Idun Eustace

http://www.idun.me

Studio: 115

Idun was born & brought up in Norway. She painted her first oil painting at the age of 13, when she, with her father’s encouragement, attended oil painting classes with a local artist.
Since moving to the UK, she has trained in many & varied fields of art including painting, printmaking, life drawing, photography, graphics, illustration & textiles. She has a BA Hons. Fine Art, Painting, from the University of Surrey.

In her recent work, all painted in oil, she features the semi-abstract still life and she’s been working in more muted, darker, greens, reds, russets, greys & blues.
Idun’s work shows simplicity, serenity and calm, with an amazing infusion of light. This, she believes, is due to the influence of the particular light present in the South West part of Norway where she grew up. She calls it “the lake district of Norway”, as it’s a very beautiful part of the country. Her love of light also comes through in her “white paintings”.

A great contribution to her paintings is her sketchbook.
Idun sees her sketchbook as her ‘best friend’ and when searching for ideas, she captures moments in time, usually with her left hand. These may be quick sketches, sometimes just a few lines, but to her, these ‘moments’ may contribute to future paintings.
When painting, and although right handed, she also frequently works with her left hand & includes drawing as a linear part of her paintings in the form of graphite, charcoal & oil pastel.
Idun finds this creates immediacy in her paintings.

She sees painting as an extension of drawing, and terms it; “drawing with my brush” and drawing as the foundation for all art. You may find abstract & semi abstract elements of the Norwegian landscape in Idun’s work, such as boats, islands, thunderstorms, mountain scenes, hot summer days, moonlit nights, seascapes, memories & evocative scents from childhood, simply depicted in colour & form.

Idun lectures in Life drawing & Oil painting for EAL, Ealing, West London. Her work can be found in private collections in the UK & Norway.

Influences: Matisse, Diebenkorn, W.Scott, Munch, Francis Bowyer, Auerbach, Tapies, Heron, Hilton, Blow, Morandi & Dubuffet.
 

Representation:
The Red Gallery, The Neal’s Yard Gallery, The Lacy Road Gallery.

Exhibitions:
2010 - AAF London, The Red Gallery
2010 – Group show, The Neal’s Yard Galleries,
Chiswick, London
2010 - Summer& Winter show WAS
2009 - Lacy Road Gallery, London SW 15
2009 - Wandsworth Open House -
2009 - Group show, New Fetter Lane Gallery, curated by June Frickleton
2009 - Summer and Winter Show, WAS
2008 - Summer and Winter Show, WAS
2008 - Group exhibition – Paolozzi Gallery, London
2007 - Winter Open Exhibition, WAStudios
2006/07 - “Landscapes - seen and imagined” – Riverside Gallery, Richmond, Surrey, Nov/06 - Jan/07
2007 - Work used as cover for the Tearfund’s “The Road Ahead” soundtrack sleeve cover for music by Rachel and Tom E. Morrison from the band Bliss.
2004 – One-woman show at the Richard Attenborough Gallery, The Orange Tree Theatre, Richmond, Surrey
2004 - Group exhibition at Masons Law Firm, London