Esa has been an artist for over 45 years. More recently, he has been creating beautiful modern and abstract paintings on metal surfaces. Esa packed the house when he demonstrated how to bring the special luminosity of a metal surface to life in an acrylic painting. You can see the captivating effects of painting on metal in the examples on this page.
Esa has a studio-gallery in Port Colborne where people can visit him and see his latest art work. There is always a painting in progress, but even still, he might start something completely new. "I try to have an overall plan of what I am going to paint, but sometimes when I feel spontaneous, I just start painting. In the beginning, I might have some idea what I will paint, but at the end, the painting might be totally different from what I had in mind when I started."
Some of Esa's paintings are pallet knife work: "I like the clean, simple effect that it brings to the painting." Sometimes he creates textured, raised effects on a painting: "I apply thick paint with rough brushstrokes, creating an interesting, dynamic texture on a painting." His styles and techniques have always been versatile.
His artwork covers a wide spectrum of subjects from modern to abstract. He used to paint with oils and watercolours, but for many years now, he has been painting with acrylics only.
Esa has authored a series of four books called Esa's Art Designs, and his designs have been published in many art-related magazines.
He has also developed a special leaf stippler with synthetic "bristles" for its spring and durability. Esa demonstrated how to create beautiful foliage and leaves with this special Esa's Leaf Stippler. He also demonstrated how quickly clusters of evergreens can be painted with the large fuzzy-edged fan brush.
Esa is still active in teaching painting workshops and participating in art exhibitions. He teaches at special events, conventions and painting guilds. A few times a year he holds Creative Painting Workshops in his in-home studio-gallery, a perfect place to paint with the natural light filtering through the ceiling sky-lights. He supplies everything, with no need for participants to bring anything, just their enthusiasm.
For those of you who would like to create a beautiful painting in 2½ hours, join Esa for "Wednesday Night is Painting Night", starting at 6 pm. The spring season runs on Wednesdays between April 25 – June 13.
For more information about Esa, his paintings, and his teaching schedule, go to his website:
