Did you have any formal training in art or were you born drawing, as it were?

Well, I did start drawing when I was very young.  My father, Cecil Satariano, a photographer and film-maker was also an artist, and my greatest influence;  he taught me how to observe and interpret the beauty around me and apply it in my artwork. Like him I am a positive and sensitive person which helps me to notice details which many just walk by and ignore.

Have you always painted or is this a fairly recent interest?

I always loved drawing, I am self-taught but of course my Dad was always present with his keen eye and criticism which helped me to persist and improve my work.  Some years ago I attended classes abroad by the well known American artist Cliff Fleenor and I later followed a course in portraiture at the Malta School of Art.

You have called your exhibition Natural Beauty. Perhaps you can explain the title further.

As the title implies I have focused on the beauty of nature; on all that is natural and untouched;  on horses, birds, countryside and the sea.

I see several paintings of beautiful horses in your collection. Do horses inspire you in particular?

Yes, they do.  I find the horse to be a magnificent creature. It instills in me a sense of liberty.                    

Free galloping horses give vent to my emotions as I escape alongside these beautiful beasts.  You will notice that my horses are almost always on the run and never wearing a saddle or reins.

In fact I have decided to donate a percentage of the proceeds of this exhibition to the RMJ Horse Rescue, a voluntary group of altruistic people who take in abandoned and sick horses and look after them.  

I also enjoy painting birds flying freely, open spaces and rough seas...where restrictions and limits are non-existent and freedom reigns.

What is your favourite and least favourite aspect of being an artist?

Being an artist helps me to appreciate the beauty that surrounds me, and in my own way I preserve it in my paintings.

Do you have any particular favourite artists?

Well, my answer to this question has to be negative, as what counts for me is more how I relate to the artwork rather than to the artist.

Tell me about your favourite medium.

I started painting in watercolours, which I still enjoy using.  I later went on to use acrylic paint which I find suits me better.  I love the bold colours of acrylic paint and its quick drying effect.  Having said that, another reason why I love acrylic paint is because it allows me to paint with my fingers.  Finger painting is a technique that I have used in many of my paintings.   I always start sketching and planning out the composition using my fingers, often I get carried away and keep going, many times I start and finish a painting just using my fingers.  If I need to add delicate details I use a brush. Finger Painting allows me to express movement with such ease.  I engage in an intimate relationship with the painting as I touch the canvas and cover it with colour and movement.

Where do you prefer painting? Do you have a studio?

I prefer to paint in my studio, I cherish that time I get for myself and I love the quiet that surrounds me.

Do you have a network of other artists?

I am a member of a group called "Akwarelisti."

Do you have a favourite piece of art you've created? If so is it in this exhibition?

To be honest I do have a few favourite pieces, but each piece of art I create has a story and so I feel attached to each and every one.  Yes, my favourites are in this exhibition.

What's the best piece of advice you have been given which is associated with art?

A good friend and excellent artist once told me to paint for myself and to paint myself in my paintings; it is important that you enjoy what you are doing;  it is an added bonus when people like it.

Madeleine has had three other solo exhibitions and has also taken part in several collective exhibitions locally and abroad.

Beauty of Nature is part of the initiative managed by the Malta Council for the Voluntary Sector "Art for VO's".   

The exhibition will be held at the Voluntary Centre in Rabat (Malta) and inaugurated by Mariella Pisani Bencini, on 6th October.  It will be open for public viewing from Saturday, 7th October to 22nd October.