CH.89: If you were to categorize or describe the style of your artwork, what would it be and why?
MG: I would describe my style as warm, humanistic and colorful. I think my work represents myself, I’m always inspired by the world around me and I enjoy spending time close to family and friends or traveling in my van.
CH.89: Where do you draw your inspiration from?
MG: My inspiration comes from many places: people, books, films, music, other artists… For me the best place to come up with new ideas and find some fresh inspiration is definitely walking near mountains and the woods. It is kind of a meditative time with no distractions, I am able to clear my mind and reflect on ideas and projects.
CH.89: Can you talk a little bit about what your creative thought process is like when starting a new project/ piece of artwork?
MG: First of all I read the assignment carefully and ask questions to the client in case I need to clarify something. As soon as I can, I write down ideas, adjectives or anything that comes to my mind and start sketching them. I also search the Internet about the subject to find useful information such as texts or images. Once I have material that I think I can work with I continue developing it in more depth.
CH.89: Is there anything in particular that you would want people to take from your artwork?
MG: I would like for my work to make people feel good, and for them to be able to capture the feeling or idea on it.
CH.89: Can you talk a little bit about your lifestyle as an artist and what that is like?
MG: My life is really normal. I live in a city called Granollers that is close to Barcelona. I moved here to have a more quiet life. I share the flat with my boyfriend and little dog. I live one flat above my 91 year old grandmother which I love. As an illustrator I prefer not to do work from home so I share a co-working space with other creative people. In my free time I love to get out of the city, and sleep in my van and go trekking to Pyrenees or any other natural place we have around.
CH.89: When starting out an artistic task, do you think it is better to have a particular direction/set plan guiding your way? Or, is it better to act on impulse and go from there?
MG: The truth is my work methods are not very defined or guided. For me it is better to be flexible and have the freedom to work each day as I feel. So I would say I prefer to act on impulse and start from there. Somedays the ideas suddenly come to you but most of the time you need to invest time sketching to find good solutions. I try not to put pressure on myself as I know it can be counterproductive on any artistic task.
CH.89: What is one major lesson you’ve learned as an artist thus far?
MG: Work hard everyday and enjoy the process.
CH.89: Do you regard personal style & taste to be of highest importance?
MG: Not at all. Something I like doesn’t mean others have to like it. There are many different styles and tastes in this world. You just have to feel comfortable with your own and work everyday to evolve and refine it.
CH.89: What do you consider to be the hardest thing about being an artist?
MG: Maybe in the beginning of the path, when you’re working everyday and just trusting that you can make a living out of this. Not giving up.
CH.89: What is one thing you love about being an artist?
MG: I love it because it allows me to connect with myself and even sometimes find a kind of relax/meditative state. I like it because it gives me a feeling of peace and balance to my life. I feel I am truly doing what I enjoy the most.
CH.89: Is there anyone in particular, any artist’s that inspire you in any way?
MG: There are a lot. Recently I have discovered Michael Parkin which I really like. I would also say: Noa Snir, Fanny Blanc, Jeannie Phan, Abbey Lossing, Cristina Daura… In ceramics I love Lorien Stern’s style. I love to see the characters and situations they create, the compositions, the color combinations they use… I feel their work really represents their way of looking at the world.
CH.89: What do you think of technology in terms of being a useful tool for artists today?
MG: It definitely is a super useful tool for artists today. I use a Wacom Cintiq tablet and it has helped me a lot for creating faster. It works as if you were using a pen and paper but is all digital. Before having it the creative process was taking me a lot of time. Now, the use of this tool has helped me to optimize time.
CH.89: Do you think being an artist allows you to view the world differently from those who don’t follow creative paths?
MG: I feel each person has a unique way to see the world even if he/she is or is not an artist. But I do think working as an illustrator it allows me to have a closer and maybe more innocent look of things around me, I ask myself more questions. Let’s just say an artists’ mind is more “plastic” and uses different and new brain connections every time they look at something. That way we are able to get into new ideas more often.
CH.89: Do you enjoy traveling? If so, do you have a favorite city?
MG: I love to travel. If I had to choose one city it would provably be Oporto, Portugal. I really like its essence. I think it is a really authentic city with a decadent touch. There are many old buildings, cobblestone inclined streets, nice people, tasty food and a really interesting artistic scene! It is located at the mouth of Duero river, where you can have long and nice walks. I can imagine myself living there.
CH.89: Do you have a favorite author or book?
MG: I read comics and novels. With comics, I would recommend Charles Burns who is both author and illustrator, specially one of his books called Black Hole. With novels, I really like one Catalan author called Eva Baltasar, her book called “Permagel”.
CH.89: Any future goals or plans for your artwork?
MG: I would like my work to be useful, in a way that it helps raise awareness of the big issue these days, Climate Change. I would love to illustrate more books for children and youth that talk about this important subject.
CH.89: What does being an artist mean to you?
MG: Being an artist means to have the ‘creative muscle’ fit, and having enough technique/skills that allow you to turn your ideas into action.
CH.89: What’s the last song you listened to?
MG: Amadou & Mariam – La Réalité
CH.89: Any last words on the aesthetic of your artwork?
MG: No! Just hope you enjoy it 🙂
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