Inspiring women — Gala Pont, feminine power in watercolor
We discovered Gala Pont some time ago scrolling on Instagram. We saw a super beautiful illustrated calendar hanging on a bedroom's wall and we inmediately wanted to know more about the artist. Some months after that... we got to interview her!
Let's meet this inspiring woman.
Ahoy Gala! So nice having you here with us. Could you tell us a bit about yourself? Where are you from, what’s your story?
Hi! I was born in 1992 in Granollers, a small village near Barcelona, Spain. I studied Fine Arts and also a postgraduate course in Design but I began to learn illustration when I was 16, totally self-taught. Back then I illustrated several custom tales and I really enjoyed the experience.
Some years later I worked for some design businesses and that's where I learned to work with a team and also got some technical skills.
Now I'm a freelancer and I can combine commissioned work with my personal projects. One of my last ones was an illustrated calendar about beneficial plants for bees. I enjoyed working on it because I was responsible not only for the illustrations but also for its design, its distribution in shops... I'd love to work on these kind of projects in the future!
We know you work as a freelance illustrator in Barcelona, how does a random day look like for you?
If I tell you the truth, every day is different from another. Right now I'm working at home so I try going out to drink some coffee or watering my little kitchen garden before starting my work so I can clear my mind.
I answer my emails and then I organize my time to make my daily chores. Some days I have to work until it's quite late, some other days I can start working after my lunch time. I try to find balance between my personal projects and my assignments, and also between my job and my free time. It's not always easy to find that balance being a freelancer!
The main technique you use is watercolor and your main subjects are nature and women, what do you want to communicate with your beautiful pieces of art?
Yes, my favourite technique is watercolour. I love how you may be the one to start a painting, but eventually have to trust water to finish it.
I am inspired by many things, but right now my main interest are plants. I always thought that if I hadn't studied Fine Arts I would have ended up being a botanist, and I guess I keep trying to approach that interest from my actual profession.
Aside from that, women have always had a strong presence in my work. I feel that presenting and representing women is essential in any field right now, and I am doing what I can from my little corner of the world.
You worked for different clients like publishing houses or city councils, what is your favorite project you’ve ever worked on and why?
I guess I like every project for different reasons, there's always something I can learn from them. But maybe, if I had to choose I would say one of the last projects I've worked on: Re-Contes with Tramoia Produccions Culturals for CaixaForum.
I had to illustrate different elements of classic tales, like the Little Red Riding Hood or The 3 Little Pigs, combined with random elements. The objective was for kids to interact with the classic stories and create new ones. I found it really interesting, enjoyed the work process and also felt satisfied with the final result.
And last but not least, we know you like Don Fisher and use some Bonitos yourself, what do you like the most about them and why would you recommend using them?
I love Don Fisher, both for the curated aesthetics of the products and also for the brand's philosophy. You can tell the process of every product is very well thought-out, like choosing the right materials, the design, the production... everything!
Thank you Gala for having us at your home studio! We loved getting to know you and your art a bit more.
You can find Gala's work in her website and also buy her illustrarions in her Etsy shop.
