MONICA ESGUEVA: IS OUR FEATURED GUEST ARTIST ON - 'WORLD FAMOUS ON ARTERNET ART'
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| 'Planetary Ascension' - Monica Esgueva |
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| Monica Esgueva |
Mónica has lived in London, Paris, Tanzania, and India. She is a Visionary artist now based in Madrid, Spain. Her art career started as a child, so to speak. Her talent was innate, although later on she took courses at Paris École des Beaux Arts and studied with renowned painters in France. Monica started exhibiting her paintings when she was very young, and her artwork has been shown in exhibitions in the United States, Holland, Great Britain, France, Costa Rica, Italy, Greece and Spain.
Mónica: It's been a long and windy path. Painting
has been part of my life since I was very young. I actually started exhibiting
already as a teenager. However, at some point, I was called to take a long pause
in order to write and publish 8 books. That gave me the opportunity to grow as
a person and as an artist, and I resumed my career as a painter with more
enthusiasm, depth, maturity and freedom.
ArterNet Art: 8 Books, I must say Monica, that is impressive! Have you had to overcome any
difficulties or major hurdles on your journey to becoming the successful,
established artist we see today?
Mónica: Yes, indeed. Every artist's career spans over many years, and it is a marathon rather than a sprint, and you need to have a lot of perseverance and faith.
One of the greatest difficulties has been learning not to let the ups and downs of the business aspect of the art world affect my confidence in my work. It is very hard when sales are low, or the economy is slow, to not tell yourself that others are not interested in what you do. It is also very challenging being a self-representing artist.
Remaining true to myself and never giving up
has
proved to be very helpful to overcome those hurdles.
ArterNet Art: A very inspirational piece of advice to all artists to remember this when the chips are down! So what or who were your
early influences?
Mónica: I could say that some of my greatest influences have been El Greco and Carl David Friedrich. I enjoy their meditative, spiritual approach to creating art. El Greco’s unique, romantic and awe-inspiring works have influenced a great number of painters over the past five centuries. In essence, he rejected the established perceptions of what art should be, and no other artist living at his time had dared to do that.
Writers, artists and critics realized in El Greco a gifted, misunderstood soul
who created great art which was in a style before his time, only a couple of
centuries after his death. He was definitely a brilliant, visionary master of
oil painting.
Friedrich's moody landscapes, which often thrust us into
the wilds of nature, create an emotional connection with the viewer rather than
a more literal interaction with the scene. This integration of spiritual
significance with landscape painting reached my heart. His work never simply
replicated a view, but rather provided an opportunity to contemplate God's
presence in the world. Friedrich encouraged the viewer to accept the awesome
power of nature as evidence of a divine spirit.
I also admired Van Gogh when I started painting as a
child. His use of color and emotion meant a great deal to me, and it made me
understand that we could express what we wanted through art. That was quite a
discovery for me when I was eight years old, and I started copying his
masterpieces.
Gustav Klimt also influenced my art at an early
stage. I love his use of color and how he was able to achieve a loosening of
naturalism, in favor of a personal symbolic language suggesting the workings of
the unconscious mind, forcing you to hold your gaze, making you admire the
aesthetic qualities of his paintings while trying to discern what's beyond its
superficial aspects.
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| 'The End of the World' |
ArterNet Art: Tell us about the medium you
have chosen to work with and what was it that attracted you to use it?
Mónica: I used to paint both with oils and acrylics. Later
on, I decided to use only acrylics as they allow less dry time, and they are
much easier to clean. I also started using watercolors a few years ago, which
allows me to take them with me when I travel around the world.
ArterNet Art: Do you have a daily routine? Has
it always been this way and can you tell our readers how your day looks?
Mónica: I tend to get up pretty early, around 6.30 am. After reading my emails and the alternative news, I have my morning meditation to connect with the inner light that will help my creativity and my balance throughout the day. After that, I go to my atelier, which is at home. I work there for a few hours, usually until lunch around 2 pm.
In the afternoons I try to keep up with the administrative chores: Taking and editing photos, updating my website, social media, packing paintings, inventory management, communicating with galleries, bookkeeping and so on.
At the end of the day I like having a
walk in the nearby countryside with my husband, contemplating the trees and
plants in silence, and being grateful for all my blessings.
ArterNet Art: Sounds like a perfectly balanced day. It's always interesting to see
how other artists work. Can you share some insights into your process from
conception to creation.
Mónica: Usually, during meditation, there are images
that pop up in my mind that I want to express as paintings. It takes a while to
express them as artwork. I tend to start with some sketches to clarify the
process, and then I take it to the canvas, working on different layers.
Choosing to challenge myself instead of repeating a certain theme or technique,
is tiring and at the same time also exhilarating because of that!
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| Moving Forward. Step One |
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| Moving Forward. Step Two |
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| Moving Forward. Step Three |
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| Moving Forward. Step Four |
4 images to show the process of Moving Forward. 90 x 60 cm
ArterNet Art: Thanks for sharing the process. I loved how that particular piece evolved. How has your work developed since you began and how do you see it evolving in the future?
Mónica: Oh, yes. When I started exhibiting as a teenager,
I was into portraits. Then I painted close-up flowers for many years. After the
pause I took to write my books, I have been most interested in depicting
subtle mystic states that reveal our unity with all beings and things and
transcend conventional time and space. My challenge now is manifesting my
visions of the beyond within as works of art.
ArterNet Art: Is there anything in particular that
inspires you to create art?
Mónica: My passion involves philosophical questions about consciousness, the mystical experience, reaching inner peace and harmony; guiding people on their own path of evolution by helping them overcome their suffering and becoming their own inner strength; and how to become a lighthouse in a world with so much darkness.
ArterNet Art: How have you and your art
business been impacted by Covid-19? Has much changed since that time?
Mónica: It was the time when I decided it was time to
resume my painting career and I fully focused on it again. I built my art studio
in my new house, started dedicating more than 8 hours a day to painting, and
taking all the necessary steps to be out there such as building a website and
starting an Instagram account for my art.
I think it has changed the dynamics of art distribution.
Although it has been changing progressively, it really pushed the tide. I
reckon this makes it easier for artists to reach an audience without always
having to go through the traditional galleries that tend to be reluctant, to
say the least, to give an opportunity to emergent artists or those who do not
follow the current trends.
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ArterNet Art: What has been your favourite or most memorable
art sale?
Mónica: One day, a family that I knew came to visit Madrid from overseas; it was the first time for the children. As the whole family loves culture and art, they had guided visits to the main art museums: the Prado, the Queen Sofia of Modern Art, and the Thyssen-Bornemisza. Afterwards, we arranged for a visit to my studio.
They came to pick up one painting they
had bought over the internet. The whole family loved the opportunity to
appreciate the paintings in person, and they decided to buy two more and take
them home that day. The children were so inspired by my artworks that when they
were asked which one was their favorite museum in Madrid, they answered: “The
Esgueva museum!”.
I have very fond memories of that day!
ArterNet Art: Well done, Monica. Going back to when you first
started out and knowing what you know now, what would you do differently and
what advice would you give to an aspiring new artist?
Mónica: Income can be a factor if you do not have a varied
and solid source of jobs. Every artist wants to be successful and make a decent
living, but every artist also wants their work to be shared. There is a
delicate balance to be maintained between being able to have the freedom to
create whatever you want and still being able to take care of yourself and your
family.
I dream of a time when artists can concentrate on their
creative pursuits without having to worry about how to pay the bills.
ArterNet Art: Also for our new artists, can you
share some tips on how you marketed yourself, when you first started out. What
are one or two things you tried that worked amazingly well?
Mónica: Having a good and professional website is a must.
It is your presentation card in the world for galleries and potential clients
alike. That was my first investment.
In the beginning, it was very important for me to get the
word out, to show friends and acquaintances my artwork and how committed I was
to it. In my case, it was crucial, because many understood the spiritual
motivation and message behind it. Being truly touched by it, quite a few decided to purchase my paintings. That gave me a lot of confidence to continue!
ArterNet Art: What plans and goals do you have for
the future, both creatively and personally? Then ultimately, if all the stars
aligned, what do you see as your end game? ( I know, most people get
taken aback when they are confronted with this question, but I believe it's one
we should all think about at some stage)
Mónica: I am an artist with two bodies of work: my paintings and my writings. Therefore, I see myself continuing to use these two mediums to anchor and spread the light around the world.
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ArterNet Art: Tell us about any hobbies you
may have, sports or interests other than art?
Mónica: Having travelled extensively to 115 countries, when I am at home I appreciate having a tranquil life. Having cut a lot of social interaction in the city and friendships that are not truly enriching, I prefer spending quiet time with my beloved husband, walking in nature, meditating and contemplating, reading inspiring spiritual books, and just be as opposed to always needing to do things.
ArterNet Art: Do you have any daily quotes you live by or practice?
Mónica: As a teacher and long-term mindfulness practitioner, I have learned to live in the present. Of course, we all have challenges to face,
'but the essential key to living in peace and living joyfully -
is to detach from the results of your goals.
The most important thing is the process and
the person you become on the way to your objectives.'
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ArterNet Art: Thank you for taking the time for us, Monica. It's been a pleasure to learn about you and your art practice. I know artists of all levels will glean some valuable insights and will be inspired by your words of wisdom - which they can incorporate into their daily art practice also.
Find out more about Monica, and her work on her website and follow her on Instagram:
Website: https://monicaesguevaart.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/monicaesgueva.art/
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| Time Wormhole |
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To be a featured guest artist on
'World Famous on ArterNet Art' :
Apply by sending in a submission -
or you can be nominated, or you are invited by ANA.
Send your submission or if you know of a worthy artist email: info@arternetart.com
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