Anouk Pascale: The Beauty in Art

Featured among the pages of Maxim, FHM and Muscle & Fitness, British-born Anouk Pascale was making quite a name for herself as a buxom blonde glamour model, but, as the cameras clicked away at her striking poses, something also clicked within Anouk—and at that moment the world suddenly became less about glamour and more about art.

At the heart of her photo shoots was an artistic imaging technique that grabbed Anouk’s interest and led her to a new career. Today the 28-year-old model-turned-artist is creating work of truly epic proportions—4 by 3 foot canvas to be exact—of flowers, sunsets, even her own sultry body lines, through her digitally manipulated images, each with its own unique texture and feel. Drawing from her background as a yoga instructor, Pascale’s oversized canvases are filled with color and beauty, invoking feelings of serenity, peace and life balance.

It was that same tranquility that brought the budding artist to Miami’s shores. While modeling allowed Pascale to see exotic locations like Africa, Barbados and the Virgin Islands, it was Miami’s simplicity and artistic sense that caught her attention. After visiting the area three years ago on a shoot, she fell in love with South Florida. Earlier this year, Pascale moved to Miami to pursue her parallel interests of interior design and larger-than-life artwork. Her art may currently be viewed on the Internet at D'Art and ArtMajeur, but as the stunning artist explains, to get the full, impact of her work, the images must be seen up close and personal. As Pascale searches for a local home for her creations, she explained to us how she went from the chic world of modeling into the world of art; why Miami captured her heart; and how her images can bring color into one's life.

Describe your art in three words...
Vibrant, inspirational and serene. My work has a peace to it...

How did you transition from modeling to art?
When I went to my first photo shoot, I discovered that I liked pictures—not only having my picture taken, but I like the whole process of making images and being in an image. Once I discovered that, I decided making art was something I wanted to try. Now that I’ve diverged into interior decorating and art, I realized you can be lovely, but how you live and your environment is also important. I’ve gotten into an area that is really about how and where you live. It’s important to make that environment as nice and as pleasant as possible.

"Mont Brechia"

When did you start creating art?
It was about two years ago actually, but I didn’t have a clue what I was going to do with it. I was just taking original art I had done and using a very modern method of manipulation [to create it]. It’s all printed on canvas, very large canvases. There is so much texture and color in each piece, but you really have to see it in person to understand it. I want to show everyone how it should look—massive. That is when you get the full effect. I’m biased, but I have to say the images are quite stunning when you see them. Even if you aren’t attracted to the theme, you can’t deny that the images are something you would look at twice.

As a yoga instructor, you surely meditate. Does creating art provide that same peacefulness for you?
Yoga actually taught me about colors. The chakra system says that your whole body and the energies in your body are based on colors. Maybe that is what attracted me to making the art so vibrant and colorful. A lot of people’s bodies are out of balance in terms of their chakras. What they need is color therapy to bring them back into balance again and energize them. What I love about the pictures I create is that they produce this energy. It feeds you. Everything I’ve done [modeling and yoga] has led to producing this art.

"Sensuality"

What was the first piece of art you created?
It was an image of myself [that was digitized]. It was my shape, my body. I wanted to create an actual image from that, a painting effect. The effects are quite moving. It’s really brought the picture to a different level. There’s more mystery to it than before. I thought to myself, ‘If I can do that with a picture of myself, surely I can do that with actual art and progress onward to things I am attracted to.’ I have always been very attracted to using natural environments. Simple things can look so beautiful, like flowers, leaves and sunsets—things we never really spent any time looking at.

What's the process you go through in creating your  images?
First I have an image based on a drawing. Then I enhance the drawing with digitizing and manipulating on the computer. The edges are made sharper and more exact. If you saw the piece from beginning to the last image, you wouldn’t think it was the same thing. It’s my taste. It may appeal to a certain type of person and then not to another. But I love it.

Do you create images from real-life subjects, or are your images first visualized in your mind?
Normally I work from subjects. When I look at flowers, there is an aspect of a flower that I choose to reproduce. That section is what I see. Someone else might see a different part. It’s merely taking a section of an image that already exists. But it’s the section you choose that matters.

"Nature's Silence"

Do you find that you do your most satisfying work when you're in a particular mood?
I have to want to create. I’m generally thoughtful and inspired when I work. I have aspirations to do the best I can do. When you’re trying to create something and, to begin with, you aren’t sure how it is going to come out, there needs to be peacefulness inside.

Do you feel that Miami is a city that reveres art?
There are so many different types of art in Miami. When you compare the U.K. to America, I think Americans are more open to new things. In the U.K., they stick with that they know. In America, there are so many different styles. That is what I noticed when I first visited here. Now I am trying to get my art off the ground and hoping that feeling is still here.

How has technology helped your work?
Computer enhancing allows you to do things that you could never do by hand. That's really what it's about. If you were to do it by hand, it would take you five years. This is a way of doing something accurate that is not too time consuming. The computer has all these different effects that either make or break the picture. You could really break a picture if you were to do too much, so it’s really about finding that fine balance that gives it a nice effect. You have to have an eye to be able to see that.

"Red Flower"

How long does it take you to create a piece from start to finish?
I can do it in about three days.

Are you trying to convey a message through your art, or is your goal to create beautiful images?
The goal is to make people happy. The goal is to show people what I see, and experience what I experience. I want them to feel all the energy, colors and vibrancy in a serene way.