Interview: Victoria Scotti
Victoria Scotti (b. 1978) is a contemporary Estonian-born artist now living with her family in Valencia, Spain where she is planning an art exhibition for fall 2017. Besides being a gifted artist Victoria is an art therapist (PhD), independent arts-based researcher and a lecturer.
At what age did you become interested in art?
VS: I have been interested in art since I was a child: I enjoyed drawing plants and portraits. While in school, I took art classes. I grew up in Estonia, and at that time there was a lot of emphasis on academic drawing, and I had some great teachers. Later I proceeded to explore different aspects of the art world within formal education and on my own.
Did you receive a formal art education or are you mainly self-taught?
VS: I am an art therapist by training, I have a Master´s degree from School of Visual Arts in New York, and recently I earned my PhD in art therapy from Drexel University (Philadelphia, USA). Previously, I had also studied photography and studio art. Through my training, I have explored a wide range of materials but it was only recently that I re-discovered the humble materials of pencil and paper, and the endless possibilities of expression that can be achieved through drawing. I mainly work in graphite, charcoal, and ink, and always on paper.
Can you describe your process. Do you draw from life or use photo references and how long does your process usually take?
VS: I draw both from life and from the photos, they are such different processes. The horse drawings, specifically, I draw from photos. I find that a good reference photo is very important, and I prefer to take my own reference photos whenever possible. My process is slow. I work very methodically and in great detail. I start out my outlining a sketch, then proceed to building layers and creating texture. It´s a slow process and it usually takes me a week to finish a smallish drawing, 2 weeks for a larger one. Sometimes people wonder how I have the patience but making tiny pencil marks on paper over and over is actually very meditative.
Where do you get your inspiration from? Who influences or has influenced you in the past?
VS: My biggest inspiration are the horses that I draw, both because of their physical form but also the emotional connection that I feel with them. My 8-year old daughter is an aspiring rider and since I spend a lot of time at the stables with her, I have come to really enjoy spending time with the horses there. At first, I used to just observe and interact with them, but as I became more comfortable, I started taking them out for walks, feeding them etc. This allowed me to get really close to them. I live in a city, and I feel that there are fewer opportunities these days for people to have contact with animals and the nature. However, this is very therapeutic and brings me a lot of joy. I hope that through my drawings the viewers can (re)experience some of this connection.
Finally, what sort of art do you enjoy personally?
VS: I enjoy all sorts of art: paintings, illustrations, collages. My biggest love and admiration are drawings: both realistic and abstract ones. My favorite subjects are children, horses, and plants. There are so many artists that I admire! An amazing artist who creates a sort of a magical realism in his children´s portraits is Volkano. I also really admire the skill and talent of an Estonian-born abstract artist Jaanika Peerna. I am also inspired by the illustrations who use drawing as the base of their work, such as Gabriel Moreno, Ana Santos, and Paula Bonnet. I admire large scale drawings, and I aspire to develop that aspect in my own work.
Joyce Ter Horst
Paard Verzameld Gallery
info@paardverzameld.com
Artwork used with kind permission of the artist, Victoria Scotti. All rights reserved. Copyright ©2016-2021 by Joyce Ter Horst | Paard Verzameld.
