Mathias Meinel

"Grass Tuft I" impressionist en plein air close-up of a flooded field

2024

Even as a child of 2, I had a strong affinity for using a pencil to put my experiences from my small world on paper in countless repetitions and variations. It was a process of amazement and comprehension. Of course, it was also a process of research and analysis. I was happy and completely at peace with myself. It was the expression and living out of my fascination, joy and interest in what I had seen and experienced. Painting is still my way and my way of dealing with my environment, the best way to understand and reflect on things, the best way to be in the moment and in the now. When I paint, I am in a flow. It is also my language to explain these things to the world. To show something in a way that perhaps no one else has seen it before. I draw from my immediate surroundings, first and foremost from the abundance of nature that surrounds me. It is often moments of light that inspire me, often water and reflections. Often it's completely incidental phenomena that are worth seeing and painting. It's about emotions, moods, maybe even meditation. My aim is to create images that are not primarily accessible through the mind and reading long explanations. I'm happy when the viewer finds themselves looking at my work, and they can do that with their own associations. For me, most of the pictures have a reference to a place, but this does not necessarily determine the content. I can best summarize what drives me with the words of a good old colleague Nikolaus Störtenbecker, who once said: "...that it is the pure joy of creating! EXPERIENCE: 1995 Started landscape painting; internship at the Blechschmidt studio in Falkenstein (Vgtl.) 2000 - 2003 Apprenticeship in product design/textile, Plauenseit 2001 Solo and group exhibitions in Germany, later in the Netherlands and Belgium 2001 - 2003 Artistic mentoring by Manfred Feiler, Plauen 2003 - 2010 Studied at the Kunsthochschule Kassel, graduated 2010 2010 Moved to Hamburg Since 2011 Studio in Hamburg-Bergedorf Since 2012 Member of the BBK Hamburg Since 2018 Member of the renowned artist group "Norddeutsche Realisten" and regular participation in joint Plein Air symposiaThe artist lives with his wife and two daughters in Hamburg, where he also has his studio and works.his works are in public and private ownership Awards 2013 Dr. Marlene Trentwedel Foundation, Young Talent Award Winner 2018 Uwe Lüders Scholarship from the Sparkassenstiftung Lüneburg