Interview
Irma Osmiegiene
Irma Osmiegiene is from Lithuania, currently living and working in Nottingham, UK. Her artwork is about the connection between people and nature, and various ways one impacts the other. Appreciating every single moment, no matter how tiny or insignificant, plays a big role in her life and thus reflects in her art too. She is always intrigued by a deeper self-understanding and connection with the environment, people and nature. Although she likes to experiment with both still life and portraits, her biggest passion is all about the nature with all the forests and trees, endless fields, big blue sky and waters, and to get closer to it she has fell in love with painting outdoors. With her paintings she wants to invite the viewer not to only enjoy the scenery, but also to raise the questions and look for the answers. She has worked with all the traditional mediums and chose oils as the main medium and gouache after oils. Her paintings are full of rich and vibrant colours, where the light and dark create the contrast which strengthens the view of shapes and forms. Irma is a member of Nottingham Society of Artists (NSofA), where she exhibits annually.
What is your background and how did you start your journey in the art world?
“I was born in Joniskis, a small town in northern Lithuania, a small yet very beautiful country, rich with nature and wildlife. As a child, I've always been curious and I was lucky I could spend a lot of time in a rural village with my grandparents, surrounded by the forests, fields and rivers. This was a big impact to my creativity, but growing up I did not have the chance to pursue a formal art education, however, I was still passionate about becoming an artist and tried to learn from library books and studying various artists’ works. As time went, I have started a family and whilst bringing it up I have tried to involve myself with art in my spare time creating posters and illustrations, as well as experimenting with a variety of mediums and techniques. There was not as much time as I would have wanted, because I studied and graduated in accountancy and started working soon after. Time flew and the family was grown enough to have some more spare time for myself when in 2011 I thought it was the time to work towards pursuing my dream and passion of painting. It was nicely marked by my family when I was given a big box of art supplies with an endorsement to move forward.
Completing a two year art course at the Art School of Algimantas Raudonikis in Joniskis, Lithuania, my determination only grew stronger and I felt that this was what I always wanted to do. The course was a great boost for me and I have been experimenting by creating facial expressions, portraits, as well as painting landscapes, and I felt like it was an explosion of my feelings, emotions and experiences, after all of that what was held back for years. I have exhibited locally and regionally, then not long after I had my solo exhibition as well. 2014 marked another significant change in my life – I have moved to the UK with my family. It was a new chapter of learning a new culture, settling in it, meeting people and exploring surroundings and little by little I started painting again. I also have started volunteering at Leonard Cheshire disability centre in an art support group, and due to my enthusiasm and passion I eventually became an integral and leading part of the team. It was an invaluable experience, which helped me gain a deeper insight into the people and culture of the UK and witness first-hand the healing and educational power of art. At the same time I also started and still working with an autistic children and young people, who have a different perspective on the world, which can bring a fresh and valuable insight as well as the confirmation that each individual is unique. Art and creativity is an amazing way to help them to express themselves, to become more open to the world and share their way of understanding the environment and people as well as themselves. Their world is different and interesting, it is always something like an exchange – what we give, we get back.
Then another change came over into my life when my husband was diagnosed as severely vision impaired (blind). This only confirmed to me how unpredictable and fragile life can be, and the importance of the moment and living it has become even stronger as well as my passion for painting. The art world can be both inspiring and challenging no less than life itself. Exhibitions, interactions with fellow artists and art enthusiasts, getting feedback gave me insights and vision of future paths. Each piece I create is not just an artwork, but a reflection of my experiences, thoughts, and emotions translated onto the canvas. I am a part-time artist and my dream is to become a full time artist so that I could dedicate much more of my time to create and share my creations. My journey is ongoing, accompanied by continuous learning and developing as an artist and I continue to challenge myself to refine my skills by participating in workshops, art challenges and by practicing on my own.”
What inspires you?
“Nature is perhaps one of the strongest inspiration to me, with its colours, shapes and forms, big skies and wide fields, forests and an individual trees, the smell and sounds, the light and shadows. I see nature being alive, breathing and moving and it gives me the deepest of sensation as I would be a part of it. The concept of a "moment" plays a big role too. Since I was a child I used to stop at these moments and listen, observe and feel, learning, and I am still doing it. Daily life, meeting people, music, travelling, all these things are connected and in one way or another become my moments with my emotions and feelings. Another source of inspiration comes from my husband, from his approach to life, his wondering and believing in a new day as well as helping other vision impaired people to understand that this is not the end, it is just a different, new way of life.”
What themes do you pursue? Is there an underlying message in your work?
““If one truly loves nature one finds beauty everywhere” - this Vincent Van Gogh quote deeply resonates with my understanding and love of nature and people, as well as the relationship between the two. Through my paintings I aim to bring attention to the intricacies of nature, the textures and patterns that often go unnoticed. I want to encourage people to take a moment, pause and reflect on the beauty that is all around us, and to appreciate the simplicity of life. By portraying nature as alive I want to show that we are not separate from the natural world, but rather, intertwined with it in a complex web of relationships, that nature has a spirit, just as humans do. I see a great similarity between nature and people. To me, a forest may look like a crowd of people, big and beautiful family, in which every single tree is a unique individual.”
“ Through my paintings I aim to bring attention to the intricacies of nature, the textures and patterns that often go unnoticed. I want to encourage people to take a moment, pause and reflect on the beauty that is all around us, and to appreciate the simplicity of life.”
How would you describe your work?
“It is my passion for creation, where creation, I believe, is the language that can be understood everywhere. Thus allow me to share my art and through it I want to show the importance of being true to self and an appreciation of moments in life, to enjoy them, to be a child again, to stay curious, to cherish even little things, that actually make up our lives.”
Which artists influence you most?
“Van Gogh - the relationship with nature and the ability to translate it in to his paintings, self-analysis and reflection on his experiences; Oscar-Claude Monet - his love and mastery in rendering the light and colour of nature.”
What is your creative process like?
“My primary medium is oils because of how limitless instrument it can be, and I also enjoy using gouache for small works and sketches as well as for plein-air painting. I usually start studio painting by using my own reference photos, sketches and recreating the memory to decide what way the painting should go. Sometimes, I start painting from underpainting and building it up, but sometimes I like to work spontaneously from the spot, where I cover all the surface with a little mix of a thin paint of several colours and start building it up from there. I try to work with the whole painting rather than with some particular details at a time, because it allows me to see the progress of the scene and to keep myself in the frame of this work. I try to leave the refinement of details for the very end since there is always something that I am seeking to 'loosen up'. I like alla-prima painting which works for me well with a small or medium size paintings. However, for a lager paintings I usually plan in ahead for a few sessions, but my aim is to do the most at the first stage. I use different kind of tools, such a new and old brushes, palette knives, old cards or thick and strong paper and more that allow me to create marks and texture. I also enjoy a plein-air painting, which I find the best way for me to connect with nature as I become fully immersed in the surroundings and observe every small detail. Painting outdoors it is not necessarily to complete the painting, but it is more about the observation and studying while at the place. It allows me to capture the atmosphere, colours, and emotions of a particular place and time that inspired me. I like giving my pictures a contemporary feel by using bright and rich colours, focus on light and dark as well as curious imagery that invites the audience to explore the scene I've created.”
What is an artist’s role in society and how do you see that evolving?
“Artists bring people and community together and make the world go round. With their work they express ideas and emotions that are important to communicate. Artists make better understanding of the world and can inspire change. Their role in society is to give a different perspective and to lead to see the world in different and creative ways. Their work can inspire and provoke thought and emotion, leading to societal change and help to change lives for the better. Within an advancements in technology, globalization, and cultural shifts, artists are able to collaborate across distances, and reach wider audiences which enables them to speak through their art wider and influence more people. Despite all great evolutionary things there are concerns and challenges, first and foremost AI, which allows art to be created faster and in a lager amount of itself, but do we need a mass production? What about human creativity, uniqueness, diversity? What about feelings? AI can only see pixels and bits, but it lacks the soul which has always been artist's best and most precious tool. Additionally, with an evolution there are risks that come along too, such as stolen identity, stolen artworks and use of them under an artist's name.”
Have you had any noteworthy exhibitions you'd like to share?
“The Spotlight Gallery, Newark upon Trent, UK, Pals (my friend and I) joint exhibition “Splashes of Life” in March 2017 which was the first exhibition since I have arrived to UK. I was invited and took part in the exhibition “Six Million White Roses”, November 2022 in Newark upon Trent, United Kingdom, which was dedicated to Holocaust victims. By this exhibition I was assured one more time about how art can unite the people. By Tebbscontemporaryartgallery, Tebbs Art Prize 2023 shortlist exhibition in London, UK, where I won the prize (runner up). It was a meaningful exhibition to me and the received feedback on my paintings of trees was like the reassurance to take this theme further.”
