Meet Maria, an artisan creating wearable art in the form of hand-painted wooden earrings |06 January 2022

Maria in her element

Today we meet Maria Vidot and learn about how she applies acrylic paint to wooden blanks of various shapes, and then transforms them into wearable art in the form of unique, hand-painted wooden earrings.  

Seychelles NATION: Tell us about your background in art and about the hand-painted pieces you create as part of your business ‘Doli Ou’.

Maria Vidot: I did O-Level Art. I don’t have any particular training in art but as far as I can remember from when I was a little girl, I have always loved drawing, colouring and painting. It was something I did as my hobby.

For ‘Doli Ou’, I paint on wooden blanks of various shapes. These painted blanks are then used as earrings. I use arteza acrylic paint and after the painting is done, I seal it with epoxy resin that protects the artwork and gives it a shiny finish; the ladies absolutely love this!

I usually do not repeat the same artwork; the earrings might be similar, but never exactly the same so my clients get to wear unique hand-painted pieces.

Since ‘Doli Ou’ is my side hustle, I work from home during my spare time. It is not always easy but I try to find a balance. I usually sell my artwork online.

Seychelles NATION: What inspired you to become an artist and to create wearable art?

Maria Vidot: I have always loved art and I decided to start doing something I love. I started off with Rock Art Seychelles where I paint on rocks, and I wanted to do something additional which was also different. After several weeks of research, I finally decided to paint on wooden blanks and make jewellery out of them.

Seychelles NATION: How do you feel when you are working on your pieces? How do you feel looking at the end results?

Maria Vidot: While painting I literally zone out. I am fully engaged and lost in what I am doing. If I am painting a beach scene, you can be sure my mind is far away on the beach. When the work is done and I am happy with it, I feel a sense of accomplishment, but I am never 100% happy until my clients say that they are also happy.

Seychelles NATION: What ways do you look to progress this type of art form?

Maria Vidot: I simply try and incorporate something different or level up as I like to say, once in a while. For example, I first started using only simple ear hooks and then eventually progressed to fancier ear hooks and other accessories.

Seychelles NATION: Are there any particular ways you would like for people to think about and feel when they wear your pieces?

Maria Vidot: My slogan is ‘Because different is beautiful!’ My art work is never the same. I can never remake the exact same pieces; they will always have some differences and ‘imperfections’ if some might call it that.

But despite the differences, my artwork has its own unique beauty. This is the same for everyone – we are all different and unique and that’s what makes everyone equally beautiful. So I want people who wear my jewellery to feel unique and know that they are beautiful just the way they are.

I take the opportunity to say a special thank you to everyone who has supported me to follow my passion – my family, friends, customers and social media followers.

For more information, follow Doli Ou:

-           Instagram: doli_ou and Facebook: Doli Ou

F.P.

Photo sources: Maria Vidot