Interview with Veerle Coucke — Contemporary Art Curator Magazine

May 31

May 31 Interview with Veerle Coucke

I am Veerle Coucke, 53 years old and a language teacher in a secondary school. Apart from painting, I am fond of theatre, reading novels, visiting exhibitions. I'm married and a mother of 3 daughters in their twenties.

Could you please introduce yourself and tell us how you started in the arts? and your first experience in art making?

My interest in creating art started at a very early age. At the age of ten I started taking art lessons and have never stopped since. I have a constant urge to improve my painting skills.

How would you describe yourself and your artwork?

I like to use plenty of bright colours to evoke liveliness and depth. Leaving parts of the painting blank is a deliberate choice, as to prevent the painting from being too elaborate, as to make the painting more intriguing. Painting is for me a constant striving and struggle to create most effect with least effort, in this sense, that the freshness and directness of the picture don’t evaporate. One stunning stroke is often more compelling than multiple reworked strokes.

Where do you get your inspiration from?

I start from a newspaper picture and the energy of the moment is directing my brush strokes. The outcome is hardly to be recognized in the original picture, as the added colour, distortion and extra elements give the painting its own shape and strength.

What emotions do you hope the viewers experience when looking at your art?

I present the world solely from a subjective perspective, distorting it radically for emotional effect.

in order to evoke a variety of moods, among which anxiety, joy, sadness, shyness, ageing. The emotional experience is more important than the physical reality. I consider every satisfactory piece of art to be a triumph over restlessness.

When do you know that an artwork is finished ?

This is hard to tell, with some works, I feel insecure and need the advice of a teacher to be really able to stop.

What has been the most exciting moment in your art career so far?

The solo show in Melle last October.

How long does it take to produce one work?

This depends. In a first stage, I paint a few hours on one particular painting. After a considerable time, I have a closer look at it and often start working out further detail. This can take quite some time.

What exciting projects are you working on right now?

I paint almost on a daily basis and arrive at finishing at least one painting a week. Every now and then I get an assignment for portrait painting, which is always a challenge.