Name: Ieva Ozola
Age: 27
Home town: Born – Saldus, Latvia; currently – Norway, next location – Scotland.
Local surf break: Past year Hoddevik, Norway
Ieva, describe your artistic style and what you like to draw?
I usually draw with lines and/or paint with watercolour. I can not live without MUJI pens 🙂 especially blue and black. I have specific style, detailed and the same time open, free and vivid. I tend to translate my love, personality and thoughts thought work.
How did you begin drawing, what influenced you?
I can not really remember how I started, I was always drawing something and somewhere. I start to go to Art School at early age, at age 5. So I was growing up with art even so no one is artist in my family. I think the biggest influence is coming from my surroundings and growing up in countryside. I was translating my vision to art. The fields what I saw, animals, events, books what I read, everything I tried to transform into visual peace.
How does the ocean influence your art?
I started to surf only last year, but I can feel so many changes happening in my creative field. I started to do more free hand drawings on surfboards, where I completely surrender my own vision and just draw on board without real preparation. It’s amazing journey and incredible surprise for my clients and me. I think my work started to be more fluid, peaceful and more bound. As well, reading the water and seeing how it moves, how it reflects the movement, environment, light. It does influence my creativity and for good.
Where did you learn to surf?
I start to learn in Hoddevik in Norway and I’m still learning, it is so exciting path to go!
What’s it like surfing there?
It is like coming home – free, welcomed and loved. My heart is always bumping few beats faster and I have butterflies in my belly, true love. Mountains, nature, waves, open skies, weather changes, everything.. so stoked.
Where else have you surfed?
I have surfed in Unstad, Lofoten (Norway), Kyushu and Chiba area in Japan.
What’s your favourite piece of artwork you’ve done and why?
So far, incredible cooperation with designers and architects for Bistro in Prague – Spizirna1902. I am so proud of this work. I created magical forest wallpaper, walls as part of forest and wildflower field and ceiling as tree brunch leaves touching sky. The illustrations were done by hand and afterwards added to Photoshop, slightly edited for measurements. The time, energy and effort was so worth. When you enter in the space you feel so magical, like entering to different world.
Which country has inspired you the most and why?
I think Ethiopia and Japan. Two contrast countries which left me speechless. Ethiopia was everything what I could not be prepared for, completely out of my comfort zone and the same time so inspiring, because of culture mix and their traditions, lifestyle. In Japan was this mix of everything, but in so good balance, everything what I enjoyed was there, good food, mentality, traditions, culture, fun, open space, nature. I haven’t felt so good in other country like Japan. Pure magic.
If you had a super power what would you like it to be?
Hmm.. really tough one. I think Healer, not just people, but everything – grass, forest, plants, animals, water etc. Or Atmokinesis to manipulate with weather, it would be pretty cool to make beach with good swell for non stop surfing 🙂
Follow Ieva on instagram @ievaozoart
