The native of the Austrian Burgenland summarizes her résumé briefly and succinctly in the lower area of an A4 page - elsewhere it would be enough for several people. Firstly, there are the studies: Ethnology, Social and Cultural Anthropology, International Development, African Studies, plus Philosophy “as a minor”. And on it goes: training as a print graphic artist, marketing for the Kunsthalle Wien, working for several years in the letterpress studio Herz & Co. Finally, working as a freelance illustrator, including open painting evenings and workshops. Two children were added. And actually she wanted to become a ballerina ... How does it all work together - in a field of activity that lives primarily from inspiration and creativity?

Good riddance, little demon!

“I started to put my first drawings online in a blog because I struggled with finishing my studies and writing my thesis,” says Nadine about how it all began. “These pictures were small black and white drawings, depicting the conversations with the inner demon who laughs at you, doesn't trust you with anything. Self-doubt, depression, everyday stuff. But at some point there came colors and new stories - and the little demon said goodbye. I then did children's books and other commissions and worked for magazines. And tried not to lose sight of my own, free creativity - because that's where the whole pool for inspiration lies.”

Meerweh¹

Her website can be found at www.meerweh.at, so it is not surprising that the longing for the sea is one of the main sources of Nadine's creative work: “The vastness, the blue, the never-ending waves. I draw fish and even more fish. For me, that's the best way to relax.” But the love for the material plays an important role, too: the feel of the paper, the mixing of colors, the smell at work. “With Herz and Co in the letterpress studio, I was able to live out my irrepressible love of handicrafts and passion for paper. I worked on the printing press, mixed colors, then made card sets in the paper processing department and also drew customer orders.”

Thin book for thick times

The artistic handling of ever new challenges has a liberating and inspiring effect. “In my first pregnancy - again challenged by new situations that had to be overcome - I drew what was to become the Pregnancy Diaries.” (Editor's note: Published in 2020 by the publisher punktgenau in Vienna, see below.) “The dispute with the bumps of everyday life, the small and the big questions, the struggle and reconciliation with the inner demons - all of these are sources that you can tap into for the benefit of your own creativity,” says Nadine. “And, of course, the humor that goes with it.”

Worlds in pictures

When it comes to drawing, the artist, who describes herself as an “anti-perfectionist”, is largely autodidact. “I never did an apprenticeship,” she says, “but I've painted and drawn a lot since early childhood. It runs in the family - we create worlds in pictures. The focus was never on learning a 'correct representation' or the ability to draw, but the enjoyment and necessity of drawing. Drawing the same thing over and over again, purely for relaxation. Playing with colors. Create characters and let them speak. Represent the very everyday states of mind.”

“My workplace is a huge mess.”

Nadine Kappacher

A preferred way of working has nevertheless emerged over the years, she confirms: “My primary techniques are fineliners on paper, coloring with crayons, or watercolor. Most of the time I work on a reduced scale. Still, my workplace is a huge mess. Due to the increased amount of commissioned work, I also got into digital drawing. Initially with a lot of skepticism (the paper !? the colors !?), but now I really appreciate the combination of both! And so working with collages has become more important for me again. I draw and paint areas on the paper, then scan them and digitally cut them up. Of course, I also cut up and collage with scissors and paper; is there anything more beautiful? Every now and then I unpack the sewing machine and sew the paper, embroider threads in it, and sew old book pages on it. Or I take out Erika, the typewriter, and type sentences on carbon paper, then cut them out and paste them into my pictures.”

Out of the context ...

In general, the love of the word should not go unmentioned. “Song lyrics and all kinds of other words and half-sentences find their way into my pictures. I like it when the words and sentences in my drawings are irritating. What has been taken out of context has a beautiful meaning of its own,” smiles Nadine and adds: ”It should either make you think - or stop the thinking and turn it around.”

... into the studio

Nadine has her workplace in the Vienna Atelier Brutstätte, a “combine for yoga, text and image”. She shares the premises with Eva Karel, an author, yoga teacher and painter, and Lena Raubaum - author, speaker and also yoga teacher. “We are kind of a prank inclination group and it's pretty colorful, lively and fun here. In the studio I also hold workshops and once a month my open painting evening. It is initially a space to work on your own projects completely independently, but many participants also come there with the desire to get inspiration and finally to draw again. It is meant to be a low-threshold access to drawing - without claiming perfection.”

Coloring and craft templates

With the cancellation of workshops, exhibitions, markets and book presentations due to the corona pandemic, 2020 was a difficult year in this environment as well, confirms Nadine: “My work has shifted - especially towards my web shop. And of course I drew a lot with and for my children - especially coloring and handicraft templates. Those who are interested can find the materials on my website and at Illustrators against Covid19.”

The desire to try new things over and over again remains a driving force in Nadine's life, and so the gaze is directed towards the future: “In autumn I started painting shop windows with chalk paint. And that will probably be my new passion. This one big project over three days and many meters was a lot of fun!”

Selected publications

• The Pregnancy Diaries. Verlag punktgenau, 2020. ISBN 978-3-9504855-5-4
• Urlaub, Ahoi! Tyrolia Verlag, 2020, Author: Corinna Antelmann. ISBN 978-3-7022-3841-4
• Geschichten von Jana. Tyrolia Verlag 2015, Author: Sarah Orlovsky. ISBN 978-3-7022-3439-3
• Edi Dickstur und der Norz. Obelisk Verlag 2010, Author: Jutta Treiber. ISBN 978-3-8519-7618-2

¹ As Nadine explains: “Meerweh is a German expression, a made-up-word, describing the longing for the sea. It’s a modification of the word „Fernweh“ – this is an actual word! – which means being in pain because you are stuck at your boring home, when you'd rather be far, far away, exploring the unknown.”