Just 18 I was when I started my half year of studying in Estudio Nómada Barcelona Spain. I just finished High School and wanted to prepare myself for art academy. Estudio Nómada appeared to be a great place to do so. Both creatively and personally I wanted to develop with the objective to be admitted to an art academy.
In Estudio Nómada I had my own working area, where I could discover and research what I wanted to make. Iris Tonies guided me during this process. She taught me to develop ideas and to choose between them. Two times a week we had individual sessions in which we discussed al sorts of subjects concerning me as an artist.
It is through these sessions that I learned to observe my work critically and to not be satisfied with the first draft. I learned to persist in my creative motivations to find what lies behind them. Iris guided me in creating a workflow by giving me creative assignments. The assignments left me a lot of room to create what I wanted. Through comprehending my artistic workflow I became aware of the steps and choices I make to create.
On a textual level Arnout Krediet was my teacher. Through experimental tasks he learned me to add words to my art. This sharpened my mind: Why did I choose this composition? Why did I feel like making this? Questions I usually answered with ‘It just happened’. By understanding and being able to explain to others what and why I make my art gives a lot of depth to my work and makes me feel stronger about what I make.
My discoveries on a visual and textual level made me aware of my own creative whereabouts and gave me the ability to add words to my choices and my motivations.
The final months I started orientating on which art academy would suite me best. Iris and Arnout helped me to create my portfolio. I find to create a portfolio is the art of deleting. It’s a process that needs some guts. In the end I got admitted at the Willem de Kooning academy in Rotterdam.
During my stay in Estudio Nómada I presented two of my short films in the project InkTHESKY that was organized in the studio. It was very usefull to experience how an exhibition is been put together and how other artists lived up to the task.
My stay in Estudio Nómada gave me the chance to get a first impression of the international art scene. With a lot of joy and passion I made my first steps into the world of art. Iris and Arnout played a hugh role in making me feel free to discover my personal path. September 2010 I started in Rotterdam. My experiences in Estudio Nómada are a treasure I use every day in my live as an art student.