Cleaver No. 5 - Reflection Painting

Born into a Norwegian family that has farmed the same plot of land for over a hundred years, I grew up surrounded by animals and green things, which cultivated a lifelong appreciation for creations great and small — and the earth that they inhabit. Following high school, I set out to see the oceans, forests, and cities of the wider world. A peripatetic decade ensued, wherein I spent years alternating between Germany, Australia, Japan, Spain, Costa Rica, and the East (Washington, DC, North Carolina) and the West (California and Oregon) coasts working jobs as a waitress, barista, and au pair at each stop. My fluency in German and English, and passable Japanese, allowed me to quickly make friends in each new home. As an emerging and self-taught artist working with acrylics, I came to realize my passion for painting from a place of darkness. After working for several years in the technology sector, I found myself burnt out and angry. I picked up the paintbrush as a way to put a visual to the anger that I was feeling inside about giving all of my self-worth and value to my career trajectory. Through this process, I started to paint what I felt and saw around myself, including the Messy Woman series, which gave voice to the immense amount of pressure and sadness I felt on a daily basis. But it also helped me to reconnect with the fun that she felt as a “messy woman” as well. My work eventually progressed to seeing the joy in the world around me; gaining a deeper reflection on who I am; and an appreciation for the experiences that have touched me. Each of these stops and experiences made me who I am today, and my goal as an artist is to translate those experiences into meaningful works of art to be shared.