Day 40/100: Brita Granstrom
Encouraging an Artist Who Charms with Her Domestic Narrative Paintings
My #100daysofencouragment feature artist today is Brita Granstrom – a Swedish painter whose “Inscape” paintings really intrigue me.
Her work is referred to as “domestic narrative scenes,” and I love all that the phrase implies – the powerful attractions in our daily domestic lives, the fact that we are always writing a new story or living out of an old one (or both), the geography of the heart that our homes represent, and the inherent gift of recognizing the gold in everyday moments.
Her first love is figurative seascapes. So, though Brita might have preferred to be painting plein air. But, in 2020, during the pandemic lockdowns, she chose to dedicate her paintings to capturing daily life with her family around the kitchen table, porch and garden. She consciously chose to paint outdoor scenes exclusively through the vantage point of windows, so that nature was limited to what could be glimpsed through open and shut panes.
The focused clarity that she gained during this process continues to influence her paintings of interiors. She elevates decorative artefacts and captures moments of ordinariness and whimsy with such tenderness.
In her recent Inscape works, observation is accentuated. Photographs look back at us, and moments of daily life are observed, not only by the artist and us (the viewers), but also by the family dog. Mirrors and windows remind us that there are always layers of separation that affect how and what we see.
Her work calls Pierre Bonnard and Winifred Nicholsen to mind – two of my favorite chroniclers of domestic life and masters of the still life genre.
In addition to her paintings, Brita is an illustrator. Her children’s book illustrations can be seen at www.mickandbrita.com.
How You Can Be an Encouragement
Please check out Brita’s work on Instagram, follow her, and send her a note of encouragement today.
Instagram: @britagranstrom
Websites: www.britagranstrom.com (fine art)
https://cargocollective.com/mickandbrita (illustration)