Posts Tagged ‘Sue Flask’

  • IT-TNEBBIH TA’ ĦOLMA

    Sue Flask Kultant jiġi żmien meta tinduna li ħajtek ħadet rotta li ma twassal għal imkien jew almenu mhux għal dak il-post li tixtieq int. Tibda tħossok qisek qiegħed fuq it-tren żbaljata li b’veloċità qawwija qed tgħaddi minn postijiet li forsi inti xtaqt tieqaf fihom u tgawdihom. Jibda jgħaddi minn rasek li tieqaf fl-istazzjon li jmiss jew li saħansitra taqbeż minn fuqha u tiskappa. Imma did-deċiżjoni mhiex faċli daqs kemm tinstema’. Għax miegħek, fuq dik it-tren, hemm ukoll għadd ta’ bagalji magħmula minn esperjenzi, memorji, konoxxenzi u sigurtajiet li mhux la kemm tħallihom warajk. Trid ħafna kuraġġ biex tagħżel li tibdel għax jekk dik it-tren qed tieħdok fejn ma tixtieqx, ma’ tren oħra xorta waħda m’għandikx il-garanzija li ser tkun kuntent. Iżda jekk tassew trid tasal fl-art mixtieqa, fir-realtà m’għandikx għażla oħra…

    “Ħassejtni qisni qed noqtol lili nnifsi ftit ftit, inpinġi għalija biss id-dar,” stqarret miegħi Sue Flask, l-artista li ntervistajt dil-ġimgħa.

    “Sa minn meta kont żgħira, kont inħobb inpinġi ħafna. Kull fejn tarani, kont inkun qed inħażżeż xi ħaġa. Iżda ma kontx inqis it-tpinġija tiegħi bħala talent għax kont naħseb li kulħadd kien kapaċi jpinġi bħali.

    Dak iż-żmien fil-primarja ma kienux jgħallmuna l-arti. Ironikament, darba kultant kien jiġi għalliem tal-arti fil-klassi li kien jagħżel lis-subien u jagħtihom lezzjoni filwaqt li lilna l-bniet kienet teħodna magħha għalliema oħra u tħarriġna fil-ħjata, irridu jew ma rridux. Darba biss, fis-snin tal-primarja kollha, ġie għalliem tal-arti u ta lezzjoni lil kulħadd!

    Madanakollu n-namra lejn l-arti kompliet tikber, probabbilment minħabba li missieri kien fotografu u kienu jogħġbuni ħafna r-ritratti li kien jieħu. Meta kelli xi disgħa snin, bagħtuni nitħarreġ fl-Iskola 13 Paul 2008 - Oils on canvas - Honourable Meniton 2008 - 60x60cm SOLDtal-Arti tal-Belt għat-tliet xhur tas-sajf u hemm għaraft li t-tpinġija kienet tassew għal qalbi. Sfortunatament, fl-iskola li kont nattendi, lanqas fis-sekondarja ma kienu jgħallmu l-arti. Imma webbist rasi u wara aktar taħriġ fl-Iskola tal-Arti, għamilt l-eżami fil-livell Ordinarju u mort tajjeb ħafna. Għamilt il-qalb u bdejt inpinġi fuq li npinġi d-dar. Għadda ż-żmien u sibt xogħol bħala skrivana mal-gvern. Iżda wara x-xogħol, xorta waħda kont bqajt immur ngħaddi sagħtejn fl-Iskola tal-Arti għax hekk biss kont inħossni qed ngħix f’dinja. Finalment għamilt aktar eżamijiet u akkwistajt diploma u anki ċertifikat f’livell Avvanzat.

    Wara sitt snin naħdem bħala skrivana bdejt inħossni fgata. Kont ċerta li kont kapaċi nagħmel aktar minn hekk. Ma stajtx nimmaġinani nibqa’ nagħmel dak ix-xogħol għal ħajti kollha. Bdejt nitħajjar nidħol l-università. Dejjem xtaqt nara dik l-atmosfera li jkun hemm hemmhekk. Bdejt intella’ u nniżżel għax sibt min jaqtagħli qalbi. Kien hemm min wissieni li kelli job tajjeb biżżejjed u li għalhekk ma kellix għalfejn inbiddel. Oħrajn qaluli li issa kont kbirt u l-istudju ma kellix bżonnu. Għaddiet sena u m’applikajtx imma s-sena ta’ wara għalaqt għajnejja u bla ma għedt lil ħadd, dħalt għall-kors tal-arti fl-università bħala studenta matura. Ma stajtx ma nippruvax. Hekk jew hekk kienu ma rnexxiliex ngħaddi mill-eżamijiet kont immur lura minn fejn ġejt.”

    Iżda l-istorja tispiċċa tajjeb ħafna għax Sue mhux biss gradwat imma issa hi għalliema tal-arti fil-primarja fejn tista’ tgħaddi din l-imħabba19 James 2010 - Oils on Board 80x60cm tagħha lil bosta tfal. Kelli kurżità jekk it-tfal jeħdux gost waqt il-lezzjoni tal-arti. Aktar minn hekk, jekk hawn min isostni li artist jitwieled, kienet kapaċi tindividwa fost l-istudenti tagħha, lil min seta’ jkollu suċċess f’dal-qasam?

    “Tara differenza fit-tfal. Hemm min jieħu pjaċir waqt il-lezzjoni tal-arti, hemm min ma tantx u mbagħad issib lil dawk li dik il-lezzjoni tkun għal qalbhom ħafna. Tara tfal li jippromettu imma xorta waħda ma tistax tgħid min jista’ jkun li jirnexxi minnhom. Ikun hemm uħud li jpinġulek oġġett eżatt u bi preċiżjoni kbira filwaqt li student ieħor jidher li qed iċaflas ħdejhom. Imma ara l-arti ta’ Jackson Pollock u tifhem x’qed ngħidlek. Għax wara kollox, x’inhi l-arti n-nies jiddeċiedu u tirnexxi biss skont kemm tintogħġob u tinbiegħ l-arti tiegħek.”

    Artist titwieled jew issir?

    “Jiena nemmen li artist jitwieled u mhux isir. Għalija il-kapaċità ta’ artist veru hija l-istess waħda li tindividwa bejn pjanist tajjeb ħafna u l-ġenjożità ta’ Mozart. Aħna l-artisti kollha nixxenqu li għandna dik il-kwalità fina imma nafu sewwa li mhux kollha aħna ta’ dak il-livell. Personalment nipprova naħdem ħafna biex ix-xogħol tiegħi javvanza fil-kalibru dejjem aktar. Jiena bniedma ambizzjuża ferm u hekk kif nara xi biċċa xogħol li għamel ħaddieħor li hija ta’ livell għola minn tiegħi, nibqa’ nipprova sakemm nagħmilha u  jekk jista’ jkun, nagħmel xi ħaġa isbaħ.”

    Sue kompliet tispjegali li kull medium jagħtik is-sodisfazzjon tiegħu…

    “Pinġejt diversi suġġetti b’materjali differenti fostom biż-żejt, bl-acrylic, biċ-charcoal, bis-soft pastel u bil-gouache. Ħdimt ħafna bl-abjad u l-iswed biex nirfina t-tattika tad-dellijiet u d-dawl, fejn kull 18 Kat's Joaaeefoa 2010 - Oils on Board 100x80cmspazju jirrikjedi natura ta’ sfumatura partikolari. Hekk kif rajt li lħaqt ċertu livell għaddejt għall-kulur. Imma eventwalment deherli li xtaqt nieħu linja partikolari u nipperfezzjona ruħi fiha. Għaldaqstant għażilt li niffoka fuq il-portraits – l-uċuh tan-nies. Jaffaxxinawni ħafna l-għajnejn tal-bniedem, għalhekk nieħu gost inpinġi l-uċuh. Il-varjetà fl-uċuh tan-nies tagħmel dax-xogħol interessanti ferm. Kien dan li wassalni biex nibda nimrah li npinġi lil nies oħra wara li tħarriġt fuq għadd ta’ portraits ta’ wliedi stess. Għamilt naqra kuraġġ u bdejt inxerred il-kelma li qed inpinġi l-portraits u ftit ftit, bdew ġejjin il-klijenti.”

    Infatti din l-intervista tnisslet hekk kif darba minnhom iltqajt ma’ xi xogħol ta’ Sue. L-interpretazzjoni tagħha tal-uċuh u speċjalment tal-għajnejn hija impressjonanti ferm, tant li ċertu xogħolijiet, meta tarahom mill-bogħod, taħlef li huma ritratti. Xtaqt inkun naf x’tipprova toħroġ minn wiċċ u liema tip ta’ wiċċ kien l-aktar diffiċli biex tpinġi.

    “L-ewwel nett nipprova noħroġ ix-xebħ għax jekk tibdel fattizz wieħed, tibdel il-bniedem għal kollox. Tagħmel imnieħer naqra itwal jew għajnejn naqra ikbar u daqshekk, ikollok wiċċ ħaddieħor. Imma fl-aħħar mill-aħħar il-punt kruċjali huwa li l-għajnejn ikunu ħajjin. Infatti dak kien is-sigriet tas-suċċess wara l-portrait Joaaeefoa li juri t-tifla tiegħi b’ġiraffa f’idejha u li għalih, is-sena li għaddiet, irbaħt l-ewwel premju f’kompetizzjoni nazzjonali tal-arti.

    Bħala diffikultà fit-tpinġija tal-uċuh, hemm min jaħseb li l-aktar iebes huwa l-wiċċ tal-anzjan. Imma fil-fatt, it-tikmix jagħmilha aktar faċli biex tibni wiċċ. Huwa wiċċ it-trabi u t-tfal li fih sfida kbira għax wiċċ lixx trid tara kif ser tagħmel biex ma jiġix jidher plastiku. Trid issib mod kif ser toħroġ id-dettalji u l-karattru ta’ dak li jkun.”

    Ġieli pinġejt lil xi ħadd u ma kienx kuntent bix-xogħol?

    “Ġieli tiġri, għalkemm rari. Normalment ikunu persuni li jkollhom perċezzjoni differenti dwar kif jidhru u meta jaraw l-interpretazzjoni tiegħi, jidhrilhom li dik ix-xbieha ma tirrappreżentax lilhom. Però 03 Patrick ii - 2010 - Graphite drawing on A3 paperġeneralment in-nies ikunu kuntenti ħafna b’xogħoli. Nieħu gost nara r-reazzjoni tagħhom hekk kif jaraw it-tpinġija. Il-ħarsa li jagħtuha, hekk kif jieqfu ċċassati quddiemha, tagħtini wisq sodisfazzjon. Fil-fatt nagħmel naqra buri meta ġieli jiġi xi ħadd u jaqbad u jieħu x-xogħol bla ma jgħidli xejn.”

    Kif isiru t-tpinġijiet? Ikollok mudell quddiemek jew mir-ritratti?

    “It-tfal tiegħi għadhom żgħar wisq biex joqogħduli għal ħin daqshekk twil fl-istess pożizzjoni u nies oħra ma kellix lanqas. Għalhekk naħdem mir-ritratti. Normalment nitlob iktar minn ritratt wieħed għax kultant persuna kapaċi tiġi totalment differenti minn ritratt għall-ieħor. Daqqa jkun każ ta’ dawl, ġieli għax waħda tgħolli xagħarha, tillixxah jew tinnukklah… tiskanta x’differenza tagħmel. Anki l-karnaġġjon ta’ dak li jkun. Kultant taħseb li bniedem huwa ferm aktar ismar jew aktar bjond milli hu u mbagħad tarah quddiemek u tinduna li hu xort’oħra.

    Nixtieq ħafna li jkolli l-opportunità li jimmudellali xi ħadd għax hekk waqt li tkun qed taħdem, issir taf aktar lill-bniedem, u ċertament joħroġ ħafna aktar il-karattru tiegħu anki fit-tpinġija nfisha.”

    Sue saħqet miegħi kemm kien importanti li tpinġi ftit kuljum.

    “L-ewwel nett jekk ma npinġix ftit jaqbduni nervi kbar. Infatti r-raġel mill-ewwel jinduna meta jarani naqra urtata; jgħidli “jaqaw ma pinġejt xejn illum?”Barra minn hekk, hekk biss tista’ tavvanza ‘l quddiem. Jekk ma tipprattikax teħel fl-istess post u ma tarax progress f’xogħolok.”

    Sue kellha suċċess sabiħ f’numru ta’ kompetizzjonijiet però b’dispjaċir qaltli wkoll kemm f’pajjiżna ma tantx hawn fejn tikkompeti.

    “Il-kompetizzjoni tagħtik il-grinta biex tagħmel xogħolijiet ġodda u biex tara fejn wasalt ħdejn l-oħrajn. Tagħtik ir-rispons ta’ dawk li jiġġudikaw ix-xogħol tiegħek u ta’ dawk li jiġu jarawh. Tagħnik ukoll Giraffe 2009 - Art 12 [March09]bir-rikonoxximent li aħna l-artisti Maltin inbatu ħafna min-nuqqas tiegħu.”

    Kien hemm xi ħadd partikolari li xtaqet tpinġi?

    “Iva. Nixtieq li jkolli l-opportunità li npinġi lil xi ħadd magħruf sabiex b’hekk nakkwista naqra aktar popolarità. Imma m’għandi lil ħadd f’moħħi bħalissa.”

    Ħdejna, matul din l-intervista, kien hemm it-tifla tagħha Kathleen li mid-dehra wirtet sewwa t-talent t’ommha għax ma waqfitx tpinġi sekonda, u sabiħ ħafna wkoll!

    “It-titlu ta’ Joaaeefoa ħadtu minn tpinġija li għamlet hi stess ta’ ġiraffa u spelliet isimha hekk. Nara lili nnifsi f’binti meta kull fejn tmur ssibha tpinġi l-ħin kollu. Ċertament la tikber, għad tkun ħafna aħjar minni!”

    (Nota: Dan l-artiklu ġie ppubblikat fit-Torċa tas-6 ta’ Frar 2011)

    2011.02.06 / no responses / Category: Torca - Perspettivi

  • WHEN A DREAM IS BORN

    Sometimes there comes a time when you realize that your life has taken a route which leads to nowhere or at least not to the place where you wish to be. You feel as if youSue Flask are on the wrong train that with great velocity is speeding away from places in which maybe you wished to stop and cherish. You might start thinking about stepping down at the next station or even to jump off the train and escape. But this decision is not as easy as it seems. Because there with you, on that train, there is also a number of luggage made of experiences, memories, acquaintances and securities which are not so easy to leave behind. You need much courage to choose change, for if this train is taking you where you don’t want to be, on another train there would still be no guarantee that you will eventually find happiness. And yet if you really want to arrive in that desired land, actually you have no choice…

    “I felt as if I was killing myself little by little, drawing just for myself at home,” disclosed with me Sue Flask, the artist whom I interviewed this week.

    “Ever since I was a little child I loved to draw. Everywhere you’d find me sketching something or another. And yet I did not consider myself to have any special skill because I thought that anyone could draw just like me.

    At that time in primary school we did not have any art lessons. Ironically, once in a while an art teacher would come to our class and choose the boys to give them an art lesson. Likewise a crafts teacher came and provided us girls with a needlework lesson, notwithstanding whether we were interested or not. Only once, in all the primary school years did an art teacher come and give a lesson to all!

    Nevertheless my love for art continued to develop, probably because my father was a photographer and I really appreciated his work. When I was about nine years old, during the three months of 13 Paul 2008 - Oils on canvas - Honourable Meniton 2008 - 60x60cm SOLDsummer, my parents sent me to learn art at the School of Art in Valletta and there I confirmed that I was very passionate about it. Unfortunately, not even at secondary level did our school provide us with any art lessons. And yet I was adamant to gain this skill and so I continued to attend to lessons at the School of Art until finally I sat for the Ordinary Level exam and I obtained a very good result. I was much encouraged by this and I continued to paint incessantly at home. Years passed and I found employment as a clerk with our local government. But after work, I still went to spend a few hours at the School of Art because only there did I ever feel real satisfaction. Ultimately I attended to more exams in which I was awarded a Diploma and an Advanced Level standard.

    After six years working as a clerk I was feeling quite suppressed. I was sure that I was capable of doing more than that and I could not imagine myself doing that job forever. I desired heartily to go to university.  I had always wished to experience the atmosphere of that place. And yet I was so unsure of what to do because people kept advising me not to take this step. Some warned me that I already had a good job and therefore I needed no change. Others told me that I was too old now to go back to study. A year passed and I did not apply. However the next year, I made up my mind and without telling anyone I applied for a university course in art and I was accepted as a mature student. I couldn’t help trying. After all if I did not succeed in passing the exams I could always go back to my old life.”

    But this story ends on a very good note as Sue not only graduated but today, she is an art teacher in a primary school wherein she has the19 James 2010 - Oils on Board 80x60cm opportunity of passing on her skill to many children. I was curious whether the students appreciated the art lesson. Moreover I longed to know whether she could understand if any of her students would one day have success in this sector?

    “You do notice a difference between one child and another. There are those who enjoy the art lesson, whereas there others who do not that much. At the same time you find some children who simply adore that time where they have the opportunity to draw. You become also aware of a few children who look promising and yet in reality, you can never say. Because I am conscious that you will find students who will draw an object with precision and great skill, whilst another student might appear as if he’s only splattering colour around when you compare him to them. But look at the art of Jackson Pollock and you will understand what I mean. For after all, it is people who decide what is art or not and a successful artist is that individual who manages to get the appreciation from the public and to sell them his work.”

    Is one born an artist or does he become one?

    “I believe that an artist is born and not made. According to me a true artist can be identified clearly just as one recognizes the difference between a very good pianist and the genius of Mozart. All the artists dream of being of such a level and yet many know that they will never reach that standard. Personally I strive very hard to enhance the quality of my work. I am a very ambitious person and whenever I come across an artpiece which is better than mine, I will continue to try until I accomplish the same degree of work and possibly even enrich it if I can.”

    Sue continued to explain that all the mediums give her a particular satisfaction…

    “I have painted various subjects with different materials, including oil paints, acrylic, charcoal, soft pastel  and gouache. I have worked on several artworks in black and white in order to harness the skill18 Kat's Joaaeefoa 2010 - Oils on Board 100x80cm of representing light and shadow, wherein each space required a specific shading. Then when I was satisfied enough, I moved to work with colour. Finally I decided to choose a distinct area and specialize in it. My choice led me to focus on portraits because I feel a great fascination in drawing eyes. The diversity in human faces makes this work very appealing and after I spent a great deal of time painting my children, I moved on to paint also other people. Once again I got hold of myself and tried my luck in telling people that I was doing portraits for commission. Little by little, people came and I started to have some clients.”

    In fact this interview took place after I saw some of Sue’s artworks. Her interpretation of peoples’ features, especially the eyes are very impressive, so much that from afar, they actually look like photos. I asked her to tell me what does she try to project from a face and whether there were any faces which were more difficult to draw than others.

    “First of all I try to be very loyal to the resemblance of the person because if you slightly change one feature, you will change a face completely. If you paint a longer nose or bigger eyes, you will in no time find that you have painted a different person altogether. But what is crucial to me is that the eyes of the person come out alive. Indeed that was the secret of my success behind the portrait of Joaaeefoa which shows my daughter playing with a giraffe toy and for which work, last year, I have won an award in a national art competition.

    As with regards to difficulty in painting faces, some might insist that an elderly face is the most demanding. Yet in fact the wrinkles of old age will help you to build an interesting face. It is actually the faces of children and babies which are the trickiest since you have to pay great attention not to paint their smooth faces in a plastic way. You need to learn the skill how to develop details and character in such faces.”

    Did you ever paint someone who eventually was unhappy with the finished work?

    “Yes it does happen sometimes, but rarely. Usually they are persons who have a different perception of the way they look and when they see my interpretation, they believe that the painting does not 03 Patrick ii - 2010 - Graphite drawing on A3 paperrepresent them. Nonetheless people are usually very satisfied with my work. I love to watch their reactions when they see their painting for the first time and stop speechless in front of it. These are moments of great personal fulfillment and naturally I feel quite annoyed when someone simply collects a painting and leaves without saying anything.”

    How do you do your paintings? Do you have a model or do you use photos?

    “My children are too young to be my models and I have never had someone posing for me either. Therefore I work on photos. Typically I ask for more than one photo because some persons have the tendency of looking quite different from one photo to another. Sometimes it is because of a different light, otherwise it is a change in hairstyle… it is impressive what a difference it makes. Even a person’s skin colour changes. You might think that a person is darker or lighter than he actually is and then you see him in front of you and you’ll realize the distinction.

    I would really love to have the opportunity of someone modelling for me because then I’ll be able to get to know my subject better and certainly his true character will come out more in the painting.”

    Sue insisted that it is very important to paint a little each day.

    “To begin with, if I don’t paint a little I will get really frustrated. In fact my husband spots me immediately when I’m irritated and he’d ask me “hey, didn’t you paint anything today?”. Moreover it is only by practising that one can improve his skill. Without training one ends up doing the same work over and over again without ever seeing any progress.”

    Sue was quite successful in a good number of art contests but regretfully she informed me that in this country there is very little opportunity for competition.

    “Competition gives you the motivation to produce new work and to assess your quality level with other artists. Competition provides you with the precious feedback of those who judge your work and of Giraffe 2009 - Art 12 [March09]those who come to see it. It also supplements you with recognition, which we Maltese artists thirst for so much.”

    Was there someone in particular whom she wished to paint?

    “Yes. I would like to have the opportunity to paint a well-known person in order to gain some popularity for myself. But at the moment I have no one in mind.”

    Sitting next to us, all throughout this interview, was her daughter Kathleen, who apparently has inherited much of her mother’s skill since she didn’t stop drawing for a moment, and very beautifully too!

    “I came up with the title Joaaeefoa from a drawing of hers in which she drew a giraffe and spelt its name like that. I see myself in my daughter when I observe her drawing all the time. Surely when she’s older, she’ll be much better than me!”

    (Note: This article was originally published in Maltese in the newspaper Torċa of the 6th February 2011)

    2011.02.06 / 1 response / Category: Torca - Perspettivi