Rossella Paolini’s art has a way of speaking to us without words, whispering through our senses and revealing layers beyond the first glance. When we stand before any work born from an artist’s mind, our eyes see the surface – the colors, the symbolism, the composition – but beneath that lies a world of thought, emotionality, and sacred interpretation. We begin to feel it…
Every subtle choice carries fragments of the artist’s experience that are sometimes invisible to anyone but the creator. It’s in the space between what is revealed and what remains hidden to the viewer that art becomes truly compelling and alive.
Rossella Paolini’s work invites us into that layered mystery. Exploring her creative journey, we are held in quiet deliberations, the bursts of inspiration, and the personal reflections that shape her vision. Her journey is one of imagination and discovery – a reminder that the beauty we perceive is only a glimpse into the well of a deeper story. Much like life…
This is like looking behind the curtain of artistic expression, where every detail and every choice is imbued with intention, nuance, and meaning.
“My creative process begins with an idea, or rather an intuition, which is subsequently elaborated, immediately after knowing the title and theme of the exhibition in which I will participate!” – Rossella Paolini
Rossella Paolini Creative Process // In Her Words
My creative process begins with an idea, or rather an intuition, which is subsequently elaborated, immediately after knowing the title and theme of the exhibition in which I will participate! In this case the very intriguing title was Haunted Beauty, from there my research began in the library of my studio, well stocked with esoteric, mythological, alchemical books, complete with illustrations, from which I could draw inspiration.
I wanted to portray a little white witch with a cup in her hands in which the crescent moon was reflected, and I wanted it to connect with a diadem with the crescent moon, and with a third moon above her that fit well with the curve of the edged wooden Gothic panel, thus completing my main idea of the 3 moons: one above her head, one on the diadem, and one in the cup!
With the subject in mind, we begin the treatment of the wooden panel, applying a light layer of acrylic gesso with a wide, flat brush and then a base of red acrylic over the entire surface, especially useful for the frame where I will later apply the copper leaf! Thus, in pencil, we begin the first creation, which will be colored gradually with many layers of various acrylic colors down to the last tiny details.
For the entire figure and the starry sky, I use synthetic brushes, size 1 or 2, changing them very often so that the tip is perfect for painting tiny details! This panel, ordered from an American company, Trekell, also has a groove between the painting and the frame and needs a couple of coats of dark paint to bring out both the subject and the shaped edge.
Finally, I brush the gilding glue around the entire frame and wait a few minutes for it to dry. I cut a few strips of copper leaf and carefully apply them to the frame. I use a large brush to remove all the excess, being careful not to let it fly around the studio… this is the most delicate phase!!! The last step is to apply the gilded varnish to the copper leaf. I chose the burnished one to make it look older and to preserve the copper leaf over time!
