Nøss, Norway, Ernestine Louise heading to her outside studio- Photo by Stig Marlon Weston 2022.

Al-Tiba9 Contemporary Art Interview: 10 Questions with Ernestine Louise

December 11, 2022

10 Questions with Ernestine Louise

Ernestine Louise is a writer and painter. The page, canvas, and paper – are as important as the word, paint colors, and

placement of them for me. As an artist, she strives for her work to push boundaries in thinking, process, and development. She intentionally leaves room for the observer to engage with her work from their own perspective. She works with paper, acrylic, and mixed media. Her work is an exploration of the self, space, place, feelings, emotions, and color in a non-concrete way. Placed-based art is essential to her practice, using a method of ̈en plein air ̈, not to paint the landscape, but to use the elements of nature as material and co-creator. Her work engages others in a conversation that starts at the surface that moves into deeper levels of self-exploration, understanding, acceptance, rejection, revelation, the aim of her work and practice. She moved to Oslo, Norway, in 2018 to work as an artist.

It's Been Awhile - New Poem

October 07, 2021

Over the past 18 months I have had to take a step back from my creative writing head space, which I miss, to engage in work that I hope will contribute to the social and environmental issues that we face across the globe. As we slowly find our way out of the Covid 19 Pandemic there seems to be an air of hopefulness that we will have some semblance of normalcy, that seems to have been missing for so many.

The capacity that it takes to write creativity is important and when its gone it is felt. One of my first blog post Reflections: Time Is A Gift, really resonates with me at this moment in time. Although I have been writing less I have been painting more and exhibiting my work in Spain, Norway, and published images in two magazines in England.

So today is National Poetry Day and it seems one fitting that I share a poem upon my emergence from my writing practice hiatus.

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Love and Inspiration in the Time of COVID 19

March 20, 2020

I decided after a long intense period of working on Influence of Place, and my environmental policy and equity consulting work in 2019, that I would take off the whole of January to decompress and renew. However, I could never anticipate that January and February would be filled with a close to home death by suicide and that COVID 19 would arrive and turn into a pandemic.

What A Beautiful Year!

December 22, 2019

Happy Holidays and New Year!

This year has been full of so many wonderful and positive experiences and personal goals being met.

The Sexy Part of Being A Writer

November 27, 2019

In all honesty the past month has been exhausting and feels like a whirlwind. I launched Influence of Place in the United States on October 24, 2019 and had two incredible book readings and signings. It's a special experience sharing my work with family, friends, and strangers alike.

OMG! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! OVER 100 COPIES SOLD

October 11, 2019

To everyone who has supported my first collection of poems, Influence of Place, THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! Because of you I have sold over 100 copies of the book in the first 30 days of its release. You can buy your book HERE!

Book Release Reading and Presentation Influence of Place at Eldorado - Oslo, Norway. Photo Credit:Stig Marlon Weston

Thank you! My First Book Launched, Influence of Place

September 15, 2019

For the past 18 months I have been doing two things; writing and preparing for publication. These two activities have been rewarding and challenging. However, necessary in order for me to meet the end goal - to publish my first collection of poetry, Influence of Place.

Cover design by Stig Weston. Cover photo by Ernestine Louise.

Influence of Place Book Release Date Announced!!!

August 16, 2019

I am beyond excited to announce that Influence of Place has a release date, September 14, 2019 – YEAH!!!

I cannot express how overwhelmed with appreciation and joy to be able to share this news! I am extremely proud of this work and look forward to sharing it with you!

Influence of Place - BOOK COVER IS READY!

June 05, 2019

One year ago on June 2, 2018 I had a poetry reading at the Litteraturhuset in Oslo, Norway. It was an opportunity for me to hear out loud, in front of an audience, the work that I had written up until that point. Getting the work off of my screen and out of my notebooks was a necessity.

Coming Soon - Influence of Place

May 02, 2019

I have been posting to my instagram account excerpts from Influence of Place, my first collection of poetry. Today I put together a mock up of what has been worked on up unto this point. And I find myself, joyfully, shouting randomly – “I have written a book!” And it is something that I am really proud of.

The Books On My Desk

March 22, 2019 in 2019 Poetry Books

I recently traveled to the U.S. to visit family, friends, and to celebrate my mother’s 70th birthday. What trip is complete without a stop in the local bookstore? Fortunately for me I share my life with someone who is more interested in antique collections of books, and has an ability to find bookstores that have more to give than just commerce, than in sightseeing.

And Yet I Call Myself a Writer

March 05, 2019

“Everyone is an artist.” There is something in this statement that I find amazing and wrong at the same time. How can we all be an artist? Is this even possible? Of course it is in an existential way, because we are all creative beings, and I am not negating the power in each of us to create. It does exist in all of us. But there is a difference between those who do and those who are what they do.

Photo Credit: Ernestine Louise “Sognsvann” Fall Walk.

A Preoccupation Is Driving Me

January 14, 2019 in 2018, Readings

I am preoccupied, in a good way, with the notion of place – all places, the ones that we physically inhabit, the places that find us while we are asleep, or that we travel to when we are awake sitting in a park.

Photo Credit: Stig Marlon Weston- www.weston.no. “Go West In Norway!”

A Year to Remember!

December 04, 2018

For the past 10 months I have been living and writing in Oslo, Norway, I have been supported with a place to write by Litteraturhuset in the Skriveloft. My decision to make such a move was predicated on a desire that I had to write.

August, September, October Gasping for Air...November...

November 05, 2018

The past three months have been insanely difficult for me, as I know that it has been for many others. I spent the rest of the summer in the United States visiting family and friends, full of excitement to be able to take in everything that is familiar again after being away for some time.

Summertime Reveries

July 24, 2018

Back from a very much needed summer break. Which means that I have been off of social media and all things attached to technology. Taking the time to recharge and provide myself time to think, reflect, absorb and digest the first half of the year has allowed me time to appreciate the gifts of the last six months.

Reflections: Time Is A Gift

June 20, 2018

I have been reflecting on the opportunity that I currently have to work on several writing projects as a new writer. It is an opportunity that I have afforded myself. Living my personal passion was necessary.

Influence of Place on Writing

May 21, 2018 in Readings, Oslo, 2018, Published

I will be reading at the Litteraturehuset in Oslo, Norway on 2nd June 2018. I am coming up for air and out of the tunnel that is my writing cave to share excerpts from a few short stories and poems from the collection of poetry that I am currently working on.