Nature on Canvas – The Story Behind My Art

I'm Liv Olsen, a contemporary artist based in the heart of Germany.
Through my paintings, I seek to create spaces where color, nature, and memory come together — offering places of depth, calm, and quiet inspiration.

A Journey Rooted in Nature

I grew up surrounded by meadows, forests, and rolling hills — a childhood deeply connected to the rhythms of the natural world.
Nature, with its ever-changing light and timeless silence, has always been a part of who I am.

My true journey into art began when I was thirteen.
While exploring the attic of my parents' house, I discovered an old, dusty box filled with silver tubes of oil paint — faded, beautiful, and full of mystery.
My mother told me they had once belonged to my grandfather: an entrepreneur, an art collector, and a passionate painter.

From the moment I first touched those paints, something inside me stirred.
I became fascinated by the way colors mixed and moved, blending together yet remaining full of their own character.
Although oil paints were too expensive for me at that age, I soon transitioned to acrylics and began painting on large wooden boards, learning to speak the language of color and form.

The Story of My Grandfather

My grandfather's life and spirit have always been a quiet source of inspiration for me.
One story, in particular, lives vividly in my memory:
During a bombing night in World War II, when fear filled the streets and homes, he couldn’t sleep.
Instead, he went down into the cellar and began to paint — creating a large and powerful image of a deer standing against a backdrop of mountains.

That painting, born from resilience and hope, still hangs in my parents' home today.
Sometimes I like to imagine that the very paints I found in that dusty attic box were once used for that piece — a thread of creativity passed from one generation to another.

A Path Rediscovered

Although my love for painting never left me, life initially led me down a different road.
I studied economics, focusing on the tourism industry, and set my passion for art aside for a time.

But during the quiet of the pandemic years, painting called me back.
With more life experience, a deeper sense of self, and the courage to listen to my heart, I chose in early 2023 to fully dedicate myself to my art.

Since then, my works have found homes around the world — from bright apartments in New York City to serene spaces in Los Angeles — becoming part of new stories, new lives.

My Inspiration

Nature remains my endless source of inspiration.
The golden light of a late afternoon, the quiet sway of trees, the timeless strength of mountains — these are the images that live within me and find their way onto canvas.

But inspiration is not always loud.
Often, it comes like a gentle whisper — a memory of the wind across open fields, a glimmer of light between branches, the feeling of belonging when the seasons change.

There is also a deeper layer:
the silent stories of those who came before me, the resilience and creativity that lives on through memory.
Through my work, I seek to weave together these echoes of nature and heritage, creating spaces where the soul can find rest and the heart can breathe.

Let's Connect

Thank you for taking the time to step into my world.
Please feel free to explore my gallery — perhaps you will find a piece that resonates with your own story, your own space, your own journey.

I look forward to connecting with you.

 Liv