Icelandic Artist Helga Sigurdardottir uses cold and warm nature as her artistic inspiration.
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Intuition and flow are leading Helga Sigurdardottir in creating her art whether it is painting with oil, acryl or watercolor or making paper-maché sculptures. When painting, plenty of water or turpentine is used in purpose of the colors to flow and blend freely on the material - aluminum, canvas, paper or timber - making the art of painting especially inspiring as well as demanding since the medium is so spontaneous. Spraying with water over the colors adds to the natural flow of water resembling waves.
Sigurdardottir’s paintings are both abstract and figurative. She often paints abstract forms although underneath is the idea of something figurative. The Icelandic nature with its powerful contrast of ice and fire has often been one of her main inspirations. Water in all forms fascinates me, especially waves as well as waterfalls and glaciers. The painted waves are deep ingrained memories of her childhood. In particular, they are memories from times when she was young playing in the waves of a primitive island in the Caribbean ocean. As the artist quotes, “the wellbeing of feeling the water and seeing unbelievable fantastic colors of the sea has taken its place inside me and given me an endless fountain for creating art works.”
On the other hand, the Icelandic unforgettable experience of feeling the heat and power of volcanic eruptions and watching the beautiful colors splash in all directions from the core of the earth has been a humongous influence on Sigurdardottir’s artistic expression.
Music plays a big role for the artist creative process; Otis Redding and Leonard Cohen are the means to give flow and creativity.
Some years ago, the artist started making paper-maché sculptures. The three dimensional sculptures are made of chicken wire frame covered with white or water colored Japanese paper. The sculptures are mounted as paintings on a wall or hanging down from the ceiling. It is possible to put a LED light inside or behind the sculpture which creates a powerful color play as well as play of light and shadows on the wall. The atmosphere becomes comfortable and romantic especially during dark winter nights. All of the sculptures are unique artworks with an electrical light behind it.
Helga Sigurdardottir’s career began through numerous courses in The Art School of Kopavogur. In 2015, she graduated with a BA degree as an art historian from the University of Iceland. Recently, the artist started teaching watercolor painting at The Art School of Kopavogur.
Make sure you check out all of Helga Sigurdardottir’s artworks on Kooness!