Retailer Spotlight: Anna von Elern

Dynasty is thrilled that Swedish watercolor artist Anna von Elern will now be selling our brushes in her gallery shop in Kampersvik, Sweden! We asked Anna to tell us a little bit about her life and work--enjoy!

New Dynasty retailer, Anna von Elern

Dynasty's questions appear here in bold, Anna's answers follow. All photos appear courtesy of the artist. 
Please tell us about your art? How old were you when you started painting? What kinds of paint do you prefer? What is your favorite subject matter to paint?

"I´m an watercolor artist. I love to work with my hands, together with my brain. I've been making stuff since I was a child. Sewing, embroidery, knitting, painting, calligraphy, and I was 5 years old when I started with pottery/clay. When I was an exchange student in Buffalo,NY I had art as a subject the whole year, and I really enjoyed it. But at the age of 25, when I finished my university studies (I'm a dentist and working part-time nowadays at my private practice) I started painting with watercolors. I love the simplicity and when the unexpected happens. I find it fascinating to see the colors mix with each other together with water on paper and lovely things appear! I love to work with the paper, to leave out some white and to work with the contrasts. I find it fascinating to try to capture the light. My art-work  contents of o lot of different subjects--women in hats, roosters and hens, models, flowers, and the sea." 

Please tell us about where you are from--are there a lot of other artists in your area?

"I live in the most beautiful place on earth, Kämpersvik, a small tiny village at the northern part of the Swedish west coast, just by the sea. Only a 40 minutes ride from the Norwegian border and I love to paint my surroundings! Old boathouses, our archipelago, and the water. We eat a lot of sea food such as; lobsters, shrimps , oysters, mussels, crayfish and crabs and sometimes they can be my subject matter...My boyfriend Per, who is an entrepreneur in ecotourism, brings his guests out on the sea to fish lobsters and to serve oysters on board his old wooden boat. He takes a lot of wonderful photos on his trip and shares them with me so I can be inspired. If I have a hard time finding out what to paint, I always fall back on painting the sea or flowers! 

I was born where I now live and there are a lot of other artists in our area. There is a famous art school here in my municipality, Gerlesborgsskolan, which was created by Arne Isacsson, a very famous Swedish watercolor artist (1917-2010). He inspired a lot of artists and because of the school, there is a lot of artists in the area, especially watercolor artists. Two years ago my art gallery and studio was built. It has been a dream for a long time, to have a place where I can paint, display my art and have courses in watercolor techniques. It's located next to my house where I live with my daughter and our two cats. 

In my studio I give classes in watercolors in an exclusive set-up. There are only 9-10 pupils and every student has a lot of space. My classes run 2-4 days. On the second floor is a flat with 3 separate bedrooms, kitchen and bathroom where students who are not living in the area can stay. I have students coming from different parts of Sweden as well as from Denmark and Norway. I have a partnership with some really good restaurants, where we go for luxury lunches with fantastic fish dishes on the menu. I give around 10 courses a year and next year I might bring a group to paint in Greece."

How can artists purchase Dynasty brushes from you? Do you have any other art items for sale?

In my gallery I also sell a lot of different trays and cutting boards, kitchen towels and a lot of post cards, all pieces with my art. Ten years ago, I came across my first Dynasty brush, and I just love it. I still have the very first one left and I use it every time I paint. I have bought A LOT of different brushes after this, but I never find anyone as good as my Dynasty Orange Ice. I have tried to purchase it in Sweden but can't find it anywhere; when I go abroad and visit art supplies I look for it but I could never find it. That's why I now am a retailer of the best brush for water color! A lot of college students have been asking me where they can get the brush and I am so thrilled to sell them in my gallery and in the near future I will work an a solution so people can buy it from my website." 

Welcome to the Dynasty and FM Brush family, Anna! Thank you so much for taking the time to talk with us! 

If you would like to connect with Anna to learn more about her work, take her classes and buy our brushes, you can find info at her website and her Facebook page. And be sure to follow her on Instagram!