Interview
Karina Woldt
Karina is a contemporary artist born in Munich with over 40 years of experience in fine art. She studied fine Art and Psychology to a masters degree level at the University of Regensburg, Germany until 1999. Karina works from her studio in the picturesque countryside of Dumfries and Galloway. She also has a big connection with Portobello were she resides parttime. The surrounding beaches provide inspiration for her various seascapes, which explore the movement of the sea or the reflection of the sun. She says: “I love the beauty of nature, living in stunning Scottish Countryside which has always deeply nurtured me and thus inspired my work.” Her work has been heavily influenced by her love of the outdoors especially the sea and hills in Scotlands’ Lowlands and Highlands.
Her aim with her art is to bring a sense of hope and positive energy into her audiences homes. In today's fast-paced and stressful world, her art is designed to evoke either a sense of resilience or tranquility. Karina’s art is known for using vivid colour, creating a sense of depth with various textures which tend to highlight the movement in nature or transcending light. Her clientele seem to enjoy the depth of her paintings, her rich palette and the sense of calm her paintings evoke.
What is your background and how did you start your journey in the art world?
“I am an internationally acclaimed ocean artist who grew up in Munich, Germany. I recall painting from a very young age. I studied fine art at the University of Regensburg and Psychology. I now work from my own studio in southern Scotland where a lot of my inspiration stems from. She says : I came back to my art career later on in life partially as my daughter shown and interest in art. Through this I discovered that art is my real passion and also a great vehicle to help others through painting healing landscape art.”
What inspires you?
“I am inspired by the flow movement of the ocean which I find deeply calming and grounding. I spend hours by the sea studying its crushing waves, which then turn into studies and later paintings. Further, I am inspired by nature in general the energising elements it brings to us. Zen Buddhism also has been an influence thus I want to create mindful art that shows the value of slowing down and reconnecting with nature and ultimately our core self. The serenity of sunlight breaking through a cloudy sky will also often feature in my work. I visit many contemporary art exhibitions which also influence my style over time.”
What themes do you pursue? Is there an underlying message in your work?
“My ocean artworks and Scotland-inspired landscapes often focus on the movement of water and their calming effect. Blue space theory teaches us that seascapes in blues can be extremely calming and healing, which is why they feature so much in my body of art. This well researched theory also shows that by surrounding ourself with calming seascapes we can reduce stress hormones which can be deeply relaxing. My aim is to create calming or transformative seascapes mainly. I also want to paint landscapes with a deep emotional message that teach us the wisdom and elements of nature. Ultimately, my paintings are designed as healing artworks to help calm or energise. Serene warm cloudy skies also will feature frequently in my artworks as they communicate a sense of hope and connectedness.”
How would you describe your work?
“My body of art feature calming ocean art, Highlands inspired semi abstracted landscapes with a deep emotional impact on the viewer. They have a serene and soulful quality and carry emotional depth. My landscapes are never a direct representation of landscapes but more a contemporary composition with a mindful or hopeful message behind them. My artwork is known for its rich color, strong movement and depth due to the textures I use.”
Which artists influence you most?
“My art is heavily influenced by old masters such as Turner for the warm intense light used in it. Further, I love studying impressionists and their sense of movement and use of thick brushstrokes. For picturing waves and their felt sense I pull from these 2 contemporary artists the most: Marina Syntelis and Oceanarcmotion.”
What is your creative process like?
“High quality landscapes with depth need to be created in many layers always. My calming ocean paintings always start with several studies after visiting the beaches nearby which form the base of my next idea. Over years, I have developed my own style. I usually start with flowing acrylic or oil underpaintings locking in the light and darks main composition. Then I use textures in sandy gesso over next few days to create that sense of movement and depth seascapes need far the water to feel alive and flowing. A few oil color layers follow then palette knife work for the foam of waves and highlights. At the end is usually a process of oil glazes that brings the colors alive and lights up the sky.”
What is an artist’s role in society and how do you see that evolving?
“In my opinion, the main role of artists is to be aware of what is going on in society communicate this or help bring about change. We life in such a fast paced, disjointed and autonimised world where ai and public media disconnects us. Thus, stress and mental health issues have increased and multiplied over the recent years, which I know first hand from my Psychologist role. I aim to create healing art that helps collectors and viewers to reconnect with nature and slow down. Surrounding yourself with calming energy rich landscape art can really affect one's nervous system poditively and create a sense of calm or inspire hope. This can over time lead to a mindfulness sense of transformation in individuals.”
Have you had any noteworthy exhibitions you'd like to share?
“I have had many international exhibitions in 2026 and received the International Artprice in Art History in January 2026 in Florence. Some other noteworthy exhibitions included: Anima Mundi exhibition Venice at Palazzo Albrizzi during Venice Bienale. (2026) and an exhibition at Patricia Cancelo Art Gallery Barcelona (2026) as well as the Oceanart and skies exhibition at Bank Gallery Thornhill. I am exited to be main exhibitor for ARTMUC international ARTEXPO in MUNICH from the 23rd of October until the 25th of October (in Ingolstädter strasse 18. Halle 4 stand 20). Hopefully, I will be meeting a lot of my collectors there and other artists.”
Website: www.karinasflowart.com
Instagram: @aliciasmagicalflow
Other links: www.brush.bio/karinasflowart
