SOULBASE Talk:

Lena Rossi

Painter and Art Teacher

Lena Rossi is a painter and art teacher based near Münster, Germany. As someone who has always been attracted to creative things, Lena chose to study art at the Art Academy in Münster. After her studies, she decided to teach art as she was fascinated and inspired by teaching others how to use their natural creativity.
In our interview with Lena, we talk with her about motherhood and being a painter, how she started to release her own paintings, what the weeks before and after each release mean to her and who some of her biggest role models are.
  Visual Representation of thoughts
Lena Rossi
Imagery by Filipp Roman Photography & Annika Bielig-Bussmann

You are an artist and a mother. Can you complete the following sentences:

At the moment motherhood is: the biggest and most beautiful part of my life.

Creating art when little kids are present looks like: an action painting. That was a joke, but in honesty, I can only paint when the kids aren’t there, like when they are taking a nap. Otherwise I lack the necessary concentration, and I can’t enter into a creative flow.

I wish my days could have more hours. The most creative time of the day is usually during the day when I have time for myself-just tiny moments are enough to release the natural creativity . In the evenings, I often have just a tiny bit of energy left. Right now motherhood and art are wonderfully paired together.
For me, the biggest challenge as an artist and mother is my work-life balance. It’s difficult to be creative at the drop of a hat, and there is a lot that is happening in my head both before painting and after. Sometimes it’s not a very helpful addition to the already high mental load of being a mother. The most precious moments in motherhood are the ones where you get to watch your children play peacefully or get into giggle fits with them from romping around or when they fall asleep in your arms.

Hello, Lena. Can you share with us where you live and describe in two sentences what kind of vision and what approach you have to your art?

I live with my husband and our two children near Muenster. I want to touch people with my art and transport that peaceful, warm feeling you get from being connected to nature. I have a vision, but to put it into words would be challenging.

You studied at the Art Academy in Muenster, Germany. Did you always know you wanted to study art and what was your major at the academy?

Painting, being creative and creating things have always been of great importance to me. My art teacher in high school deeply influenced me and gave me a vital sense of self-confidence. I then studied painting at the academy.


Can you share more about your experience for all those who are unfamiliar with what studying at an art academy looks like?

After an entrance examination, there is an orientation report, and afterwards you decide what your main artistic focus will be. Then, for example, you begin your studies in a painting class that is more like a very large art studio. Everyone gets space on the wall to paint. In the workshops you learn technique and things like how to stretch canvas. You attend lectures, seminars, exhibitions and, above all, you have a lot of dialogue about the works that are being created.

After your graduation at the academy you decided to work as an art teacher, which you did for many years. What does teaching art mean to you?

It is one of the most wonderful subjects you can possibly teach. There is no right or wrong. It is so fun to not only teach children technique, but also to impart to them how to use their natural creativity.

You are very transparent about taking a creative break between your releases. Why do you believe this is important for your family and for your work?

There is a lot going on the last few weeks right before a release, and I am really reliant on help. Afterwards, the whole family deserves a break to re-energize and to enjoy the calm. This combination of exertion and relaxation is something I really like. The periodic emptiness in both my studio and in my head are also quite important for my creative process.


How do you get inspired for a new collection and does your personal mood influence the collection?

My mood definitely influences the collections, just like the changing of the seasons and events in my private life. I source color inspiration from everywhere, whether it be a window I drive past, a construction site in the evening light or textures and patterns in clothing. Final compositions exist only in my head, so it’s really hard to say exactly what the influences are.

When working in the art world, you probably also see other artists. Do you get inspiration from other artists and if so, can you name a few and share why they influence you?

Oh yes, I definitely have many influential role models, like Gerhard Richter and Neo Rauch (I even met him once).
 I find Hilma af Klint and Helen Frankenthaler inspiring. In my works I have recently been inspired by Heather Day and Rachel Garrard.


What would be a dream for you to paint?

I would love to paint with oils again when I have a studio outside of my home. Although I really don’t miss the smell of turpentine.

Do you still work as an art teacher ? If not, what are you doing now?

At the moment I have maternity leave, and parallel to that I am painting. 
It is working wonderfully in this phase of life.


You release new artworks a few times a year and share them on social media. When did you begin to share your art on social media and when did you start selling your work?

I started releasing my art work on Instagram in 2021. They have been selling since the beginning, which I am very thankful for.

Fill in the blanks: 

My most treasured art book is a book from my time at the academy with guidelines for

painting. I often refer to this book and get a lot of knowledge from it.

Iced coffee, hot coffee or something else entirely? My favorite is coffee with oat milk from our espresso machine.

All-inclusive vacation or vacation you’ve organized yourself? ALWAYS a vacation I’ve organized myself. Never in hotels. It has to always be close to the life of the local culture in that country and far away from tourism.

Well chosen colors are always the most important thing to me in my paintings. In the mornings, the light is often beautiful.

My home is the mirror of our personalities.

To me painting is (oh that’s a really hard question) so many things: meditation, therapy, expression, communication, visual representation of thoughts; to me, it’s a little bit of everything.

Design and culture mean a lot to me. I love to value things that creative people have put a lot of thought, time and knowledge into. When I am around art and design, I feel those influences resonating. It’s a wonderful feeling.

Find out when Lena has her next Painting Release

and follow her and get inspired by her paintings

and her subtle colors.

@la_lero www.lalero.de