Visual artist from Finland
In my studio there is a table with dried flowers, tulips roses and lilies. Sometimes a beautiful light falls from the window and suddenly one of the flowers seems to wake up to life. It stretches itself towards the light. And the light gives shape to the flower and its surroundings creating shadows and depth.
This is like a magical moment when the theme of my next painting appears to me. For me it is important to have a tangible starting point for my paintings. It can be a flower, a landscape or sometimes a person. That gives my work a frame to move within. As I work on with the painting I sometimes partly loose my first impression and something else comes instead. Still the vision of the light I saw remains in the painting.
During my free time I enjoy walking in the forest. An old pine forest is like a big beautiful cathedral. It is wonderful to step into its darkness full of light. The light is filtering through the branches of the trees creating a mysterious atmosphere. It is like the landscape was painted by the light that creates dark soft shadows and bright spots of light in it. It is something about this experience I am trying to catch in my paintings.
ANNA MÄKELÄ 