Christina Lank: Self Taught Acrylic Artist - S. Sweden

    Christina Lank's portrait




Christina Lank: The girl who had stars in her eyes and dreams on the tip of her tongue

"Torn"  - created by Christina Lank

BPP: Who are you?  And who you really are?

Christina Lank: My name is Christina Lank – I am a 24 year old painter who was born in Maryland and now resides in southern Sweden.

Who I really am may be subject to opinion…at heart I am a determined kind person. Deep on the inside I am very introverted. I won’t often talk about what’s underneath the layers, and prefer to listen to others. I often have stars in my eyes and dreams on the tip of my tongue.

"Canary girl" - created by Christina Lank

BPP: If you could say something important to others who were listening, what would you tell them?

Christina Lank: Take a moment and breathe.

I think it’s very hard in today’s world to see the cracks, faults, or failures in other people. We live in a society where we get a constant news stream of successes from our peers, perfection of others images…

However it is 99% of the time all smoke and mirrors. Everyone suffers from something – and it should be the force that binds us together rather than separate us.

Happiness is an active choice we all make every day – so please go ahead and smile!

"Ophelia" - created by Christina Lank

"Rebirth" - created by Christina Lank

"Eagle" - created by Christina Lank

BPP:  What is your true dream, the one that keeps you up at night and if one day it were to come true you would feel peace and calmness in your heart?

Christina Lank: My true dream is to get to a place with my art where the images in my heads, and the process it takes to get them out with paint and brush cohesively fit together.

The thing that keeps me up at night is my passion for my artwork, trying to create an even more beautiful image and the dream of being able to support my family with paintings.

It may be a simple dream, but it is in its own way, completely and uniquely mine!

"Crow girl" - created by Christina Lank

BPP: How is life currently for the people in your country and what would you wish for them and for the planet at large?

Christina Lank: Life for people in Sweden is pretty relaxed, compared to other parts of the world which were worse hit by the recession. They are taken care of by the government; it is extremely rare to see a homeless person on the streets and as a whole everyone earns basically the same amount of money.

Christina Lank's portrait

The only thing I could wish from Swedish people is to be a bit more open to outsiders. I remember another American I met here said that the way the Swedish people act gave him social anxieties! They can be completely dull drum closed off and completely uninterested in accepting people into their groups of friends they hadn’t known since school. I’d say – just open up! It might do you some good!

As for the planet at large that’s such a big conversation it’d be hard to fit it into one section. People are too busy right now looking out for their own interests to see the greater whole, and I am afraid it’ll take a major global disaster to shake people loose from that way of thinking.

"Blue birds & cherry blossom" - created by Christina Lank

"Greek Godess" - created by Christina Lank

BPP: If you had a chance to be a child again would you choose the same life?

Christina Lank: Why not? My childhood wasn’t exactly all roses and peaches. But you know what you’d get. If I could relive it with the mind I have now, I think it would help me accept some of the hardships. It may even be therapeutic.

There’s not much use in wishing you could have something different, spend more time wishing on how to accept what you have.

"Crane" -  created by Christina Lank

"Forest heart" -  created by Christina Lank

BPP:  What was the exact moment that you realized what you wanted to do with your life?  How did you feel at this very moment?

Christina Lank: I was lost for a very long time. I am just one of those people who aren’t born with the knowledge of exactly what to do with life.

I have always loved drawing and creating art, that’s easy. But what to do with it? I never got to go to college, I never even knew exactly what I wanted out of it, but everything happens for a reason and my journey would take me a few more years than others.

The moment I knew I wanted to be a professional artist was springtime 2011, when money was so tight and I wasn’t able to work yet in Sweden and I spent all my days painting cute little children’s art…daydreaming a reality where painting could be my real job.

Since then I waxed, waned, thought and considered and finally wound up on the path that could take me there.

"Huldra in forest" - created by Christina Lank

"Mita's nectar" -  created by Christina Lank 

BPP: Would you like to tell us something we didn’t ask until now?

Christina Lank: Thank you so much for letting me be a part of your project, it is such an honor! <3

The thing I would like to tell other aspiring artists is real art as a business can be lonely and frustrating. Keep your family and friends close to you and really listen with an open ear for honesty. It’s invaluable.

"St Lucia Cardinale & the candle  crown" -  created by Christina Lank

Christina Lank's portrait 

Every passion you have will require sacrifices but if you go into it with an open heart knowing you CAN be better and you WILL be better- there will be nothing stopping you. 

Christina Lank's drawing for BPProject

If you want to learn more about Christina Lank, please visit:

http://www.etsy.com/shop/PlantieBee

http://plantiebee.blogspot.com



Photos, Paintings & drawing copyright by Christina Lank. All rights reserved.