Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Rina Gottesman. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Rina, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.
As an artist, it is always special to have someone purchase something you have created. But being asked to create a piece of work specifically for a charity fundraiser can be just as special and meaningful for an artist, This year I had the honour of being asked by three different organizations to create 3 unique pieces of art to be auctioned off at their fundraisers. The monies raised help fund a hospital neonatal unit, helped fund an organization that supports children and families impacted by illness and loss, and an organization that supports disabled children and their families. For the last organization Shalva, I was asked to create a painting using the theme of butterflies. This painting called ‘Believe’ was inspired by Shalva’s motto of wanting each child to fly free like a butterfly. Like Shalva’s clients, the butterflies in my painting are all unique in their differences. Each one is different in size , shape and colour, but together in their belief in love and hope, they emerge out of the darkness flying upwards toward the light.
It is deeply meaningful for an artist to be able to give back to the community in this way.
Rina, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
My name is Rina Gottesman and I am an abstract artist from Toronto, Canada. I have always loved art and creating art. My earliest memory is the wonder I felt as a very young child when I was given the gift of a small watercolour set. The magic that happened on the paper when the wet brush touched a bit of the hardened paint, is a feeling that has never left me.
I am intuitive and spontaneous in my painting process. I love colour, texture and line. I allow the painting to lead me to where it wants me to go and each brush stroke is a direct response to the previous colour and mark on the canvas.
I love when viewers are attracted to something they see in my painting which then causes them to move in for a closer look. Approaching nearer, they can now discover and enjoy the subtle nuances in the painting that were not visible to them just moments before.
I am often asked to do commissions. Despite the challenges of trying to interpret the clients’ wishes in paint, it is so rewarding to see the smiles of happiness on their faces when they see the completed painting that was created just for them!
I paint from a place of joy and my greatest satisfaction is that the paintings I create can bring joy to others.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
My mother passed away three years ago and in the midst of the sadness and grief, I was unable to paint for several months. I had just begun to turn a corner and return to my studio when the Pandemic hit, hurtling me back to the same feelings of my world being turned upside down. Again, I was unable to paint. It took great effort to climb up and through those feelings of anxiety and helplessness, to just pick up a brush and just start!!! Taking that first step was hard, but once taken, the next step and the steps that followed were all a bit easier.
Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?
I have often heard people remark as they are admiring my art that they are not creative and that they ‘ can’t even draw a stick figure’!!!! I think we all are creative in some form. It could be in the way we choose how we dress, how we set a table, entertain, cook, choose the music we listen to, or how we sing and dance when we think no one is listening or watching. We all still have that little spark of creativity inside that we had as young children. We need to find it again and find our own unique way of fanning that spark into a flame!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.rinagottesman.com
- Instagram: @rinagottesman
- Facebook: Rina Gottesman
- Linkedin: Rina Gottesman
- Twitter: Rina G @rinagottesman