Nina
Enger
1. Welcome Nina to The Influx Gallery family. Tell us a little bit about yourself and where you are from?
Thank you for including me in your Gallery!
2. Were your family supportive of you deciding to become an artist?
Actually, I never decided to become an artist. I just love to beautify my surroundings, whether that be in my garden, in my house or creating a space for the wild birds outside. I wanted to have original art on my walls, so I just started to paint and no one stopped me:-)
3. Was there anything specific that you can remember that made you want to become an artist?
I have a strong urge to express what I have inside and during periods of breathtaking revelations I started to write songs and lyrics to convey what I had seen, which later transitioned into painting.
4. Did your schooling or work affect your creative development in any way?
I have been a single mother with a full time job and 3 kids to look after for 20 years, so yes, I had to prioritise. I was grounded through my responsibilities, but did always find time in between to play the piano or make unique birthday cards, etc, together with my kids.
5. Where do you get your inspiration and influences from?
I find inspiration everywhere, but nothing beats strong feelings and the natural elements. I go deeply into my feelings to find the essence of the energy, often symbolically reflected in the movements of the clouds, and I guess that is what shows in my paintings.
6. Do you have a favourite painting technique?
I like to add/wet the canvas with a coloured ground layer using a sponge. I can add multiple layers with acrylic paint, before I decide which transitions to soften, and which to enhance. My favourite stage in the process is when I apply paint to create a contrast between light and dark. I can spend hours doing this until I feel a match between the watcher and the watched.
7. We love your evocative and beautiful paintings. Especially how they reflect your own inner journey which remains closely bonded with nature. Can you elaborate upon this very personal process?
I have come to realise that I am Nature, following the same cycle as that of a tree or a flower. I feed off the elements as they do, the only difference being me battling with thoughts of all kinds. In moments of clarity I see how my thoughts resemble the behaviour of clouds, constantly changing shapes, colours and density as do my thinking:-) There is really nothing inside or outside. I am what I see, so I merge with objects to experience them. Sometimes I even find inspiration behind closed eye-lids, where wonderful sceneries appear in deep relaxation.
8. What was your most enjoyable piece to paint?
My first abstract painting! After a period of trying to paint sceneries in nature I felt a great release when I dropped all external references and just let the brush go where it wanted to go. Immense Joy!
9. How do you see your painting evolving over the next 10 years?
I have a feeling my expression will calm down in the years to come. I can even feel it now. There is a wish to express persistence, duration and the continuity of life instead of the dramatic ups and downs on the surface, so maybe some ‘ancient rustic walls’ who have stood the test of time will appear:-)
10. Do you collect art or have a favourite painter?
I do not collect art, but I am very fond of sculptures so they are everywhere in my house and in my garden.
J.M.William Turner has been a great inspiration, especially seeing how he moved from figurative to abstract paintings juxtaposing my own sense of liberation. For some reason I find artists from England and Russia most intriguing.
11. I tend to agree with you that your paintings can be interpreted “as a reflection upon the wild and unpredictable nature of life” They have a raw primaeval power to them that is hard to articulate. Can you say a few words about your interpretation of your fantastic paintings?
I would use the word ‘transformation’, both literally and symbolically. I have witnessed my own transformation as being sudden, unexpected and shocking. Things move, mould and change every second and I believe this is what is reflected in my paintings. Underneath is the stillness of existence as a somewhat unexplored territory, so I am inclined to go there.
12. Thanks a lot for your valuable time and interest. You can include any other details you want to talk about here?
I am very grateful for having found ways to express my feelings and for reaching other souls in the process. ‘You go home to you and I go home to me, and we meet there’