May we introduce you to, Eeva Nikunen, a very talented Finnish fairytale artist. We had the great pleasure of meeting her in real life, after being online friends for many years. A chilly January day we drove to Long Island, NY to see her solo art show at The Haven Gallery in Northport. The gallery itself is in an old brick carriage house and the creative owners have turned it into a magical space for all sorts of talented folks to display their art. (Follow them on Facebook if you want to be among the first to know about their future upcoming exhibits.)
Eeva’s solo show was fittingly called “Enchantress” and it’s easy to see how her work will put you under a spell. Whimsical maidens,
It was exciting to study not only the amazing art but also the people that came to the New Haven Gallery this evening. To see their reactions and realize what wonderful things great art does to people, gathering them together from all over the world. Later on, a buffet table of Chinese food was set up for everyone’s enjoyment. While we let the eastern flavors enchant our inner taste senses, somewhere in the middle of the conversational buzzing a familiar voice made us stop chewing for a moment. It was a truly special feeling to be eating eastern delights and see a childhood hero of eastern martial arts stand among us, talking and enjoying the art as much as the rest of us, the one and only actor Ralph Macchio with his family. (Known from Karate Kid, My cousin Winnie etc.)
Just as we had the pleasure of getting to know Eeva the Enchantress better, we asked her a few questions about herself and work so you can get to know her too and get some inspiration of how to be a fairytale artist like her:
1. It’s A Charming Life: How would you describe your art?
Eeva Nikunen: This is a very hard question for many artists! Whenever I try to come up with a few sentences to describe my art, I feel like I’m heading off to a whole new direction a few weeks later! Currently I would describe by paintings as reminiscent of classic fairytale illustrations, where human and animal creatures possess a magical and dreamlike quality.
2. IACL: What is your preferred medium?
EN: My preferred medium is oil paints. I spent a lot of time experimenting with different colour mediums until I found oil paints, and now it is my absolute favourite medium. I also work a lot with graphite pencils, and I’ve just recently rediscovered my love for ink drawing. I think it is important to find your favourite mediums and try to become as comfortable with the mediums as possible, but still allow yourself to experiment from time to time.
3. IACL: What inspires you? What makes you pick the certain scenery for your art, is it influenced a lot by your native country of Finland?
EN: I’m very inspired by what I would call the fantastical world. Stories like Alice in Wonderland and books from authors such as J.R.R. Tolkien and J.K. Rowling have always inspired me. I also love classic fairy tales and folklore. I grew up with folk tales from Finnish and Russian mythology, and I think those influences can also be seen in my art.
4. IACL: What is your steps before you start an actual painting?
EN: Usually I get an idea for a painting when I’m walking outside. I like to take long walks and listen to music, and that is what usually inspires a concept for a piece of art. I start the painting by sketching in my sketchbook, and I usually like to draw a graphite drawing of the idea before I move forward to oil painting. Painting an oil painting is such a slow process, that it is good to have a solid foundation such as a good sketch before you start. But I always allow myself to make changes and experiment with new ideas while I’m painting.
5. IACL: How does it feel to have an exhibit on the other side of the world? How did they find you?
EN: Doing this solo show was definitely an adventure! The most wonderful part was getting to travel to New York and meet so many wonderful new people. The gallery I exhibited at had found me by seeing my art on the internet.
6. IACL: Response from the visitor? Was the response different here than in Scandinavia?
EN: I find people from the United States to be very open and friendly, and I enjoyed interacting with people who visited the gallery show opening. I would say the response to my art was quite similar in New York that it is in Scandinavia, but Scandinavian people tend to be a little bit more reserved and don’t express their opinions so openly.
7.IACL: What tips can you give to artist who want to get their art out on a gallery or be a full time artist?
EN: I would encourage them to put their art online. Share your process and your passion for your art. If you are excited about what you are doing, others will love it too. Don’t be discouraged if things don’t pick up immediately. I was posting my art online for almost 5 years with almost no response from anyone. Things will start to happen if you keep at it and don’t give up!
8. IACL: We have to ask, what did you find most charming about your time in New York?
EN: The most charming thing about New York was how many different kinds of places and towns it has. One moment I could be in the middle of Manhattan, and by taking the train up north, suddenly I was in the magical town of Sleepy Hollow! I loved seeing the spooky New England forests and I was surprised by how many beautiful Victorian houses there were. If I could, I would move into one of those Victorian houses immediately.
Thank you Eeva for taking the time to answer our questions and for being the first in our new “Charming Kindred Spirits” interview series were we feature our lovely friends and what makes them so charming!
Bye For Now,
-Lindsay & Jonas
P.S. You purchase Eeva’s art prints, creativity journals, and more HERE.
You can also find her on Facebook.
If you enjoy our content and feel that it speaks to you and want to see more like that, there is different ways that you can show your support. You can either SHARE this post, sign up to our NEWSLETTER, or support us with a cup of COFFEE (or Tea) see the button below. We appreciate all of you and look forward to hear from you, and continue our Charming journey together.
