Friday Artist Feature: Vânia Sacramento, Portugal

Welcome to Friday Artist Features! Every Friday we feature an artist whose work often includes themes of place, urbanism or mobility.

This Friday we feature Vânia Sacramento, an illustrator for content for children, living in Palmela, Portugal with her husband and young son.

“Illustrating brings me joy and peace, and offers me the opportunity to dream and become a child again. Since I was a child I have liked to draw and paint. I have always studied Arts. I attended a plastic artist’s studio for many years and I graduated in Interior Design. Before my graduation in Interior Design, I attended the Fashion and Textile Design course. I started working in illustration as a freelancer in 2016. I started by developing personalized wedding stationery, and over time I have been creating several editorial and business projects for brands like Hermès, Inditex Group, Mrs Bell’s Brownies, and Work and Wonder.” –Vânia Sacramento

“I live in a village near Setúbal, Portugal. I feel very inspired by this place because it is calm, has a lot of nature, mountains, beautiful beaches, the natural park of Arrábida and the windmills. I lived in big cities in the past, but as I never liked a lot of confusion I ended up going back to the countryside. And when I need to relax, I like to go even further to the countryside, to the Alentejo, Portugal, where I can enjoy a landscape full of hills and olive trees.” –Vânia on her home location

Pedestrian Space: How does the place you inhabit influence and inspire your work?

Vânia: Whenever I draw an outside scene, it is always in a calm environment with lots of nature, flowers, trees and peaceful environments, and that is exactly the description of the place where I live. I am inspired by the seasons and the way the landscape changes with each season. This weekend I went for a walk with my son in the neighborhood and we found poppies by the side of the road. After the tour, I decided that an illustration that I am developing for a client had to have poppies.

Most of the scenes that I illustrate are outside. I like to illustrate old buildings and country houses, as well as parks, vegetable gardens, mountains and beaches. I also like to draw people walking on the street, and I think that reflects the fact that I prefer to walk on foot than by car.

“Mostly I work with digital illustration, but always in a record as close to the analog as possible. I also like to use colored pencils, watercolors and gouache, but more for personal work and sketchbook.”

Vânia on Mediums she works with

“My favorite place to walk is a pedestrian route that was recently built in my neighborhood. The road passes through an area with a lot of vegetation, and I really enjoy hiking there.”

Vânia Sacramento

Pedestrian Space: How do you move around the place you live and what is your favorite mode? 

Vânia: I prefer to walk whenever possible. Actually, I don’t leave the house much except to go and take my son to school, and we always do it on foot, and for a walk. Anywhere else we use the car. Unfortunately, the roads in Portugal are not prepared for cyclists, so I don’t feel safe using the bicycle to move around, but it is something that I always dreamed about.

Pedestrian Space: What is your favorite street or sidewalk space in your city of residence?

Vânia: My favorite place to walk is a pedestrian route that was recently built in my neighborhood. The road passes through an area with a lot of vegetation, and I really enjoy hiking there. I really enjoy walking and hiking, so my favorite places to walk are the hiking trails, and in the place where I live there are many. My favorites are the route of the windmills, and some routes in the Natural Park of Arrábida. I also like to walk along the river in Setúbal. My favorite place to go by car is Alentejo. It is not because the roads are very good (because they are not), but because the landscape is magnificent and so relaxing.

Pedestrian Space: Are there other pedestrian areas in your city you like to spend time in or appreciate?

Vânia: Any place where I can walk and enjoy nature is perfect for me. I like to spend time in nature parks and gardens. I like to go to the viewpoint of Castelo de Palmela and see the whole landscape from up there.

“Most of the scenes that I illustrate are outside. I like to illustrate old buildings and country houses, as well as parks, vegetable gardens, mountains and beaches. I also like to draw people walking on the street, and I think that reflects the fact that I prefer to walk on foot than by car.”

Vânia Sacramento