Interview by Jimon

1-What is your earliest childhood memory of making art?  I have always been drawing. A memory that comes to  my mind. I was about Thirteen years old and I drew beautiful fashion models in my school book.  I got in trouble because of it and had to bring it home and show my parents.

2-What did your path to becoming an artist look like?  There has been a few periods in my life. While being a teacher with three small boys, I started to work in textile embroidery. This allowed me to be with my three boys.  Another period was when I drew birds in Indian ink once a week for a local paper.  And my last Ten years you can follow on Instagram.

3-Where did you grow up and how did that affect you as an artist?  As a working class family we immigrated from Finland to Sweden in the 1950’s.n in 1950. I was the first one in family to graduate. There was no chance that I could be an artist, so teaching became my choice.

4-Where do you currently live and create?  I live in Linköping, Sweden, South of Stockholm.

5-How would you describe yourself as an artist?  Being a very social person, I have an interest in faces and expressions. My characters are mostly schematically drawn to clearly express what is important to me. My characters often appear in groups because group dynamics fascinates me. I had plenty of possibilities to experience that when teaching.

6-Do you have motto on how to live life?  Love yourself and take care of yourself. Balance your life so that you can do things that make you happy.

7-Is there any reality behind the characters in your paintings or are they purely fantasy?  They are not fantasy. I pay attention to interesting faces and expressions wherever I can find them.

8- What influences you as an artist?  A white sheet of paper makes me indecisive, when a demolished old artwork influences me. Actually, you don’t find all your old pieces fascinating. I love having to relate to what already is on the paper.

9-Do you have a place/person/thing that you visit for inspiration?  I love watching other artists work. I own a lot of art books. And there are many interesting artists on Instagram.

10-When you are not painting where would someone find you?  Most of the time I am walking in the woods with my dog. Also I am an amateur entomologist and you can find me on the fields with my camera.

11-If a movie was to be made about your life, ideally where would it take place and who would be the actor playing your part?  Definitely Meryl Streep, It can be shot anywhere.

12- How do you describe success as an artist? It depends where you are in your life. Young and promising or middle aged and established. But if you are a lady of 80 years, still full of inspiration, eager to paint and being appreciated, that should be enough.

13- Name three things you can’t live without in your studio? My radio, black and white acrylic and sand paper.

14- If you could have dinner with 3 artists living/dead who would be at your table?  Pablo Picasso, Frida Kahlo, Edward Munck.

15-How would someone find you on Social media?  Instagram Tuulajacobswe

16-Please name the first thing that comes to your mind while reading the following:

Art-Happiness

Food-Candles and wine

Sports-Ice hockey, golf

Politics-Engageing

Poor-Sad

God-To be or not to be

Rich- Not important

Luxury-Good health

Sex-Love

Picasso-First love

Religion-Churches

My love Jimon. Tuula