What is the best thing that I love about my work? Making Art is an all-life consuming process. The best thing about being a painter, is to be able to wake up every single day and be able to have the chance to have a dialogue with beauty and human experience.
What is my idea of perfect happiness? The feeling of having had a day of painting, where you feel like you are in complete equilibrium and balance with the outside world and your inner self, brings immense joy to me.
What is my greatest fear? To wake up one day and not be inspired to paint, has to be one of my greatest fears.
What is the trait that I most deplore in myself? Being self-critical has always been a habit, sometimes overly so. Its probably something that holds me back from moving forward.
Which living persons in my profession do i most admire? I had the opportunity to visit the artist Odd Nerdrum’s studio in Norway. I found it very inspiring , the sheer amount of beautiful work that this painter could consistently work on and his passion for it.
What is my greatest extravagance? A year ago, I moved into my own private studio space in Florence, Italy. This to date has to be my greatest extravagance.
On what occasion would I lie? I would lie on the occasion ,that the truth would hurt someone.
What is the thing that I dislike the most in my work? Sometimes my original impression of my painting idea, is something I find hard to walk away from, let change, evolve. I wish I was more flexible.
When and where was I the happiest, in my work? I travelled to the South pole to paint landscapes of Antarctica en plein-air. I found the time I spent there painting to be the most fulfilling. You can view my journey there in a short film
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7veGws-fjyY
If I could, what would I change about myself? I would love to have a more consistent exercise routine. As painters we often neglect our posture and don’t pay enough attention to our physical health.
What is my greatest achievement in work? I believe I have yet to reach it. The horizon keeps moving away. 🙂 However, when a painting touches another soul and evokes a dialogue, it is a heartening experience.
Where would I most like to live? Somewhere close to the ocean. I find the constant ageless mass of an ocean highly fortifying and inspiring at the same time.
What is my most treasured possession? My wooden palette from Zecchi’s in Florence, that I now own for 8 years. It has been my companion on innumerable painting journeys!
What is my most marked characteristic? Persistence to pursue an idea, the tenacity for it, has to be the characteristic. Some call it blind optimism, I find it the source of my faith, that great and beautiful things are possible.
What is my most inspirational location, in my city? Palazzo Pitti, is a museum in Florence that houses both Renaissance as well as 19th century paintings. I can spend hours getting lost in those rooms.
What role plays art in my life and work? I find Life affects Art and vice-versa constantly. I find ethics, human empathy, beauty ,an ‘ideal way of leading one’s life’, are some of the many things that Art teaches me in my everyday life.
Who is my greatest fan, sponsor, partner in crime? My partner and Sculptor Thor Larsen, is my biggest supporter and critic. Since he is a sculptor,he understands the process, the pain and the delight of this wonderful thing that, we call our work.
Whom would I like to work with in 2018? Charles Weed. I had the pleasure of learning from this wonderful painter ,last year at a workshop, and would love to continue the process of learning.
Which people in my profession would i love to meet in 2018? If I could time travel, I would love to meet Alphonse Mucha, and ask him about his process of designing from Nature. I would love to in the present day meet contemporary dancers, musicians , set-designers , to ask them about their process and vision in their work.
What project, in 2018, am I looking forward to work on? I am inspired a lot by great sculpture for my work. I love the pathos of Camille Claudel’s work. I look forward to working on a composition inspired by her sculpture ‘The Waltz’. I wish I could capture that moment as well as movement in my work.
Where can you see me or my work in 2018? This year, I will have a show in April, with Hagan Fine Art gallery in Charleston, South Carolina, where my work is represented, along with other smaller group shows in London.
What do the words “Passion Never Retires” mean to me? The relationship that I have with Art is a Life-long one and the above words remind me of the privilege of it.
Which creative heroines should Peter invite to tell their story? Daniela Astone and Amaya Gurpide, both phenomenal and inspiring painters and people.
How can you contact me?
Here follows a message of Peter de Kuster, founder of The Heroine’s Journey
Spring Journey
Wednesday 14th March – Sunday 18th March
The best of The Heroine’s Journey condensed into a single, unforgettable week.
The Heroine’s Journey is a global organisation dedicated to teaching skills not covered by the regular education system – skills that develop storytelling intelligence and encourage psychological well-being for creative professionals. The Spring Journey brings together the very best in our storytelling.
We will cover such themes as how to make money doing what you love, how to promote your business, which is you, how to choose our partners more wisely, how to make relationships last, how to find and create your dreamjob by meeting your rolemodels and making testdrives, how to manage your time and organize yourself creativitely, how to focus on our creative goals, how to have the financial freedom to create and how to more regularly experience creative flow and happiness.
You’ll embark on a rich and enlightening voyage, discovering how to make lasting, meaningful change across every aspect of your creative life. By working within a fixed group led by Peter de Kuster over the week, you’ll dive deeper than would be possible in any single daytrip. You’ll be challenged to think deeply about the issues that matter most, and provided with a space to share your thoughts, ideas and experiences.
The Journey is ideal for those seeking a more meaningful, transformative vacation; for attendees of our daytrips who now wish to take a structured journey through our expertly curated material; and for those wishing to save time in the long run by working through the dilemmas of creative life, business, passion, and your own story in a single, high intensity week.
Blending tuition, exercises, meeting with stories of rolemodels, and discussion in journeys in a world city, each day of the Spring Journey will equip you with tools and strategies to help you find answers for your creative life’s big questions.
Join us for a truly transformational vacation for the mind in Rome
Ticket costs Euro 1250 excluding VAT per person, includes all teaching, materials, light refreshments & additional activities.
You can reach Peter for a skype meeting about questions you have by mailing him at peterdekuster@hotmail.nl
DAILY TIMETABLE
09.40 Tea & Coffee on arrival
10.00 Morning Session
13.00 Lunch Break
14.00 Afternoon Session
17.00 Drinks
Read on for a detailed breakdown of the Spring Journey itinerary.
“You are the Storyteller of Your Own Creative Life. You can Create Your Own Legend – Or Not” – Peter de Kuster
Spring Journey Itinerary
Day One: The first day of the Spring Journey is designed to equip us with the core skills of The Heroine’s Journey and Storytelling. We will learn the power of the story we tell ourselves, why our minds have a hard time understanding themselves, how to map and understand our passions, and how and why we characteristically respond to them.
Day Two: The second day of the Spring Journey takes us on a structured journey around the power of your story as creative professional. Creative flow is always in essence a mental phenomenon, it is a result of ideas- and a story you tell yourself therefore relies on having to hand a raft of enriching stories about your business, your money management, your self promotion and your time management that can be called upon in moments of truth. The day begins with a Heroine’s Journey Breakfast – considering what three of the greatest creative heroines of all time have as story about the art of creative living wisely and well.
Day Three: The third day of the Spring Journey teaches us how to choose our clients and business partners wisely and make our relationships last. One of the gravest errors we make around business relationships is to imagine that they aren’t things we can get wiser or better at. On this day we will learn to practise and rehearse our skills at working with the people who can help you further your creative business (clients and business partners like agents, publishers, marketing professionals etcera). In the evening, we will attend a Storytelling Dinner in a local restaurant – learning to overturn small talk and master the art of opening up our deepest stories.
Day Four: The fourth day of the Spring Journey teaches us how to achieve our creative career potential. We will employ storytelling tools to be better able to understand our creative talents and to move forward using the opportunities that are open to us.
Day Five: The final day of the Spring Journey explores new business opportunities and markets for you to as creative professional. Many of the challenges we encounter in modern life require us to develop creative solutions to complex problems. And even when we’re not tackling big problems, continuously improving the way we live using invention and imaginative strategy is deeply important.
You can reach Peter for a skype meeting about questions you have by mailing him at peterdekuster@hotmail.nl
The Heroine's Journey 