. But drawing was always such an attraction to me. So, I started again after a couple of years with watercolors and loved them even more. But then, again, my insecurities came up and I stopped and then started again and then stopped and then started again. Just because I loved it so much.
After 5 (not continuous) years enjoying and loving watercolors so much, but with so much insecurity about my results, I decided to push myself and start posting my watercolors online. I wanted to become more consistent and not let go again. And, I received back so much love and appreciation, recognition and support! Now, I am the happiest person on this world.
After so many years, I can almost say that I can draw. Yes, I can draw and paint and I feel amazing. I got back my ART to express myself and no one is going to take it away from me ever again. So in the end, the only time I wasted was the time when I wasn’t painting.
It is crazy how minds can be marked when you are still young. I know now that the words said to me were so much nonsense, but believe me, I do still hear them in my head sometimes when I look at my paintings.
Hopefully you are still here and if you are not, then all complaints go to Charlie because he told me to speak a little bit about my Art Journey (of course I am just kidding, love you Charlie). But if you are ready, let’s move on, to my watercolors, what I use and what I love, etc.
I like to paint in journals and I usually also add a few words in my pages just to make it more personal. I really enjoy the idea of making my own life books to flip through time to time and remember things. Just like a hand painted photo album. I started with super cheap watercolor notebooks. I would actually buy paper sheets and make notebooks in the size I wanted. And my first watercolor palette was also the cheapest from the kids section of the stationery shop.
My husband hated to see me painting with them. After two days he came home with the Winsor & Newton watercolor palette with 24 Cotman half pans in it. I loved it soooo much. I used it so much and I always suggest it to anyone who’s just started with watercolor and doesn’t need yet a set of fine watercolors.
As I proceeded, between painting pauses, at some point I felt the need to try a fine watercolor set and I bought a few Sennelier tubes, a larger palette and a mop brush. And with all of these, I evolved my style so much. I could actually see so much difference in my paintings and that was so refreshing! Because, from the “I am just not good” mindset I moved to a “I may not be good, but it makes me feel so good” mindset.
And this is how I continued painting for the next couple of years. Just recently I felt the need to try some new materials. I discovered the Nevskaya Palitra White Nights Watercolors which are good quality and so intense and I love them so much. What I love the most is that their shades somehow reflect better the shades I have in my mind. Of course I also bought some more brushes… hmmmm.. I guess I should say a lot of brushes. But you know, in the end, you always use the old good ones that make you feel comfortable more than anything else. And, time to time, you also find a new gold one to add to the old favorite ones!!
I think that somehow my style is defined as “not too loose, not too detailed.” So when I have the idea in my mind of what I want to paint, I’ll usually keep the background loose but will do a detailed work on the main object of the painting. I will usually use 3 to 4 brushes per painting. One larger for the loose background, a middle one for main shapes, shadows and few details, and then a smaller one for accents and precise details. In need, I will use also a liner but that is not required most of the times. The brush size is not specific and it totally depends on the paper size I’ll use for each painting.
And I just can’t believe that I am at the end of this! I sincerely hope that you enjoyed my art and my art journey and, most importantly, that it wasn’t too confusing! I also hope that Charlie won’t freak out when he sees how long this is, when I send this to him! Happy ART everyone!
Marsia Bramucci
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Lovely paintings, Marisa! Thank you for sharing your art journey!
Thanks so so much to you dear Mary!!
Thank you Marsia for sharing your story and your beautiful artwork!
Thank you so much dear Karen! I am so glad that you liked it.
Marsia, I purchase your vertical inserts year after year. Love them! I had no idea you were also a talented artist.
That’s so sweet dear Ann!! Thank you you so so much for liking my paintings and enjoying my inserts 🙂
Marsia, your paintings are so lively and fresh! Thank you for sharing your artistic journey with us.
Thank you so very much dear Sandra !! it was such a nice feeling to write it all down and reflect on it while writing 🙂
Marisa, I love your natural and personal style…Thanks, also, to your husband, who supports your passion for art. Grazie per la condivisione!
Thank you so much dear Kathy!! if it wasn’t for him, I would be the half person of what I am now 🙂
Your works are splendid! Good that you’ve found a firm footing in something you’re passionate about. Good luck for the rest of the journey!
Zertab Quaderi thank you so so much for you lovely and kind words.
Marisa,
You are as good a writer as a painter – your personality shines through ever paragraph.
Awww thank you so much!! It wasn’t easy to write this and I was so afraid that it would be heavy or confusing (ask Charlie haha) and seeing people appreciating it, feels so nice 🙂 !!! Thank you so much again.
Your work is beautiful! Good for you to follow your inner feelings. A big pat on your husband’s back for encouraging you. I love your style – not formal and a bit of whimsy. I like the idea of documenting everyday life with your paintings. Thank you for sharing your story!
Thanks so so much to you LoriCtoo for your kind words!!
I loved you long story and was smiling when I finished. Keep up the great work and always be happy with your art. 👍🏻🎨😊
I am so happy that you enjoyed my story 🙂 ..and that’s is exactly what I want, to not let go again!! Thank you so so much.
Lovely art journal pages! Thanks for sharing your story and art with us.
Thanks so much to you dear Sharon 🙂 !!
Love your style &you described it beautifully – “not too loose, not too detailed” Thanks for sharing 🙂
Thanks so so much to you dear Claire 🙂
Thank you Marsia for sharing your art and your journey with us. Both are very beautiful!
Thank you so much dear Laura!!
I am glad you kept painting. Your work is truly beautiful. Please keep it up and keep enjoying it. You have a lot of talent and it would be sad to not use it.
Aww dear Lin, I cannot thank you enough for your kind and encouraging words!! I won’t give up this time, especially now that my husband just bought me an Epson scanner to start making my prints!! I am so excited about it 🙂 .. I feel like I am starting a new chapter full of inspiration and creativity!!