Hi, I’m Eva-Lotta

My paintings are often abstract but always start from a story about a place, an object or something happening, and the emotions this brings to me.

I have been painting seriously since 30 years. I grew up in Sweden with a father painting and making magic with colours in our garage. This always inspired me, but at that time, I was more into drawing horses, illustrating and writing the magazine of our equestrian club. Later on, I joined classes in drawing and watercolour. Arriving in Brussels 1997, I started at an Art Academy to continue painting and to meet with likeminded persons after work.

Today my art is more abstract. I’m inspired by many things around me, from big scale to small details, searching for the feeling. By transferring my own impressions and colours onto canvas or paper, I want to evoke emotions, letting the viewers find their own way through my paintings.

At the academy I painted mostly in oil. When I started to work from my studio at home, I found it difficult to handle the solvents and especially the smell of the oil in our house. After trying out different techniques and levels of quality, I now use mostly acrylics and watercolours, but also like to add other medias. Different pens, ink and pastels; collage with self-made papers or vintage finds, often from local noticeboards; prints of plants in my garden or impressions and mark-making, using plants or found objects from my surroundings, take part in the process.

At lockdown during the COVID pandemic, our small town garden became my biggest source of inspiration. I retired from my day job this same period to concentrate on my art, which meant I had a lot of time to experiment and use plants in different ways. The theme In My Garden was born. It has now extended outside my garden walls.

In recent years, I have worked with the environment of small fishing harbours, the fishermen and their small boats on the beach. The themes Puerto and Pescadores are inspired by my Spanish environment and my upbringing by the sea in the south of Sweden. Being Swedish, living in Brussels since many years and spending a lot of time in Spain, have made me try to build bridges between my different worlds through my art.

Why do I sign my paintings ELO? Simple. My maiden name was Olsson. I was always referred to as ELO during my studies and in my early professional life, which I related to and have used ever since.

Since almost 20 years, I support humanitarian and social projects in Togo, West Africa, through my art. Profits of my sales are invested and every second year I have organized an on-line sale, Art for Togo. Soeur Aurélie helps me to find and handle the right projects. Several young children, mostly girls, have been supported over the years to reach graduation. A project for women was created to help them start their own businesses. In exchange they will help out with a project of support for elderly people.

I work from my studios in Brussels and Manilva. My art has been exhibited in Belgium, Sweden, Spain, France and Germany, both solo exhibitions and together with other artists. My work can be found with collectors all over Europe.