We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Joni H Duarte a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Joni, appreciate you joining us today. Are you happy as a creative professional? Do you sometimes wonder what it would be like to work for someone else?

Part of the dream of pursuing Art was alongside with the idea of Freedom. Freedom in terms of work schedule, artistic choice, place of work, etc. In short, freedom at the time was understood in a very vague way.

I quickly realised that when It came to artistic choice, I had to have full technical control because, If I’m not choosing, it is not freedom. So I had to study hard alongside endless hours of practice. Now, I realise that this is an endless journey, even at the technical level. Because to control your materials is one thing but to choose carefully each brush mark and how that ought to convey the idea or vision for a painting is another endless journey.

This very pursuit as frustrating, time-consuming, at times can be boring as well, is one that I now could not live without. So, as a painter/creative, I could not be happier.

However, I’m also a husband and a father of two little children. When comes to earning a living through your Art, I was able to provide for myself prior these new responsibilities. It was mainly commissions at the time enough to sustain my own livelihood but too inconsistent for some level of financial stability and that was also very stressing at times. Now I primarily teach art and do my personal work when I can between my teaching and family time.

But the funny thing is that, as I used to wonder about ‘regular jobs’, but it always came back to how to make art, so I found myself always in similar positions. To sacrifice art for something else was never even on the table, however how to provide for my family is something that is always a priority.

And what started as a way of finding financial stability is now something that I’m fully immersed in and love. To define Art and Artist outside our lives, our unique individual situations is to create an image that neglects life, and that for some can and does work, but for myself it has to include my loved ones.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

My path to Art, drawing and painting may relate to everyone. I think we all start in very similar places, which is from childhood, drawing and painting carefree. This is also further stimulated with movies, comics, animation, video games, illustration and so forth. But I didn’t take seriously until university, I recall at high school at a maths class, siting, drawing on the table, ( I know , I know…) , and distracted by it, my teacher comes from behind and says ‘what are you doing here, why not just pursuit Art?’, and I loved the fact that he didn’t scolded me. He simply made me think about my future. Which I did, and applied for Arts University.

I must say that I was very disappointed with the course, because I had a very specific idea in my head about it, a very romanticized idea. This classical training, of endless hours of study and practice of drawing and painting. I couldn’t been more wrong! Everything was very conceptual, but one saving grace was the library. Fantastic collection! Many books to dive into, not to mention the internet as well, so even though the classes themselves were very conceptual and quite anti-classical in many ways, is not as if the knowledge wasn’t accessible to me.

Also helps to have good friends around, in different industries now, such as game designers, animators, illustrators and movie directors. Which has broadened my understanding of practical and commercial Art that I was not very aware of at the time.

But in short the lack of classical training was frustrating, there is so much I can do by myself, so I searched for places outside to pursuit this, and ended up in London. In a traditional, classical art Atelier, where I now am a senior tutor.

What I love about my work is, how my education and experience is able to help others. Many students come to the Atelier because of similar experiences, and so I’m able empathise very much with them. Also, I’m able to save them a lot of time by point to the direction they need, so to be able to get closer to their goals. And the feeling of joy and pride seeing people of all ages improve, is something that I don’t think I will ever get tired of.

I see myself now not only as a tutor, but a companion in their Art journey, and I learn a lot from them as well.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

Very interesting question. Is very hard in today’s political and economic landscape, but I want to see more Art in public spaces, especially new housing, hospitals, schools, libraries, bus stops, shops, etc. Because I don’t think is about what can Society do to support Artists, but what can Artist do to support society, to enrich life, to educate, to inspire and to entertain(making and keeping people engaged).

Buildings are so bare nowadays, is often just a box, lets start with the architecture, embellished with ornaments, with mural paintings inside and out. Art that constantly reminds us the greater values we should aspire for, be that with sculptures of great individuals, paintings of them or moments of time, reminders of our history, how we are benefiting from many generations that came before us, how to do better!

Is more about helping one another. Society and artist should not be viewed separated. So lets start creating Art even in small capacities. Still-lifes that can be decorated in peoples houses, in person at a time, until we achieve this

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

Is above anything something that forces me to engage. People think they can see, they go about their lives walking past soo much beauty, but no time is given to pay any attention. I do this all the time myself, but the only time when I don’t, is when I draw it or paint it.

Even as an artist, going into a museum and look at a masterpiece, I don’t look at it for longer than 10 minutes. But when I go again with a sketchbook to draw the same masterpiece, I take hours looking at it, so much more carefully, so much more engaged and curious. And this is the same for everything in life.

I love sketching because I know I will study it better, understand it better, remember it better. When I look back at old sketches I can recall more easily memories of that time, the smell, the temperature, the emotion and thoughts.

And was most amazing is that everything becomes part of this big pool from which when creating something we can use it as a resource. Bringing different moments, ideas and feelings together as one.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.jonihduarte.co.uk
• Instagram: /jonihduarte