Today we’d like to introduce you to Gabrielle Sabri.
Hi Gabrielle, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I was not trained as a painter, and I didn’t study art. I came to oil painting very circuitously, and I am completely self taught (for better or for worse). In college I studied Earth Science, then I was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Madagascar for two years. I have a Masters degree in Landscape Architecture, and I practiced that for some time before pausing to focus on parenting.
I started painting less than two years ago. I had three small children who were finally beginning to develop enough independence so that I could form a sentence, so I started doing oil painting tutorials on YouTube when they were playing or napping. This type of painting- ‘alla prima’ (wet-on-wet) oil painting- works well with my lifestyle because if I get interrupted by small people, I can pick right back up where I left off.
My children were also the motivation behind wanting to learn to paint. We have access to millions of photographs now- which is wonderful! But I wanted to capture the everyday moments of their childhood in a media that takes more time, and is inherently more meaningful. It’s my way to romanticize their childhood, and my parenting experience.
I improved quickly by doing a lot of bad paintings- small, one-hour studies every day. Eventually, I refined my technique but also developed a set of preferences that have become my signature style; I always starts with a pink underpainting, for warmth and whimsy. And while my subjects vary a lot- I move around between landscapes, still lifes, animals, people- I think the thread between them is a mix of whimsy, color, and nostalgia.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
My primary obstacle has been finding enough time to paint- I have an infinite list of things I want to paint, and also an infinite pile of laundry.
I also needed to develop so many other skills in order to make my painting hobby into a business- photography, marketing, website development, accounting, etc. I’m still working on most of those. The painting comes relatively easily (or at least, I’m motivated to work hard to develop that), but I struggle to market myself and my products in a professional way.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I have developed a set of painting rules for myself, partially out of preference but also in order to develop a style that feels authentic to my life and process. I paint only ‘alla prima’ (with wet paint), which means that every painting is completed in one session, lasting from 1-4 hours (with plenty of snack breaks and distractions).
I also always starts with a pink underpainting, for warmth and whimsy. Every one of my paintings starts with a layer of pink underneath any other colors, with a pink drawing that happens first. This helps streamline my process and helps me judge how light and dark to go from there, but a little bit of pink peeking through the shapes also provides warmth. And it’s fun!
Rather than narrow down my subject matter- I switch between landscapes, tablescapes, floral paintings, pets, etc- I aim for continuity through color and feeling; I want my paintings to make you feel cozy, nostalgic and whimsical.
I really want original artwork to be approachable and accessible. I use the hashtag #youneedmoreweirdart because I want to make your home more wonderfully, weirdly, whimsically ‘you.’ People don’t need a mass-marketed print from a big-box retail store, they need a weird, textured painting of three pink geese that makes them smile.
Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
I usually assume that things will work out, and that has often served me well, in life and in business. Of course that’s also a product of my safety net and family, and I feel grateful to have childcare help from my parents, financial support from my partner’s income, and moral support from friends. So maybe it’s outside help and not luck that’s enabled me to pursue painting. If I had been a single parent depending on my painting income to buy groceries, I doubt I would have been able to stick it out long enough to actually see results.
I worked hard, but I also had a lot of help.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.gabriellesabri.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gabbysabri.art/
