Artist in conversation: Oksana Salminen
“ When you are highly motivated by the topic of your work, creative blocks are much easier to overcome.”
Oksana Salminen is a professional artist, raised in Estonia, who currently lives and works between Finland and Estonia. Oksana’s childhood was connected with the sea and a special place in her heart and creativity is given to seascapes, beautiful ocean views and romantic sea coasts, In Oksana's own words:
"There are wars, famines droughts, injustice everywhere....I paint not to ignore the world, but when I go back into my house - my safe and beautiful place - I want to paint and be surrounded by simple enjoyment, positivity, and brightness and to feel safe and content. With my art, I try to make our world a little bit more beautiful, kinder, brighter place and to bring some more joy and elegance to our lives. I create my paintings with positive energy and try to pass it over to canvas, try to make my paintings full of life, light, and inspiring energy."
Oksana's favorite mediums are oil, watercolor, and soft pastels.
What initially inspired you to become an artist, and how did you develop your unique style?
I grew up in a family that loved art. From a very early age, my parents took me to the museums they visited, and we had a lot of art books at home, which I loved to look at when I was a little girl. Later, at 10, I participated in an art contest at school and was one of the winners. It inspired me to attend art school, where I studied fine art and other visual arts for four years.
In terms of subject matter, what themes or motifs do you frequently explore in your work, and what draws you to these topics?
My father was a sea captain, so my childhood was also connected with the sea. The motifs of the sea, seascapes, and waterscapes are very close to me and occupy a prominent place in my work. I also love visiting beautiful places in nature, so landscapes fascinate me a lot. I often reflect on canvas on all the beauty nature gives us—flowers, plants, birds.
How do you hope viewers experience or interact with your artwork, and what emotions or responses do you aim to evoke?
I want to bring beauty, peace, and joy to this world with my paintings. With my art, I try to make our world more beautiful, kinder, and brighter, bringing joy and elegance to our lives. I create my paintings with positive energy and transfer it to the canvas, trying to make them full of life, light, and inspiring energy.
Can you discuss your choice of mediums—oil, watercolor, and soft pastels—and how each contributes to the expression of your artistic vision?
I achieve different goals with each medium. I love oil very much, as it is a flexible medium with which I can depict whatever I have in mind. This is my most versatile medium, allowing me to achieve depth and liveliness in my works. Watercolour is a very interesting and subtle medium that wonderfully conveys works' fragility, tenderness, and atmosphere. Soft pastel is also one of my favorite mediums. With it, you can pose exciting, challenging tasks and achieve beautiful results.
Is there a specific piece of art you've created that holds special meaning to you?
I love featuring my daughters as models in my works and creating their portraits. All these paintings are very dear to me and have special meaning. Recently, I depicted on canvas the bouquet they gave me for Mother's Day. These things are associated with family and are very dear and valuable to me. Also, when depicting the sea and ocean themes, I always think about my father, who devoted his whole life to it, and this theme also has a special meaning for me.
How do you incorporate feedback from critics and audiences into your artistic practice, and how do you balance this feedback with your own artistic intuition?
Criticism helps us grow and develop as artists. I always listen to criticism because I understand how vital an outside perspective is. Sometimes, those around us notice something that we, as artists, no longer see, being very passionate about the work process. I am always grateful for criticism, even if I see my work differently.
How do you stay motivated and inspired despite any setbacks or creative blocks you may encounter?
I work only with those topics that are very interesting and challenging to me. This helps me solve problems that may arise during my work. When you are highly motivated by the topic of your work, creative blocks are much easier to overcome. If something doesn't work out, I can put the painting aside and come back to it later with a new perspective and strength, and then what didn't work out before usually happens very quickly and easily.
How do you feel about exhibiting your artworks with The Holy Art Gallery?
I really enjoy exhibiting my work with The Holy Art Gallery. I live in Europe, and the topic of crossing artworks through customs and borders is very important. The gallery gave excellent help and instructions on how to proceed, so everything went very smoothly. I also see that The Holy Art Gallery cares for the artists during the exhibition; the amiable staff there always gives quick responses and help.
Looking ahead, what are your long-term goals and aspirations as an artist, and how do you plan to achieve them?
I really like to experiment with work themes and mediums. My long-term goals are to develop as an artist, expand my capabilities and themes of work, and grow and achieve mastery in those topics that will interest me by not standing still and not getting stuck in what I am doing now.
What role does emotion play in your creative process, and how do you aim to evoke specific feelings or reactions from those who view your artworks?
Emotions play a significant role in everything we do. And this is especially true for art. Without this it is impossible to create anything. I strive to be honest and create paintings only that resonate with me and that I like, the kind of work that I enjoy looking at and that brings me joy and only positive emotions. This is what we now sorely lack, and therefore, I try to bring more joy, beauty, and happiness into our world to make it more positive, kinder, and brighter.