Interview
Sandra Chiocchetti
Sandra Chiocchetti is a sketch artist, course instructor and author. She is also involved in brand design and she is an advertising professional. She lives and works on the edge of the forest in Zollikerberg, Switzerland with her husband, her dachshund dog and 42 hats! Her art immerses the viewer in the beauty of a special world. Her work keeps in close contact with fascinating animal personalities and with an aura that touches and moves. It is as if one is personally very close to the animal.
"Drawing animals correctly is one thing. To feel the essence while looking at them is entirely mine."
What is your background and how did you start your journey in the art world?
“I was born with an affinity and enthusiasm for animals. Just like the urge to draw. I grew up in Switzerland. There were no support programs for artists there when I was young. So, I experimented with almost all techniques myself. A lot can be achieved with will and diligence. My ability to draw and sketch brought me professionally into the advertising industry. My reduced, quick stroke and my good imagination were in demand. A unique selling point that the computer displaced almost overnight. This made room for my fascination with putting animal personalities on paper in a pointed way.”
What inspires you?
“The more I occupy myself with the wild beauty of the animal world, the more fascinated I am by its incredible diversity. Animals inspire me. After all, we share the sky, the earth and the water with them. We breathe the same air. And they are what make this planet worth living on. Here's a figure: there are about 5,600 species of mammals in the world. Humans are one of them. Sometimes we shouldn't take ourselves so seriously!”
What themes do you pursue? Is there an underlying message in your work?
“There is still so much to discover in the animal world. I always inform myself about every species I draw. About their nature, their habitat, their behaviour up to their character. In addition, I am interested in the personality that the animals definitely have. They can't speak, but their eyes have a lot to tell us. My works are about appreciating a most fascinating animal world. Being at eye level with another species. In the here and now. Yes, animals do us good and they deserve our respect. More than ever. Animals raise or lower our heartbeat. They inspire us. They are better than us in so many ways. An animal picture on the wall creates a completely different, pleasant aura in the room. It acts like a magnet and does our soul good.”
“The more I occupy myself with the wild beauty of the animal world, the more fascinated I am by its incredible diversity.”
How would you describe your work?
“Living realism probably comes closest to describing my style. In fact, my art does not fit into any common category. It is a very unique style with a technique that I have developed over the years. Some animals stand out, others merge with the surroundings. It is important to me to capture the essence and to interpret it in a harmonious, reduced and modern way.”
Which artists influence you most?
“The animal painter, Fritz Hug, had a great influence on me. He kindled a fire in me for animal painting. I would have liked to have met him personally. Unfortunately, he died too early. Of course, I go through the art world with my eyes open, from fine to abstract art.”
What is your creative process like?
“I have to feel my way into an animal before I apply the first stroke. Because with my technique there is no possibility of retouching. Everything that is on the paper, remains. One wrong stroke and I have to start again. I also work without brushes. My works are a wild and tame composition - partly fleeting, since animals are always in motion anyway. Whereby, aesthetics always play an important role for me. And of course, the eyes and the gaze: the window into the soul. In a nutshell, my art is like ballet - it's about grace, it looks effortlessly simple, but it's not easy. It's an experience that all my course participants have.”
What is an artist’s role in society and how do you see that evolving?
“Art connects people of all ages and from all walks of life. But AI will radically change the meaning of the artist. Whether positively or negatively, only the future will show. I am sceptical.”
Have you had any noteworthy exhibitions you'd like to share?
“It is a special kind of exhibition with evolutionary artworks. Every visit is different. You never know what you will discover. I would like to motivate everyone to go to the zoo or animal park again and be inspired and surprised by the living artworks from the animal world. It moves and touches - and is good for the soul.”
Website: www.skizzenkunst.ch
Instagram: @chiosketch
