Elise Klinkert is an artist who finds deep inspiration in her connection with nature, and in this interview, she shares how her work reflects that bond. She talks about how her childhood spent near animals and nature shaped her art and how horses, in particular, hold a special place in her heart. Elise explains how her creative process is guided by intuition and flow, allowing her paintings to evolve naturally. She also opens up about exploring the beauty of the natural world, its vulnerability, and the importance of reconnecting with it.

Elise Klinkert (1967) creates magically realistic scenes with a refined sense of composition and use of color. In many of her works, people and animals are central, often in combination with the landscape, nature, and the elements. Horses operate in a parallel universe as carriers of her feelings. Her paintings are poetic; her work is layered. It exposes emotions in an enchanting way and is strongly guided by intuition.

In her work, Elise Klinkert explores her inseparable connection with nature. She can carefully and lovingly lose herself in depicting the landscape, nature, and the elements. It also explores how this overwhelming nature seems bound to be lost due to human actions. Her paintings are created through a combination of different aspects: engagement, conversations, source research, or memory. Elise depicts the people and animals as time travelers. They are there to evoke a feeling, a romantic longing for a better world, a life in connection and harmony. Elise questions our society, the economic system that has grown out of proportion, and the loss of our interconnectedness. Raising a greater awareness and understanding of the vulnerability and preciousness of the environment around us is at the root of each work and its story.

1. Your work beautifully blends people, animals, and nature. How do these elements reflect your emotions and connection with the world around you?  

Ever since childhood, I have felt a strong connection with the surrounding nature. I could be found along the waterside, beside the animals, in the hay, or in the meadows. That was, and still is, my world. Whenever the wind blows, I feel this connection the most. I can literally feel the wind going through my body. I feel the water flow. I breathe the air, the moon, and the stars. That is when I feel happy. And whole. I want to invite others to come and wander with me in my world and let them leave feeling a little better than before. There is a layered aspect to my work. I prefer a gentle message that is open to interpretation and offers solace.

Silence, space and time matter to me.

Elise Klinkert

2. Horses are unique in your paintings, acting as carriers of feelings. Can you share more about what they represent for you? 

Horses have a special place in my heart. As a child, a stunning full-blood Arabic stallion stole my heart. Our friendship gave me confidence. I felt completely connected to him. I often played a little game when we were together. Quietly sitting close to him in the stables when he was resting, I would crack a joke in my head. He always responded by whinnying. Words were not necessary. It was magic.

3.   Intuition and chance seem central to your creative process. How do you balance this spontaneity with the structure of composition and color?  

Silence, space, and time matter to me. The first sketch of a painting is done quickly. It is a moment of pure flow. Color and composition are not the results of conscious thought. They are created instinctively. This is followed by a period of distance and reflection. The painting remains untouched while I take my time to feel where to take it. In the meantime, I go on bike rides or work in the garden. I walk, meditate, do yoga, and deal with daily life. Until the time comes when I feel the urge to pick up the paintbrush again, this is my process. Nothing is bound or predetermined. Everything is allowed to appear, and time is of no consequence.

4.    You explore humanity’s impact on nature alongside its beauty and power. What drives this dual focus, and what message do you hope viewers take away?  

Humans and nature are one, inextricably linked. We cannot harm nature without hurting ourselves. In this connection lies happiness, I know from experience. It is not always easy to find. But I trust we all walk our path and there is a right time for everything. Connecting with yourself and responding to nature helps you find your connection to another. Trust the process. This is what I aim to communicate through my work. It is born from love: for myself and the other, for everyone and everything around me.

Connecting with yourself, and by responding to nature, you also find your connection to another.

Elise Klinkert

5. Many of your works draw on memories, dreams, and fragments of images. How do these personal sources shape your creative vision?  

This is my own “collective consciousness,” the archive that holds it all, the source from which everything originates. It is personal. Yet, as soon as it is translated into a painting, something universal is created for others to be moved by or resonate with. The response can be completely different from my own emotions, as it should be.

6.  Your art questions societal systems and emphasizes compassion and harmony. How does this philosophy influence your creative decisions?

I paint as I am, and I find out who that is through painting. Only once the painting is finished can I find the words for it. Color and composition result from emotion, not thought.

Elise Klinkert’s art is a heartfelt reminder of how connected we are to nature and each other. Through her paintings, she encourages us to care for the world around us and find peace within. Her work shows how art can inspire kindness, awareness, and a sense of harmony in our busy lives. To learn more about Elise, click the following links to visit her profile.

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