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Interview with Johanna Pieterman
Featured Artist for September 2000
Would you introduce yourself and give a little personal background?
Hello fantasy lovers! My name is Johanna and I am a full time artist. Most of my daily work consists of creating commissioned portraits and teaching art classes and workshops. I live in Antwerp, Belgium with my husband Chris and two cats, and we are planning a move to The Orkney Isles off Northern Scotland to live a life closer to nature and enjoy the ancient history and Celtic and Norse influences there!
How long have you been an artist? How long have you been creating fantasy art?
I have been an artist for about 13 years and I started off with "fantasy" themes right away... In fact, when I started I indulged more in fantasy than at present due to my commissions workload, but when I have time and can let myself go in my own work I always prefer fantasy work over realistic themes. My love for Arthurian stories, Celtic art, history and myth, and anything to do with nature which in itself is very magical is a never ending source of inspiration. I don't really see my work as fantasy in the traditional sense, because I do not draw dragons and otherworldly creatures, except for angels and faeries, but since I get so many invitations from fantasy sites I guess that a lot of people do see my work fitting in that corner :-)
Have you had any formal training in the fine arts?
Yes, since I was 16 I have been going to art schools and later studied graphic design. I also took a year of sculpting at the art academy.
What are your biggest artistic influences and inspirations?
Artists who are as fascinated with nature and its magic as I am: Susan Seddon Boulet, Sulamith Wulfing and Pre Rafaelite art.
Can you describe your creative process - how you come up with ideas for a new drawing and how you take those ideas and create a finished piece of art.
The best method for me is to see an animal or person and have the desire to portray their faces... the face of a tiger or lion or beautiful child... the eyes are so important. From there I get inspiration to add elements, flying dolphins, golden thunder, angels... Most of the time I don't know what I want to say with the work. Then after the work is finished I usually understand the story! So perhaps not only the work but also the ideal process of creation is fantasy :-)
Do you have a favorite fantasy artist or an artist you admire?
Again, I find the word "fantasy" tough and do not know whether some of the people who's art I admire are fantasy or not, but I love the artists I mentioned above and of course my friends Roger and Linda Garland who have created two wonderful books and are very inspirational people!
What advice would you give to young artists who are just starting out?
Find your own style. Something which is very hard, but try not to look at other people's art too much, since that only takes your originality away and will make you sad thinking you cannot possibly achieve their excellence. Stay stubborn and do your own thing!
If you could be a character from a fantasy novel, movie or game, who would you be?
I would have to say my biggest muse is Morgan Le Fay from Marion Bradley's Mists of Avalon, so if I could be her for a day, that would be great :-)
Finally, what cartoons did you watch as a kid?
Living and going to boarding school in Belgium meant that we only had a bit of television on Wednesday afternoon, and they usually showed basic Hanna Barbera cartoons back then. I think I read more cartoons than watched them, and my favorites were TinTin, Asterix and Obelix, The Red Knight and so on... I understand that these cartoons are European, we had very little else...
Thank you very much, hope you enjoy my work!
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