"Red Thinking" Painting

A native of Bielefeld, I worked as a computer graphics designer for video productions in Frankfurt am Main from 1985, both nationally and internationally. Due to my professional success, I was able to live an independent, modern lifestyle as a single mother of twins. Things changed when I married and moved with my family first to England and then to Canada. There, working as a freelancer, I had two more sons and earned an MBA in Business Strategy in England. When my husband had the opportunity to gain medical experience in Canada, I decided to accompany him so he could focus on his training. Originally planned for one year, the stay extended to 17 years. For me, this meant having to completely reposition myself professionally. I taught graphic design at the University of Calgary and focused on painting. The fascinating, vast, and untouched landscapes of Canada inspired me. My paintings documented the impressions of places I visited. Particularly, the sunlight, which transformed the landscapes into different moods depending on the time of day, allowed me to depict nature in new and impressive ways. My painting is influenced by Westphalian Expressionism. With my fast painting technique, I explore light and color with loose, intense brushstrokes, expressing a vibrant dynamism in my paintings. In 2019, I painfully recognized the end of my marriage. It caused a rupture in the family that initially threw me completely off course, necessitating a redesign of everything familiar. I returned to my hometown of Bielefeld, volunteered, and alongside painting, devoted myself to working with clay. In June 2023, I received the "Denis Diderot" scholarship at Chateau Orquevaux in France. This was the moment when I turned away from the idyllic landscapes and dedicated myself to a series of paintings I had conceptualized over the past five years. With "No Pretty Landscapes," I showcase a painting style that had always been in my mind, but could now be brought to canvas. The fast brushstrokes remained, but the beautiful aesthetics of the landscape paintings gave way to a passionate force. There is a touch of sensitivity on the apparent strength and dynamism. The combination of emotional impulsivity with simultaneous tenderness gives the series its special charm. Thematically, I go back 35 years to process my own experiences. As a woman and especially as a mother, I navigated the conflict between my own desires and the demands of my husband.