Lena Rivo

Lena Rivo is an artist who divides her time between Portugal and Spain, specializing in both plein air and studio painting. Her distinctive style is a considered blend of impressionistic and realistic elements, through which she captures the world with a life-like accuracy. She describes each of her paintings as a window into a unique moment she wishes to share.

Her artistic inspiration is drawn from a diverse range of subjects, including seascapes, landscapes, floral still lifes, animals, and human figures. In her process, she thinks abstractly, searching for compelling contrasts, shapes, and color combinations. A key focus is conveying the mood of a scene by simplifying details, allowing viewers to immerse themselves in the essence of the painting.

Rivo is a versatile practitioner of multiple mediums, working with gouache, soft pastels, oil pastels, and oils. Beyond her own practice, she is also a dedicated teacher, guiding other artists in learning how to capture the beauty of the world around them. She helps her students master the illusion of light and atmosphere and to fully utilize the potential of the colors on their palettes. The techniques she teaches are universal and can be applied effectively across different painting mediums.

She regularly shares insights into her artistic journey through a series of articles titled The Painting Process on her blog. When not painting, her personal interests include reading, walking her dog, and exploring flea markets for unique objects to incorporate into her still-life compositions, actively seeking beauty in every corner to inspire her creativity.