Talking with other Decorative artists or also with family and friends, I often get asked how a Decorative Painting design comes to life.
Well, even if there are no rules on that and there’s nothing happening all the times, I will do my best to tell you where I get my ideas or how I get inspired 😊

Well, considering that Decorative Painting is often related to the seasons, and if you know me a little, you know how much I love “dressing” my house according to the season, many of my Decorative Painting designs have a specific theme: Christmas, Fall and Halloween, Spring and Easter, Summer and so on…
So, it is quite simple for me thinking about a Christmas design and knowing it will have a Santa, or thinking about a Fall design being sure I will be painting a pumpkin (and I looooove pumpkins)!

However, there are some things that helped me a lot when I began with my adventure as a designer, and that are still inspiring me a lot! The first one is for sure travelling! Oh yes, travelling not only enables us to see new places, get in touch with different people and cultures, but can really open our mind!

I remember travelling to Provence some years ago at the end of June, right when all lavender fields were in full bloom. I wanted to paint lavender after that and the Vintage Mood design came to life.
The year after, I travelled to Puglia, a beautiful region in the south of Italy. I was walking on a field and suddenly a beautiful butterfly went on a flower… so, I told to myself “oh, that’s nice… I could paint it”!
I immediately took a picture because I wanted to keep that in my mind and after some time, the Summer Memories design came to life!

One of the most recent travels that inspired me was when I went to Argentina and Patagonia a couple of years ago. I saw so many beautiful places there, the natural landscapes, the animals… everything is so amazing! I visited the Valdes peninsula, which is famous for its penguins and I promised to myself that one of the next winter designs would have had a penguin on, so… Quick & Easy – Winter time came to life!

Another thing I really enjoy doing is going to flea markets (or also to my father-in-law’s basement 😊) looking for old stuff: old and rusty bowls, old strainers or coffeepots. I like adding these elements to my designs to make them look more vintage and give them a kind of “family look”! I remember I was in my in-law’s basement one day and I saw this beautiful old manual coffee grinder. I couldn’t take with me, but that inspired me for my next fall design, and that’s when Italian Harvest came to life!

I have to admit that at the beginning of my journey as a designer, I was a little concerned by the fact of creating something from scratch, but this is now what I enjoy the most. I love the whole process, what to do and how to do it! What will do Santa this time? Will he be holding a stocking… or better a gingerbread? Will I add the “tortellino” to my Christmas project this time? Oh yes… for someone who lives in Bologna like me, there’s no Christmas without tortellini!

Moreover, there are other things that are involved when you think how a Decorative Painting design comes to life! Well, when the drawing itself is done, another adventure begins! How do I paint this? What color should I use?Well, there are for sure some colors that I prefer… If you have already painted some of my designs, you probably know that Soft Black is always on the list and that my snowmen often have a curly nose, at least if that day I am happy, and when I am painting, I am always happy! 😊

My personal taste always makes me choose quite warm and “vintage” looking colors and to balance them with some (actually few…) brighter values. Considering that the latest color trends are more and more going towards brighter high-pigment colors, I often wonder if I should also follow this trend.
However, I have never followed trends in my life… not even when I was in high school and all my friends were wearing the same clothes😊

I think if I started using too bright and high-pigment colors only because this is the new trend, then my designs wouldn’t be 100% mine…
I guess, when it comes to art and creativity, it’s better to follow your hart then your brain!
One of the things I love the most since I began my journey as a designer is to be able to put myself in my designs and to take a little be of me in your homes.
As I often say, Decorative Painting makes us travel without knowing it 😊

Well, I hope I have been able to put all my thoughts into words telling you how a Decorative Painting design comes to life and also answering to some of your questions!
Have fun painting!
Marika