Artist Spotlight- Deanna Bach-Talsma

Deanna’s Art

Deanna was the winner of my 2011 Fairies and Fantasy Art competition. Her watercolour artworks have a soft and whimsical style with a beautiful use of colour. Classical elements, style and proportions in her work bring to mind a Greek influence.

Above are a small range of examples, but be sure to visit the links at the bottom of this post to see more.

An Interview with Deanna

What themes/subjects do you enjoy painting the most?

I love painting beauty! Whether it is light in nature, like most of my art tends towards, or dark in nature. There are so many amazing things in this world it is so easy to draw inspiration from just about anything. Fantasy themes just let me go that one step further to unbelievable, fantastical beauty.  I also really enjoy painting birds and try to fit them into my paintings where possible. And foxes, because foxes are just cool.

What do you want a viewer to feel or think when viewing your art?

Mostly I just want the viewer to look at my art and be taken away to the forgotten magical place where fairies and elves and the like exist. There is so much negativity in the world I just want to do my piece by adding a little bit of joy and beauty.

What do you love about being an artist? And/or what is most difficult?

There is so much to love about being an artist! I love that I can imagine a scene or picture in my head and that I am able to transfer that idea into paint and onto paper and share it with other people. It is a great feeling to make another person happy when they look at your art. It is also a fantastic outlet to express emotions and to deal with life situations. I love that one can grow and get better as an artist, as there are so many mediums available, subjects and ideas to tackle, and challenges to give oneself to better the art. As for the most difficult parts of being an artist, it is hard for some people to grasp that it is more than a hobby and that it is a job. And no, I won’t paint for free. And I greatly dislike the paperwork and math aspects of the business. Ugh! I hate to admit it but my Grade 11 math teacher was right when he said you need math for every job!

In what ways do you share your art?

I enjoy doing commissions, whether a character concept, general idea, or even family portraits. I try to partake in The Enchanted Visions project as often as I can as I find it very enjoyable. I am licensed with Abracraftdabra Designs, who make cross stitch charts. I also offer prints and originals for sale in my Etsy shop, as well as necklaces, bookmarks, and lip balm.

Quick Five Questions

Which would you pick- fame, money, happiness, or easy inspiration? Yes please. But happiness trumps all.

On a scale of 1-10, 1 being symbolic/meaningful and 10 being purely aesthetic, where would you rank your work? hmmm… 3 Need to work on that a bit

Hours spent on your last painting? 20 -25 hours maybe

How many paintings (approx.) a year? Only 12-20, I don’t get the time to paint that I would like.

Artist stereotypes, Yes or No- Cat owner? Tea Addict? Recluse? Eccentric? Yes (2), yes (and coffee), yes (oops!) and yes (love that crazy train).

You can find Deanna online at-

Website – www.deannabachart.webs.com
Etsy – http://www.etsy.com/shop/deannabachart
Facebook – www.facebook.com/DeannaBachArt
Zazzle – http://www.zazzle.com/deannabachart
Deviant Art – http://sylph7sky.deviantart.com/gallery/