Monika was unrivalled in the art of portrait painting, a craft, which seems to have been largely lost since the days of the old masters. Monika usually painted from photographs but was always able to paint what is behind a person’s face - she zoned in onto the inner mysteries of an individual and frequently her portraits far surpassed the quality of the original photographs coming across as more alive and revealing a real depth of soul under the surface. This was coupled with an incredibly precise, yet flowing technique, which allowed her to weave her visual magic even when painting very small scale faces.
Monika’s art was not one of trying to be as spectacular or shocking as possible. On the contrary - for her it was often enough to just paint a face... Her art is often very contemplative and tranquil, but there is always conviction and tremendous inner strength behind all those tiny, but magical brushstrokes. |