THALO SPOTLIGHT ARTIST Marina Dieul
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- May 5, 2020
- thalo team
Thalo loves to promote artists and each month, we spotlight a member of our community!
This month we are pleased to reshare an artist from 2017 who was our featured creative for May, have Marina Dieul!
THALO TEAM: Can you give an "elevator pitch" of your work?
Marina Dieul: I was born in France and live now in Canada. I’m a painter who focuses mostly on little animal trompe-l’oeil, cats, mice, rabbits are very present in my work among others. I sometimes paint humans too.
TT: Is there a common theme throughout your work? Is there something you want your artwork to convey to people who see it?
MD: Beauty, happiness, humor and poetry are present in my work. I paint for myself because I can’t fully live without painting. I know I have tried. I’m really happy to paint, happy to be surrounded with beauty, and the joy of being able to give life to beautiful creations is immense.
"Lapin 34" oil and ink, 10"x10"
TT: Which artists do you feel have influenced your art the most?
MD: I’ve been deeply influenced by Italian Renaissance since my childhood. Later I discovered French Painters like Fragonard and Chardin, and Dutch and Flemish masters, they still influence me.
TT: Imagine you got to design your perfect Gallery Show. Tell us what it is!
MD: Over the years, I painted more than 260 little mice portraits and they all quickly found a home all over the world. I sometimes dream about an exhibition where all of them would be reunited on a gallery walls. A huge accumulation of very detailed miniatures.
"Numero 4" oil, 6"x8"
TT: Out of all of your creations (or bodies of work) which one did/do you find the most cathartic in creating?
MD: My big compositions with humans and animals require generally a huge amount of planning and concentration. By comparison my little mice series became my research laboratory, filled with joyful experiments, so both are cathartic in their own way. I found an enjoyable balance by alternating big and small compositions.
TT: How do you promote yourself and your art?
MD: At the beginning, I participated in juried shows and competitions, then I began receiving invitations from several galleries, and got some great articles published in different magazines. Website and social medias are great tools too to connect with collectors.
"Pax Mundi 10", oil, 12"x12"
TT: What project are you working on currently? What are you most looking forward to with your work this year?
MD: I have too many projects to paint them all. These days, I tend to paint mostly the project that excites me on a daily or weekly basis, but certainly my animal trompe-l’oeil will have a significant place in my upcoming works.
TT: What is your favorite medium to work with, or what medium brings you the most satisfaction to use?
MD: My favorite medium is definitely oil painting. I know no other medium that is so versatile and that allows so many different approaches.
TT: What was your first work of art that you were proud of? Where is it now?
MD: I received my first Trompe-l’oeil commission in my twenties and when I delivered the painting, at first sight the clients were not happy. They thought some of the objects were real, and not painted. When they moved closer, they realized it was all painted. They were ecstatic!!! I’m not sure where it is now as we lost contact years ago.
"Bacchante 3", oil, 36" diameter
TT: What do you do when you aren't working on artwork? What are some of your hobbies/passions other than art-making?
MD: I like to try all kind of creative hobbies with my daughters, also hiking in nature. We are a foster family for a non-kill cat shelter, so I spend a lot of time taking care of our little protégés, and I take the best photos I can to help them find their forever family.
TT: Check out Marina Dieul’s profile on thalo to read more! And find more of her work here:
Website: http://www.marinadieul.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Marina-Dieul/261643050567733?fref=ts
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marinadieul/
Blog: http://marinadieul.blogspot.ca/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MarinaDieul
