Following last week's interview with deviantARTist Okamix-2, SHARP OBJEX chats with Polish artist, Adelaida.

You can visit her deviantART page here.

SHARP OBJEX: Hi Adelaida, thanks for joining us. First off, could you tell us a bit about yourself? 

Adelaida: Hello :) My name is Aleksandra Chabros and I’m an illustrations’ lover. What’s more I’m an art student and the most lazy person I have ever known. I love to sleep and read books – mostly those for children and teenagers. When I’m not sleeping or reading I make a lot of illustrations and pictures, you can say I draw and paint all the time then.

SO: Where did you come up with the username, Adelaida? 

A: Adelaida is actually my 3^rd name, the one I had to choose for my Confirmation ceremony. To tell you more, I have taken the idea of it from a game ‘Heroes of Might and Magic III’ where one of the heroines was named Adelaida. Or Adelaide? Anyway it’s Adelajda in Polish :3

SO: Who/what has inspired you the most in your artwork?  

A: Art Nouveau. It’s the obvious one :D The rest of my inspiration is not that great.

SO: Are there any specific pieces of artwork that have inspired you? 

A: I never remember anything when it comes to a question like this ;P hmm.... ‘Three Brides’ by Jan Toorop is amazing and it opened my eyes for some aspects of creating when I saw it for the first time. Also Polish paintings are very very very inspiring.

SO: Are there any particular deviantartists that especially influence you? 

A: There are some, of course :) emla, trenchmaker, Raimlla, bluefooted, shadowgirl and Rin-Rin-Rin.

SO: What does art mean to you and how has it affected you? Do you feel that you have changed as an artist since the past years? 

A: For me, art is a way of showing what I feel and think. I can not imagine my life without little doodles here and there, without decorating sheets of paper with bunnies or not wondering what technique I should use to end up with a specific effect or mood.

I think I’m changing all the time. Every day’s experiences influence the way I see the world, therefore, everything I create is influenced, too. I see more and I understand more – I change.

SO: What were some of your earliest memories as an artist? 

A: It’s not truly my memory but the one of my parent’s; still I’m in it. It was when I was old enough to know letters and my sister Kate was too young to know them. One day I picked a blue coloured pencil and drew a big fish on the whole wall and wrote underneath ‘LYBA’ and signed it Kate’s name. ‘Ryba’ is ‘fish’ in Polish but children don’t usually say ‘r’ so I wrote it as I’ve heard it, with ‘L’. My parents knew immediately that it was my masterpiece, not Kate’s, and they still laugh at it.

SO: Your artwork is incredibly versatile. At times, it's child-like while at others, it's much darker. Even so, all of your pieces seem to have fairy tale undertones. Would you say that fairy tales have influenced you in your work?  

A: Yes, they did. I am addicted to fairy tales and this magical atmosphere they create. This is exactly what I want to achieve in my own pieces.

SO: Are there any specific techniques you enjoy using in your artwork? 

A: Lines, contour, outline, however you call it. In whatever technique or way of creating my works a line is what starts my idea; it creates the borders between the obvious and the mystery hidden somewhere in the picture.

SO: I understand you are currently working on the 100 Themes Challenge. Could you tell us a little bit about it? Where do you stand? How has the experience been thus far?  

A: I don’t even remember when started it... Oh! Now I remember! It was when I started using watercolours and some time later I started creating digital art. So when I think of this, I’ve made an incredible progress! I’ve learned so many new things and improved them over and over again but it’s not because of the 100 Themes Challenge – this project only enables me to see clearly how much my art has changed.

SO: I understand you are from Poland. Do you feel that your location has a direct influence on your art?  

A: It surely has. Because of some events from my country’s history the progress of some aspects of industry and technology went differently than in countries next to Poland, like Germany. One of the biggest influences from my country is the lack of influence in digital creation. I was quite old when I found out about graphic tablets and all the stuff connected with digital art while in Germany it was popular even when I was a child! And that’s the influence – less opportunities, less possibilities.

But it’s not that bad as it sounds. Traditional art of Polish artist influenced me too. After each visit in national galleries where hundreds of oil paintings and drawings are exhibited I was so full of ideas and motivation I couldn’t speak :3

SO: Is there any particular work you've done that stands out amongst the rest? If so, what is its significance? 

A: I just went through my works and I couldn’t decide. Most of them are important for me. I always try to do something new every time I create so each of them is necessary and important.

SO: In your artwork, where do you feel you would like to improve?  

A: I want to improve everywhere :D my dream is to create artwork at some stage of making animations or games – so it has to be perfect, just look at posters and screen caps of productions that are now in cinemas and on store shelves.

SO: How does it feel to know that so many people are inspired by your works? 

A: I didn’t really know they were inspired :) But if you say so then – it’s an incredible feeling when you realize that after someone sees your works grabs a pencil and starts drawing. This is how it should work, inspiration everywhere ^^

SO: What are you future goals as an artist? What are your career goals?  

A: I see my place somewhere in animation studios (like DreamWorks or Disney Pixar) or in game development. Concept arts, character and scenery design, storyboards and similar. That’s what I’m aiming for, but I don’t know what will come out of this in the end.

SO: Are there any particular quotes you enjoy or are inspired by? 

A: I try to collect the most significant ones on my Fabulous Blog. I like many by Ghandi, Napoleon Bonaparte, Paulo Coehlo and Jean Jacques Rousseau.

SO: What are some of your favourite pastimes?  

A: Sleeping! :D I LOVE to sleep. I can sleep even if I’m not sleepy just because I feel it suits a moment the best. Also I love to read. Children’s literature and fantasy are my favourite genres. I can read children’s books all day long, they make me feel right. For example ‘The Last Elf’ by Silvana de Mari – I read it on one sitting because I was too intrigued with what would happen next. Or ‘Bridge to Terabithia’ by Katherine Paterson – I cried sooooo much. Much, much more than while reading sad books for adults. Books for children just hit the bottom of my heart <3

SO: If you could travel anywhere, where would it be? 

A: Somewhere peaceful and colourful. Yes, I would go on a trip around the world to the most peaceful places where you can see every colour of the rainbow :)

SO: Any final thoughts? 

A: Don’t stop dreaming!