From sparkling Chanel perfume bottles to decadent French macarons, Paula Urzica’s work is a total delight for the eyes. Born in Romania and now living in the UK, Urzica has a passion for hyperrealism, rendering her subjects with meticulous detail. Through vibrant color and extraordinary style, she gives life to each object she paints. Read our chat with Urzica to learn more.
Can you tell us about your background and what inspires you?
I started painting about five years ago after stumbling across hyperrealism on the internet and becoming instantly fascinated with it. Anything colorful inspires me. I find inspiration in ice creams, macarons and cakes, flowers and fruits, fabrics, pastels and oil paints.
How would you describe your creative process? Do plan or let chance take a role?
I usually start by looking for objects that catch my eye. Both in reality and online. Pinterest is a great source. After that I have a photoshoot and choose my favorite reference photo to work from.
I plan out everything. But I would like to learn to let chance play a bigger part.
What’s a typical day like in the studio?
Most days I just paint while listening to true crime podcasts and documentaries. I like my studio space to be tidy, and my paints and art supplies nicely organized. I find seeing colors very inspiring.
How do you choose your color palettes?
All the shades of pink. I usually like to include some pink. It is just such a happy color.
Have you seen your work evolve over the years?
My work used to very hyperrealistic, but over the years I introduced more colors and thicker, more existing brushstrokes.
What do you hope viewers see in your paintings?
I will leave it up to them, but I hope they feel happy and inspired when they look at my paintings.
Favorite thing to do when you’re not painting?
I have a few favorite things to do. I love long walks in nature, reading, spending time with my cat, shopping and just imagining my future paintings.
Paula Urzica: View More Work | On the Wall
