My name is Vladislas Pasiewicz, more easily known as Vlad. I come from a small French island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean but I have found my real home in Wales over 20 years ago.
I am now based in Cardigan for the last 7 years and I have my own gallery here in Priory Street.
Tell us a little about what you make?
I paint Welsh landscapes with oils on canvases from which I make prints of various sizes, from greeting cards to framed prints and printed canvas reproductions.
What inspires you and where do you find that inspiration?
I love nature as a whole and being in Ceredigion/Pembrokeshire, I have found the coast and the Welsh natural environment to provide all the beauty that I need to inspire me endlessly with beautiful landscapes and seascapes.
Tell us about your favourite medium
I have started my art with pencil/graphites then I developed in colour with watercolours. A few years ago I tried with oils. This is the medium I have used since and will stay with. It is a powerful, vibrant medium that suits my character.
What are your favourite and least favourite parts of being an artist or maker?
My favourite part is actually painting and planning my next painting.
I guess my least favourite part then would be when I’m not painting; and that would be when I’m printing and framing. But that’s part of the work I do and I love what I do, so I don’t think I have a least favourite parts in my profession. I just love what I do, where I live and the people amongst whom I live.
What does being a member of the Ceredigion Art and Craft Trail mean to you?
Being a member of CACT is important to me as the trail helps local people and visitors to connect with artists in our part of Wales. Artists provide a spiritual representation of our area and people do love to see what is the fabric of the land and people they visit which is different in all regions. CACT provides a good helping shortcut to find all these artists and their varied creativity.
How do you manage a work-life balance as an artist/maker?
I am a bit of a workaholic with a passion to produce more and more paintings from an ever growing list of views and locations. I’d be working 16 hours a day if I could. Fortunately I have a wonderful partner who keeps my feet in the ground. We go cycling our e-bikes around the country and I do sea kayaking which also helps me to bring more painting material seen from the sea.
What are you working on at the moment?
I have just finished my ultimate panoramic painting of Mwnt which can be seen at vlad-art.co.uk, and has a great success and I am now painting a new panoramic view of a little hamlet by the sea called Llansantffraid showing also the beautiful Ceredigion Coast. It’s a great view.
How do you know when your work is finished?
My work is very detailed and I aim to put countless details in every painting. The clue that I ought to stop comes when I spend a few hours on my painting that doesn’t seem to change anything except to my micro vision. Lol.
What is the biggest challenge of being an artist/maker?
It all depends what kind of artist we wish to be. My art is very detailed and representative of its subject so mastering one’s technique and skills in drawing and mixing colours takes time and perseverance. Once there, the challenge is to aim to constantly progress and search for improvement.
What advice would you give to new artists or makers at the start of their creative journey?
It is a long journey to find yourself as an artist, and that requires a consistent dedication to developing your craft whatever it is.
One’s style is a reflection of his personality and it will flourish by a consistent pursuit of one’s passion. A true artist in my view will need to remain true to himself and not try to fake a style in hope to be lucky with sales.
One needs patience in becoming a good artist and also a lot of patience in the creation of an artwork.
That’s the easy part: From then on, it takes even more patience and determination in networking with people so that they realise that you exist. CACT is a great help for that.