Olga Molina, a Barcelona-based painter, started out as a restorer – trained to focus on every little detail of an artwork. With that in mind, it is surprising to see that she moved in a totally different direction with her personal work; her water-color paintings do not submit to the laws of perspective and realism. Instead, she depicts the scenes around her in a loose and playful way.
“As a painting restorer I learned the art of copying the others’ paintings, which means that I could find the exact color and the precise form of any small piece of the painting,” Olga explains. “In those days I used to think that realist painting was perfection and so, during this period, I improved my ability to depict reality.”
However, after a couple of years, Olga started to notice a lack of personality in her paintings, and decided to experiment with different techniques and materials. “At the beginning I used to paint with acrylics, which allowed me to correct any single line. However, using watercolor I have learned to accept and appreciate my mistakes as a part of my style, and so my paintings have become more fresh, colored and fun.
“It took me a long time to arrive here, but now I don’t care about perspective, proportions or shadows. I use pure colors and free lines.”
During her travels Olga Molina likes to sit down and quickly sketch her surroundings – resulting in summery scenes of Morocco, Sicily and Spain. Even when you don’t know the exact location, it is easy to guess the painting’s whereabouts, as Olga impressively integrates the cultural elements of each country in her paintings.
“I always bring my sketchbook and watercolors with me. I like to mix scenes in the same painting, or I add an old picture of a place to it. I have no rules at all.”
