I have been drawn to drawing and painting since childhood but took a long route to get to where I am today. I was born in Finland but immigrated to New Zealand 1991 with my Kiwi husband, whom I met and married in Scotland where we lived several years as members of the Findhorn Foundation spiritual community. I gained a Master’s degree in Ecology and Botany in Helsinki University in Finland (1987), and later trained as a Psychotherapist in AUT in New Zealand. These days I combine my love of nature and training in psychotherapy by working with art therapy as well as painting nature themed acrylic and oil paintings and pastel drawings which I exhibit and sell locally. I have tutored therapeutic art classes for over 30 years, including several times through the Rodney Women’s Centre. Most recently my art works have been for sale at the Red Door Gallery in Waipu. I live with my husband and adult son on a lifestyle block in Puhoi where we enjoy growing organic fruit and vegetables all year round.
My bird and other nature themed paintings spring from a life- long love of nature and desire to protect and conserve our natural environment. When I first came to New Zealand I was thrilled by the uniqueness of New Zealand nature, but as a trained ecologist/botanist also acutely aware of its vulnerability. With my bird paintings I wish to bring the beauty and preciousness of NZ birds, both common and the endangered, to people's homes and awareness.
Recently I discovered “Tonalism” and fell in love with this approach. What most appeals to me in “Tonalism” is the focus on expressing mood/feeling, atmosphere, imaginary scenes and only an illusion of detail with a limited palette of colours. Working with art therapy is what first got me back into painting many years ago, and tonalism has allowed me to pour my feelings and imagination into my paintings like I had never done before. My tonalist paintings appear under the “Landscapes” category in this
online Gallery.
Merit Award, Rodney District Art Awards 2012