This month, we’re thrilled to feature Francesca Di-Lella, a fine artist whose work beautifully bridges nature and human emotion. Through mixed media, Francesca explores the fluidity of feeling, often using water as a metaphor for depth, flow, and transformation. Her pieces weave together elements like flowers, figures, and surreal compositions, inviting viewers to pause and reflect on the stories beneath the surface.
Q: Where have you found inspiration lately?
A: I’m currently exploring bubbles as a new way to express emotion through water. My latest piece blurred the boundary between what exists above and below the surface, and my next project will capture a bouquet of flowers suspended inside a giant water bubble.
Q: Is there a piece of art or a project that you are particularly excited about right now?
A: My current focus is on the bubble series, especially the upcoming piece with flowers suspended in water. It’s exciting to experiment with emotion, light, and surreal composition in this way.
Q: What kinds of tools or references do you like to use when creating artwork?
A: I often use AI as a reference tool. While it’s controversial in the art world, for me it’s a way to generate surreal compositions and lighting ideas, since flowers don’t naturally grow underwater. Ultimately, the human touch is irreplaceable.
Q: What artists or artworks (from your life or art history) do you admire or consider influential to your work & why?
A: I’ve always admired Vincent Van Gogh. Despite his struggles with mental health, he created extraordinary work driven by passion rather than commercial success. That inner drive and the idea that art can be a lifeline through difficult emotions deeply resonate with me.
Q: What advice do you have for other new or aspiring artists?
A: Detach your self-worth from your artwork. Creativity is personal, and not everyone will resonate with it—and that’s okay. What matters is knowing your art is valid and has a place in the world. Everyone has the right to create.
Q: Professionally, what has been your biggest achievement so far?
A: One of my proudest achievements has been building my website and social media presence. Transitioning from hobbyist to professional artist requires learning and resilience, and I’m proud to have established myself through that process.
Q: What is your first memory of creating art?
A: As a child, I created art from anything I could find—twigs, leaves, crayons, cardboard. I remember asking who drew the pictures in my bedtime storybook and proudly declaring I wanted to be an illustrator when I grew up.
Q: How do you spend your time when you’re not creating artwork?
A: When I’m not painting, I usually go bouldering, hiking, or spending time in local parks. I also spend a lot of time with my family, who are my biggest supporters.
Q: What work do you most enjoy doing?
A: I love exploring themes of mental health and emotion in a vibrant, uplifting way. Transforming heavy topics into something beautiful and inviting people to view them positively excites me.
Q: What is your dream project?
A: My dream project would be to create a large mural in my hometown of Swindon, contributing to its goal of becoming the town with the most murals and leaving a piece of art that becomes part of its story.
Thank you to Francesca for sharing her journey, inspirations, and creative vision with us. Her work reminds us how art can transform vulnerability into beauty and spark meaningful connections.
You can explore more of Francesca’s artwork on her Instagram and website, and stay tuned for next month’s Artist of the Month, where we’ll spotlight another creative voice shaping the world through art.