This week’s inspiration comes from Guy Perl, a painter based in Tel Aviv.
Guy’s preferred painting style matches his style of advice to all aspiring creators – he’s a realist! His technique is so good that we had to do a double take before realizing that his portfolio does not include any photographs, but is actually exclusively paintings.
Check out Guy’s artistically realistic answers to our 5 Creator Questions:
Who are you and what do you do?
My name is Guy Perl and I am 28 years old, and a painter from Tel Aviv, Israel. I am an graduate from the Bezalel Academy of Art in Jerusalem. The concepts of my paintings draw from a perpetual process of global and personal introspection, which passes through ideas, ideals and history. My work deals with the tension between the inner world of a person and the presence within an established society and the external world.
How did you get started?
I started painting a very long time ago, in my early childhood. I wasn’t born into a family that engages in art. My father is an accountant and my mother is a dentist. I started painting in elementary school. The teacher was enthusiastic about what I created and from there it turned into after school classes, art school, university, studio and it continues to roll. I think it was the casual introduction to art that helped me to be more open as an artist and to see the act of expressing myself through painting as a natural thing, just as breathing air.
What sets you apart?
I think that the term “good” is a relative thing in art. The main competition that exists is between the artist and himself. Every painting should continue the story that the previous painting had started. I always try to add another step to the building on which the painting is built. Each step is slightly different from the last one and changes just a bit the base which I aspire to in my works – the zero point, the humanity. I think that what distinguishes me from others in my field is the endless desire to develop, to study, and to learn more.
What obstacles did you have to overcome?
I had quite a few difficulties, especially at the beginning of my professional career as an artist. I had to work hard to overcome those issues. In the first year of my fine art degree I learned about the old masters of painting, such as Delacroix, Jacques Louis David, Velazquez, Rubens, Ingres and more. I started noticing the language of their painting, the beauty and their deep understanding of the world. I started to feel that I didn’t have the enough tools to express myself at that time. I started drawing from anatomy classes, master copies, movies, and books about technique. In my third year, I joined a student exchange program in the painting department of MICA (Maryland, USA) where I improved my knowledge about painting. I flew to many places all over to learn under many realist painters and to visit museums and temporary exhibitions. I joined workshops, studied in an Israeli atelier for one year and currently I am studying classical drawing in the classical atelier, Barcelona Academy of Art. Painting is a never-ending journey. Sometimes It may be difficult, but it also motivates me to continue my quest. You pick up another technique, you mix another color, you fall in love, you see a painting that excites you in a galley or an old museum and something changes within your own art. There isn’t one timeline for art, it has its own space and time. Do whatever drives you into your next piece of art.
Do you have any tips for other creators?
I’d love to give tips to those who are starting now. First, stay yourself. If you convinced yourself with your art, others will feel it as well. My second advice is to be in the moment. Every artist has his own way. Today the inspiration is infinite: the Internet, museums, life, history, and more. Keep searching and listen to the inner voice inside you. I hope I helped some of the people who read this article. You are all welcome to follow my website and Facebook page. Thank you for the opportunity to share 🙂
To explore the realism in Guy’s painting, check out his website!
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