In the vast tapestry of contemporary art, few threads are as vivid and compelling as those woven by the artists who dare to confront the grand narratives of our time. Among these narratives, the dialogue between art and the environment emerges with particular urgency, demanding a creative response to the unfolding climate crisis.

It is within this critical space that Eleanor Mill makes her mark, blending the personal with the political, the local with the global, and the visual with the visceral. Mill's journey is not just one of artistic evolution but a testament to the power of art to question, confront, and envision new possibilities for our world.

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Delve into the concept of destiny vs. choice in finding one's passion in art. Do you believe that your passion for art was predestined, or was it a choice you consciously made? Can you share experiences that led you to this belief?

Sometimes I feel like a desire to be an artist was born before me. It is my way of communicating with the world. My reaction to it. As my colleagues say: “I paint because I cannot but paint”. I started drawing very early in childhood and was never able to stop. My passion for art caught up in early childhood. My parents encouraged my aspiration and tried to get any available materials at that time. I spent hours at my desk experimenting with coloured paper, pencils, paints and glue. My interest grew into a serious occupation when I started attending the architecture department at the Artistic Lyceum of the Russian Academy of Arts.

 

Moreover, I was lucky to be born in St. Petersburg, one of the best cities in Russia. Our famous Hermitage Museum and other outstanding monuments are just at hand. I’d like to mention, that my cultural environment (except my beautiful hometown) wasn’t inspiring me for a long time after I graduated. The first thing that helped me to raise my own creativity was forgetting rules. To be precise, we have a strong Art education, but it has plenty of traditional features: “You are not allowed to do this, you can not do that”. These conditions really constrained me. And I took the liberty not to follow them. It was the first step to feel freedom in creative flow.

 

The second thing unexpectedly was that I explored art life on Instagram. With social media, I made sure that any way of art has a right to exist. And the connection with the whole world made me more self-confident. Keep in touch with the whole world, it is a big deal. Moreover, the speed of spreading art without borders and any physical impediments has changed the art world for sure. It might be that some destiny plays a role, in the way what kind of people we meet on our path and the right or wrong moment for some events… But I also believe that the conscious choice appears to be the case too.

 

Many times I’ve turned back to the question of whether my passion for art is an epic fail of my life. There is a risk of not getting beyond vague ideas at the end of life, while other people will have made maybe something small but real, important for society. At the same time, there is a small chance to succeed in developing a new way of thinking. And this tiny opportunity is worth the effort. The answer is always consciously the same: I continue on my way.

Discuss the balance between innate creativity and the skills honed through education and practice.

The way I see it there is no innate creativity. Maybe I am wrong, but I think we possess the same amount of creativity. But how do we use and improve it, that’s the question. It might be, that some of us have some constitutional bias to art, as the same we call a gift for languages. I want to say, that some of us are able to develop our art skills a bit quickly than others. But it’s a divisive question. My impression is that education and practice are only a tool, that must help us to express the inner idea.

 

Of course, I agree with the quote “Practice makes perfect”. It is completely true. But it works when an artist would like to subdue an exact media. For example, one day I will be the highest muster of watercolour, or oil, or whatever… it won’t make me an artist. It will make me a highly qualified craftsman. I see creativity as an ability to turn ideas into life. From that point of view, we have to hone our skills just to make it quickly, more precise and easier to get across. So it’s not only about art, it’s about any sphere of life. To sum up my thoughts, there are many examples of gorgeous artwork, that was made without specific art skills, but they convey the idea simply and transparently. The ability to express our thoughts is probably the only skill we should train. The rest is just a method.

Share your thoughts on pursuing a creative career, despite potential risks, versus more conventional career paths.

Unfortunately, I am quite experienced in the potential and real risks of a creative career. Despite all my negative experiences I refuse even to think about giving up. Any failure, any painful moment can not be compared with the wings of freedom that creativity gives. Once you try you will never go back to the conventional career path. To substantiate my statement I would like to share one of the risks that almost ruined my creative career. Things were going well with my artistic steps. Every year more and more people were getting to know about my art, and the circle of connection was widening. It so happened that my art was known better abroad than in my homeland. With all modern infrastructure, it didn’t seem like a risk at all.  In a wink, all turned out to be a bad way. The political world has turned upside down, my country invaded another, and all doors were closed before my face. Not only did I lose almost all my income, but I lost my reputation as well. Here you are, that's only one of the risks. In war, artists are the first to suffer and the last to recover.

 

Did I regret choosing this career? Not a chance! The only thing that helps me continue my way is art. It restores and heals. It keeps me from losing common sense and it sharpens my sense.

 

With regard to the other risks in the creative career, there are many others. Nobody will relocate me, because I am self-employed. If some crisis happens, artists are on their own. There is no ready-made formula for success, it is always very individual. It is difficult to be certain in the future. But it's worth it. Ten thousand times it is worth it!

Explain the allure of art in your life. Why art, among all other mediums of expression?

There are many ways we can express ourselves, but I have chosen a realistic fine art direction. Definitely, it is not because I neglect other mediums. Trying to find an answer to why I have devoted myself to it, I came to understand that it matches my personality the best. It’s just the way I feel it. First of all, I’m a visual learner. I sense a space around me through visual pictures. I enjoy the details as much as the whole image. Several times I found myself standing in the middle of a street and scrutinizing fancy details of a building, or a tree bark pattern, or how a perspective is made up of various scenes, or whatever… I’m truly enjoying the material world, that was made by humans. Let me put it this way, the way they managed to visualize their ideas and wildest dreams inspires me mostly. Since my nature is bewitched by visual representation, I seek after the same. I’m trying to make visible the hazy visions that have arisen in my mind. The origin of the visions can be traced back to something existing in reality as well as it can be absolutely invented. In that way, my intention to create highly detailed paintings and drawings reflects my lifestyle. I want a spectator to roam around thoughtfully in my artwork the same way I perceive the world.

Discuss your strategies for staying motivated and continually finding inspiration in your artistic practice.

The only strategy I have is indulging myself in doing what I want to do. I don’t pay much attention to criticism. I don’t try to please as many people as possible. I am the worst critic for myself. I set a goal, I achieve it or fail. I am convinced that individual progress in artistic practice is stronger when we don’t try to bind it to others' expectations. I could say that independence motivates me the most. But to be perfectly honest I have never felt a lack of inspiration. On the contrary, I feel a lack of a lifetime to make my ideas happen.

 

✧ There are no right things in creativity.

✧ It is impossible to find something new without deviating from the rules

✧ When you want to hone a skill, it is not enough to understand how it works. You need to feel it through hours of practice. Everything will work out, it just takes time. Take it easy. There is nothing to worry about.

✧ It's impossible to please everyone.

✧ Experiments are needed. It’s nice to say to yourself: today I will throw out ten sheets of paper. It always leads to something unexpected and interesting.

Elaborate on the creative process: is it an outpouring of the soul, a free flow of the mind, or a combination of both?

There’s no doubt in my mind that it is a combination of both. It’s like singing a song or telling a story. Sometimes the ultimate significance of life becomes so clear in the rush flow of events, thoughts and impressions that I want to say in the words of Faust «Stay, fleeting moment! You're divine!» (or: «Ah, linger on, thou art so fair!» from original: «Verweile doch! Du bist so schön!»)

Describe your artistic process from conception to completion. Could you walk us through the steps of your artistic process, starting from the initial idea to the finished piece? How do you develop your concepts, and what are the key stages in creating your final work?

Based on my own experience it looks like this (if we are talking about images of real objects): First of all, my emotions define everything. I want to express exactly what I felt when I was at a certain place and time. I make a sketch. Sketches are the best way to keep the impression of “I came, I saw, I fell in love”. The sketch does not pretend to detail, these I will find later on the photos, but the sketch retains the composition, concept, and mood. This is the first transformation of reality in the prism of the author's view. Often such sketches helped me to recall in my memory what the photograph had not even captured. Then, back to the studio, I take my sketches and photographs, and from these materials, I build my subjective image of the world.

 

The second step is to convey my impressions of what I saw in studio work. In order to get closer to this goal, I sometimes adjust reality: I combine some views, move a building a couple of meters, and zoom in or out an object... But the most important thing in this game is that the spectator does not notice it! When you are, at some place, you do not perceive it as a frame or pointwise. You comprehend the environment spatially, in motion. Your point of view changes from the slightest movement of your head! Add a few steps to it... And the memory retains a generalized image, the impression of everything seen together.

 

This is exactly the image I strive for. Working on an invented composition is an even stronger combination of the outpouring soul and flow of the mind. The difference is that it is not something that captured my imagination. It is something that is living and growing in my soul constantly. I’m just lifting the veil.

Describe your quest for uniqueness in your art. How do you distinguish your work from others?

As I have already mentioned, I don’t pay much attention to criticism. Neither I compare my art with others. I tend to think it is time-wasting. My art distinguishes me from others as much as my appearance and character differ from others. Even if I seriously attempt to do something so unique and inimitable, I will be trapped by a vicious circle of self-created problems. Because every time I will find someone whose work will have something in common with mine.

 

I think it is better to use my time to become a better copy of myself than lose it trying to be different from everyone else. And music is the best proof of it. There are only 7 notes, but how does one composition differ from another? I allow myself to make faults. I don’t bind my art to others' expectations. I’m easily breaking rules, despite it being difficult to say looking at my realistic artwork. I follow my bent. That is my quest for uniqueness.

Discuss the importance of messaging in your art and the audience’s understanding of it. How crucial is it for your audience to grasp the message behind your artwork? Do you create with a specific message in mind, and how do you gauge its reception?

For many my art looks like nice realistic paintings. However, I insist that art always correlates to social and political themes. Of course, these plain air works or life sketches shall not be affected, but, in general, it is deeply true. My paintings are full of metaphors and “Easter eggs”. Even if you see a completely realistic landscape of a place that is well known to you, and yet the title of my work makes you squint your eyes nervously - this is it. Let me provide you with an example. One of my artworks is titled “Castle from the air” (it is a literal translation from Russian), the closest meaning is a “pipe dream”. There are a couple of nice-looking buildings in the painting. To be precise it is a complex of the Smolny Monastery, lush clouds rise above it, and they resemble a castle in the sky. Not only is the place well known for its architecture, but also as a centre of religious education, and it is one of the official residences of the government of St. Petersburg. What do we have in total? Church, power, and castle in the air (pipe dream). I came up with the subject of the painting after my tedious collaboration with some people from this organization. So the title is always the key. Needless to say, when the whole plot was pulled out of the depths of my consciousness, it was impossible to do without a key.

One more example. My latest drawing was a kind of inner response to events of the last three to four years: pandemic, war, overwhelming with bad things. “Jörmungandr beseeches for the rain” - The story goes behind; What if the apocalypse came and the promised great serpent turned out to be not so scary? The legendary Jörmungandr is unable to devour the world. When humanity was younger, the waters of Styx might have been deeper. But too much has passed this way since then. What inspires us in every deed? It may well be true that we praise fears and paint horror with bright colours. What else could be more inspirational than the greatness of Hell described by Dante?

 

Time flies. We are changing slowly. Perhaps today The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse is nothing more than an old story encased in stone. But the emptiness promised in their gaze is relevantly scary. Ideas change shape. However, the functions of crystal palaces are not much different from the possessions of feudal lords. Three Norns spinning the thread of our lives are known today as a capricious random. Things end. And everything must have a beginning. When one day ends, a new one begins. Jörmungandr beseeches for the rain to fall back into sleep at the bottom of the world's ocean.

Contemplate the role and responsibilities of an artist in society today. How do you perceive the role of an artist in today's society? What responsibilities, if any, do you believe artists have towards their communities or the broader public?

I’m quite certain that the role of an artist hasn’t changed too much from the past. Artist plays a role in the formation of culture, sometimes reflecting on community demand, sometimes turning attention to a new direction. Art is everywhere, in daily content that we are consuming, in fashion, in movies, and walking three the city we are surrounded by art. A smartphone in my hand is a piece of art too! It’s said, “We are what we eat”. In that meaning art of our everyday life makes the responsibility of artists is highly requested. It is dubious to me that an artist can have an influence on raising society's morals, but they definitely can successfully ask thought-provoking questions. An artist can sometimes draw attention to a problem in an easier and unexpected way. As an example, I would like to share my experience.

 

Recently, I’ve taken part in a beautiful protest action against ugly urban development. There is a beautiful place in Saint Petersburg, where people got used to living in low-rise residential development. It was built in the middle of the last century for grass-roots. Saint Petersburg has a huge lack of greenery, it has become more like a stone jungle. This example of a green area is unique. And it would be a great example of modern development. But this area is about to be demolished. The irony is that we call the area “of grass-roots” when it looks like a highly privileged residence now.

 

At the end of the project, we made an exhibition. It was an illustrative example of how a city can be green, beautiful, and cozy. And it is not something theoretical, it is a real part of Saint Petersburg. About 160 artists came and depicted it. And it’s not a “history”, it is a good example for today and for future development. Demolition is postponed. It’s an important part of the role of the artist, but not the only one. Artist's tasks have many facets. I’m sure it is good enough to make someone happier just by visualising his ideas/dreams. To be able to hear not only the problems of a whole city or country or the world but a single wish of one single person - it is such a skill I would say.

 

Besides art has one more strong option. It has a healing effect that works both ways: for a creator and for a spectator. I have been told many times that watching a painting brings pleasure, calms, and improves mood. There is no talk about political agenda or solving social issues, but it is a very important point too. Artist are part of society with their own tasks. We can neither be excluded nor be regarded as something special. We do our job. I hope we do our best.

If you could choose to live anywhere in the world, where would it be and how does this location connect to your art?

I would choose Great Britain. Surprisingly it has so much in common with my art. From the watercolour technique itself (one of my main mediums) to my favourite majestic ruins, which are in abundance there. The UK became my cornerstone not only from the point of history and its cultural background but also as a source of inspiration. I even have a project, that I hope to see fulfilled one day. During the pandemic, I even managed to develop a plan of visit, where I mapped all must-see locations. I called this art exhibition the Cornerstone, not only because it is the central topic of my art, but also because this name has a more tangible material meaning.  Great Britain treasures several sections of history in stone: 

 

✧ The world-famous ancient monuments: Stonehenge, Ring of Brodar, Callanish Stones, 
and other stone circles 


 

✧ The ruins of castles that literature relates with the legends about King Arthur (Tintagel Castle, Pendragon Castle) 


 

✧ Numerous ruins of abbeys. Their abandoned Gothic stone skeletons are laid bare and became a source of inspiration for the XVIII century English watercolourists 


 

✧ Austere castles of Scotland 


 

✧ The recreation and re-erection of manor-castles fast on the heels of the Romantic epoch in the XVIII-XIX 


 

✧ I believe we can also add natural «architecture» to this list. For example: Devil's Bridge, Green Bridge, Church Door Cove 


 

✧ The most recent example, is the Crawick Multiverse landscape composition. Charles Jencks’ project is reminiscent of megalithic monuments. It was opened to the public in 2015; Albion is filled with examples of delightful, dramatic, romantic and mysterious stone architectonics. 


 

Albion has long been a prime focus of my attention. This island has become a jewel case for a landscape artist by reason of its historical interweaving and circumstances. English landscapes have been winning the hearts of romantics for centuries.
 Dramatic ruins along the high banks, austere castles in Scotland.There are very few places with so many elegant abbey ruins, Gothic fragments of which rise above the green hills. 

 

Stone ruins are my greatest passion as an artist. They are the line between life and eternity. It is a harmony at the intersection of nature and the man-made world. Like a collision of two giant forces: human genius and the power of nature. It appears to me that ruins of such brilliant creations as cathedrals, castles and fortresses are the best illustration of the myth of Chronos devouring his children. Everything appears and disappears over time. Since our human life is fleeting, we may afford to admire what has already become History, what our predecessors created and what will inevitably disappear. "Cornerstone" is a continuation of my work on the theme “Oblivion”. This is the main theme of my work, on which I have been working for several years.

 

“Oblivion” Project: Buildings and constructions once created by people but now fallen into oblivion have an inspirational value for me. They are silent witnesses of history. These giants towering over densely populated cities preserve the memories from the moment of their creation until the last stone drops off their walls. Houses and cities represent the dream of permanence but at the same time show that nothing lasts forever.

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As we conclude our journey through the mind and heart of Eleanor Mill, an artist deeply engaged with the most pressing issues of our time, it's clear that her work transcends mere aesthetic appeal. Here is an artist who sees the canvas as a battleground for ideas, a space where the past and future collide, and where the act of creation is inseparable from the act of reflection. Eleanor's narrative is a reminder of the profound responsibility artists bear - not only to their craft but to the communities and environments that shape and are shaped by their work.

As Mill continues to explore the ruins and landscapes that captivate her imagination, her upcoming projects promise to further enrich our understanding of the world through the lens of art. In the dialogue between creativity and crisis, between oblivion and memory, her voice is both a challenge and an invitation: to see more deeply, to think more critically, and to imagine more boldly the world we inhabit and the worlds we might yet create. Explore Eleanor's work by visiting her Artit portfolio.