Veslemøy Vangsnes and art as a path to fearless living

By Celina Tran | Photos: Veslemøy Vangsnes

Norwegian artist Veslemøy Vangsnes is known for her bold, abstract paintings. Based in Tønsberg, the studio hums with life and colour. This is a space alive with creativity – bold strokes of deep blues, vivid reds, and vibrant yellows. While her artworks will certainly catch your eye, the fusion of acrylic and vibrant hues is also an exploration of emotions, change, and letting go.

Far from the high-powered galleries of New York or Paris, Veslemøy Vangsnes has established her studio in the tranquil countryside of Tønsberg in Norway. Over the years, Vangsnes has exhibited across Europe, from the Carrousel du Louvre in Paris to Luxemburg, Brussels, and Hønefoss in Norway.

Veslemøy Vangsnes and art as a path to fearless living

Blue Woman.

Her story, however, was not always one of paintbrushes and canvases. While she has always been a creative person, painting became a lifeline after a period of illness led her to rethink her priorities in life. “Painting became something that I needed to do to feel alive again,” she recalls. “It wasn’t a choice but rather a calling, a way to reconnect with myself and, in a way, with the world.”

Springtime and the serie Color of Emotions (on the wall).

Vangsnes studied at Rudolf Steiner University College to learn more about painting. She found that her peers, fellow artists, as well as the craft itself offered up a whole new world of thinking and living. “Until I started painting, there was a part of me that felt like I had died on the inside. Art gave me new life, and it was like I truly woke up.”

Her art studio in Vestfold has become a sanctuary for creativity and a home for the workshops that she also hosts. Here, Vangsnes leads participants in intuitive painting courses, a blend of artistic and personal coaching. In these sessions, attendees are encouraged to let go, experiment with colour, and not worry about perfection. Moreover, it is about expressing what lies within and finding peace in the process.

Always Protected.

The art of letting go

Vangsnes’ style is abstract and dynamic, often vivid with colours and texture, yet always rooted in emotions. Her work invites viewers to step beyond what is on the surface, to find their own feelings within the brushstrokes. She describes her process as a blend of instinct and release, creating each piece without rigid plans or preconceived ideas. “I’m not just painting for myself,” says the artist. “The real purpose of my art is to connect with others, to offer them a way to feel something they might not have allowed themselves to feel.”

Photo: Herman Dehn

This transformative approach to art also guides her intuitive painting workshops, where she combines her training as a certified Life Coach with her artistry. “It’s not about making a perfect painting, but about letting go of expectations and simply enjoying the process. That’s where true creativity happens,” she says. “I see art as a mirror for life. On a canvas, as in life, you can start over, add new colours, and reshape the picture. There’s no limit to how it can evolve.”

Veslemøy Vangsnes and art as a path to fearless living

The workshops offer a rare opportunity for others to feel the same courage and connection that Vangsnes finds in her own work, bringing people out of their shells and into a vibrant, expressive space. “The goal is to relax and let go. I encourage people to forget about perfect results. Instead, they can focus on exploring colours, letting go of expectations, and finding joy in the moment.”

Both her art and these sessions are about more than creating art – they invite people to experience freedom and fearlessness through expression. While Vangsnes’ pieces are expressive and rarely pre-planned, she explains that moments and feelings from real life always exist in the back of her mind and influence the paintings. Nature, in particular, is a powerful source of inspiration. “Nature is perhaps where I feel the most free. It reminds me that life, like art, can be wild and unpredictable. Similarly, art is a way to be unafraid!”

Trust the Process.

Recently, Vangsnes has started bringing her workshops into corporate spaces, fostering creative team dynamics in an entirely new way. “Creating together can break down barriers,” she adds. “Art has a way of connecting people, of opening up conversations that might otherwise never happen.”

Exhibited everywhere from the Carrousel du Louvre in Paris to galleries in Stockholm, Vangsnes’ art continues to capture audiences with emotional depth, as well as encouraging people to let go and live more freely.