"We are a part of Nature, and at the same time,that particular part of Nature, that is able to observe Nature

- and therefore, observe ourselves"

-Inger Christensen

PORTRAIT AND NATURE

The diversity and the contrast in Man and Nature inspires me.

In my paintings I aim to integrate the portrait with more abstract forms, inspired by the structures, shapes, surfaces, colors and movements in Nature.To me, there seem to be a parallel between the human face and Nature, where both can be experienced as a metaphor for change and transformation in life. Here we find the whole spectrum from dark to light, from the destructive to the life-giving elements, from the earthly to the transcendent.All the nuances in the physical (like in the facial markings and in the furrows of the fields) as well as the psychological and emotional state of minds, are sources of inspiration and the central point in my work.

On the basis of sketches from, for instance, different kinds of photographs, combined with a more expressive and abstract approach to the painting, the portrait appears. I follow the creative impulse and work with the intuitive and spontaneous process, where it not always is possible to predict how the painting will develop.

I´m interested in the elements, often the contradictions that creates a dynamic expression - and enjoy the dance between the controlling part of the process and the releasing part that sets the image free.

I work with the relation between the figurative and the abstract, the relation between painting and drawing and the interaction between the thoroughly worked parties and the more immediate and free expression.