Unleash your imagination and play

Katarina Ivanović has been working in art for twenty years, and five years ago she discovered a new technique - quilling, in which she still creates today. Ivanovic presented the works created with the quilling technique at her fifth solo exhibition of paintings, which was opened last week in the hall of the Danilovgrad Cultural Center.

In an interview with "Vijesti", she points out that she is delighted with the impressions of visitors and the numerous compliments she has received, and there have also been offers for new exhibitions. She unselfishly reveals what the quilling technique she deals with entails and how she discovered it.

"After working for many years in the technique of oil on glass and hardboard, I also discovered quilling. The quilling technique originates from the 14th century, it was created during the Renaissance in Italy and France when important writings and documents were regularly decorated with it. In the 18th century, quilling spread to Europe and America... Quilling refers to working with paper, i.e. - paper is cut into strips of 1 to 6 millimeters, and a circle is formed as a base and glued to the paper, then it is thinner to the desired shape. The technique requires you to have a predetermined image of what you are doing, especially if the works are a little more complicated, more complex, and it is not even a mistake if you just copy that work and work over it, because if you know how to express the details, then that is it, while someone in vain and the original picture, it doesn't even work, right?", says Ivanovic.

She adds that the beauty of the quilling technique is that there is no copy, but each thing made is an original in itself, and "the most important thing in the work itself is to relax and enjoy every new twist".

“Unleash your imagination! And one more thing - in the quilling technique one must relax and enjoy every movement, simply be like a child and play. Nothing else, you just let your inner child play and that's when the most beautiful works come out," says Ivanovic.

She says to "Vijesti" that she is not tied to any particular motive, and especially points out that her inspiration is her family, friends and all the people who send her positive words and who enjoy her "pictures", as she calls her works, although, she points out " there are also serious acts".

"I am not attached to any motive, but I do what pleases me at the moment... I like to see the feelings in the works themselves... I like the works to radiate to me... I like to watch others while, so to speak, they evaluate my work. .. That's when I fill myself with positivity, as they say - as if someone turned me on to electricity", she says honestly with the desire that other people, artists, art lovers discover the joy of the quilling technique. "I would like all people to devote themselves to something beautiful, to make quality use of their free time, and with this technique I can really do that... I can't describe how happy people are when I finish something they ordered, some would even cry when I submit work to them, because, quite simply, every work radiates positive energy. I claim that when it comes to works of cheerful colors and shapes", says Ivanovic and announces that within the framework of the non-governmental organization he founded "Quilling art - Katarina's spells" he will also organize several workshops, which he will inform the public about at a later date.

One of the biggest wishes is to remain a positive person

Katarina Ivanović says that she never takes breaks in her work, but as soon as she finishes a work, she wonders what to do next and always knows that the motive will come by itself. Plus - she doesn't give up when her plans go awry.

"In a short period of time, I had two solo exhibitions and I would have continued at that pace, but unfortunately the corona has challenged all of that. I have a lot of offers for exhibitions, both in our country and in the region, but this too will pass, so we will slowly continue with the same", says the artist optimistically.

For "Vijesti", he reveals what his plans are for the future.

"My wishes and plans are big, and one of the main ones is to be a positive person who will be able to adequately transfer my experience and knowledge related to quilling technique and recycling to others. I decided not to base myself on any age group, but that the workshops that I will organize include children of preschool age, through schoolchildren, children and adults with special needs, all the way to pensioners. I always say - just let us have fun", she concludes.