Prime Cuts: Interview With Fladrif

Feb 20, 201517 min read

Deviation Actions

Published: Feb 20, 2015

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ProjectPorkchop is all about bringing more exposure to the many talented yet under appreciated artists going unseen on deviantART daily. The artists chosen truly deserve more attention based on low counts of favorites, comments, and watchers, added to their incredible artistic talent.

Welcome back for another edition of our new interview series

ProjectPorkchop: Prime Cuts

hosted by DMD-CT

This project is intended to bring the community closer to the many talented yet underexposed artists that we feature each week. Today's featured artist is Fladrif.

Grauer Mann attacked by Baba Yaga by Fladrif

"Hi there. My name is Wojciech Pater, I live in south of Poland, in Wroclaw city, nearby the beautiful and mysterious Sudety mountains. Professionally I work as a graphic designer. In the last few years I have been working mainly in games development as a 2D artist - illustrator and user interface designer. I'm also creating mobile apps, corporate identity, web design and more. Sometimes it was real fun, but since a few months ago, i have been trying to get back to oil painting. This is what I want to do in my life, and what makes me happy.

My main passion is the mountains. I'm trekking and cycling (best with brutal metal on the headphones) through the wild places whenever I can. I also love to sail. An important hobby of mine is geocaching. If you don't know what is geocaching, try google and be aware that it can be a positive and healthy addiction."

When did you first realize that you wanted to become an artist?

Since I can remember, I loved to draw and paint and also sculpt sometimes. But it all really began at age 16 when I finally bought oil paints. I remember that I was preparing myself for this, painting for months outdoors with pastels. When I bought oils, they have completely changed my mind and my way of creation. Oils are still all I need, and I still have so much to learn.

What would you say defines your unique personal style?

Surrealism and traditional art, that's it. Maybe sometimes it goes into the “magic realism”, sometimes it becomes more “abstract” but it always comes from some sort of elusive inspiration, loose associations. On the other side, there's more traditional art, landscape painting and realism. I really would like to someday be able to paint closer to that of the Old Masters, or at least in a similar manner, because I'm learning everything by myself.

Which piece from your gallery would you say you are most proud of?

My favorite piece is the last one, Watchman of Eternity - part 2. After some time I always stop liking the older ones, and cause it's the first piece that I painted out of my head and I finished it, after a few years in computer graphics. There have been several approaches in that period, attempts to return to painting, but I could not combined full-time work and painting.

Baba Yaga nested inside the body of Grauer Mann by Fladrif

What inspires you to create your art?

Usually dreams, imaginations and associations. So, the things that happen in my mind, not necessarily in the “real” world. But it's also, and above all, nature. It's all combined inside my head, cause I'm the wild nature lover. Mountains, forests and meadows are the most important places for me. In fact, they are states of mind, not just places.

What projects are you working on currently that the community should know about? What do you have planned for the future?

I have before me two ways, which I would like to follow in the next months. First is to paint freely out of my head in the way I like the most, to spontaneously develop the initial idea, and see what will show up. Second way is to learn the traditional landscape painting, to focus on nature and beauty of light, color and space. Right now I have one painting started in this first manner...a more surrealistic one. It will be a sort of "magical realism", organic forms inspired by nature, where I would like to move closer to "realism" in the appearance of light, texture and form. The second one is waiting to be started and this will be landscape or animal painting that I wish to keep simple and clean.

What first attracted you to Deviant Art?
What do you hope to accomplish in your time on this site?

First of all, I wanted to have my place on the web where I could keep my works to display for marketing reasons. DeviantArt is cool and it has everything, but I am not really involved in the community. I would like to spend less time in front of the computer. Frankly speaking, I try not to watch too much of contemporary art because of my fear of subconscious inspiration.

Please tell us one interesting fact about yourself that we don't know about you.

I'm totally self-taught and I did not know any painter when I was starting. I also never wanted to go to the Academy of Fine Arts. When I first used the oil paints, I tried to dilute them with water! Then, in a bookstore, in a little book “Oil Painting Over The Weekend”, I read that I need turpentine and oil, and how to wash brushes. In 1997 there was no internet! I even didn't buy this book, afraid that it will affect my individuality.

Thank you Fladrif for taking the time to speak with us today!

join us next week when we will be interviewing the very talented

neon999

Previous issues of PPc: Prime Cuts:

Interview With Fietro
Interview With mrgcooper
Interview With jesus-at-art
Interview With SaraPlante
Interview With Jonathanguzi
Interview With Harridan
Interview With Loafninja
Interview With Chalkdragon
Interview With Athenapallas87

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