Impressionist painter Paul Cézanne
is said to have tried to grasp and
express the order of objects through
form rather than impressions.
Therefore, he created his own world
by focusing on the reticent
expression of shapes and colors
and making figures of materials.
Through the said,he revealed
the inner vitality of nature and
put it in his work.
He inspired many artist through this
and had such a great influence that
he was called
the father of modern art.
Artist @gelina was selected
for the Hall of Fame in April,
has been also showing us
a variety of subjects,
from natural materials to landscapes
through her own colors and shapes.
The works in the artist's feed catch
our attention through beautiful
colors and expressions.
The works that start from a part of
nature and contain the magnificent
scenery of Mother Nature stimulate
various emotions in the viewers.
She also shows that the subject
matter of the painting isn't limited
through works of imagination and
still lifes of animals and food.
Let's find out how the artist came
to draw these works through
an interview with her.
let's start the interview.
Q1. @PENUP
Hello, artist.
This is the operations team of PENUP
Congratulations on being selected
for the April Hall of Fame.
Please introduce yourself.
A1. @gelina
Hello! I'm Gelina.
I'm originally from the Philippines,
but raised in the New Jersey area.
currently back in the Philippines
working in the health and wellness
industry.
I'm an introvert by nature
so many of my hobbies are fairly
quiet like drawing and painting,
learning new skills and languages,
being out in nature, and spending
time with my many many pets.
I was honored but very surprised
to be selected for Hall of Fame!
In many ways, I still feel very new
in the midst of my learning process,
exploring and experimenting with
different art styles.
I wasn't sure what was happening
when I opened the app to hundreds of
notifications!
Thank you so much for this!
Q2. @PENUP
The first work was uploaded
in December 2020.
Since then, you've been uploading
works consistently, & we’re curious
how you found out about PENUP and
how you came to upload your works.
A2. @gelina
I first discovered PENUP in 2017
I bought a Galaxy Tab A 8.0 & SPen
I never posted anything then
(under a different account),
just casually coloring or doodling
between taking notes during
work trainings.
In 2019 I bought a Note 10 Plus
which became my trusty companion
during the pandemic.
I started coloring to relieve
anxiety as the situation worsened.
I also spent more time outdoors
gardening, a few of my early posts
were inspired by my plants.
I began joining the challenges
because they gave me a sense of
motivation when I felt like my mind
was stagnating. I like that
they encourage creativity and
community—things that suffered
greatly during times of isolation.
Q3. @PENUP
We were able to see works with
impressive beautiful colors and
expressions.
We wonder what devices and apps
these works are being created with.
A3. @gelina
I currently use a Galaxy Note 10 +
and Galaxy Tab S6 Lite.
With both devices I use
the LAMY SPen awarded to the winners
of the July 2021 SPen challenge.
I feel sentimental and inspired
when I use it.
It's a prized possession!
I mostly use Infinite Painter (Beta)
because it's so customizable.
The features and options can be
overwhelming, but
I have a very curious mind
I like tinkering with the many
settings and brushes.
When I want to work with
pencil or crayon, I use PENUP
because I think those brushes are
great—better than the ones I've seen
in any other app.
The Tilt Pencil
is one of my favorites.
Q4. @PENUP
We were able see that you drew
the appearance of various objects.
What motivated you to paint
a still life like this?
We are also curious about
the background of the birth of
works on various subjects.
A4. @gelina
I enjoy drawing still life as a way
to practice observation, I approach
this type of artwork with
the intention of learning to
"see" shapes, colors, textures,
lighting, proportion, etc.
Objects like glassware, ceramics,
and fruit make good studies of
reflective or shiny surfaces, while
food drawings are fun because of
the many combinations of colors and
textures.
Plants and flowers are favorites too.
With so many different species,
they're reliable subjects for
studying form and color.
While drawing from a reference photo
doesn't always exercise
my imagination, the skills I learn
from these studies become useful
when I create original artwork.
It's a bit easier to express
my imagination when I have
a better grasp of the basics.
Q5. @PENUP
The scenery of various places
caught our attention.
We wonder what kind of places
appear in the work.
It felt like a real place.
But if it's an imaginary place,
we wonder
how you got your inspiration.
A5. @gelina
Most of the landscapes I've drawn
are from photos found on image
sharing sites, and some from
personal travels.
I'm usually drawn to quiet liminal
spaces and landscapes that depict
a sense of solitude. I particularly
like lonely structures, hazy skies,
and desaturated palettes—images that
may seem eerie or perhaps dull
and boring, haha.
I revisited the book
Letters to a Young Poet
by Rainer Maria Rilke, which
gave me new insights about solitude,
loneliness, and isolation—things
I experienced during the pandemic
that became a source of inspiration.
Though some of my artwork may appear
sad or gloomy, I like exploring
or expressing uncomfortable emotions
similar to the way we listen to
sad songs or cry to sad movies—
the sense of release feels good.
Q6. @PENUP
You also took pictures of
various animals.
We wonder how you came to draw
the animals in your work and
what kind of charm they have
as a material for your paintings.
A6. @gelina
I can't remember a time in my life
when I didn't have pets. Currently
I have two Labrador mix dogs,
four indoor cats,
eight outdoor cats,
most of which are rescues.
I feel connected with my drawing
when I have an emotional bond with
the subject, so I really enjoy
incorporating them into my artworks.
I was particularly happy with
the matching portraits of my dogs.
Although they're siblings
raised together,
they have very different
personalities and I tried to
capture that in my drawings.
I've included my cats in a lot of
artwork, being curious and playful
and mischievous, which I think is
a very accurate portrayal, haha.
The twelve of them cause
a lot of trouble, but they make
life fun and interesting, and are
an infinite source of inspiration.
Q7. @PENUP
We were also able to see beautiful
artworks drawn using coloring.
We're curious about the reason why
you're drawing this kind of work and
what kind of design you choose for
the coloring used in your work.
A7. @gelina
I started with coloring pages when
I first discovered PENUP
as a way to relieve stress.
The pencils and crayons especially
make the experience more fun and
realistic, I love the texture they
produced in the works shown above.
But the more stressful
the pandemic became, the more
I wanted to distract myself with art
my coloring became more detailed
intricate, and imaginative.
I like that the coloring pages
leave room for creativity, so
it's fun to add my own touches
also to browse through other
artists' interpretations.
Looking back,
my post for the laptop coloring page
was probably my first memorable work
that got a lot of attention, and
it's still one of my favorites today
I also enjoyed the coloring I did
inspired by scenes
from books and movies.
Q8. @PENUP
The works that showed how to draw
a picture also drew attention.
We're curious about the reason why
you're sharing this workflow
in your feed.
Also, we wonder if there is
an expression that you focus on
when you work.
A8. @gelina
I'm a kinesthetic learner, so
I learn best through trial and error
Mistakes are the best teachers, and
I don't mind showing my process.
I sometimes laugh at my own sloppy
initial sketches because my hand
can't keep up with my imagination,
but it motivates me to improve.
I still have so much to learn,
so sharing my workflow also helps
me document my learning progress.
These might not be very useful or
instructional, but more like
a behind the scenes look with
the occasional tip here and there,
sharing things I've found helpful
in my journey.
Q9. @PENUP
We were also able to see works of
unique imagination.
We wonder where you get your
inspiration for these works.
We are curious if you have a topic
you want to draw in the future.
A9. @gelina
Ah, I have an overactive mind so
I really enjoy the PENUP challenges
that spark my imagination.
I usually try to see and present
the topics in a different way,
or even tell a story.
My entry for the Cloud Challenge is
still one of my favorites.
When I was brainstorming ideas,
I tried to recall the scientific
explanation for how clouds form,
but realized it wasn't very exciting
Then an idea came to mind about
how an adult might cutely explain
clouds to a young child who still
believed in magic, almost like
a bedtime story. I was happy
the end result resonated with
so many people.
My Pumpkin Challenge entry started
as a simple drawing of
a giant pumpkin, but in asking
myself how and why, I ended up
writing a short story.
I couldn't fit much within
the 500 character limit, but
keeping it brief and open-ended made
it more mysterious and interesting.
I was inspired by the books
James and the Giant Peach
by Roald Dahl and The Pearl
by John Steinbeck, and also
the fable Jack and the Beanstalk.
For a future challenge, the topic of
Fairytales/Folktales/Fables
could be fun if it hasn't been
done already.
Aside from the classic princess
stories, it would be interesting
to see artwork depicting lesser
known folktales from different
cultures, especially since
PENUP users come from many
different countries.
Q10. @PENUP
This is the last question.
Please tell us if there is
any improvement that you want
While using PENUP or
any story you want to share.
A10. @gelina
A couple of minor suggestions,
and perhaps an ambitious idea...
1. 360 Rotation of the canvas,
even if just incremental.
2. Option to pin the color picker
and eyedropper tools to the screen,
for a more seamless workflow.
3. Option to display a reference
photo as a pop-up or in split screen
4. Along with the reference photo,
the option to add grid lines to
the photo and canvas as a guide
or learning tool.
I've only seen apps that applied
grid lines to photos, but I haven't
seen this feature included in
an actual drawing app.
The grid method/technique is helpful
when drawing from a reference, and
it can be useful to artists of
all levels. The user can choose
different grid size options
depending on' preference and
skill level. And if the photo and
canvas are not the same ratio,
the user could be given the option
to crop/resize either the photo
or the canvas.
Perhaps the grid can also be
interactive—clicking on a square in
the reference photo would zoom
the artist in on the corresponding
area on the canvas. And maybe even
include this method into
a Live Drawing as a new type of
learning tool. I like that
PENUP incorporates learning, so
I think something like this would be
fun and encouraging for new artists.
My suggestions tend to favor bigger
screens like tablets, so it might
be challenging to implement on
smaller devices, but in any case,
I hope PENUP continues to find ways
to improve and promote learning
and creativity.
Thank you once more for welcoming me
into the Hall of Fame!
I am deeply humbled. And
thank you to the PENUP community
for the continued support!
How was the interview with @gelina?
Paul Cézanne abandoned perspective
and created a new work that
deviated from stereotypes through
paintings tailored to his own eyes.
The artist was also creating
a variety of works that mixed
fact and imagination through
various materials that touched
her eyes.
Why don’t you observe the material
with a new perspective and draw
the image?
We think it would be fun to express
the original appearance as it is and
to draw the imagination through it.
We hope that PENUP will be filled
with works from various perspectives
with everyone's works.
