Artist Ingemar Härdelin, took time out to talk to us about her work, background and inspirations.
My artwork style since 2015 has been pure abstract and expressionistic. I work in my own studio in my home.
I was born in a priest family where culture was important and preferential. I and my four brothers and sisters were encouraged to learn playing musical instruments very early, and I started playing the cello when I was ten. I still do so 85 years old. Music has been my most important driving force all my life since then. We also were encouraged to read and draw. We learned to discuss and motivate our opinions during all family discussions.
I have been working as a teacher and music secretary during my active years, but painting has all the time followed me in addition to playing and other cultural activities. When a retired in 1991 I started painting seriously and continuously. Today I have had more than forty exhibitions all over Sweden and also two abroad.
My artistic influences are unconscious. I like good art in all forms and genres and can mention hundreds of outstanding artists who inspire me.
I started painting outdoors in nature like most of all beginners. But very soon I began to paint from a concept, for instance "Beings", "Eggs" or "Geometric compositions". But as I mentioned in question number one my artwork style since 2015 has been pure abstract and expressionistic.
Of course it is interesting to follow trends and learn what is happening within ART, but I don't follow them. It is important for me to develop my own idiom.
The artist has an important role in society as an eye opener. He/she can wake people up and learn them see things differently. Art works live their own lives which have to be detected by the observer.
I started painting in oil, but since ten years I prefer acrylic. I seldom use a brush. I often use knife and sponge instead but also other different things. Today I mostly paint on panel, but I also have painted a lot of paintings on sheet metal.
What is important in my art is to give the viewer an adventure. I want him/ her to do a journey within the painting and detect details and connections. To look at my paintings can be like listening to a peace of music – following the process to the end.
The painting process is interesting. It is very important to be concentrated when I am standing in front of a new white panel. It is like waiting for a battle when you or the painting will be the winner. So much happens during the process. It is a dialog between me and the painting. In some way the painting paints itself.
The 9th of March I have Vernissage in Kisa where I live. It is a solo exhibition during one month.
I have been invited to exhibit in New York which I have decided to take up a definite position in.
My ideas to a new painting comes from a vision in my head. I start by choosing the colours I want to use. Then I start the process I am talking about in question number eleven.
I have painted a rather large picture on sheet metal which I find very special. It is rather dark but with a spectra of nuances and shadings. So much happens in that painting and I love it.
At the beginning of my artistic period my paintings often were unsuccessful. It is very difficult to know when the painting is optimal, but every time I was unsuccessful I learned a lot and now I know when it is time to stop.
