1. Cinzia, have you always wanted to be an artist?
Not really, it happened for fun in 2009. I had a small child and I was very often in the parks with him and I got the inspiration from nature.
I remember buying my very first canvas and I painted the flower that I saw the previous day.
However, I always saw myself as an artist because ART has many aspects and I felt it everywhere especially in Nature.
2. You specialise in floral and modern paintings, has this always been your style of choice and if so why?
Not always; I have been inspired by other cultures like African women. I always saw them as a symbol of beauty and strength so I wanted to commemorate their garments and tradition on a canvas.
3. How would you describe your creative process?
My creativity comes from an extreme need to surround myself with beauty and colours; given that nowadays sadness and dullness prevail everywhere.
Also, this is a desire to look for my own path where I would be able to express myself 100%. I can only do that with painting. Nature makes me feel good and changes all the time the way I see life.
4. Where do you seek inspiration?
The most important place is my imagination; I learn a lot from flowers and I can’t do without them especially at home. They feed my fantasy and stimulate my creativity.
5. What does a typical day looks like for you?
I am a very busy woman even if my son is a teenager; he needs my presence and support. He is not only a student but also a footballer at Crystal Palace for the U16s; my life is first, all around his and then my social and artistic one.
6. Which artists, living or deceased most inspire/influence your work?
Georgia O’Keeffe – Vincent van Gogh – Henri Fantin-Latour
7. Do you like to listen to music when you create, if so, what sort of music do you listen to?
One of my favourite artists is Ryuichi Sakamoto but any kind of good Jazz and Blues inspire me the most and it’s also in connection with my art.
8. If you had one piece of advice for someone seeking a career in Art what would it be?
Be consistent and don’t get carried away by everyday life; believe in yourself as an artist and focus on your growth. Even if sometimes it doesn’t look like what we thought, with perseverance the outcome is always great.
9. If you had a diner party and could invite 3 guests, living or deceased who would they be and why?
Billie Holiday, I love everything about her I have been always fascinated by her life both as a woman and as an artist. I would make her sing for me just to hear her unique and unrepeatable voice.
Van Gogh, because I always wondered what he had so lacerating in his soul. I’d like to hear it from him. I would have loved him painting one of his works for me.
Akira Kurosawa: He is one of my best film directors.
10. What does the future look like for you?
I just want to be surrounded by my grandchildren in a large house full of greenery and teach them to paint, then travel and visit places around the world where I’ve never been.
View Cinzia’s full gallery.
