Hello friends! It's the first day of November! 🤯 I apologize sincerely for not posting last Sunday. I was dealing with something heavy and I just didn't feel like writing honestly. But I know we have to keep moving no matter what. Can't stay stuck in the mud. So let's kick off on a positive note today! I've got some exciting pictures for you! Yayyy! 🎉 One of my closest friends, who has always been supportive of everything I do, all my creative ideas and most importantly, of my writing, is Renata. She is not only a great friend and listener, she is a talented artist on top of that! She doesn't like to be photographed too much, and she suffers everytime I vlog around her (I'm sorryyy!), but yesterday - when visiting her in her cute little studio, she agreed on taking some photos and even doing an apartment tour on video for my upcoming vlog! So here we come! When I met Renata, I didn't know how talented, handy and creative she was. I learned that little by little when slowly getting to know her, and because I pay attention to these things as I, myself, love art and surrounding myself with like-minded people. I wanted to write about her since the very beginning of my blog revival. Why? Because creative minds inspire others! You don't often see someone so dedicated, patient and with such a unique wonderful taste. Her style is very specific and different. I'd say it's quite soft and feminine, yet there are some surprising facts about her - for example, she wears Martens style shoes! 😀 She's the one you want to come for advice to, when it comes to fashion, interior design and much more. She also gives great life advice too! I love this girl to pieces! 😊 I know that she will present her beautiful paintings in a gallery one day. And I wanted to make sure I'm the first one to ever write about her. Remember her well, this is Renata Dalecka (RD). 

It was such a lovely day yesterday. We are very much alike in many things. We both enjoy similar books, tarot readings, and even like the same fashion and items in general. We can chat about relationship struggles and such for hours, or we can sit quietly and crack walnuts. Cherish these connections and never let them fade out! This post is meant to be about Renata's art and home decoration taste. I also wanted to bring you some pictures of how her sweet little apartment looks like. It is incredibly cute! She lives in a similar space (size-wise) to mine, one room and a little kitchen + bathroom. She definitely knew how to make it feel like 'home' with all the items that just added coziness and warmth to her place. I felt like home when visiting. She took such a good care of me. She made a home made pie, banana muffins, she made me my favorite black tea a few times, sliced a pear and served huge blueberries. Then for lunch, she served a red beets & mozarella salad. I brought some walnuts from my parent's garden and we were cracking them while having the candles lit (Halloween vibes) and while watching the Bridget Jones's Diary. What a nice way to spend our Saturday! Enjoy the pictures, there are many as you might know by now. I can't come with 10 pics, that's just not me. 😊  

'Creativity is contagious - Pass it on!'

I asked Renata a few questions to find out why she chose art. Or did the art choose her? 

▷ Have you always been this creative? What type of art do you like the most and when did you start painting? 

As far as I can remember, I've always been creative since I was a child. I loved painting and drawing. My parents were able to entertain me for a long time by just handing me a few crayons and papers when I was a little girl. That was a sure success to make me happy. During my elementary school years I went to various art courses. When I was in the university, I had no time for that anymore, we were all too busy with other stuff. But now I really miss it so I'd like to get back to it. I think everyone should have a hobby, especially these days when being stuck at home.

▷ Why did you decide to try macrame? The ones you made are stunning! Where do you find your inspiration?

I tried macrame for the very first time not that long ago. I originally wanted to purchase one for my apartment but then I thought, why not to make one myself? And that was it - it's fun, making one! It's becoming pretty popular these days, there are macrame pictures all over the Instagram, where I (not so surprisingly) also find my inspiration. 

▷ Do you listen to the music when creating? If so, what genre or artist makes you want to be creative?

I either listen to some calm music such as Lana del Rey or Of Monsters And Men, etc. Or I listen to interesting podcasts or I'll even play a movie. But I usually find out I have no idea what it was about, so it's really just a background noise. That describes exactly what happens when I'm painting. I get so into it that I forget about the world and stop paying attention to anything but my canvas. Which is a wonderful feeling. 

▷ What would you like to express by doing art? Do your pictures reflect your moods, or are they just fantasies of yours? Some people just draw any random objects they like in their own way, is it like that in your case? 

Yeah, sometimes I see a photo or a motive that I'd like to bring on to my canvas. I love nature and flowers, all kinds of plants, that's why these are featured on the majority of my pieces. I don't really make deep paintings. But on the other hand, sometimes I manage to imprint my current mood to the picture (preferably a good mood though).

▷ Who or what influences your art work the most? And who is your biggest inspiration or icon?

My relationship with art and art work itself was probably influenced by my aunt the most. She is an artist and I've always loved her work. There are plenty of artists that impress me, and I honestly admire the incredible pieces that they can make! Just wow. In the recent past, I really liked the exhibition of František Kupka.

▷ What types of colors do you use the most and why? 

I've been recently using mostly acrylic and aquarelle colors. Not so long ago I also tried some oil painting which is fun! You can mix the colors right on the canvas and I enjoy that very much!

▷ If it's not a secret, who do you follow on social media for inspiration?

From the czech art scene, I love the work of Lena Brauner. I also currently like and follow the creations of Julie Marriott, Brooke Ring or Coco Zentner. But there are many, many more great artists that I'm impressed and influenced by.

▷ If you could pick one job that you'd have to do until the end of your life, what would it be? Painting? Making macrame? Or walnut cracking? 😃 (This is a silly personal joke since we spent 2 hours by cracking walnuts yesterday!)

Walnut cracking, obviously! 😄 Well, it would be absolutely amazing to make a living of doing what I love. I think that this is just everybody's dream. But I'm a realist. I'm actually very happy with my current job, that I also love. 

▷ What is the biggest down side of doing art?

The most difficult thing is when I promise a painting to someone and then I can't get in the right mood to actually make it. I need to feel like creating that specific piece and so I have to wait for when I'm 100% up for it and then go for it. You know the result wouldn't be so great if you feel pressured - I'm almost never happy with such painting.

▷ How does your typical creative evening look like? Maybe imagine the blue painting with Buddha - how was it like? And how long did it take altogether? 

I prepare my blank canvas, my colors, then put some nice music on and I start creating. Last time I did that, I checked the time and it was about 2 AM. Painting the blue Buddha was a pure chill for me. I didn't pay attention to anything else, just fell deep into the artist mode. I lost track of time. This piece took me about 5 hours. The other pieces... well, it depends. One time I painted a picture within 5 minutes and I had people begging for it. 😄 Funny how it works!

▷ Is there any goal that you set for yourself with your art?

My goal is simply to make someone's day. I'm just happy when someone likes what I do.

... and don't forget the most important thing: A flower blossoms for its own joy!