How Do I Feel Today

 

Nathalie-Edenbur
All artwork by Nathalie Edenburg

When Nathalie Edenburg isn’t striking a pose, her creative side takes the reigns, and currently she is in the middle of year-long daily undertaking, a project entitled “How Do I Feel Today”. The artist and model paints over a single portrait of herself each day, taking the image from a neutral mien to vibrant emotional impressions–les Fauves, of sorts. The underlying portrait stays the same, but no two moods end up being identical. Her project not only has therapeutic effects, but approaches art with openhandedness: When all 365 painting are complied, the sales will fund art institutions, the donation of art materials, and helping the underprivileged children of Brazil. Nathalie also plans hold an art workshop in the favela to utilize art as a tool to encourage education. She answered a few questions to shed some light on her “How Do I Feel Today” project.


Photo by Rogério Mesquita

Hi Nathalie–how do you feel today?

I’m feeling lucky, happy about the progress of my project.

How long ago did the project begin, and what inspired you to start it?

The project began exactly on January 1st. November of last year I printed a portrait of me and painted on top of my face, when I finished, I looked and I felt something different. I thought: This said a lot about me. So I showed Rogerio Mesquita, the photographer of the portrait, and together we had this idea of creating the How Do I Feel Today Project with the intent to inspire people to do art everyday as a form of self expression.

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Do you really do one EVERY day…or is there a little cheating?

Every single day, as a ritual. I carry my stuff everywhere I go, and if necessary, I paint inside the car or in the airplane, as I have done a few times. Hehe.

Bob Dylan said, “I change during the course of a day. I wake and I’m one person, and when I go to sleep I know for certain I’m somebody else.” How many times do you feel different during the course of a day?

Countless times, I am always changing my mood during the day. But I do not put rules on the time that I should paint, the time that I feel, I paint, and the predominant mood at that moment will be expressed.

Can tell us about the charity of “How I Feel Today”?

The idea of the project is to encourage the practice of art in daily life as a form of self-expression and self-awareness. I truly believe that there is an artist in each of us and through the project I want to awaken it in people. Part of the profit from the sale of the works will be reverted to purchase art supplies for donation and in the process want to promote social actions to encourage the practice of art.

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What about the art workshops in the favela. Have you done anything like that before?

I did it once before, but this time will be a little different. I want to go in the communities and organize an art workshop, providing a day of painting to those interested in participating. We will photograph each person, print the photo and each one will paint over their faces as I do. At the end, we will make a wall with all the painted faces leaving an artwork in the favela. Each person participating in the action will win a book to  encourage art and reading.

What was your favorite class in school?

Mathematics. Kidding, it is art no doubt!

If you could paint only with one color, what would it be?

Red is my color.

You’re an art lover. Which artists, old and new, fascinate you the most? Kinds of art?

The greatest teachers for me: Picasso, Matisse, Klimt, Munch, Frida Kahlo, I also really like Os Gemeos and Siron Franco. I love Expressionism and Fauvism.

Have you learned about yourself throughout this project? It must be therapeutic…

You got the feeling! Of course, I’m learning a lot about myself during this creative process. Art was always a way to connect with my inner and express myself through shapes and colors. Surely it is my great therapy.

Are you still focused on modeling in the midst of doing this?

Certainly. Modeling is my main focus, this is a side project that has been very important for my self-knowledge and development to as a model as well. My main intention here is to show people that art is good for the soul and everyone should practice it.

What’s the next project? Is there a theme you think that will be threaded into your work?

Thankfully, I still have eight months to think about the next project.

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Nathalie posts a new painting on Instagram everyday: Nathalie’s Instagram

 

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