Ellena Olsen - Artist in Residence 2025 - Usedom / Greifswalder Oie / Freest

Exhibition of the results of a 4-week stay on Usedom - oil paintings and mixed techniques

Next date: 05/07/2025, 11:00 am - 04:00 pm in Koserow

Ellena Olsen spent almost the entire month of May on the Island of Usedom, the island of Oie and selected places in the surrounding area in search of motifs to paint. After a period of arriving and exploring various locations, she began working on a series of watercolor mixing techniques directly in front of the motif, which are also intended as preparatory work for oil paintings.

A particular highlight was a stay of several days on the island of Greifswalder Oie, which was only possible with a special permit. Ellena Olsen was able to observe and paint grey seals and rare wild birds in the wild, where otherwise only ornithologists and naturalists go about their work.

Ellena Olsen likes to work in places along the coast and in the hinterland where the original has been preserved. The small fishing villages on the Achterwasser and Peenestrom rivers in particular offer her exciting motifs. She is always fascinated by jetties in reed-lined natural harbors or the colorful signals of the boats and the fishermen's tools. With a bit of luck, you might even meet the old fishermen at these places, who still look after things every day.

Ellena Olsen finds plenty of inspiration at an old shipyard in the fishing village of Freest. Different angles, perspectives and details, unusual combinations of ships' hulls, overlaps and underscores are a magical attraction for her.