The Artist: Gabriella
Brought up in a bilingual family, with a French mother and an English father, Gabriella followed the French education system at the Lycée Francais Charles de Gaulle in Kensington, London.
Continuing further studies in higher education, Gabriella undertook a BA in History of Art with Italian at the acclaimed University of Warwick, in order to properly understand the importance of artistic development of influential works across the ages.
Following graduation, Gabriella moved to the Algarve in Portugal, where she continues to discover the beauty of Tavira and its neighbouring towns and villages.
The Story
Initially inspired through observation over many years of other artists’ work, Gabriella ventured into creating her own artworks gathering inspiration from different artists.
It’s the light of the Algarve which inspires Gabriella the most, alongside the serenity of the surrounding landscapes and nature. These are the themes Gabriella aims to represent in her works to offer to viewers the possibility of enriching their homes with the same soft colours and calming senses.
My Preferences
Abstract art for me is a way of expressing myself. When I create a piece either fully abstract or semi-abstract, I wish for viewers to see the artwork from their own experiences, memories and thoughts.
My artwork is made to enhance someone’s home interior décor by adding a soft contemporary style. In the near future I will be creating whole interior designs and decorations combined with these artworks.
Other inspiration comes from nature. I love to depict certain types of plants, especially trees. These recur in my semi-abstract landscape paintings. I create a thick layering of acrylic paint to creating texture and bringing the paintings to life. When looking at the tree trunks, this texture creates an almost realistic bark effect.
My Influences
Some of my favourite artists:
What I like about Rothko’s art is the idea that he wanted to make people feel something rather than just present one colour or another. Sometimes, his artwork has led people to tears without them fully understanding why such emotions happen.
If you have not yet seen this artist’s work first-hand, I thoroughly recommend you do. Just the sheer size alone of his works guarantees the viewer an amazing experience. The darker history of Germany in the war is often present in his works. Kiefer keeps and collects everything he finds using and integrating them into his art. Simply amazing.
Although a more classical view to many, Monet has always had a space in my heart as one of the most amazing artists of all time. The most interesting phase for me is when Monet started to lose his sight as his usually carefully selected colours began to change to more unusual appearances. This I believe created something extraordinary especially for the time.
My Work
My work can be seen and found in various locations across the lovely town of Tavira in the Algarve. Aside from the six different categories presented in this website, the most notable paintings you will see are my sailing boats inspired from my younger years sailing each summer in the South West France; my depictions of trees; semi-abstract works showing elements generally recognisable within a context of an abstract surrounding; and finally, abstract works that are made to be non-representational.