NFT Discovery #7: Neville Dsouza aka. "Wandering Mouse"
Neville is the artist of 6 pieces in our collection.
Colors, colors, colors - that describes Neville's art best. And of course beautiful women.
"I love fantasy art. It's part of me .. my life .. my soul. Magic is what drives my imagination.", says the "Wandering mouse" about himself. And by the way the wandering mouse is "lost in this great big world... but .. always dreaming of the impossible, the non-existant and the surrreal."
1. What inspired you to become an artist?
I think, apart from my mom, I owe it to my Hindi teacher back in school. She used to call each student to her table along with our notebooks and quickly make a sketch based on the word that was being taught to us. And we had to replicate that sketch. So in a way, we were learning Hindi and a little bit of art as well. But I guess at the core of it all... I have to thank my mom. She used to help out with my drawing assignments; which was not allowed because it was my homework. When my class teacher asked who made all the drawings, I said it was me. But eventually, she learned that I had some help and during the parent-teacher meeting she and my mom had a long chat; that I should learn to draw on my own so that it will benefit me in the future. And so as I practiced ... it just lit up inside me. This is what fascinates me and this is what I want to do and what I want to be .... an artist. Even now ... I'm still learning. It's amazing to discover new things every day and work hard to better my craft.
2. Please tell us about one artwork which you are proud of.
I have to say .. without a doubt "Sweet as candy" was the piece that changed my life. I loved painting her eyes. Took weeks to get them right, even now I'm not able to replicate the same look and feel in my current artworks. Although in terms of details it can be achievable ... but yes .... as far as nailing the visual appeal ... it will always stand apart from the rest. It helped me on a personal level as well, as I was going through a rough patch; I had received an email that it got selected for the cover of "Exotique 5" by Ballistic Publishing. https://www.parkablogs.com/content/book-review-exotique-5-worlds-most-beautiful-cg-characters
That did for me, It gave me a new reason to work harder and explore art even more.
That's why to this day .. it will always remain special to me.
3. What main statement did you want to make with that artwork?
I guess .. in a weird way; sarcasm. But not being taken too seriously, just playful, colorful, bold. A sense of depth in her eyes; signifying there is emotion. I'm sure we've all come across many beautiful people in our lives, being captivated by their looks, their persona but we still do not know who they really are deep within. So in this piece, it's a mix of light and dark, sweet on the outside and possibly sour inside. That's left for us to discover.
4. What else you wanna tell us about your art?
When it comes to my work, the first thing that you will notice .. colors. I like using loud, bold colors. I love details. I think it's become my obsession. It's a good and bad thing for me. Since I take a long time to get the artwork to a certain level. I can't paint something in a short span of time, there's a major thought process involved. Art should never be rushed. Artists know what they're trying to say through their work. Sometimes people may or may not get that. But I'm always curious to know how an artwork affects the viewer psychologically.
Some of my pieces do tend to go in a different direction...mostly dark. But again ... with an emotionally deeper meaning. Probably reflecting my state of mind as well. On the other hand ... there are times I paint something with happy vibes, however, what I was going through during that stage was not good at all. They say, people who laugh the most, have experienced the most pain.
5. How do you see the future of NFT’s?
I just recently came to know about it. All thanks to "BEEPLE". His works have become a major inspiration for our generation. He has gained admiration and insight from all walks of life. In more ways than one ... it has seriously led to its explosion or booming for that matter. Even more, It's creating a new path and at the same time changing it as well for the art, entertainment, and media worlds. How crazy is that?!
6. Please tell us about the women in your artworks.
I've got a lot of respect for the female form. Using that form with light, shadow, and colors with a generous injection of emotion ... it goes deeper with the viewer. For me, skin color, body types, facial features, etc all play a vital role. Every feature is embraced and celebrated on a fantastical level. Seeing beauty within is the key. I draw inspiration from many things currently happening in the world and I try and connect it with the female form. Another peculiar thing with the women in my paintings ... their eyes are closed or face is partially hidden. I guess I like that a lot. It conveys shyness, innocence, frailty in certain ways.
Neville, thank you so much. We love your colorful artwork and are glad to have your artwork in our collection. And by the way we like the way you paint all these beautiful ladies.
Find Neville's artwork on makersplace: https://makersplace.com/nevilledsouza/