Aase Birkhaug is a Painter and Physiotherapist. She has combined her two passions by painting roses for a soothing effect on humans. She has also published books “THE ROSE GARDEN” published March 2018 in London UK & Musei di Chianciano and “Artistic Visions” published in June 2017 in New York.
Aase has been drawing since she was 6 years old, and she does her paintings in different media – Aquarelle – Tempera – Gouache – Oil – Acrylics and Pastel.
She has been compared to the famous Mexican artist Frida Kahlo who said “ I paint flowers so that they shall not die “ and I say” I paint Roses so that I shall not die”. Impact on humans from nature, flora, Botanics and for me the most beautiful flower The Rose.
There are also a very long list of publications as articles and books about her art published internationally the last three years as well in, Monaco, Canada, Italy, London England UK, Germany, France, Middle East, Denmark, USA, New York, Miami,Los Angeles, Philippines, Dubai, Argentina and Norway.
She had exhibitions in Norway and countries abroad during the years 1990 – 2020. Approximately 70 – 80 international art exhibitions in 2016 – 2020.
The most important ones are:
- Florence Biennale 2017
- Chianciano Biennale 2018
- London Art Biennale 2019
Aase has received 79 international art awards and international art prizes since March 2016 and has also received many international art critics during the period 2016-2020.
- Art Critic from Rome – Galleria il Collezionista Elena Gradini : https://documentcloud.adobe.com/link/track?uri=urn%3Aaaid%3Ascds%3AUS%3A13a0d270-bf1e-42ae-bae9-434e481cb9c5
- Art Critic Salvatore Russo : https://documentcloud.adobe.com/link/track?uri=urn%3Aaaid%3Ascds%3AUS%3A89576c63-8dd8-4b4a-a32f-bc1bc00e52f8
- Rose in Universe: https://documentcloud.adobe.com/link/track?uri=urn%3Aaaid%3Ascds%3AUS%3A3a2715ea-573b-4251-8cdd-81d674786890
- Princess of Roses : https://documentcloud.adobe.com/link/track?uri=urn%3Aaaid%3Ascds%3AUS%3A050eecaa-77f2-4a32-a5b5-f3dcad615d0f
- Heavenly Roses a Rendezvous : https://documentcloud.adobe.com/link/track?uri=urn%3Aaaid%3Ascds%3AUS%3Afc5a3ddb-fa15-49fc-9742-cd58c745de0f
- Chiara art Critic : https://documentcloud.adobe.com/link/track?uri=urn%3Aaaid%3Ascds%3AUS%3Ac26939af-4d0f-4f2d-b172-3c4bb4129a16
- Rose in Heaven : https://documentcloud.adobe.com/link/track?uri=urn%3Aaaid%3Ascds%3AUS%3A7576924d-f9da-48dc-8331-322c1c768112
- The Healing Rose : https://documentcloud.adobe.com/link/track?uri=urn%3Aaaid%3Ascds%3AUS%3A01cff4bd-5863-45ad-b48c-ee65adecba6b
- Apotheosis of The Illuminata : https://documentcloud.adobe.com/link/track?uri=urn%3Aaaid%3Ascds%3AUS%3A3f8b43f8-32c1-4c5a-abf8-a6875e93aa37
- Queen of Roses : https://documentcloud.adobe.com/link/track?uri=urn%3Aaaid%3Ascds%3AUS%3A0fe1113e-7c8f-4daf-b0b9-db6646963164
- Frida Kahlo press release: https://documentcloud.adobe.com/link/track?uri=urn%3Aaaid%3Ascds%3AUS%3Aeb737532-2b38-422c-8e87-474dfbc19a0c
- Blossoms of Brilliance – New Yok: https://documentcloud.adobe.com/link/track?uri=urn%3Aaaid%3Ascds%3AUS%3A86b9e068-ba45-487b-9679-0e2d93e6a976
When did you begin painting and how did you get started?
Aase: I started to draw and paint when I was 6 years old.
When I was 13 years old I started taking lessons and my aunt which also was a painter introduced me to her painting colleagues in a painting association here wherein Bergen Norway I live.
What is your favorite media you use when painting, and why?
Aase: My favorite painting media is tempera, pigments and modeling paste. I can lay layer on layer and it is pleasant to work with and it is the real pigments.
What is the message you are trying to give with your art?
Aase: The message I am trying to give with my art is a floral, botanical message. For many years now I have only or almost only painted roses. I try to focus on nature, floral, botanical art through my rose paintings trying to tell people through visionary impact how nature, floral, botanical has a healing impact on humans, through my paintings of roses.
Believing that surroundings can influence ones health and mind I paint roses for a soothing effect on humans.
You sell a lot of your work online. What have you found to be the best way of getting your art noticed by buyers?
Aase: I don’t know really, maybe one has to stay visible all the time but that might not be enough, people have to like the paintings a lot and have a desire for having them at their walls.
Tell us a bit more about your Art Nature and Health project.
Aase: As you know I am both a physical therapist and a painter and I try to merge these to skills together so that medicine or physical therapy goes together with art and painting showing through my paintings the impact of nature floral Botanics roses on humans.
We have done some research on published scientific evidence-based articles and scientific publications done worldwide. The impact of nature on humans on the University Library. The impact of art on humans an article from a psychologist – Psychologist Eirik Hørthe: science-based The health effects of art.
Some articles refer to the effects of nature others refer to the effects from art.
The WHO has recently launched a report: WHO – The worlds health Organization: http://www.euro.who.int/en/media-centre/events/events/2019/11/launch-of-first-who-report-on-the-evidence-base-for-arts-and-health-interventions The impact of art on physical and mental health.
We also know that the brain can change from negative to positive if stimulated by something new or interesting or positive.
I believe that it is possible to heal or change a negative mind to a positive mind.
Psychiatrist Moe refers to Norman Doidge The Brains way of healing and Michael Nurzenic Brain HQ Softwired Dr. Michael Merzenic: https://www.jottacloud.com/p/terondo/c7e40bca406a40a39cb93b8bc8837b01/thumbs/@c7e40bca406a40a39cb93b8bc8837b01_@52:195ac4c799025b5ee1ea3ab19c0bd093
What artists influenced you the most and why?
Aase: There are several artists that have influenced me some more than others.
Most Frida Khalo maybe because she also painted flowers. She said, “I paint flowers so they shall not die”.
I say “I paint Roses so that I shall not die”. The international art curators have compared me to Frida Khalo.
They call me in the international art market such as nature’s emissary, rose mother, Queen of Roses.
I have also been told by several people that they can almost smell the Rose when they look at my paintings. From there to thinking about people that are hospitalized or in a nursery and cannot go out or mobilize themselves I think that paintings through art can be shown at hospitals and in nurseries at the patient’s rooms and in the living rooms and in the corridors just to brighten their days and stimulate their brains.
Or just as simple as daily impact of positive colors and shapes at the physiotherapy waiting room and in the clinics at the doctor’s office and waiting room. For 24 years now I have had a rose painting exhibition in my physiotherapy clinic in the waiting room.
There are also done studies about and regarding dimensions referring to the WHO report impacts of art on physical and mental health.
How does creating art make you feel?
Aase: I think all the time when I have some free minutes of painting and painting new paintings and motives and colors and effects in the paintings.
It is a process and it feels like there are many stages especially if it is large paintings.
I Have to evaluate again and again before finishing the painting.
It can be a quite complex or difficult process when in it but when one feels that the painting is finished and one feel it is shaped in a way that is good for the eye both colors and shape it is a very good feeling to be finished and one can go-ahead for the next painting.
How has your art evolved over the years?
Aase: My art has evolved from small watercolor painting to large original tempera paintings. There have been different epochs during the years painting but in the last 30 years, I have almost only painted roses.
I have painted roses for 30 years now and I still feel comfortable with it.
You’ve said that you’ve fell in love with flowers, nature, and painting from an early age and merged those together, can you tell us what you’ve felt after merging those, and what impact it had on your life?
Aase: It is not only falling in love with flowers, nature and painting them, it is also a health perspective and a health project, public health because of what I feel when I walk in the nature admiring the flora, the Botanics, the roses I feel the impact on me but what I want to bring as a message to the rest of the world to all humans is that nature, floral, Botanics, roses heal.
Of course a very positive impact on my life which I want to share with the rest of the world to all humans through my paintings.
Are there any upcoming shows or workshops we should know about?
Aase: Yes, there are several upcoming shows this year such as:
- The 3 rd Leonardo Da Vinci International Art Prize The Universal Artist – the Borghese Palace Florence Italy by Salvatore Russo.
- The SHINE Landscape Award 28.02.2020 MADs Gallery Milano Italy Alessandra Magni.
- The International Art Prize Frida Khalo Milano the 5 th of April 2020 in the Filodrammatici Theater Milan by Salvatore Russo
- Honorable Mention Award for my painting Rose Louis Zavier & Auguste Miellez from Circle Foundation Director Myrina Tunberg Georgiou The Circle Foundation of The Arts January 2020
- Top 60 international artists ATIM award 2020 Florence Italy Exhibition Auditorium Al Duomo may 22-25, 2020
I will also attend an invitation from Gagliardi Gallery in London UK this spring.
And here in Norway, I will have quite a few exhibitions in 2020 some Solo and some group exhibitions since we celebrate the 950 anniversary of our town Bergen in Norway.
I also have some other invitations from abroad which I will consider for the year 2020.
Do you see your art as serving a purpose beyond art?
Aase: Yes I do, since I am both a physical therapist and a painter I want to let my paintings “ talk to humans “ the visual talk not the words. The impact from nature, floral, Botanics on humans both physical and psychological or mental.
What are your plans for the future?
Aase: I want to combine as today my two skills more and more showing people and the world the impact of art and the impact of nature on humans.
I want to paint more and vivid colors that make people smile and get new hope in their lives.
Until now I have received 79 international art prizes and art awards since march 2016 and of course, I will work on more international art prizes and art awards in the future for my paintings.
Link to the opening ceremony of my Solo Exhibition THE ROSE GARDEN in 2019: ART – NATURE – HEALTH PROJECT – THE IMPACT OF ROSES, FLORALS, AND NATURE ON HUMANS PHYSICALLY AND MENTALLY: https://www.jottacloud.com/p/terondo/c7e40bca406a40a39cb93b8bc8837b01/thumbs/@c7e40bca406a40a39cb93b8bc8837b01_@52:195ac4c799025b5ee1ea3ab19c0bd093