Art has evolved in many unique forms in the fast growing digital world over the past decade. The unparalleled realms of art combined with the technologies are opening the doors of sublime pleasures to the aesthetics as well as artists.
The Omani artist, Waad Al Harthy has recently won the aesthetics by her unique way of painting and time-lapsed videos. In her first exclusive interview with Bahrain This Week, she details her art life and explorations.
How and when you entered the art field?
My love for art came from a young age and it grew with me until this day. The reason I decided to pursue it further was because people enjoyed watching me produce my art and how it comes to be. I started drawing with pastels around March 2018, and since then I have been teaching myself by reading books and watching tutorials online. I am still learning and constantly trying to improve myself, and what motivates me to work hard are my viewers and their feedback.
Where did the idea to use the medium of art by using hands, soft colours and acrylic paint, come from?
The idea of pastel art is not new, it has been around for a long time and was used by famous artists like Leonardo Da Vinci, and originated in Italy. In previous years, I used to paint quite a lot! However, when I was introduced to this medium I could not stop obsessing over it because of the vibrancy of the colours and how they would easily blend. I started using my hands as a means to draw, because the soft pastel medium requires you to use your fingers in order to blend the pigment it produces, and it was not as easy as I had expected it to be. I realised that a lot of skill required to create details. I feel more free using my hands rather than constantly being restricted to a paint with brush or pencil as I feel a direct bond with my pigment and paper.
What inspires your art?
My inspiration comes from different things, it could be natural sceneries like the sea and its creatures, the sky with its clouds, stars and moon. Oddly I am attracted to the colours produced in outer-space by supernovas and I love combing this theme with some of my work as it makes it a bit different.
Your time-lapsed painting videos are taking the internet by storm? What do you believe that make your videos so popular?
I didn’t really expect my videos to be popular, and just wanted to put my art out there and for people to enjoy it. I guess they loved seeing how my paintings came to be in ‘1 minute’ (Instagram’s video time limit). I believe the way I edit my videos and the music I use tends to keep them interested to see the final piece at the end as I always start with a blank piece of paper and through that my viewers feel like they are on a journey with me when I am painting.
Apart from art, what other things keep you active?
Diverse things. Studies keep me busy, volunteer work at university does too. I take road trips now and then to explore Australia. I am looking for new opportunities to develop my art and networks.
What are your future plans?
I wish to further develop my artistic skills in order to integrate it with my growing career as a marketer. I have been doing so by, taking graphic design courses in university to be able to get a glimpse of how art could be used in the digital world as that is where the future is headed. However, I do wish to still pursue my art as hobby and hopefully become successful in the coming years.