Written by My name is Dagmar Olschewski and I live in Germany, near Luxembourg. Together with my three sons, my husband and some animals, I have been living on an old farm for several years, surrounded by fields, meadows and forests, without neighbors. It is a quiet, peaceful life and each of us has plenty of time and space to find individual potential, to experiment with it and to develop it.
When someone’s talent ignites a flame in you, something incredible happens. You discover within yourself a world of color and images that has always been waiting to be brought to life. Suddenly the flame becomes so vast, that in which, your creativity comes to life.
In my case it was my son, who tempted me to play with brushes and to paint. He has been drawing and painting since he could hold a pen in his hand. Now that he has grown up, the many years of enthusiastic practice and experimentation have made him a real artist.
I was always interested in diving into the artistic realm however it was the enthusiasm I felt from my sons work that pushed me to express my own inner feelings through words, image, color and painting. I began to find a flow in my my writing. The words soon became stories that touched and opened new worlds. I embarked on a professional path which allowed me to foster and burnish this newly found strength. Now I am almost 50 years old, have taken some radical turns in my life but my love of writing has never left me.
Then, two years ago, a Schmincke watercolor paint box fell into my hands from my son’s inventory. I wouldn’t have ever thought that it would steer my life in a completely new direction. I continue to maintain my current job. I’m still writing. I’m still living with my family in our old house on the edge of the Eifel Forest (in Germany), but my world has changed.
Every free minute draws into this new world of color through painting. The old paint box still exists but my tool box has certainly grown. The Mijello Mission Gold colors have become my staple material due to their luminosity, suppleness. I have also grown a liking for the exquisite shades from Daniel Smith. They harness incomparable properties and are dazzling treasures of this colorful variety.
Hahnemühle Cézanne paper allows me to experiment with new techniques constantly, as I love to experiment with different types of paper. Again and again I am drawn to Yupo paper, which is rather slippery on one side, like a soaped-up tile floor. Finally, I also enjoy heavy handmade paper, which, depending on the level of moisture, absorbs colors like a sponge. The number of my brushes I use continues to grow steadily. Only a few find themselves in a dusty old drawer.
I choose my motifs from nature. I love landscapes, skies, rivers, trees and flowers. They inspire me and it is easy for me to paint them. People and architecture are a challenge for me and I only approach in small steps. And yet that has a special charm. It will probably take a lot of practice before I can show useful results.
Being self-taught, I experiment with all mediums and techniques. I try new colors, papers, brushes and methods. While some things succeed, some don’t. Yet this is all part of the process. I occasionally forget that painting should be fun and therapeutic. During these times a failed painting can ruin a day.
When looking at the work of other artists, I sometimes convince myself that I will never be able to truly paint. But when I think of the colorful world inside of me again, I can’t help but pick up the brush again. What I have only been able to describe in words over the years, I can now also put on paper. In this manner, I release my thoughts and feelings into the world; a play of form and color, of light and shadow.
A first attempt in which I let words and colors flow together was created in winter: a book with my current texts and pictures. The two go together, the words gave rise to colors, and the pictures formed new thoughts. Another book already exists inside of me …
Dagmar Olschewski
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I find solitary (in a good way) and serene in these paintings. Thank you for inviting the guest artist. Great works!
Your work is exceptional!
Vielen Dank 😘
Thank you Dagmar for sharing your story and your beautiful art!❤
Vielen Dank, liebe Karen. Ich freue mich sehr, dass ich hier dabei sein darf.
My favorites are the paintings that appear to be back-lit. Thank you for sharing.
Danke, liebe Laura
Dagmar, your work is so expressive and full of motion! Thank you for sharing your artistic journey with us!
Danke, liebe Sandra. Ich freue mich sehr, dass dir meine Arbeiten gefallen. 😘
Dagmar, I could not express the feeling when I see your work better than you have describe it already…. It’s truly a POETRY OF COLORS!!! Congratulations from my behalf….
Vielen Dank Walter. Das berührt mich sehr. 😘
Totally inspirational😀
Danke sehr, lieber Stephen😘
You make beautiful art Dagmar thanks for sharing!
Vielen Dank, liebe Fatima😘
Wonderful luminosity in your paintings! Thanks for sharing them.
Danke sehr, Sharon 😘
It’s funny, I’m living in Germany, too. Near France, Luxembourg (Saarland).
Wonderful watercolor paintings!
Danke Moony. Dann sind wir ja fast Nachbarn 😘
Beautiful paintings! Thank you for sharing your story.
Danke sehr, liebe Mary😘
Inspirational painting. Can really feel your love of nature. Gives me hope as I struggle along.
Danke. Das freut mich, liebe Helen. 😘
Beautiful art your work truly inspires
Dankeschön, liebe Chantelle 😘
Your work is incredible! So beautiful. I don’t know who you are comparing yourself too, but don’t! Your work is your own style and wonderful. As long as you are enjoying the journey you are on, that is all that matters. So inspirational to hear you are a self taught artist. Thank you for sharing your beautiful work!
Ganz herzlichen Dank für dieses schöne Feedback 😘
Wow! Your paintings are really great! Don’t ever think you cannot paint. you have your own style and I love it 🙂
Ich danke dir sehr, liebe Janneke
Whaaat! Your art is amazing! That is the worst we could do. Tell ourselves it will never be good enough like so and so. Good ness for that. I love your colors and I am speechless.
Vielen Dank, das freut mich sehr, liebe Mireya
Wow, and again WOW. Your work is amazing!! I really love the atmosphere it conveys. There is something mysterious in many of the paintings.
Ich danke dir, liebe Marjanne😘
Sigh! Stunning art!
Danke
Oh my goodness – your art is absolutely mesmerizing. I really enjoyed reading your story, Dagmar. How funny that it was your son’s career that influenced you to try your hand at painting. How fortunate for all of us to see this lovely, magical world that you paint.