Here is another Østfold-based artist I’ve discovered lately, and whose work I really like. Leif Nyland describes himself as a ‘figurative colourist’, and two artists he admits being inspired by are Edward Hopper and Fairfield Porter. I am not that familiar with Porter’s work, but I can definitely see the Hopper connection in some of Leif Nyland’s paintings – in fact this is what attracted me to his work initially, as I’m a great fan of the American master.

I particularly like Nyland’s landscapes, which are simple yet powerful, in an almost contemplative kind of way. A sense of emptiness pervades many of them – he often paints isolated buildings in otherwise barren landscapes. Nyland started painting after he lost his sister as a young man, and this loss might find an expression in his artistic endeavours somehow, although this is not something he sets out to depict when sitting down at his easel.

Leif Nyland lives in Gressvik, Onsøy with his English wife Cecilia and their two-year old son. He draws much of his inspiration from the area around Fredrikstad where he grew up, so you might recognise some of the motifs in his paintings, whether it’s the boathouse at Hankø, the Kråkerøy Bridge in Fredrikstad, or Råde Church for example.

More info about Leif Nyland here www.leifnyland.com

If you’re interested in his work, or would like to buy some of his paintings, get in touch with him to arrange a visit to his studio.