Hafsa Idrees impressionist oil painter

My name is Hafsa Idrees and I am an impressionist oil painter. My professional art journey started as the lockdown started last year in March, due to Covid 19. A friend of mine had given me a set of oil paints that she didn’t need anymore. I thought it was the perfect time to experiment with oil paints and use the time productively. I started fingerpainting and fell in love with oils immediately. It all started from there. Picasso said “Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up” and I realized that finger painting is the answer to this. Our fingertips are designed in a perfect way to manipulate paint, create magical pieces of art and unique textures. I often use brushes too, depending on the size, subject and desired composition. Colours are very important for my composition when I plan a painting. There is a beauty in the colourful splatter of rainbow therefore I try to use a rich palette. My colour palette is inspired by Marc Chagall mainly and style (impressionism) by Klimt, Van Gogh, Monet, and Renoir.

Art has always been close to my heart and even though I have not received a formal education in any particular genre, drawing/painting is an important part of my life. Since school, I have been experimenting with and enjoying different styles, media and techniques.

I started with Arabic calligraphy at the age of 10 but I soon realized that I enjoyed painting and drawing too. My subjects then were things and people from my immediate surroundings but with time I started to explore different kinds of paints, pencils, materials and subjects.

I enjoy applying and developing my skills through the exploration of different subjects such as landscapes, figures, animals, aliens, underwater scenes and other aspects of nature. I would call my current style modern impressionist, semi-abstract and in some cases my work has post-impressionist and expressionist influences. I do not have a fixed creative process; the main idea can be an emotional impulse, a tender moment I experienced, a place that touched me profoundly or simply a dream.

Formal art education is important for an artist to develop and succeed as a professional, but one can express, enjoy, and create art and get accepted by the art world without one. It maybe a long journey, full of struggle but the rewards are rich. ~ @Hafsa Idrees