Today we’d like to introduce you to Kristen Ulla Grunewald.
Kristen Ulla, please kick things off for us by telling us about yourself and your journey so far.
I was born into a family of artists. My grandfather was a plein air painter in Switzerland and my father was an oil painter in Europe. My parents migrated from Denmark to the USA in the 1950’s and when I was born they named me “Ulla”. I was born and raised in California and I had a fantastic childhood spending much of the time at the beach and in the ocean. My parents took myself, my two sisters and our dog traveling across the United States on road trips every summer and we would camp out along the way. Some of my best memories are of hiking country trails and of sleeping under the stars. My parents instilled in me a love for all of nature and this has definitely influenced my art. I realized on those family trips what was really important in life.
I was always encouraged by my mom and dad to paint and draw. As a child I could sit for hours by myself with a pencil and some paper and I would create. I do believe artistic talent is a gift and I thank my grandfather and father for giving me their artistic passion. We share the same last name, “Grunewald”, and even though they have both passed on I would want them to be proud of me and it’s important that I honor our last name.
I am a full-time artist now and I paint mainly in oils. Years ago, I was going through a dark time and instead of letting those circumstances destroy me I decided to turn it around and make it my goal to be the best artist I could be. In essence, art saved my life. Art can be a powerful and positive force in the world and my life is proof of that.
Can you give our readers some background on your art?
It is so easy to destroy and much harder to create. If more people used their energy to create, the world would be a better, more peaceful place. Think about it. Human nature has in it both good and evil and we have a choice to do either of those things. We can do good things or we can do evil things. I choose good. I believe that art has the power to change the world. Art makes people think. Art and the creation of it makes the world a more positive place. I want my art to be a positive force in the world. I think that art programs in schools are important. Our children need to be able to imagine and need to be encouraged to be creative. This is my message and what I hope to accomplish. I want my individual paintings to make people think and feel something positive. I want my paintings to communicate to people and make them see things from a different perspective. I want people to think for themselves and think outside the box. I also want my art to inspire others to create. I want to influence and stress the importance for our kids to have art programs in schools.
My favorite medium is oil painting. I do larger canvases however I am starting to paint smaller ones since many people seem to want originals but due to cost or wall space they need smaller works. I sell quite a bit on Facebook and Instagram. Currently I am painting abstracts, ocean and water scenes, and interesting contemporary butterfly pieces. I love color, contrast and nature.
What responsibility, if any, do you think artists have to use their art to help alleviate problems faced by others? Has your art been affected by issues you’ve concerned about?
I believe art is more important now than ever. We need balance in our lives and art and the creative process is the positive energy necessary to balance out the negativity in the world. There has always been unrest in society but with social media it is now thrown in our faces every day. We can no longer stick our heads in the sand and claim ignorance. There are 6 major companies that own our mainstream media and it is their narrative that we are hearing and ONLY their narrative on both sides. Unfortunately, the media lies. We as artists are the thinkers and thought provokers in the world. Creative people tend to think for themselves and think outside the box. We as artists are responsible to show others the truth of what is really going on without any hidden agenda like the media which is driven by money and power. I heard someone say that creative thought is dangerous. It is dangerous to those who are not telling the truth such as our politicians and the media. As an artist I do feel responsible to tell the truth. This is also another reason why we need to keep our art programs in schools so that we encourage our children to think creatively for themselves.
What’s the best way for someone to check out your work and provide support?
I can be found online at www.kristengrunewald.com where I post my art work and I also write a blog. I am also on social media on Facebook at Kristen Ulla Grunewald and on Instagram and Twitter as KristenUlla. I love how people can support artists online. Most artists show and sell their work online and I appreciate and am thankful for all of my followers and supporters on social media. You can also see my work at Aspire Design Center in Lihue on the Hawaiian Island of Kauai. If you happen to be on vacation on Kauai go ahead and pop on in and say hi to the owners Cindy and Jeff!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.kristengrunewald.com
- Phone: 714-745-5616
- Email: kristenulla@hotmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kristenulla/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kristen.grunewald
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/kristenulla
- Other: https://www.facebook.com/kristenulla/
Image Credit:
Kristen Ulla Grunewald
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