Why Vastness Holds Power
The first morning in the north of Iceland felt like stepping into a different rhythm, a rhythm that would eventually shape a new series.
The sky was dusky blue, silent and sharp at the same time. Everything was vast.Everything breathed emptiness, but not the kind we fear. This was space.The vast landscape had an immediate and powerful impact on me.
As the cutting wind whipped around our ears, we pulled our jackets tighter. I walked there, along lava fields, and suddenly felt it: in the magnitude of this place, nothing needed to be explained or captured.
Everything could simply arise.
Symbolism and Seeing
The Icelandic emptiness taught me to look again.
Not to seek meaning, but to let meaning find me.
What stood out to me were the seemingly small houses. They did not affect me physically like the cutting wind, but in a way I immediately felt drawn to, with a sense of awe. That is where I found meaning.
The fact that these houses have withstood the wild forces of nature for centuries speaks of a certain strength. And that strength is not about brick or slate. That is what I began to explore.
A sense of steadiness within the dynamics of something much larger, equally powerful. Because there was a clear balance.
ICELANDIC HOUSE EVENING
A raw and energetic art process inspired by the wild regions of Iceland. And my dreamy perspective on the seemingly tiny houses in the vast Icelandic landscapes. It moves me.
With energy, I explore the enchanting Icelandic houses, contrasting their apparent smallness against the vast, rugged landscapes. Using a mix of techniques, oil paint, and acrylic. To reflect on the impressive nature and our human existence.
Interested in this piece? View details and availability in the gallery.
Intuitive painting and a symbolic story
It inspired a different way of painting.
Less planning. More presence.
Less control. More trust in what the canvas might suggest.
That’s how the Icelandic Houses art series series began,
paintings where small human shelters stand gently and powerful in overwhelming landscapes.
Symbols for how we, as humans, relate to what is greater than us.
“In this series of symbolic contemporary art, small Icelandic houses stand as quiet testaments to human presence.”
“Vastness is not emptiness.
It is power, in its purest form.”
A dynamic Process in silence
II remember working in silence, sometimes for hours,
accompanied only by our dogs around us and the dynamic rhythm of my hands with the material.
These works carry the experience I took with me from my working period in Iceland.
Red Home — A House Holding Its Ground
A house standing against wind and time.
In Red Home, I explore resilience through color, gesture and surface.
Part of my Icelandic Houses series, where small structures hold a strong presence within vast landscapes. Built in layered paint, the image shifts between fragility and strength.
Interested in this piece? View details and availability in the shop.
Would you like to experience these works in person, and smell the oil paint on linen? Or get the feeling with the mixed media materials? You’re welcome in my studio. The broader ideas behind my work are described in more detail on the Artist Vision page and discover my studio notes.
Vastness challenges us.
It invites us to slow down,
to release expectations.
Where do you find your own spaciousness?
Feel free to write me, or to come and see the works in silence.
Warmly,
Leonoor Ruigrok
available work
Let’s connect
Curious to drop by my studio in Voorhout, interested in one of my works, or thinking about a potential collaboration? I’d be glad to hear from you. I enjoy working with collectors, curators, galleries, designers, architects, interior creatives, and brands.
Looking forward to your message!