Congratulations to Nirit Gilad Ovadia for earning her place a Winner in the Boynes Monthly Art Award [June Edition]!

Who are you?

I was born in Haifa, Israel, the same place I live today.

Since I remember myself, I love painting….

I graduated both at the arts high school in my hometown and at "Wizo academic center, Haifa" following 4 years of studies in graphic design. Throughout my career, I took part in drawing and painting workshops with world-class artists.

During my years of artistic activity, I have developed my own unique painting technique, which I also use to teach in workshops.

My painting style is hyper-realistic and expressive. I harness hyper-realism in favor of expressionism. The two channels intertwine and merge, and through them I manage to translate into painting the ideas that come to my mind. My painting is implemented by multiple delicate layers. Each layer in the process enriches the painting with an extra dimension of realism. As the process progresses, I intensify effects of light and shadow and move into more detail of material properties and textures. I progress in the process while constantly striving to see hyper-realism as a powerful means, through which I can produce and paint an illusion of a reality that is renewed and emerges as my soul desires. Focusing on the small details enables me to "accurately" communicate my personal experience.

I like to paint nature and landscape, yet the "human landscape" mostly fascinates me. I see the portrait as a window into the depths of the human's inner world...

I believe that art can serve as a powerful tool in conveying messages and raising awareness of important issues, and I promote the idea of harnessing it for humanitarian and meaningful purposes. Throughout my artistic path I have participated in various volunteering projects, and even initiated and led projects of this kind.

What inspired you to utilize drawing as a medium?

I like painting with oil paints, but I have a special love for drawing. In the process of black and white drawing, I see in my imagination a palette full of different shades on the scale between black and white. My ambition is to enrich the painting with a rainbow of grays, which will be able to represent both warm and cold colors that exist in the original image. I love the inherent power of monochromaticity, which draws attention to the essence of the idea, creates focus in composition and technique, and enhances expressiveness....

How would you describe your work?

Whether I paint with oil colors, or pencils, my painting is composed of many fine layers. Each layer in the process provides the painting with an extra dimension of realism. As the process continues, from one delicate layer to another, I intensify the effects of lights and shadows and go deeper into the details of material properties and textures. Each completed layer covers the surface of the previous one, conceals it, and makes it invisible. Although the first layers of the painting are hidden, they form the basis for the evolving painting, up to the same layer that seals the painting as it is presented to the viewer.

This is a creation of a gradually built illusion, a painted illusion of a reality that is renewed from my personal viewpoint and inner layers…

But my artwork is far beyond technique, skill and many hours spent in the painting process. My artwork is also much more than a product of many layers. My artwork is a product of feelings and emotions which are hidden in the depths of my soul, and every part of it represents my emotional experience at the unique moment I painted.

Each of my artworks stores within it – both the layers on canvas or paper and the layers in my soul .... as if it shares a secret….

Can you discuss the inspiration and thought process behind your winning work?

This self-portrait is about freedom, and that's also the name I chose for it. I believe in the famous statement of Jean-Jacques Rousseau - "Man is born free, and everywhere he is in chains". Sometimes, the real chains are the ones we create for ourselves, those who block us, not allowing us to express our ambitions, our dreams....

The hair in my self-portrait drawing is a symbol of breaking the boundaries of the self.... My passion for painting has existed since I was a little girl. I continued to paint in the arts' high school where I studied, and later also during my academic studies, but then I "imprisoned" it inside me for years, until I gave it free rein and allowed it to break out again....

From a technical point of view, it was a particularly challenging process, in which beyond dealing with the complex structure of the curls, the issue of the powerful back movement of the hair also came into play. In addition, there was also the special lighting that created shadows and powerful light projections in different areas, which required me to pay special attention in the process of creating the volume effect. I created this drawing in "patches" that coalesced into one complete picture as the drawing process progressed. Looking back, beyond the technical challenge that each part of the painting represents for me, I also see them as a collection of complex experiences that

I went through that period. Those experiences gave the idea of freedom that the painting expresses additional validity.

Can you walk us through the technical steps of creating your winning work?

I believe that in order to achieve a winning artwork, we need a combination of skill acquired through long working hours and the passion for painting. When these two conditions are met, the flow in the drawing process occurs.

The first stage of each of my paintings is researching... I study the material, the anatomy, or the structure of the painted object, and try to decipher representations of light and shadow.

In the winning painting "Freedom" I explored and learned throughout the process of painting, the complexity of the structure of curls. In the more advanced stages, I started to "invent" curls and draw their complexity from my imagination. The structure, volume, light and shadow were built based on the understanding I acquired within the process. This is also the most enjoyable stage for me, where the drawing takes on another dimension beyond the technical one.

What do you hope to communicate to an audience with your work?

I would love to know that my artwork produces emotions in the audience viewing it. I'll be delighted to know that there is a crossover between my individual thinking behind my artwork and the feelings it evokes in the viewers, but at the same time a personal interpretation is created according to the personal experience of each of the viewers. For me, a successful artwork is an artwork that continues to resonate beyond the moment when the exposure to the artwork was actually occurring.

Can you talk about your biggest learning experience during the process of creating your work?

I am a perfectionist to the extreme... This is a character trait that has always made me strive to reach the highest level without giving up. Because of the difficulty of dealing with situations where I was unable to achieve the result I was aiming for, I left behind artworks in an unfinished state. Over time I learned that in every creative process there are frustrating stages where I am not satisfied with the result, and the right thing to do is to move forward in the process while striving to face the challenges that await in the continuation of the path in a more successful way. Through the experience I acquired over the years, I learned that at the end of the journey, that "unsuccessful" part becomes minor and meaningless within the complete work, and sometimes it even becomes my favorite part...

Can you discuss your biggest success since starting your artistic journey?

For me, the greatest success in my artistic path is an exhibition which I curated as the culmination of a project I initiated and called "Road Story". It was an exciting project in which artists have created artworks inspired by the stories of car accident victims, following an introduction I made between artists and victims or their relatives. I personally participated in this exhibition through two paintings. The success here was not reflected through any award or reward. The success for me is the way I was able to convey an important message through a powerful art project where a great pain was translated into a collection of exciting artworks.

Can you give us a piece of advice you wish you had known at the start of your career?

I would have been happy to receive at the beginning of my artistic journey the advice to listen more to my inner voice and less to the voices of different people who tried to help me navigate my path forward and influence my choices. During my current state, I believe that it is of great significance for each artist to turn the spotlight on creating art he truly connects with and not let other considerations become disturbing noises. This is of great importance in fueling the artist's passion and maximizing his creative potential.

What projects are you working on currently?

I'm currently working mainly on a very complex drawing of one of my daughters with forest vegetation in the background. After the idea for the painting was born and I saw in my imagination what I was looking for, I chose the clothes and accessories that seemed to match my idea. After choosing the wooded area to be used as a setting, several series of photographs were taken. Beyond my daughter's poses, my main reference during the photo shoots was the light and shadow conditions. The next step in the process was the selection of several photographs which I created a combination of. It was important to me that my reference image for the painting would have the position of the hands that I wanted, the angle of the head, and the exact sunlight fall. Since I don't feel "committed" to the reference photo, it was clear to me that facial expression is already a subject that I will work on independently in order to produce a different expression from those in the photographs. I knew that my goal was to give the character in the painting a dreamy expression that also has an element of mystery and a hidden secret. After checking the degree of contrast and the intensity of the shading in which I am interested, I approached the stage of choosing the paper and pencils that would seem to me to be the most compatible for working on this painting. In this technical phase, as always, I made different and varied attempts to reach the decision of how I set out and started the "real thing". I

I have been working for many hours on this challenging painting and the path to my destination is still very long... I invest a lot of time in the small details which, in my opinion, are the ones that ultimately give the painting its uniqueness. Like a special spice that turns the stew into a luxurious dish. I enjoy every moment in my process...

What is your dream project or piece you hope to accomplish?

My dream is to create an especially large painting... This is very challenging since my painting style involves many delicate layers and processing of fine details which derive a need for many working hours...

As a winner, do you have any advice for artists who want to submit to awards, competitions, residencies, etc.?

My advice to artists who make submissions for awards and art projects, is to avoid thinking about what would be perceived as popular, rather than choose those artworks that can be distinguished by their personal stamp, those artworks that best represent their personal and unique artistic style.

Lastly, I like to ask everyone what advice they would give to their fellow artists, what is your advice?

My advice to artists is to constantly imagine the final result in front of their eyes. I equate this to goals from other worlds that also motivate us to face the challenging path. One year back a volcano erupted in Iceland just as my husband and I were visiting this special island. When the road was opened for travelers, we decided not to give up the opportunity to climb the volcano in order to witness the rare spectacular sight. The climb involved a steep ascent, climbing boulders and hostile weather that included rain and wind slapping our faces. The image of the erupting volcano that awaited us at the final point is what triggered our desire to continue and advance towards the final goal. This unforgettable experience reminds me every time anew of the need to let the target image accompany us in the art world as well...

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