Rose Reichart is an emerging artist based in Germany who has exhibited her mixed-media abstract work in Austria, Germany and Poland. Her intuitive artistic practice stems from her pursuit to cast aside the inherent perfectionism of today‘s overproduced, technologized world and her desire to instead re-root herself in her body as well as nature, thus reconnecting with the powerful force of intuition. Her paintings are emotive, raw and aware, full of vivid color combinations and convey a sense of harmonious balance. In this interview, discover a typical day with Reichart and her artistic practice.
Hello Rose! What’s the first thing you do when you wake up in the morning?
The first thing I do every day is make coffee. I have this tiny ritual where I always ground the beans freshly myself and it has become one of my favorite daily tasks. My mother always used this old hand mill to grind our morning coffee and so the first thing I bought after moving out was a coffee grinder. I’ve used it almost every day since.
What inspires you to create every day?
Being in nature, especially surrounded by the calm energy of trees or water is always very inspiring and freeing to me. Unfortunately, I currently don’t manage to create every day though, due to multiple non-creative tasks that come with being a self-employed artist. As unromantic as it may sound, the marketing, administration, and business related tasks actually take up more of most artists’ lives than the actual creating.
What does your work space look like?
Depending on the project I am working on and the materials I am working with, I either create in my home studio or in a small studio room. If I work with potentially toxic substances I avoid doing it in my home studio. Since I am in the process of switching to paints that are more sustainable for the planet and also my personal health, I hope to be able to mostly work from my home studio soon. Especially in winter, this is the more cozy and preferable option compared to the unheated, dimly lit studio room.
Describe the core of your technique or style.
Intuition is the foundation of my artistic practice. I believe that my creative journey is about continuously finding my way back to this innate place of self-trust that we are all born with, but which many of us lose over time, due to various factors. Circling back to this sacred inner place of our most present and deeply connected self, creating from it, sharing these creations and in turn inspiring others to get in touch with their intuition is what I‘m all about.
What are your top 3 studio essentials?
Number one is definitely my webcam, as I document almost every painting I make and share the process videos on Instagram and other social media platforms. Number two would be a glass of water or a cup of coffee or tea (Staying hydrated and/or caffeinated is key!) The last studio essential is my new favorite vegan watercolor paints from the brand Eventually, Everything Mixes, which are handcrafted in Berlin by my friend and fellow artist Amé Binnarä Kim.
How do you know or decide when an artwork is finished?
I just feel it. An artwork feels finished or it feels unfinished. If I’m not sure about it, I just let the artwork rest a little, and when I look at it after some time I usually have a clear feeling about it’s state again. I don‘t think there’s a way to put this feeling of just knowing in words though. Maybe that’s Intuition as well.
What do you like to do to unwind after a day’s work?
My partner and I prepare a home cooked meal for us almost every day which we then enjoy together. It’s a very simple but cozy way to take one’s mind off of work. I actually often continue working after dinner though, so I’m not sure if I would call it unwinding.
How do you choose your medium?
I am active in multiple artistic fields. I am an abstract painter, a singer-songwriter and a photographer. I am an artist who chooses to tell her story and share her emotions in multiple ways. I always choose the medium that seems suited best to convey what I want to express. For me personally, relying only on one artistic field feels narrow and needlessly restrictive. A song might transport some ideas or stories better than a painting, while a painting might contain and transport an ephemeral emotion better. So why not use all that is available, why not find the tool best suited for the content?
What’s your overall favorite aspect of the creative process?
What I love about the creative process is the same thing in all the fields I am active in. It might happen at different stages of the process, depending on the creative field, but the core of what’s happening is always the same. My favorite aspect of any creation is this moment when you just ARE, you exist and feel deeply connected to your surroundings but all of that happens on a subconscious level. Consciously you are just creating and are totally immersed in this act. Some call it the flow state. For me, this happens when I paint, when I sing to an audience and during a photo shoot. Sometimes I even forget about the artworks I made during this flow state because I am so absorbed in the moment. But when I look at them at a later time and rediscover them, I often find them to be my strongest and most intimate works.
