Anu Eskelin
Basic information
Visual Artist, Painter
Residence: Vantaa
Contact information
Email: anu.eskelin@gmail.com
Artist’s Statement
My love of art and making things with my hands started early - you could say it came in my mother's womb. I have always drawn, painted, made crafts and taken art courses. Watching and experiencing art has been as important to me as making it. Life initially led me into another profession where art was occasionally present, but the yearning for my own artistic expression grew so strong over the years that I decided to train as a visual artist. I did this in middle age, giving up my previous profession and a stable income - ultimately following my vocation.
My paintings are abstract and are created through an intense process. The work often starts with a sketch, but changes as the work progresses: ideas arising from memories and streams of imagination guide the work along new paths. The finished work may be far from the original idea, but I know it is finished when the colours and shapes feel right.
I work mainly with acrylics, but I often use charcoal and ink.
My works are built up from several layers of colour and are completed gradually. Music is an integral part of my process - it adds movement, rhythm and power to the paintings. Often the music also gives the work its name. I deeply enjoy the moment when the brush moves as if by itself, and the painting becomes the combined imprint of my emotions and the music.
Nature is an endless source of inspiration for me. I exercise and photograph in the forest regularly - old, easily accessible forests are particularly close to my heart. My favourite is the one near the small Italian mountain village where our former second home used to be. Natural forms such as branches, rocks, water and small details can become part of my paintings - often unconsciously.
My paintings are abstract and are created through an intense process. The work often starts with a sketch, but changes as the work progresses: ideas arising from memories and streams of imagination guide the work along new paths. The finished work may be far from the original idea, but I know it is finished when the colours and shapes feel right.
I work mainly with acrylics, but I often use charcoal and ink.
My works are built up from several layers of colour and are completed gradually. Music is an integral part of my process - it adds movement, rhythm and power to the paintings. Often the music also gives the work its name. I deeply enjoy the moment when the brush moves as if by itself, and the painting becomes the combined imprint of my emotions and the music.
Nature is an endless source of inspiration for me. I exercise and photograph in the forest regularly - old, easily accessible forests are particularly close to my heart. My favourite is the one near the small Italian mountain village where our former second home used to be. Natural forms such as branches, rocks, water and small details can become part of my paintings - often unconsciously.
