Interview with Dorothea Elisabeth Piper
The German artist Dorothea Elisabeth Piper, also known under her artist name ELIA, has been living and working south of Berlin since 1980. Since 1956, she spent her childhood in Lutherstadt Wittenberg, an old historical city known for its rich traditions, and studied pedagogy in Potsdam. After another degree in accounting and controlling, and the birth of three wonderful children, she devoted herself completely to art. In 2002 she opened her workshop ELIA in Ludwigsfelde. She loves to share her passion for painting and teaching during classes in her own painting school, in her workshop, and as an independent painting tutor. She supports the Volkshochschule Teltow-Fläming and the Akademie 2. Lebenshälfte on a voluntary basis and practices art with seniors.
She prefers to paint her exhibition pieces in an intuitive way and in the impressionistic style. Yet her favorite artistic tools remain poignant watercolors or atmospheric pastels. She likes to explore all available means of creativity and artistic expression. For this reason, her paintings are very different from each other, spontaneous, and authentic. For more than 21 years she has been working independently as a painter and freelance art tutor. She had numerous solo exhibitions in regional and international venues. In the past few years, she has been on tour in many countries including Portugal, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, the USA, and England. Her work is represented in notable catalogues for contemporary art.
Another direction of her versatile activities can be seen in her work as an author and illustrator. For several years Dorothea Elisabeth Piper has been writing and designing literature. In 2003, her book "The Reiki Message" was published by the Silberschnurverlag. This book, accompanied by a set of illustrated cards, was created on the initiative and in cooperation with Marion Mietke from Berlin and published in Germany and the Netherlands. Elia has designed the book cover for "The Land of Promise" by Manfred Kyber, published by Genius-Verlag.
In her new project "...For your own sake! An essay on the way to yourself" Elia was able to contribute more than a combination of her proven artistic and literary talents. The new twinset, consisting of a book and a set of 78 cards with stunning watercolor artwork, leads the readers back to their inner self in a contemplative way. This project is soon to be published.
Your work is known for its impressionistic style and the use of light and shadow to create form. What initially drew you to this style, and how do you feel it allows you to express your artistic vision?
A great aesthetic impact can be achieved by application of the right color combination. Both calm harmonies and expressive disharmonies can be created by the effect of the colors alone. It is all about celebrating the color. Color is a universal language that allows for multiple meanings. The art of intuitive selection and spontaneous placement of colors nourishes the artist’s mind with new ideas, and reveals unexpected solutions and vantage points.
After studying pedagogy and starting a family, what was the pivotal moment that led you to devote yourself to art, particularly watercolor painting?
Painting and drawing have been essential for me since childhood. A very important moment for my understanding of art was my encounter with well-known Wittenberg painters. In the early 70s I had a chance to meet them in a special art club, located between the fertilizer plant Piesteritz and the Piesteritz factory settlement in an old barrack that smelled of turpentine. The traditions of passing on the craft in the workshops of Lucas Cranach the Elder, who had been working as a court painter for the Saxon elector in Wittenberg since 1505, had been preserved over generations. They differed significantly from the modern way of teaching. I was able to thoroughly observe and learn the different manuscripts and techniques of each individual artist. In addition, for example, there was an intensive drawing exercise every week stretched over the whole winter season with the same model, to be observed from different angles and studied on large formats. It was a very precise portrait study, a truly unforgettable experience. There were study trips that brought me closer to mastering the effects of light and shadow in landscape painting. I always found great inspiration in plein-air painting. In paintings by William Turner, I could recognize the same feeling of freedom. Only when I explicitly asked for advice, was I personally addressed. Otherwise, I was simply moving along and painted objects of my choosing. Due to this ultimately autodidactic, effortless tutoring manner my own style could be shaped. Of course, studying and starting a family took up an important space in my life and demanded its share of time, but I soon began to get involved with painting again. I have been particularly interested in watercolor painting for the past 25 years. It is a very exciting technique in which the picture is constantly changing during the painting process. A lot of variables can affect the process and the result. It is a product of the texture and thickness of the paper, the colors, the amount of water and the amount of time. Large formats and handmade paper bring the challenge to the next level.
As “ELIA”, how do you balance your personal identity with your artistic pseudonym? Do you find that having an artist name influences your creative process or how you approach your art?
An alias is always a statement. In my case, it can be said that my artistic work and my own personality have led me towards my artist name. This name stands for the core of myself, for the essence of my energy, which flows into the work during the creative process. This artist name is also an abbreviation of my middle name, Elisabeth, which has been passed on in every generation of my family that I am aware of. Therefore, it ties me even closer to my family, which forms the foundation, the core for everything I create, and which gives wings to my creativity.
In your paintings, you often leave out or loosely detail pictorial elements, allowing imagination and interpretation to play a significant role. Can you describe your process in deciding what to include or exclude in a piece?
The pieces that reflect my personality should only pave the way and encourage the beholder to get involved with the picture, to linger for a moment, to look at it, to be inspired and to follow the mesmerizing interplay of colors and shapes. During the painting process, I spontaneously decide on the specific colors and shapes that subconsciously coincide with myself and are best suited to express my current mood. Yet the extent of detalization is completely up to the artist.
Having shown your work in various international locations like Lisbon, Rome, and London, how do you find the reception of your art differs across cultures? Are there any exhibitions that have been particularly memorable for you?
In the last few years, I have received invitations from many international galleries to exhibit my paintings, resulting in an overly positive response from the public. I could always rely on highly professional approach in the transportation, organization, and hosting of exhibitions. However, the transport of fragile paintings throughout Europe and beyond is a major logistical challenge and a bureaucratic quest. Entrusting this task to proven specialists is highly recommended. My own experiences were ultimately positive. The general openness to countless artistic forms is fascinating. From what I could observe, the focus has changed. We are no longer confined by rigid frames of styles and stereotypes. Much more attention is paid to the charismatic effect of a single art piece. Of course, there are still some regional predilections at play. In Zurich, I was particularly pleased about the high appreciation of watercolors. In Italy and Portugal, for example, people were very fond of colorful pictures. Each place with its people and regional peculiarities reflects the local traditions, the emotional landscapes, and the local vision of joie de vivre.
As someone passionate about teaching and sharing your love for painting, what is the most rewarding aspect of running your own painting school and working as a freelance painting lecturer?
To observe the joy of my painting students, which they experience in the process, and to witness their success, is the most beautiful reward for me. You will also find many pictures by me that are painted in a realistic style. These pieces are usually created during painting workshops to demonstrate a variety of techniques. Here I can seamlessly combine my competence in teaching with my passion for painting. I think it is important not only to explain theoretically what is essential, but to show these points in practical exercise. I assist my pupils in comprehensible steps. These pictures also bring me joy, regardless of the purpose of their creation. It will not hurt to remember the craft more often and to do a lot of drawing drill. Through practical exercise and observation, the one abstraction that encompasses everything will eventually emerge from the many lines. With my own work, I would like to support the development of children and adults who want to learn painting the best they can, to unlock, among other things, their creativity, intellectual and communicative skills. Painting is an amazing way to unfold the creative potential of a person and to make emotions visible. In today's performance-oriented world, this can be seen as a valuable spiritual counterweight to lean onto. Of course, solid mastering of various painting techniques and skills should not be neglected.
Could you elaborate on your role as an author and illustrator for "The Reiki Message"? How do you blend your artistic and literary talents in this project?
As an artist and a Reiki practitioner, I have developed a deep philosophical relationship with various aspects of life, which I can depict using painting tools or describe with words. In this work I have designed the motifs for the picture cards. The book with a set of painted cards "The Reiki Message" was created on the initiative and in wonderful cooperation with Marion Mietke, a Reiki teacher from Berlin. The book contains the right words and soulfully written thoughts to express the essence of Reiki energy. With the help of the specially designed cards, one can consciously approach the flow of Reiki and learn to understand its deep, helpful energy. The motifs of the cards and the corresponding texts serve to express the Reiki energy and support the process of gaining awareness.
You’ve mentioned collaborations with Genius-Verlag and other projects. How do these collaborations influence your artistic growth, and what do you find most rewarding about working with others?
The cooperations with various publishers, with other artists, healers and philosophers, educators and scientists always broaden my view enormously. For example, I was able to learn a lot about publishing, graphic design, letterpress printing, etc. I am always curious, questioning all topics of everyday life, observing the events on Earth, and sometimes, I can spot cross-connections here and there; always keeping my eyes open for psychological approaches on my way to recovery and becoming whole. I try to classify and analyze all impressions and experiences. All these thoughts may then condense into a new idea for a picture, a new book, or a creative, unconventional solution for some problem.
As an artist who has achieved significant recognition in the art world, how do you navigate the balance between staying true to your personal artistic vision and responding to the evolving trends and expectations of the contemporary art scene?
The expectations of the contemporary art scene and my own ways of doing art do not necessarily contradict each other. Depending on the venue or on the personal taste of each exhibition visitor, the way people experience art is always a matter of individual perception. For this reason, it is important for me to stay completely in line with myself and not to chase after the current trends of the art scene. Only something authentic, whether it is just specs of color or something painted in a realistic manner, will appeal to the viewer. I also do not want to limit myself to some "signature style". The world is too diverse and volatile to settle with just one chosen form of expression in the long run. My recognition value lies in the most authentic capture of a principle, abstract or not.
With over 21 years of experience and numerous achievements, what future projects or aspirations do you have? Are there any new techniques or styles you are eager to explore in your art?
In the field of painting, something new and exciting will happen again and again, but these discoveries are unplanned. It just happens. I am open for surprises. I continue to work with my painting students and am very happy to see their bright faces and their achievements.
Soon I would like to continue working on my current book project and bring it to completion. It is another book with a set of cards. I can contribute more than 30 years of experience in many fields as well as my personal experiences on the way to comfort and healing. The book and the set of 78 cards, illustrated by me with bright watercolors, already have a title: "... For your own sake! An essay on the way to yourself". It may sound like a game for entertainment, but it has a contemplative background. It contains a collection of thoughts on the journey to myself and answers to all the questions on my own path to healing. Of course, it is just my point of view, something that worked for me. Nevertheless, it is meant as a doorway to your own inspiration. Everyone will then find their own way. This attempt on self-psychoanalysis is basically an experience report from the path to inner peace. The cards help to identify your inner barriers and hindrances. The use of the cards appeals to our subconscious in a playful way and bypasses the presumptuous mind. More information about the meaning of cards can be found in the book. The release is scheduled for the next year.
