La prima volta che ho visto un’illustrazione di Gemma Capdevila è stato su Pinterest, ho postato un suo lavoro nella mia board di illustrazione e lei lo ha commentato. Così è iniziato l’articolo che stai per leggere: un pò di ricerca e qualche scambio di mail ed ecco finalmente l’intervista in esclusiva ad una giovane illustratrice che merita di essere letta e osservata con molta attenzione.
Queste fantastiche illustrazioni all’acquarello e matite colorate hanno catturato subito la mia attenzione.
Un pò perchè sono sempre stata un’amante del blu e un pò perchè l’acquarello ha sempre un posto riservato nelle mie preferenze. Riesci ad immaginare cosa vuol dire scoprire un’artista che unisce le mie passioni e che è anche disponibile a “chiaccherare”?
Gemma Capdevila è una giovane illustratrice (1988) freelance che vive e lavora in Spagna, per la precisione in Catalogna e per essere ancora più precisi nella meravigliosa e soleggiata Barcellona, e crea illustrazioni per tutte le età assolutamente magiche e sognanti, romantiche e fortemente ispirate al mondo marino con una vera e propria passione per le sirene.
Intervista a Gemma Capdevila
Q: Ciao Gemma, thanks for accepting the interview and being kind enough to answer my questions. Tell us something about yourself.
A: I’m an children, young and adult illustrator. I have some published books and made several exhibitions. I love to go to concerts and draw what music makes me feel.
Q: Which media you use to create your illustrations?
A: I normally work with watercolor, pencil, ink and collage.
Q: You are a true lover of blue! Why you often use this color? It comes to an artistic choice or this color has a special meaning for you?
A: I’m not sure. Actually, I didn’t realize I used it since somebody told me that he did recognise an illustration as mine because of the blue. I cannot remember the day I decided to use blue more than other colors. I bought a watercolor case, many years ago, and the first color to get finished was blue. Then, other colors were gone too, and some of them just stayed there. So I decided to replace these colors with blue. Now, I have 9 different blues in my case!
Q: Your site is really full of fantastic illustrations, I personally can not choose my favorite. But what is the illustration that you’re more connected?
A: I’m specially connect with the illustrations where a mermaid appears. She is like a mother that protects the ocean. But she can also be a furious best when somebody destroys what she loves. She guides sailors to the right port but can sink a transatlantic if she wants to.
Q: If you could choose between an infinite number of books to illustrate which would you choose and why?
A: Some story about the sea, sailors, islands, monsters, lighthouses, mountains and clouds. Is there a book about it? I don’t know, lot of good books have precious illustrations. I’m not sure if I would make better a book that already have its images.
Q: What are your points of reference? What artists or illustrators are a source of inspiration?
A: There are so many of them! I’m really in love with the art of a lot of illustrators. But probably, some of my favorites would be Shaun Tan, Zuzana Celej, Geninne, Guim Tió, Patricia Metola, Elena Odriozola, Jorge González… It’s an infinite list of artists I love.
Q: I saw on your website that you have written a book for children, where did you find the inspiration to tell a children’s story?
A: In children. I work with children and for children. I give art classes in a school and kids are my best inspiration. Things they think and draw, what they say or the believe in are amazing and beautiful.
Q: Do you prefer illustrate or write?
A: I’d like to do both things in my next projects. I have some ideas for new books. I wish I can see them published!
Q: What is your favorite bedtime story?
A: One of my favorites books is Where the Wild Things Are, a classic one, by Maurice Sendak.
Q: What are you working on now?
A: I just finished a school book and now I’m working on my art degree final project. It’s a theatre book. And when I’m done with it, I’d like to write and illustrate my own stories.
Q: I would like to close this interview with you some helpful advice: if you had to talk to a girl who wants to be an illustrator, what advice would you give to?
A: Just believe you can get it and work hard for it. Sometimes we get amazing things because we didn’t know they were impossible.
Ecco gli indirizzi dove puoi trovare tutte le opere di Gemma Capdevila: Facebook official page / Instagram / Sito web.
Intervista illuminante ! Le sue illustrazioni sono splendide. Mi è piaciuto tutto, il suo lavoro e l’intervista. :)