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FRAMING A SKILLSET
Mentorship pair Lara Schroeder and Débora Cardaci from southeastern Manitoba were able to form a powerful duo in the field of visual arts. Read on to find out more about their partnership and story.
Lara Schroeder
My name is Lara Schroeder, I’m 17 and in grade 11. I’m from Manitoba, I’ve moved around a bit but I’ve lived in Sundown, Stuartburn for the last 6 or 7 years. I do mostly sketching with pencil or charcoal on my own time. I’ve been doing some art for a while, like most kids, but I started noticing I enjoyed it a lot probably in grade 8 or 9 and I’ve been doing more and more over the years since then, and experimenting with different mediums and styles.
Débora Cardaci
If the power and excellence of the classical artists move you, then you will be inextricably drawn to the work of Débora Cardaci. Her skill of classical techniques is stunning – forged from a Masters in Fine Arts from the University of Fine Arts P. Pueyrredon, Buenos Aires, where she went on to become a professor – to studying in Italy, Spain, and France – to plumbing the depths of art galleries and museums throughout Europe and Russia. Although sculpture is her first love, as witnessed by some of her larger works gracing parks in South America, her paintings and drawings are equally sought after and hang all over the world
Mentee Lara Schroeder and mentor Débora Cardaci working on a large scale art piece in the studio.
What type of work do you create?
I create both two and three-dimensional works of art – paintings, drawings, life-size bronze sculptures, jewellery – all inspire me.
- Débora
“I’ve discovered a lot of possibilities for my future, things I want to do, places I want to see, that I didn’t know about before or I didn’t know were options.”
- Lara, on the benefits of mentorship
What aspect of your work brings you joy?
I like starting out with something and not thinking it’s going to look good but then seeing it get better and better along the way and hardly even knowing how it got there. I almost love being an amateur because of that; each one of the pieces are so unique because it almost happens by accident and I literally can’t repeat them. That being said, I also love learning how to repeat and improve techniques and apply them to other pieces of art.
- Lara
Creating beauty in this world brings me the most joy – it is in the process that the magic appears.
- Débora
“As I live in rural Manitoba I am pleased that Creative Manitoba offers young and upcoming artists the opportunity to work with a professional.”
- Débora, on the benefits of mentorship
What have been your most positive takeaways from this mentorship session? Any favourite results or moments?
The biggest thing I’m taking away from this program is that there are a lot less rules to art than I thought there were, that you can do whatever you need to do to achieve the results you’re aiming for. I’ve also learned a lot about my interests, not just about the type of art I create but also just stuff that came up in conversations with my mentor. I’ve discovered a lot of possibilities for my future, things I want to do, places I want to see, that I didn’t know about before or I didn’t know were options. I’m definitely taking away a lot from these lessons and I’m grateful for everything my mentor taught me.
- Lara
As I live in rural Manitoba I am pleased that Creative Manitoba offers young and upcoming artists the opportunity to work with a professional like myself. Going to Winnipeg to teach would seriously curtail my studio time so this teaching opportunity was great.
- Débora
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