Written by Hello my name is Silvia Elena Pastor, and I’m from Argentina, but I live with my Brazilian family, my teenage daughter and husband, in São Paulo, Brazil. From my childhood, I remember that I spent a lot of time drawing, reading my books, traveling in the stories but especially in the illustrations. I had a collection of children’s magazines, and I had the brilliant idea of saving the recipes in a folder.
I was very happy with my recipe book, until I realized that I had cut only the illustration page of each recipe, that was beautiful, but not the preparation! I felt so embarrassed! I think that the right side of my brain completely dominated the situation every time I saw the images.
Despite this, I spent my childhood and adolescence telling my mother that I would study to be a pediatrician. At the age of 18, I went to live in Buenos Aires, and a year later, I was already studying art.
Many times I gave up, thinking about dedicating myself to something else. I think that today it is called procrastination! But I would always paint and draw. In general, expressing my inner universes. This has a therapeutic effect.
From the time I was a student, I was very attracted to drawing as a starting point, paper as a space of fiction without limits where I could build and deconstruct, letting my imagination flow. I am taking up today with my drawings where I play with the theme of music in a universe of unreal beings with their instruments. There is much to explore and learn.
Today I am very focused in this process of developing my artistic work and also in giving art classes again, which is a task to which I have a lot of love. Especially aimed at children and adolescents.
Inspiration
I love art history and that is where I find a lot of inspiration. Hard to say which period or artists interest me most as they are all fascinating. Perhaps Leonard Da Vinci and Albert Dürer’s drawings, or the tremendously expressive drawing of Kathe Kollwitz are my favorites. The list would be huge and there is a lot of Latin American art as well. A particular artist that struck me, and it was with his paintings that I loved with Brazil, was Carybe. I recently found a book about Chinese art, François Cheng’s Empty and Full: the Language of Chinese Painting that made me very inspired to take up watercolors again.
Watercolor is a challenge of years, when I began to be interested, my first steps were guided by the Hazel Harrison’s Encyclopedia of Watercolor Techniques. Also, Claire Waite Brown’s The Watercolor Flower Artist’s Bible. Just by looking at the book I was inspired to paint. Flowers are a matter of study that I always come back to. And, I also want to highlight Carla Sonheim’s wonderful work with her Drawing Lab For Mixed-Media Artists, which inspired me to experiment and overcome many insecurities.
Art Materials
A good quality material is always welcome, but I learned seeing other artists and from my own experience to take advantage of “unlikely” materials. The cardboard parts of a box from the supermarket with a background of acrylic plaster, can be used in the work. Natural inks can give a transparent background and work with other materials. This creates fun and sustainability in art! I use many national products, Condor brand brushes, and Corfix supplies, in the case of the acrylic plaster mentioned above.
During my participation in the October Doodlewash art challenge, I used an Daiso Japan drawing block, 11 x 17″, fine pens from Faber-Castell, watercolors from Rebahn and also Winsor & Newton , Caran d’Ache pastels, and correction fluid to give effects.
The exchange with doodle artists during the month of October allowed me to meet beautiful people, an excellent practice and I learned a lot. I’m very grateful!
Silvia Elena Pastor
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Love the birds 😀
Thanks chasingamemory! Glad you liked this!
Good watercolor work…. Me gusta tu estilo!!!! Felicitaciones!!!!
Ooh gracias por el español!! 🙂 🙂 y por el comentario Walter F Peirluissi !
Bienvenida a Doodlewash.
Thanks for sharing your story with us today Silvia. It is always a joy to see your beautiful art!!! 😀
Thanks Lisa! I am very happy to be part of the doodlewash.😄😄😄
I am very encouraged to know that you will be teaching children – I am sure they will be inspired by you and not limited as often happens in their formative years. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you marshathepainter !!,😍 … I think ,I learn more with them than they do with me, they are very generous and fun!
Awesome unique art. I like it all especially the cat, since I do have two of my own. And your first art piece would be my second choice if I had to choose. 😀
Thank you Joan!! those two cats are part of our family too.😊
Thanks Silvia for sharing your story and your beautiful artwork!
Thank you Karen!!😃😃
Silvia, your lively compositions and fabulous colors make me want to dance! Thank you for sharing your creative journey with us!
wow, that is so cute!!Thank so much Sandra!!
Stunning work! Thank you for sharing it along with your personal story.
Thank you Sharon Nolfi!! 🙂 🙂 🙂
Thanks Silvia to share you life experience and you beautiful artwork i was a joy to get to know you here on Doodlewash .Greetz Fatima!!
Absolutely beautiful
Don’t try to follow too many other artists. You have a wonderful style of your own and I would hate to see you lose that by imitating others. Your work is so unique and a joy to look at.