About
I have always loved to paint and draw. When I was six years old, I told my parents I wanted to be an artist. My mom was shocked: her child was going to choose such an unpredictable and unstable life path! Later, I wanted to be a journalist or a writer. I was growing up in a hard time for my family and had to choose a practical profession in order to be financially independent. I obtained a law degree, first in Moscow, then, after moving to Norway, a PhD degree from the University of Oslo. The Springer international house published my book about aviation security and privacy. In my spare time I wrote poems and stories. The Wave magazine and various websites published my stories about travelling, snowboarding and surfing in Brazil, Bali, Ecuador, Georgia, China...
Nevertheless I had a hope to return to Art one day, probably when I retire. Fortunately, the Point of No Return happened earlier, in summer 2018. I was writing an academic article while my children were playing in the garden. Their Art teacher didn’t come; they were alone and then I thought: why am I sitting here, I can draw with them. That was the moment of flash, when I just realized that I don’t want to do anything else. My legal career was promising, although somewhat limited due to the fact that I had three small children. Indeed, in this situation, painting was much more suitable than any office work. That’s when the stars came together: not only my greatest wish was to dedicate myself to Art, but I had an opportunity to do it. It’s my love and passion. I'm living my dream and I am so lucky and happy.
Working hard and always being in the process of learning and improving, I entered the art scene already in early 2019, when my watercolour “Winter Light” was accepted to the International Watercolour Biennale in Albania. My works range from academic to modern expressive style. I love experiments and work with various techniques and materials. My favourite themes relate to Everyday Life and the beauty of moments. I paint what I see – I paint my life: my family, favourite things and surroundings, as well as sudden impressions. Picasso compared painting with keeping a diary - that's exactly about me.
As a continuation of my experiments, in 2021-22 I studied in Film School at BangBang Education where I learned a lot about filmmaking and made several study films and a final 16-min documentary “A Year in the Middle of Nowhere” based on my personal experience.
In 2022 I also started icon painting and calligraphy. My three children like to paint too and grow together with me. We inspire and learn from each other. Since 2023, I have been teaching at Art and calligraphy courses for children too.
Olga Enerstvedt, artist
EDUCATION
November 2021 – June 2022 BangBang Education Film School
Filmmaking, Certificate
Mars 2020 – Art School of Oleg Toropygin
Drawing and Painting; Icon Painting
January 2023 – October 2023 – KidsLetters Calligraphy for Children School
June 2023 - Tut Art School in S.Petersburg, intense course in drawing and painting portrait and figure for students preparing for S.Petersburg Repin Art Academy.
April-June 2023 – Nikolietta Calligraphy School, Spencerian Calligraphy Course
May 2023 – Prostaya School: a month Painting Course (Artist Mikhail Babenkov)
April- May 2023 – Two Empires School, Certificate in Chinese Painting
September- November 2022 – Ferapont Icon School: Icon Painting Course, Certificate
September - November 2021 – Nikita Mogilevtsev (S.Petersburg Repin Art Academy): Composition Course, Certificate
January 2021 - July 2021 – Kalacheva School: Geometry for Artists; Anatomy for Artists; Human Figure; Portrait
Autumn 2019 – HSE: Contemporary Art Course
Autumn 2019 – HSE: Introduction into Art History
January 2019 - December 2019 – Elena Tarutina School: Art Masters Study Course, From Draft to Serie and other Art courses
February - May 2019 – Prostaya School: Human Figure Course
February - April 2019 – Kalacheva School: Fashion Illustration Course
September - December 2018 – Yury Akopyants Watercolor School: Watercolor Course
August 2018 – 2019 – Marina Trushnikova Art School: Drawing and Painting; Watercolor course and other courses
2010 – 2016 – University of Oslo: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
2008 – 2009 – University of Oslo: LLM in Information and Communication Technology Law
TEACHING
October 2023 – Present – Calligraphy and Art teacher at Discovery International School, Hønefoss
January 2023 – Art Course for Children, Rødberg Cultural School
EXHIBITIONS
1 June - 30 Juту 2021 – URBAN exhibition at Odonata Gallery. Oslo, Norway.
26-27 June 2020 – Art exhibition at Rødberg Lokstallen, Norway.
1 June - 31 July 2020 – Art exhibition at Odonata Gallery. Oslo, Norway.
2019 – Art exhibition online at Tarutinaschool, Moscow, Russia.
2019 – Watercolor "Winter Light" was selected for Tirana International Watercolor Biennale 2019 "Albania Super". Tirana, Albania.
PRESS
2020 - Kunstutstilling i lokstallen. Av Ingrid Jahren Scudder. Laagendalsposten, 01.07.2020. https://www.laagendalsposten.no/minlp/kunstutstilling-i-lokstallen/s/5-64-859897
2020 - Det er dette eg elskar å drive med. Av Tor Folgerø. Hallingdølen, 30.06.2020. https://www.hallingdolen.no/kultur/det-er-dette-eg-elskar-a-drive-med/
LANGUAGES
English, Russian, Norwegian, French