“I want people to feel elevated emotionally when they look at my paintings,” says Vancouver-based Ieva Baklane (born 1974), originally from Riga, Latvia. “It might sound cliché, but there are so many sad and bad things happening in the world, that I refuse to contribute to more misery through my paintings.”

Interested in light, form and colour, Ieva works in both abstract and realist styles, sometimes merging the two. Most of her works consist of clear blue skies against solid blocks of multiple shades. She explains: “Abstract painting probably comes from the fact that I always wanted to be an architect but never pursued this dream. It reflects the structured side of me. Realism is equally natural for me – I received a very classical art education.”

She went to a classical art school (Janis Rosenthals School of Art in Riga) from the age of 12. This was followed by a BFA and an MFA at the Academy of Arts in the same city.

“Coming from the country where summers are short and often rainy,” Ieva continues, “I was always inspired by bright sunlight of southern countries – Italy, Spain, Mexico, states like California and Florida. I try to capture that bright light in my paintings. I have always been fascinated by surf and skateboard culture. My father introduced me to skateboarding and sailing at the age of 8.” A trip Ieva took to Paris with her mom in 1990 when she was 16 years old was yet another artistically formative event in her life.

Ieva’s favourite painters are David Hockney (English) and Elizabeth Peyton (America) as well as the Latvian Helena Heinrihsone. Her works can be found in private collections in Latvia, Germany, Sweden, Russia, Italy, the U.K., Australia, New Zealand, the U.S.A., Canada, Hong Kong, Poland, Portugal, China and France.

Find her on Saatchi Art (www.saatchiart.com/ieva_baklane) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/Artist-Ieva-Baklane-300960373299485).

Take a look at her sunny and trendy paintings! Images used with permission.