Why silkpaintings?

I use only natural materials when creating scarves or ties (mainly silk) and add a personal touch when creating each item. Being myself has become my motto in life and painting on silk is a very true expression of myself. Silk for me has always been a symbol of something between material and spiritual, real and unreal, a bridge between the present and the past, the earth and the universe. Silk is a mysterious material, which originates from nature's live creatures (silkworms). It is almost impossible to capture; it sounds like whispering leaves in the wind. It feels good on your skin, as if you had a light cloud around you and an illusion of somebody's kind presence. Silk has personality.

Colours painted on silk have a life of their own. You always have an idea before you start painting but until you finish you can see that colours taking on their own attitude. Creating a hand-painted item is like a materialisation of thoughts, dreams, and love. The material can be so thin that can look almost unreal but nevertheless it is real - it can be touched, observed, and worn.

Each hand-painted silk item has an attitude like a live creature. It asks for love, care, attention, and no doubt gives all of that back to the person who wears it.

It is like a letter from me to you.

With greetings, Gundega.

Personality and philosophy

   "Gundega" means a buttercup, a yellow flower. It grows in the meadows and has the strength to sprout even through pavement. This may be the reason why my favourite colour is bright yellow. The other reason could be that whenever I think about something beautiful and yellow, I remember sunny fields of blooming spring dandelions from my childhood. To me, it is like a symbol of happiness.

   I was born in 1972. During my childhood I spent a lot of time combining colours and creating pictures of my personal ideal world. Colours have been my passion throughout life. I like them to be expressive and speak for themselves.

   The most important things in my life are personal freedom, true love and friendship. I like originality, uniqueness, and personal attitude in everything. Therefore I tend to wear and create things, which reflect the mentioned values.

   My philosophy in life is to realise the most wonderful things about myself and to transfer those feelings to people all over the world.

Hobbies and interests

   I have a wide range of hobbies and interests, from music (my mother is a violinist) and reading to sporting activities. I believe that it is very important to be in good spiritual condition to create something beautiful; therefore, I try to feed my spirit like a flower every day.

   Nature is the best inspiration. Every season has its beauty and we (me and my husband) try to enjoy each of day fully: taking nice walks in the forests full of budding flowers in the spring, bicycling in the summer – taking interesting trips, windsurfing, enjoying the sea, birds, flowers and everything, that is not even possible to mention; bicycling in autumn, and participating in outdoor sports in the winter and, of course, enjoying the Christmas season!

   Another area of interest for me is travelling. We try to travel as much as possible, and it is also a major source of inspiration for me.