In The Spirit of Art, Motherhood and Everything In-between
In the spirit of giving our children the gift of Art, let’s get some insight into one very special artist’s work and experience. In this blog-post, I am interviewing my friend, and an amazing artist – Nelly Tsyrlin.
Nelly is a “painter and a print maker who focuses on creating expressive, playful and rhythmic pieces, chasing the elusive balance of curios and familiar.” (1) Her beautiful work has been exhibited in various international art fairs and private collections across the globe, and you can currently see it in Toronto, Canada.
In her youth, she was also a successful international fashion model, and we will talk about that experience with her in a separate interview (coming up soon!)
PRELUDE: I would like to begin this discussion with a short personal story as an introduction to Nelly’s art work.
One night, when my second daughter was just a few months old, I was sitting on my favourite rocking chair, in the middle of the night, trying to soothe her back to sleep. She was laying on my lap, supported by my left hand, while my right hand … well … was busy scrolling through Facebook on my iPhone.
That’s when I saw Nelly posting some of her art work to be exhibited in one of the Hong Kong’s art exhibitions. One painting caught my attention. It was a mother holding a little child, while being hugged by a slightly older child from the back.
I paused and stared at it. “This is me, right now, at this point in life,” I thought. Despite sleepless nights, I love every single moment of motherhood, and the painting does the perfect job of capturing my emotions. Emotions of immense internal happiness of being a mother and the love I feel for my children.
The mother on the painting, is neither jumping up from joy, nor is she unhappy or sad. She seems at peace with herself and her children, and is in the present moment. I sensed a lot of motherly love and love for her from her children on that painting. And, it is that love, that holds them so strongly together, no matter what.
Without further thought, I messaged Nelly: “Nelly, can I still buy this painting from you?” She happened to reply right away (thanks to time zone difference). “Yes, of course! In fact, I have a friend flying to Canada to your hometown in a few weeks and I can pass it along.”
And that’s how, in the middle of the night, I bought my first piece of art. But more importantly, I bought a visual representation of my motherhood experience that would last me a long time.
And, as one of my friends likes to say: “when you are buying a work of art, you are not just paying for the painting itself, you are paying for the experience.”
In Nelly’s work, “there is a rich symbolism and a cast of characters. The magic is in figuring out the narrative, and each viewer may have a different reaction [or interpretation],”(1) …and mine was vivid and strong.
It is fascinating, how while I was navigating through the ups and downs of my motherhood journey, somewhere across the ocean, unknowingly, Nelly was painting my emotional state on the blank canvas. A true artist!
And so without further due, let’s chat with Nelly!
DISCUSSION
Question: Nelly, tell us about yourself – where are you from, where did you study art and where your art work has been exhibited?
Nelly: I studied art in Saint Petersburg, Russia, a city where I was born and lived in briefly as a child. I never thought I would ever be back there, but it was the most amazing experience of my life. I was searching for a traditional school that would give me strong art foundation and help me mature as an artist, and the academy I studied at in St. Petersburg, the Repin Academy of Fine Arts, offered both. Since then, my work has developed tremendously, primarily because I was surrounded by very dedicated and talented people who helped and inspired me.
My artwork has been exhibited internationally primary in art fairs, and in private collections across Asia, Europe, Middle East and USA. My most notable exhibit was held at the affordable art fair that took place in Hong Kong, where my entire body of work was sold out in two days!
Currently, you can view my work in Toronto at Elaine Fleck gallery on Queen Street West & Parkdale. The show is on until the end of August. Aside from that, you can visit artfully.ca, which in an online platform owned by Bau-Xi, a leading contemporary gallery of Canada, or my website https://www.nellytsyrlin.com/.
Q: What led you to develop your current visual style in art? Has your style evolved over time? I absolutely love how rich in color and symbolism it is.
N: Thank you! I constantly strive to re-evaluate and enhance my work. Recently, I have been experimenting a lot, which led me to what I am painting nowadays. I often combine printmaking with direct painting and work in mixed media, such as acrylic and oil, as well as pastels. This approach is always fascinating because you never know what you might discover.
I learned to take creative risks as part of my practice, which means that I go through a lot of paper and canvas. I believe that this is the only way to grow and truly make good art. And what is good art, you might ask? I believe it is a piece that touches and moves the viewer.
Q: What drew you to become an artist?
N: It’s hard to say. I still think I am an artist in the making. Artist, is a title one needs to earn, and it is usually granted by peers. I am still working on mine. 🙂
As for why am I doing art – I think it is something I simply could not ignore within myself. It is a feeling of so much excitement that you can’t sleep at night.
Like many children and youth, I was discouraged both by my family, and even teachers, to take that subject too seriously. And then I reached a point in my life, after a few career attempts, when I felt that I got nothing to lose except myself. It was either now or never, so I gave it my all.
I am convinced that, for me and many artists alike, practicing art is not a choice; it is almost like a condition. It is something that you must do when you have that calling. We only have one life to live, and you don’t want to spend it doing the things you believe you weren’t meant to do.
Q: Where do you draw your inspiration from before you paint each painting? Do you have a certain vision first, or do you just spill what’s on your heart and mind at that moment, onto the canvas?
N: That’s a very good question, and I would say it’s all of the above, depending what I’m working on! But, primarily, it comes from the inside. When I have a need to try certain things, I just go for it.
I am probably a seasonal artist in a way that I don’t always work; I take breaks, which helps me build momentum and accumulate creative energy. However, when I work, I am very prolific and I try to complete as many pieces as possible. I am a firm believer that, in my work, quantity becomes quality.
Q: There are many children and teenagers out there who want to pursue a career in art. What do you like the most and the least about being an artist?
N: I don’t like the business side of art, because that could leave you with a big hole in your heart and also lead to questions of self-worth, which is a pretty dark corner to be in.
As an artist, you need to grow thick skin. This, in a way, contradicts what an artist is, which is someone who is sensitive.
I also don’t like the prices of supplies. It makes it seem as if art is an elitist occupation reserved only for the rich.
On the other hand, I love the fact that, as an artist, you own your work, you are your own boss, and make every decision completely on your own. Moreover, art is a career that does not have a time limit. You can start anytime and it’s something you can do for the rest of your life. Grandma Moses began painting in her eighties and become very successful, and most importantly happy! I also believe that art prolongs ones’ life.
Q: If there is one piece of advice you could give to young aspiring artists (children and teenagers in particular) what would it be?
N: Becoming an artist takes time, so you need to have a lot of patience. First, you need to learn the skill and the trade part of the profession; after that you will most likely go on a search for your personal voice. All of that can amount to roughly ten years.
Just like anything else, becoming good at what you do takes time and dedication. You need to be absolutely certain that this is what you want and realize that it’s going to be challenging, just like any other professional choice, if not more.
Also, unlike many other creative professions, such as film making or graphic design, artists, as in painters, do not have a job advertised for them. And, unfortunately, visual art is not at the top of our society’s priorities either, simply because it is often viewed as something trivial. So, if you want to be an artist who paints at the easel, be ready to forge your own path.
Q: Some parents view art as just a hobby and not an income earning career. Hence, such parents discourage their children, especially older ones, to pursue art seriously. What are your thoughts on that? In general, do they have legitimate concerns or should they let their children explore and figure out their passions on their own?
N: I think telling children what to do, in general, is not something I agree with. I view parenting as a scaffolding support mechanism and not a dictatorship. Parents should be there to help their children accomplish their dreams and goals.
If your child is mature enough to understand what is it that he wants to do, and all the effort that goes into it, why stop him? Becoming a medical doctor is even harder than becoming an artist, and not all doctors do well afterwards; but no one is discouraging that.
Money is not everything, although life in western countries, like Canada, can be very expensive. As such, people usually make pragmatic choices about their careers, so I can understand why some parents discourage their children from anything art related.
I know of a very talented architect who went through a very long and difficult path to become one, and then had a change of heart, and became a painter. He is happy and doing well now, but I am sure he would have been generating more income designing buildings.
I grew up in a family that never limited me in any way. Although I come from very humble beginnings, my father loved art and took me to museums. He bought me art books and educated me on both painting and music. Of course, my parents never thought I would choose art as a professional path, and they happily enrolled me into art classes and were very supportive … until I’ve decided to become an artist (laughing).
For some reason, in most people’s mind, art is something that is associated with poverty. I believe that in today’s world we have lots of opportunities as artists and it is up to each individual to forge her path, and it is totally possible.
Whether it is the most lucrative career in the world, or not, I cannot answer that. I personally don’t just do paintings to survive; I also teach and earn commissions on projects such as wall murals and even portraits. There are many different possibilities to earn income as an artist.
Q: From your experience of teaching and observing children learn art, what do you think are the benefits and challenges of learning art at young age?
N: I’ve worked in international schools that follow British curriculum and I must say I admire their commitment to child centered holistic approach and the role they grant to art in that approach. The result is – happy confident children that can’t wait to come to art studio!
From my experience, I never had a single child under the age of 12 that didn’t enjoy art. It’s something that comes natural to children and, as a teacher, my role is to inspire and foster creative growth. Skills are taught indirectly, via games and peer competitions, thoughtful relevant projects, demos and examples.
Most importantly, in that approach, art lessons help strengthen the knowledge in other subjects and topics. For example, I did a unit on pop art and we applied that concept to evaluation. Children selected an animal and treated it like Andy Warhol, documenting small changes that happen to living creatures over time, creatively.
Another project we did was an Egyptian self portrait, pupils were learning about ancient civilization in their topic class and we’ve decided to make decorative self portraits as Egyptians deities. They absolutely loved it, and this reinforced their passion for the topic and inspired them to learn more.
Challenges come with age. Naturally, some children are more inclined towards art and enjoy it, while others find it redundant and boring. It then becomes my task, as a teacher, to keep making art lessons relevant, yet at a certain quality and skill level. I’d say the challenge is all mine! 🙂
I would also like to point out that while teaching children, I find that they are the ones who teach me as well! Since getting my international teaching qualification in 2018, I’ve been working abroad for two years and teaching children art. However my own art started to change as well! Being around such free and curious minds daily, observing them taking creative risks without being scared, or trying to make a pretty picture necessarily, really touched me. Moreover, the imagination and color combinations some children come up with are mind blowing and I actively borrowed these ideas and bring them into my art 🙂 Painting as a child is a true gift.
Q: You recently became a mother yourself. Your son, George, is now just under a year old. Did motherhood change the way you approach art now? I am picturing you painting something beautiful, while your little son is crawling around your feet, observing you with big curiosity.
N: Yes, I gave birth to baby George last November. He is the most amazing human being!
No painting gets the go ahead without his endorsement. I always take him to my studio and see what he gravitates towards. I feel that children have a very good sixth sense on things, and art is no exception. So yes, he is my biggest and most loyal art critic.
However, art and motherhood do not go well together; at least not at the moment. Painting is a very jealous pursuit and requires complete dedication. Usually, I reserve some time on a daily basis to work on a piece by “stealing” moments during George’s naps and at night time. But, I feel incredibly guilty if I have to choose. That’s how it is … hopefully in the future George can join me and find interest in doing art as well.
Q: What are your favourite art pieces that you created and why ?
My recent most favourite art piece is a mural completed for a law firm in Toronto.
I was given a great degree of freedom and was asked to paint a wall that would “wow” the clients as they enter the reception. I decided to go for an abstract interpretation of a landscape with references to summer and over all positive beat.
Another piece I really love is titled “Parler avec Henri”.
It is a light and airy mixed-media piece I’ve competed on paper during the summer of 2020. It was inspired by a book I read about Henri Matisse and his magical cut outs. I love it because of its energy and the unusual composition that I have managed to compose.
You can view it here and it is currently available for purchase: https://artfully.ca/collections/nelly-tsyrlin/products/parler-avec-henri-nt14
Nelly – thank you so much for such an insightful and captivating read!
To qualify for Nelly’s future GIVE-AWAYs, learn about new paintings and up-coming exhibitions, please sign up for Nelly’s mailing list here: https://www.nellytsyrlin.com/contact
Social Media Links:
@artgaragetoronto
ANNOTATIONS
(1) From a temporary exhibit on www.artwork.ca