Extraordinary imagination, dazzling style, inspirational soul -
The finest visual qualities, a digital wizard of Surrealism could figure out
...whose artworks deeply touch the mind
and provoke such a creatively unexpected sparkle
to light up a burning soul fire
than see your intuitional dream bridge
and cross the impossible line of what is possible
to you
I’d love to dedicate this interview to Iwona Aleksandrowicz, with many thanks for her lovely company at the art classes in Złodziejewo, as well for the quick help in German translation of Catrin’s presentation.
To mark some of Catrin's replies about the visual quality and freelancing
they have been also included in german and polish tramslation
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| Catrin Welz-Stein, AVATAR |
"Catrin Welz-Stein is a Graphic Art Designer; she is also the mother of 2 lovely children.
Her art is mixed media and the sources she uses are mostly vintage photos and old pictures.
She loves to experiment in Photoshop, take pictures apart and assemble them into a new content.”
What is your life motto?
Enjoy life, think positive, precious the big as well as the small moments.
Tell us about You - your philosophy and the experience in visual arts
As a child I loved to draw and liked to be creative. I almost was born with a pencil in my hand.
I knew I wanted to do something related to arts. I have graduated from Graphic Design in Darmstadt , Germany and then worked for different advertising agencies in Germany , USA and Switzerland
I stopped working in agencies after becoming a mother, and after a short time of being self employed I decided to quit work until my children grew older.
Because of my children (4 and 6 years old) I can go through childhood again and I can enjoy the world of fantasy and fairy tails. I like to look at childrens books and let them inspire me.
„Where the wild things are“, from Maurice Sendak is a favourite book of all of us.
Through the children books I rediscovered the love to illustration again.
Through the children books I rediscovered the love to illustration again.
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| Catrin Welz -Stein, COCOON |
Two years ago I have started to create digital images by collaging old illustrations and photographs. It all began with a Christmas card I’ve made for friends and relatives, and it made so much fun I could hardly stop.
At the same time I discovered RedBubble and for the first time my private images were open to the public.
The positive responses I got there were my motivation to go on with my art until now!
The positive responses I got there were my motivation to go on with my art until now!
mixing old pictures and vintage photos with photoshop elements creates images in which you want to get lost, every time you look at them you will spot something you have never seen there before and without realizing you´re in daydreams"
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| Catrin Welz -Stein, HOMEWARD BOUND |
As a professional graphic art designer I often had to make compromises for the clients. There were a lot of rules in visual communication and I often felt that I could not express my whole creativity.
Now I enjoy creating art that does not explain itself from the beginning. My images have a dreamlike and surreal quality.
They speak from inner feelings which we often hide in our daily life.
They speak from inner feelings which we often hide in our daily life.
Longing, Love, Desire, Loneliness, Fortune and Humor are the themes in my images, which you sometimes only recognize in the second look.
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| Catrin, Welz -Stein,THE SECOND LOOK |
For how long you have been working as a professional?
I have worked as a graphic designer for about eight years.
What are your greatest inspirations?
My inspirations are: Fantasy, children stories, medieval, Jugendstil, Folklore and Surrealism.
I am inspired by the work of Nicoletta Ceccoli, Kelly Rae Roberts, Sabrina Ward Harrison, Olaf Hajek, Maggie Taylor, Natalie Shau, Colette Calascione and Nazario Graziano.
Well, there are so many great artists around!
How did you gain so much knowledge in this area?
As a graphic art designer I worked a lot with digital images.
What creative mediums do you prefer the most and why?
My images are all digital made. I collect old images and illustrations and put them new together in Photoshop.
The working process is based on combining and the division of photographs, with removing, filling and retouch.
The working process is based on combining and the division of photographs, with removing, filling and retouch.
Using digital medium I have far more creative possibilities and I can work much faster then on the Canvas. Perhaps, my skills have been formed during the long years of working in front of my computer. Thanks to all that I can create my art best in digital.
Your art world is…
My art world is Otto Dix, Frida Kahlo, Picasso, Gustav Klimt, Magritte and Boticelli!
What means the visual quality, the visual genius to you?
There are so many directions and styles, from abstract to realism, with the visual quality can be made. I think much depends on the receiver, what touches him/her and what they are most likely to watch.
I always aspire to visualize certain idea, to gain the Aha effect.
Therefore, a receiver should have an opportunity to sink in the visual world, in which there is always something new to discover.
Es gibt so viele unterschiedliche Stilrichtungen, von Abstrakt bis Realistisch, die alle eine hohe visuelle Qualität erzeugen können. Ich denke, es hängt viel vom Betrachter ab, wo er berührt wird und was er gerne sieht.
Ich strebe immer danach, eine Idee einfach zu visualisieren, um den Aha Effekt zu erzeugen.
Ich strebe immer danach, eine Idee einfach zu visualisieren, um den Aha Effekt zu erzeugen.
Der Betrachter soll aber auch in eine visuelle Welt abzutauchen können, in der es immer wieder Neues zu entdecken gibt.
Jest tyle różnorodnych kierunków i styli, od abstrakcji do realizmu, dzięki którym można stworzyć wysoką jakość wizualną. Wydaje mi się, że dużo zależy od odbiorcy, tego co go porusza oraz co najchętniej ogląda.
Zawsze dążę do wizualizacji jakiejś idei, by osiągnąć efekt “eureka!”.
Odbiorca powinien jednak mieć możliwość zanurzenia się w wizualny świat, w którym wciąż jest coś nowego do odkrycia.
Last Night, in my Dreams (The Digital Art of Catrin Welz-Stein)
A freelancer today – what is the greatest challenge?
As a freelancer I have always to be flexible, know how to overcome different challenges. It makes me also to resign of a piece of myself, to work it out in a group.
Sometimes, a few projects are started at the same time and you work in a few places. If you pay no notice, suddenly you’re out of free time, the stress increases. You work until late night, the life quality decreases. That’s why I gave up. Too much stress!
Als Freelancerin musste ich sehr flexibel sein und Jako freelancer muszę być zawsze elastyczna, umieć zmierzyć się z najróżniejszymi wyzwaniami. Trzeba także zrezygnować z kawałka siebie, by umieć pracować w zespole. Czasem trzeba uruchomić kilka projektów jednocześnie i pracuje się w kilku miejscach. Jeśli się nie uważa, nagle brakuje wolnego czasu, zwiększa się stres i ciśnienie.
Pracuje się do późnej nocy, zmniejsza się jakość życia. Właśnie to było przyczyną, że skończyłam. Za dużo stresu!
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| Catrin Welz -Stein, THE VOYAGE |
Internet – light and dark side of being an internet wizard
For the first time I have published my works in the Internet. I could also exchange with other artists. In the meantime I can’t give it up, because it’s the only way I can show my art.
Of course, we have to be careful, what we submit to the Internet, because it’s easy to copy and use images.
It has already happened that my works appeared in some blogs without asking for my permission.
I am not a typical Internet creator. I don’t have my own web site or blog. You will not find me on Facebook or Twitter.
Durch das Internet habe ich zum ersten Mal meine Kunst veröffentlicht und ich konnte mich mich
W Internecine opublikowałam po raz pierwszy moje prace. Mogłam też wymieniać się z innymi artystami.
W międzyczasie nie mogę z tego zrezygnować, ponieważ tylko w ten sposób mogę pokazywać moją sztukę. Oczywiście trzeba uważać, co umieszcza się w internecine, gdyż zdjęcia mogą być łatwo kopiowane i wykorzystywane.
Zdarzało się już, że moje zdjęcia pojawiały się nagle na jakimś blogu bez mojej zgody. Nie jestem jednak typowym kreatorem internetu. Nie mam nawet własnej strony internetowej lub bloga. Nie ma mnie także na facebooku czy Twitterze.
W międzyczasie nie mogę z tego zrezygnować, ponieważ tylko w ten sposób mogę pokazywać moją sztukę. Oczywiście trzeba uważać, co umieszcza się w internecine, gdyż zdjęcia mogą być łatwo kopiowane i wykorzystywane.
Zdarzało się już, że moje zdjęcia pojawiały się nagle na jakimś blogu bez mojej zgody. Nie jestem jednak typowym kreatorem internetu. Nie mam nawet własnej strony internetowej lub bloga. Nie ma mnie także na facebooku czy Twitterze.
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| Catrin Welz -Stein, MISS EVE |
What are you doing of staying on top of these changes and how do you keep your work universal?
Probably I can’t tell much, because I work in my time-limited small world.
Do you benefit from being on social networks? What social accounts do you have?
Yes, I do. I am on
I benefit from the feedback, the inspiration of other artist and of course of selling my art :)
With who would you like to make a visual collaboration?
I am glad if people who contact me are in other artistic professions and ask me for a collaboration.
I don’t have anybody special in mind. It is a good feeling seeing your own art getting bigger and more complete with matching another creative work!
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| Rezzalp, In my dreams - illustrated by Catrin Welz - Stein |
Last year Helena Plazzer from Rezzalp contacted me, a young musician group from
She asked me if they could use my work for their new album „In my dreams“.
They have released a beautiful created CD with some of my images included. I am very proud of this and I love their music!
Catrin,
Congratulations on this inspiring collaboration.
The perfect match, both music and your magic art works!
The Rezzalp reminds a bit of The Corrs – such a dreamy feel to that J
The perfect match, both music and your magic art works!
The Rezzalp reminds a bit of The Corrs – such a dreamy feel to that J
Thank you Catrin for sharing your art world and unique point of inner view.
I wish You more beautiful dreams still to come.
Catrin Welz -Stein, PRECIOUS FLIGHT
KEIT, SJSW
MAgnifique,magique,
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