Daily Inspiration: Meet Bela Fidel

Today we’d like to introduce you to Bela Fidel

Hi Bela, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
As a child, I loved reading. Art was not present in my life at all. At about 14 years of age I fell in love with classical music and added that to my obsessive reading. I eventually graduated with a B.A. in English and Spanish Literatures. Still, no special interest in the Visual Arts.

Around 1967 or so I bought a couple of 5×7 canvas boards and for no reason at all started painting. I was then living in Israel and loved the shapes of the Old Jerusalem houses. Those shapes went into one of the 2 or 3 small canvas boards. I saw my small paintings as a playful exercise, nothing more.

Fast forward to the mid to late 70’s. I was back in Brazil and started searching for an art instructor. Through serendipity I found an instructor that was to be instrumental in my leap towards my love of and complete dedication to painting. I would paint at home on the week ends and go to class every week. I did that for a few years. Still, Art was not more than a hobby for me, despite my serious dedication to improve my skills and even selling some of my work.

I kept painting diligently for about 10 years. I was then living in Los Angeles, showing my work at various venues, working during the week and painting on week ends. After ten years I eventually came to realize that without Art I would not be centered, I could not feel complete as a person.

For the past 30 years or so I have been a full-time artist, showing and selling my work, teaching art in my studio and at various art schools. I am constantly seeking to improve my craft and skills, borth as an artist and as an instructor. Above all, I aim at expressing my authentic self without fences or reservations.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Until about 30 years ago I had daytime jobs and had to fit painting into a few hours on the weekends. The difficulties were not so much imposed by outside circumstances but rather by my ambition to be as good an artist as I could be, finding my original and authentic voice despite doubts and fears. These are still some of the voices that occasionally create a cacophony in my head while I work. I feel that I am coming to friendly terms with those voices and while they’re not completely absent, their influence has rather weakened.

Finding my center, staying true to my Self, visually expressing who I am to the best of my ability at this time – those are the humps along the road.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I work in the abstract style in mixed media (encaustic, compounds, plasters), oils and acrylics. Sizes range from 8″x8″ to 60″x76″. I am known for the richness of my layering, cohesive palette and my search for elegance in my aesthetics.
I am proud of my latest series, “Transitions”, which is the closest I’ve come to expressing myself authentically.
My deepest desire is to express myself as originally and authentically as possible through these mediums. I truly believe that the personal is also the universal – see Shakespeare! In sharing my personal feelings and emotions through paint I aim at touching on our universal, shared humanity and arousing feelings of self-recognition, of empathy, of delight and joy in those who see and enjoy my work. As for what sets me apart from others – we’re all different both as people and as artists. I want to believe that my techniques, my color combinations, the themes I work on, the very brushstrokes – soft and raw, the layered surface showing previous history/layers, solid versus patterned areas – they all tell my style, my voice. I want to express both passion/drama and poetry – the stuff of life – and I hope that sets me apart.

What were you like growing up?
Growing up I was curious, I sought knowledge and understanding of people and the world. Above all, I had a close relationship with my soul, spirit and God. I would say that I was a budding mystic, a free thinker. At about 12 years old I mapped my future life and at 21 I did just that.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://fidelabstractoils.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fidelbela
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/belafidelfineart
• Twitter: https://www.X.com/@bela_fidel
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/belafidel
• Other: https://www.pinterest.com/bela_fidel

Image Credits
Bela Fidel