Something more about Nicoletta Ceccoli
Can you tell us a little about your background? Any formal art training?
Nicoletta Ceccoli: I graduated at the Institute of Art in Urbino in animation cinema. Our school was located at that time in the ducal palace, a wonderful art place itself. My training at school has been very important for me. I had very sensitive and open-minded teachers. I am still grateful to all of them.
As collectors of your paintings, we know that you also do some illustration work because you don’t have many gallery shows each year. How is working on illustration different than painting for a gallery show? Any plans to focus solely as a gallery artist in the future?
NC: I always had the wish to work as illustrator for childrens’ books since my early years at school. I consider it as an art form. I wish to go on with it as long as I find interesting projects. I had one special experience with my last book“The Girl in the Castle Inside the Museum” written by KateBernheimer and published by Random House. The story was very simple and open to interpretations in terms of images I could use. I thought to set it in a toy museum with the girl living in a tiny toy castle. I have always had a particular interest/love/obsession for dolls. I was free to approach this story in a quiet surreal way. It became my most personal book project… The restrictions in working on a book project can also become interesting challenges somehow – so I love both kind of experiences…
I think both personal art and applied illustration can enrich each others. Of course, I am also very happy to work on personal artworks that are more about me – about my ghosts and dreams. When I work on gallery shows, I am happy I don’t have to worry about children as a target audience and about publisher’s advice
We notice that you choose the titles of your paintings carefully playing with the definitions and origins of words. In these cases do you paint first or choose the title first? Can you give us an example?
NC: All the titles came after the end of the work… For example, the name Katherine means – pure, virginal. It has also shares a consonance with the word cat. So, it fit perfectly with the ethereal white cat-girl standing surrounded by mice…
Do you have any hobbies that you enjoy when you are not working on your art?
NC: I don’t have much time for hobbies… Drawing is my love, my hobby, my job.
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