Leaving Behind Painting

I grew up in rural Austria and remember that I was drawing and painting from my early childhood on. My parents were always providing all kinds of art materials to experiment with. I focused more seriously on painting at the age of 15. Taking art classes and doing life drawing and painting for the first time was an amazing experience. This was the moment when I decided to become a painter. After receiving a masters degree in painting from the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna in 1997, I moved to Tuscany, Italy, where I am still living with my husband, our two dogs and four cats. My close relationship with the natural world plays a very inspirational role in my work, with a particular focus on the coexistence and affinity between humans and animals. I draw inspiration and creative energy mainly from these relationships and the associated emotions. My creative process is intuitive, often combining both drawing and painting. With the intentional willingness to give up control, the imagery emerges through many layers and often unexpected discovery. Many viewers detect a mysterious atmosphere in the paintings, often describing them as 'haunting'. Initially these reactions seemed strange to me, but now I recognize them as appropriate and authentic to my work.