An Interview with Artist Frank Oliva
Frank Oliva has been recognized as one of 100 award-winning abstract artists in a beautiful coffee table book entitled Art Journey Abstract Painting: A Celebration of Contemporary Art released by North Light Books (April, 2017).
Frank Oliva is an artist living in Hawai'i. He has been painting for over four decades and his paintings are in many island and mainland collections. His early work include fanciful and beautiful painted furniture. Over a decade ago, Frank started painting canvases using acrylics. He enjoys the very special experience of painting in Hawai'i and is inspired by the dynamic natural beauty, the sea, volcanoes and flora of Hawai'i.
Frank Oliva's artwork has once again gained national attention and is the subject of a beautiful coffee table book entitled entitled "Art Journey Abstract Painting: A Celebration of Contemporary Art" released by North Light Books (April, 2017).
Below is transcript of an interview of Frank Oliva by North Light Books which gives a greater insight as to the artist and his passion:
Q1:
Location - Do you like to work in a studio or outside?
FOIA:
Living in Hawaii enables me to paint outside year round on my “studio” lanai.
Q2:
Tell us a little about your Technique. How important is your choice of medium to the expression of the piece?
FOIA:
After painting for many years, the experience of art and travel in Australia impressed me, and I have developed my own aboriginal style of dot painting. This allows maximum freedom to use color. I enjoy using colors and tracks to convey my message.
Q3:
Do you think of a Theme before starting your abstract piece? How do you choose your theme?
FOIA:
Each piece is inspired by something, often a photo or a painting, and then my mind and hands take over and I find I am concentrating on a particular image or set of images.
Q4:
Considering the Color Palette - How did you select the colors used in the Aboriginal Delta piece?
FOIA:
The colors in the featured painting - Aboriginal Delta - are harmonious. Even though there are thousands and thousands of bursts of color, the piece seems more serene than complicated.
Q5:
With regards to Color and Expression, how important is color in conveying your message?
FOIA:
Color is everything. I express myself with color, not a particular image but a design of color and dots. I like to trail the colors across the canvas.
Q6:
Is there a Personal Experience/Story connected to the Aboriginal Delta piece?
FOIA:
Before retiring, I practiced civil engineering for over forty years. As a life member of the American Society of Civil Engineering, I receive their monthly magazine cleverly entitled, “Civil Engineering”. One issue described sedimentation in the San Francisco Bay Delta accompanied by aerial photographs using a variety of filters. Those photos, plus my travels in Australia, were the inspiration for Aboriginal Delta.
Q7:
Talking about Inspiration, what historical movements, periods or artists inspire you? Do you find inspiration from the things around you?
FOIA:
I find inspiration in art, in shapes and things, and then I express the images with vibrant color.
Q8:
How do you plan the Composition for your piece, Aboriginal Delta, if at all?
FOIA:
There is always a mental plan, but there is always room for more wandering, and this makes the process of painting my aboriginal-style paintings a joy to me.
Q9:
Let’s talk about Abstraction. What does abstract art mean to you? What can it teach us about life and art?
FOIA:
So many artists have tried to answer this question. I feel that the eye rules and then the brain follows. Abstract lines and images allow so much more in contemplation and personal pleasure. The image is a pleasure to view like beautiful music with no specific theme, but the sounds are still beautiful.
Q10:
How would you describe your artistic Style?
FOIA:
It is a delight to paint freely, with colors as the primary tool. My style is free-flowing, but there is always a design in mind. I take a painting journey every time I approach the canvas.
Q11:
Finally, what Advice do you have for aspiring artists?
FOIA:
Get a second job! It’s not easy marketing art and certainly in Hawaii where the stereotypical sun, surf and palm tree images prevail, breakout art is a hard sell.
Purchase your copy TODAY of Art Journey Abstract Painting: A Celebration of Contemporary Art released by North Light Books (April, 2017) and featuring the artwork of Frank Oliva.
About the author (2017)
Jamie Markle is the Vice President and General Manager for the art community at F+W Media. He works closely with the editorial teams at F+W to provide art instruction from the world's best artists in all forms: magazines, books, video, downloads, websites and competitions. In addition to his twenty-five years in product and media development, Jamie holds a degree in fine art with a concentration in painting and drawing from Xavier University.
Abstract art is a visual language--a riot of color, a profound explosion of texture and shape, a quiet collision of forms. Dynamic works of art can showcase pastel painting, showcase watercolor flowers, or even build off pen and ink drawings. Abstract artists are limited only by their imagination. And through instinct, composition and an inspired color palette, they translate emotions, ideas or experiences into immersive images you want to explore again and again.
