DPW Spotlight Interview: Aniko Hencz

Each week we will spotlight a different DPW artist who will give away one of their best paintings. To enter to win Aniko's painting "Autumn Flowers" go to Daily Paintworks and click on the link at the top of the page announcing their interview.

From Aniko's DPW Gallery Page:

I am a Hungarian artist living and working in Budapest. I have been drawing and painting ever since I could hold a pencil in my hand... Most of my works are inspired by nature and personal feelings which end in abstract or conceptual paintings and drawings - it all depends on my mood. My favorite technique is watercolor and oil, but I also like to paint with acrylics and create ink drawings. My artworks are sold all over the world and I am glad to have happy customers from Europe to the United States and Australia.

Tell us a bit about how you first started painting.

I can’t recall the day I created my first painting… it was long ago, when I was in the kindergarten. That was the first time I was painting with watercolor. I can’t remember the subject, only that endless satisfaction and excitement that surrounded me while painting. I still feel it every time I finish a painting. Later on, in art school, I learned to draw and paint in several techniques with mediums like oil, gouache, charcoal and tempera. I had excellent teachers who taught me the basics.

Did you have any stops and starts in your painting career?

Yes, I did. After school I departed from art and studied at the Geography-English University, where of course I was also drawing during some boring classes. In my thirties I learned computer graphics and made digital paintings and web pages for some years. It was a kind of approach to art, but not particularly to traditional painting. I also made beaded and wire wrapped jewelry while started painting seriously again just a couple of years ago. I do not intend to stop painting any more!

Autumn Flowers
(click to view)

Enter to win by clicking on the link at the top of the DPW home page announcing Aniko's interview.

What mediums and genres have you experimented with?

I like to experiment with mediums. I sometimes combine them, or try new ways for using them. I love to break the rules and mix them in my own way. My favorites are semi-abstract, abstract and cubist style, but I love the clear lines for ink drawings. I love to draw and paint trees, woods and abstract landscapes because their endless variety.

Which ones have "stuck" and which ones have fallen away?

During the years I painted portraits, still life and landscapes as well. I gave up charcoal and pastels, but stuck with watercolor, oil, ink and acrylics. Sometimes my mood, other times the theme is what determines the medium I work with on a day. I do not paint portraits any more, but landscapes and nature in any form and style are my favorite.

The Stone Bridge
(click to view)

Which ones are you looking forward to exploring?

I am interested in making semi-abstract and abstract landscapes with oil, so I am sure this is the area I’d like to explore some more.

Who or what inspires you most?

I love many painters and styles like Hieronymus Bosch, Sándorfi István, Hundertwasser, Cezanne, Klimt - just to mention a few artists, but nature inspires me the most. I have a passionate love for landscapes and trees, and I can not hold back myself from painting houses, too. A group of trees or houses, their interesting angles and colors are also great inspiration for me.

The Lavender Field
(click to view)

What does procrastination look like for you?

Drinking my coffee in the morning while hanging out on social media… I spend too much time posting and advertising, but that’s a "necessary bad" these days, or I am buried without notice in the cyber space.

What techniques work to ensure that you make time for your art?

As my studio is at home, I must be very strict with myself to not let everyday tasks distract me from creating art! For me, ideas come mostly in the afternoon or in the evening. This is the time I make sketches or develop my ideas in my mind and I put them on the paper or canvas next day.

The Smoke
(click to view)

How do you generally arrive at ideas for your paintings?

I usually see something on the street, a photo on the internet or just walk out in the garden… Anything around me can be inspirational, a spot of colors, an interesting detail of a street, the light and shadow over the grass, through the trees – anything.

How do you keep art "fresh?" What techniques have helped you avoid burnout and keep your work vibrant and engaging?

On some days I paint with oil, other days with watercolor or make only ink drawings. I do not force painting when I am not in the mood of doing it. I better go and make some jewelry. As soon as I don’t feel the pressure of the "must" paint, ideas are popping up again. Shortly, when I paint, my mind is creating pendants, when I make jewelry, my mind is painting. Sometimes I do nothing, just meet my friends or take my doggy for a walk.

Autumn Trees 6
(click to view)

What do you feel you are learning about right now as an artist?

Perseverance, patience and tenacity. The idea that good work takes time and I cannot make everything at once… just one at a time.

What makes you happiest about your art?

I think success is the greatest happiness for any artist. I feel happy when I am pleased with the painting or drawing I just created and of course a great feedback from my buyers after a sale makes me even more happy! I think there is no greater happiness than satisfied customers or kind words.

Thanks, Aniko!

© 2018 Sophie Marine