Daniel Chiriac: Creating a Life of Art by way of Painting Beauty
Daniel Cristian Chiriac, born in 1972 in Romania, paints oil on canvas. His favored styles are realism and surrealism. After a protracted duration of abstractionism (before 2006), Chiriac rediscovered the lovely paintings of the old masters. Being an increasing number of interested in the vintage master’s strategies, he slowly deserted the abstract artwork fashion and became surrealist, exquisite realism, and classical realism fashion. Most of his time is devoted to his little daughters and wife and, of course, developing art. Here nowadays, he brings his story complete with perspicacity and private anecdotes referring to his revel in of life as an artist.
I seemed over this question with a positive vision, in some way pre-raphaelistic, and no longer in a pessimistic, post-present day philosophical view ( If publish-cutting-edge, I might have had to suppose upon Don Juan’s ultimate love because the time period itself says: remaining. So, the final of Don Juan’s loves. As if he knew it is the last one and then thinks what could have been his feelings approximately… Properly… I digress… Permit’s cross back to the principal tale…
What if Don Juan had stopped flying from one flower to some other? According to the legend of Don Juan, he did not prevent seducing women, and his cease changed into hell… However, being myself a romantic kind, I idea that, in positive instances, Don Juan may want to have also been seduced and so, to locate “the only one” that become actually for him. This is the difficulty of my “The closing love of Don Juan”… Properly, I think that the name should be “The best love of Don Juan” due to the fact I assume all his “interest” was only a performance no longer love because I do consider in authentic love constituted of devotion, appreciate and sacrifice (alas, so depreciated in nowadays of exacerbated egoism)… And consequently, that is my model of the legend of Don Juan ending: I assume that Don Juan may want to have located his actual love with divine assistance only. The foreground sculptural detail, which includes the chalice, the hand, and the pomegranate, represents the life of Don Juan as we knew it: complete of lust, carnal pleasure, in a continuous hunt to feed the personal satisfaction, all of these, under a demonic have an impact on.
With divine assist – represented by the dodecahedron, which is an image of the heaven substance (according to Aristotle) – Don Juan determined a lady who embodied all of the meanings of a virgin (notice the Virgo constellation on the dodecahedron). Only a really perfect Virgo should “capture” the soul of Don Juan, I think. After that, Don Juan found out that his previous lifestyle changed into only a mask and cast it off and then flew for his love on a silver string to the Moon. The Moon itself is the first sector which means that the brand new love is growing. I do not know if what changed in my mind is properly transposed onto the canvas. However, I desire I controlled to do it at least a half of that.
Tell me which old masters impact you:
Actually, whilst it is a ready influence, I can’t deliver a particular name similar to Caravaggio, and he inspired me. Then there are numerous Old Dutch painters. But, the primary effect in my realist art comes from present-day realist artists who I assume are higher in depictions, yet, maybe no longer as properly on the crafting-facet of creating a painting. I mean with the aid of that regarding the use of strategies that make sure a superb and lengthy renovation of artwork.
How lengthy have you considered yourself an artist?
Maybe because I changed into 16 or 17… No longer sure precisely; however, I’m positive I was wondering what I even have creative capabilities. This changed into a time while even though I wasn’t drawing a single line, I considered I made artwork surely through walking on an avenue or speaking to friends. My thoughts become manner too open to what art-making is. Anyway, I became confident that I’m an artist when I started out creating a residing thru artwork.
Tell me approximately your first enjoy painting with oil:
Oh, it really is so far in the past! I became a baby… Was I 7 or eight? Not sure exactly what became my age while my own family friend, who is also the only one who initiated me in artwork, made me a present field of oil coloration tubes. He gave it to me and nothing extra. No commands, no guidance… Not anything! As you will supply chocolate to a kid and it’s something apparent that kids realize what to do with. Also, he didn’t provide me a canvas, so that I painted my first oil painting on paper—that kind of paper you may locate for children’s watercolors. I had no thinner both, so of course, my brushes have been ruined.
I keep in mind that the best marvel became to look how long oils take to dry! And also, what several things get grimy… I nonetheless do not forget the subject changed into a handmade vase having a few roses carried out on it like a high-comfort sculpture. In the vase have been roses, too. It was my “early masterpiece,” an aspect for my mom to praise to her pals lengthy afterward. Well, quite enormously for me, I appreciated that painting, too. It’s a rule for me no longer liking my artwork for a variety of weeks… Properly, with 2 – 3 exceptions.
What matters inspire you to create artwork?
Things that I suppose are beautiful. And that can be everything. It depends on the artist’s eye. After all, isn’t it always the artist’s task to become aware of splendor in which the normal eyes see not anything however ordinary things and so, to bring them face-to-face with that splendor via art paintings? I keep in mind a funny situation, approximately a component that inspired me. Well, it’s really that it was when I changed into abstractionist, so I’ve got excuses. So, being in the restroom and having nothing, I noticed some cracks in the walls with ceramic tiles and found that layout is thrilling. I regarded over them, canalized then, and got here to the belief there is a pleasant concern for a portray. You may see a polyptych portray (four pieces), inexperienced hues major, few of reds and blues if you look at my summary gallery. That’s the resulted artwork stimulated with the aid of the crackled bathroom ceramic tiles.
What are you trying to deliver via your artwork? What does it imply to you?
I consider that an artist is to deliver as much as the worldview splendor, without a doubt beauty as the principle rule. The rest must be a rare exception. I assume that what doesn’t fall underneath this rule isn’t always art. As I assume that an artist’s eye needs to learn to look beautiful, I don’t attempt to convey not anything. However, splendor and this means the complete philosophy to me. No other philosophy, no longer any alembicated discourse like “noticed in the light of art, anchored within the synergy of records, the recourse to the fact, do no longer elude the meanders of concrete space.”
I’m strolling in the vegetable marketplace and see a tasty candy pepper for soup; I see a pleasant still existence portray. Also, like the answer to the preceding question, one might best see some cracks in the tiles; I may additionally see a painting. So, my undertaking is to show the splendor there wherein no other eye sees it; however, the artist’s eye does.
Tell me approximately your creative technique, from the beginning of a piece to its finishing touch:
Day after day, night time after night, I maintain ideas on the first guide I might discover whilst the inspiration strikes. Most of the time, the simplest to be had assist is my very own memory… Which, alas, is not my excellent assist for the purpose. So that way, many ideas are misplaced for good. Although, I actually have saved plenty of ideas on written notes or fast sketches. The funny thing is that, so frequently, I don’t use that pile of thoughts to start a new portray; however, the most recent concept that struck me. This way, an artist ought to be a monk if he need almost all his ideas transposed onto the canvas (or every other assist… Otherwise, learn to paint a good deal faster, now not so gradual like me as I said earlier, thoughts come from all over the place, from the restroom or vegetable market to the real truth at dream truth.
When it is approximately realist paintings, I set down the model, I do the composition, after which I begin painting. Quite easy. I don’t make multiple compositions to pick out from as I’m confident on my first impulse. The painting method itself is a love/hate interest for me. Until 2006, all of my existence, whilst a child, notwithstanding hints of that early mentor who gave me the primary oils and who sincerely hated summary art, I cherished abstractionism, and I created as a result. Well, there has been such a joy to color so! On proper days (OK, nights), I had been portraying 2, three, or maybe four artwork! The important hassle becomes that that pleasure changed into quick lasting… Like a strength drink… There’s the simplest one painting from that period I still like – Solar Incandescence.
Since surrealism and realism, I nearly hate painting manner itself because it’s so sluggish – 2 days for a small ACEO miniature (2.5 x 3.5 inches) to occasionally months for massive artwork like “Till the stop of time.” The reward of this ache comes greatly while the painting is prepared. Yes is genuine; the pleasure of photograph I have executed disappears in the end. However, it lasts plenty longer and offers me tons greater pleasure, and offers me an entire feeling and self-assurance that I’m really an artist. I failed to see a good deal of distinction between a carpet fashion designer and me when I changed into abstractionist (forgive me, carpet designers).
When it’s far from approximate surrealism, an idea turns into a cartoon, then sketches an initial composition drawing. Then I look for models of objects in my surreal composition. If humans our bodies, it’s time for picture-taking pictures consultation: my spouse and my youngsters. Suppose objects of any kind, a picture capturing too. Of route, there’s a constant need for hand drawings as properly. Then, to speed up the technique, I use my computer to mock-up photos and hand drawings into a photo as near viable to the final painting photo. I may additionally or now not (most customarily, no longer) do little color studies. With that photograph on the display monitor, I begin drawing on paper at the identical length of the canvas. I make adjustments if I feel it is wanted. Finally, I transfer it to the canvas… And… Again, the sluggish process of painting starts offevolved.
