WELCOME TOTO MY STORYSTORY

When we see an artist’s work, we always wonder what process they went through to develop their style. Let me tell you, dear reader, that life experiences greatly influence an artist’s style. First, let me formally introduce myself. My name is Paula Barral, I am Spanish, and I live in Santiago de Compostela. If you don’t know it yet, you’re missing out; it will make you very happy. My relationship with art began when I was very young. I never liked going out to play, so I spent my afternoons painting. I always knew I wanted to study art, but influenced by the society we live in and the various comments about the limited career prospects, I ended up studying fashion design.

I decided to stay in touch with fashion, even though I was busy all day with household chores, so I started my fashion blog where I shared not only looks but also life experiences.

I really enjoyed studying fashion, but because of my mother’s illness, I always had to drop out halfway through the course to look after her. As you can imagine, things haven’t gone too well for me

Soon, the most wonderful being came into my life, my little dog Bruno.

 

 

 

Bruno has given meaning back to my life. Together, we have started collecting moments and discovering the world, a world I did not know.

 

 I spent several years caring for my mother and my family. I had many unfulfilled dreams and I never lost hope of achieving some of them. Bruno had brought color to my days and I felt very encouraged. I started studying fashion design again, this time in A Coruña. My mind began to open up, influenced by many creative people, and I began to create. I really enjoyed my career, but the last few years were very stressful. I have worked in the fashion world, but in reality I have always sought to express myself through it, to create art in fashion

Increasingly overwhelmed and finding it more difficult to lead a normal life, i am diagnosed with agoraphobia

I don´t like the technical and superficial world of fashion

I lock myself away at home to create my portfolio so that i can get an opportunity at a haute couture firm

I like the result of the transformation of the fashion sketches, especially the facial features. Why not try making portraits with the faces? More curiosities awaken in me every day. I begin to research paints and materials on my own. Until I manage to create my first canvas, something I had been meaning to do since 2007. I remember perfectly that that was the year I fitted my first canvas, with a character that I will return to later (the little bruni).

 

 

 

I paint every day, build my social network as an artist, and produce happily, but not at all anonymously

 

Perhaps it’s time to find out what the world thinks of my art, so I try my luck at a contemporary art fair in Madrid, where I am selected

 

Wonderful reception and surprise from the audience. I know many people in the art world and share experiences with other artists

 

 

I continue to create with increasing enthusiasm and seek my fortune in the art world. Soon my first big sale arrives. And several international exhibitions, a dream come true! I was so happy with everything I was achieving that I decided to open a studio outside my home. It was time to overcome my agoraphobia and interact with the world. And what if, in addition to the studio, I try to help other artists like me and share? So that we can grow together and seek opportunities. This thought led to the opening of my art gallery in Santiago de Compostela.

I really enjoyed the process of setting up the venue and all the preparations. I arranged it to my liking and couldn’t be happier with the result

However, I had a lot of difficulty getting to the gallery and facing a social life. Without realizing it, I ended up being a gallery owner but not an artist. I focused my daily life on other artists, letting my inner artist die

 

 

 

I am not productive and I have no motivation, which leads to a relapse of agoraphobia

 

I need to be at peace with my inner artist. I am moving back home to isolate myself from society and make up for lost time in my career as an artist

 

 

What if I rescue my true self? In secondary school, I used to draw adorable dolls with round eyes. At that time, my mother was hospitalised for several months, during which I accompanied her. I filled entire notebooks with drawings of these dolls; they saved me.

I continue to paint my Brunis, but I bring back to life the ones I have ‘renamed’ Little Bruni.

 

In addition to recovering my dolls, I begin to recover my fashion designer side, and I start to fuse art and fashion.
My line of hand-painted clothing is born, entire garments filled with ideas and colour.

 Everything is flowing wonderfully. I have managed to sell art to collectors all over the world and I am achieving my goal of bringing art to clothing.

 

Perhaps it is time to face my fears again, and I must face real life, society.

It has been very difficult for me to come out of my bubble. I never left home, except to travel to places where no one knew me.
Fortunately, I am reconnecting with my childhood friends, whom I have always loved very much.

However, I am beginning to really get to know the people around me today, and I am entering society.

There are bad people, maybe not too many, but I have encountered quite a few.

Life hurts me again. I encounter truly monstrous people, without moral values, people who hurt me even though they know my problem. So I decide to reflect my fears in my art, and romanticise that bad experience with colour.

I realise that I don’t fit into society, that I’m happier in my bubble and don’t need anything else.
I realise that I’m experiencing the worst relapse of agoraphobia, but I’m happy because Brunito protects me every day and fulfils me.

 

 

I put up my protective shield so that no more people can enter my life, and I lock myself in my precious bubble, which I value more than ever.
Now I express my feelings through painting, whereas before I only sought surreal beauty.
I reflect the monsters I have encountered on my path, the ones I fear.

 

 

Dear reader, thank you for getting this far. Let me tell you that I am now happy in my world, because I greatly value what I have. Although I still have my fears, I will continue to express them and paint them with colour, always happy in the company of my favourite thing on earth: Bruno.