This week, I am delighted to welcome Corinna Kaspar to my interview. Corinna is the creative force behind the Fairies & Tales Atelier, where she combines classical art with digital design.
For over ten years, she has been exploring traditional arts and, in the past five years, has expanded her skills in various digital design disciplines. Her works, whether graphic designs or classical art, are inspired by the magical atmosphere of her surroundings and aim to bring her clients' dreams and visions to life.
What is your name?
My name is Corinna Kaspar
Where do you live?
I live near Lake Ammer in the beautiful region of Bavaria :)
What kind of art/creativity do you mainly do? (Painting, sculpture, photography, digital design, etc.)
I’m more of a chameleon type, haha. I can never fully decide on one thing. For example, I began with classical painting, but over time, I wanted to try out more media, techniques, etc., and I simply love switching things up and changing my perspective. That’s why I became self-employed as both an artist and a designer. For my creativity, I need variety; I don’t want to just paint acrylic portraits all the time, just because that’s how I started maybe 10 years ago.
Have you had any formal training, or are you self-taught?
I would say it’s a bit of both. I taught myself painting in a more autodidactic way, not by studying textbooks, but by intuitively experimenting. So, it was very much learning by doing :) However, I also took part in private painting courses with artists to learn certain things from professionals.
As for the design field, I received formal training. It all started after I finished secondary school and decided to pursue my technical college certificate in design. While others had business studies, I had art history and design as subjects. After that, I became fully committed to the modern-tech side of design and did my bachelor's degree in Digital Film Design – Animation & VFX, which was quite a drastic change, haha.
As if that wasn't enough variety, I also completed further training last year to become a certified graphic designer through an online distance learning course. So, I’d say it’s a good mix of everything.
Where can people see your work? Do you have a website or social media profiles you would like to share?
Of course!
I have my website and then, of course, social media under @fairiesandtales_atelier, and if you're interested in my early works, you can find them under @c.c.kaspar.
That's a good question. Honestly, I'm not really sure. I can't remember a time when I wasn't involved with art. Even in kindergarten, I always said I wanted to be an artist. Art and creativity are such integral parts of my personality that they can't be separated. In my case, I think it wasn’t a decision but simply a fact. At this point, I also have to thank my parents, who always accepted and supported this madness; without their support, none of this would have been possible.
I think that's a classic answer, but it is absolutely and 100% true. Life, my friends and family, and everything that happens in the world. Also, the openness that my generation now can and wants to live, the way we deal with our own problems, and everything that makes up life.
Oh yes, far too many, haha. At the beginning, there are, of course, the greats of the Renaissance, like Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Michelangelo, etc., but I am also fascinated by Impressionism and Expressionism.
However, the works of Van Gogh have accompanied me the longest; they have fascinated me since childhood, and as I grew older, Frida Kahlo also became a significant inspiration for me. I must say that it is often the lives of these past artists, as well as their ways of thinking and approaches to the subject of art, that inspire me the most.
My creative process is probably a big creative chaos for many. I usually have my ideas directly in my head and then try to get everything onto the canvas with the brush and suitable references from the internet, just as I see it clearly in my mind.
Additionally, I often change my mind or want to alter something while painting, so I just paint over it and try out another variation until it feels right again. However, for very large paintings, I often use a projector and plan the proportions I have in mind beforehand. For a portrait on a 1.20 x 1.60 m canvas, it's quite challenging to know offhand how big the eye should be.
Actually, I have a painting that I truly love and will never part with, even though my dad would love to take it from me. It's a 1.60 m tall self-portrait, the first and probably the only one. I gifted it to myself as a sort of present for my bachelor's degree, although it was more the act of painting it that I considered the gift.
That was probably my art block a few years ago. During that time, I didn't create anything for over a year. I couldn't even bring myself to pick up a pencil. It felt like I had lost a part of myself.
Oh, that's very important to me! Through my training, I have many friends and acquaintances in the creative sector and I love the exchange there. The different styles, perspectives, and approaches. I love it! Often, when I get stuck in my painting process or feel uncertain, I seek out that exchange. I'm also always up for collaborative projects; I think it's fantastic when something completely new emerges from the combination of different artists and their styles.
I think that's probably come across by now, haha. Art is everything to me. I see almost everything as art. Art makes our world so much more colourful, but also much more understandable. With art, you can express yourself or deal with things that you might not be able to say or don't want to say. Art is simply its own language, one that can be understood without explanation. Art will always evoke something in you.
I think art has always held a certain status in society, but unfortunately, much of it today is very commercially driven, and many incredible artists and artworks don't receive the attention they truly deserve.
As I mentioned earlier, art can depict so many things and connections nonverbally and provide a way to handle various topics. I believe it's the role of artists to express opinions and thoughts as they are perceived, to highlight possibilities, but also to offer criticism when necessary.
Of course, there can also be art simply for beauty's sake; not everything has to address a deeper level. From my perspective, this is also a valid role for an artist—just to beautify or shape the environment.
In my art, I aim to convey life in all its facets—the good and the bad. Grief is a part of life, as are uncertainties and doubts, and I want to show all of this in my work.
Specifically, for the past six years, I have chosen not to depict people in "skin color" in my paintings, to highlight tolerance and inclusion. To me, everyone is colorful, so I paint my portraits in vibrant and bold colors.
Thank you for your fascinating insights, Corinna!
Would you also like to answer my questions? Get in touch with me and let me interview you. I’m excited to hear your story!
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