Vala is an artist who passionately and
relentlessly seeks to create artworks that show her
dedication to excellence. Her classical training in
Europe is reflected in her art. Her oil paintings and
figurative bronze sculptures are noted for their depth
of expression and emotion. The high quality of her art
has earned her great respect among art appreciators.
Vala Ola was born and raised in Iceland.
She has lived in the US since 1994. After 8 years in
Santa Fe, NM, she relocated Scottsdale, AZ. Vala Ola's
artistic talent was apparent early on, and from the age
of thirteen she attended classes drawing models from
life. Graduating from the College of Hamrahlid, she
furthered her studies at the Icelandic College of the
Arts, and later graduated from The Arts Institute in
Bournemouth, England.
She won the Icelandic Design Excellence
Award for the first time at the age of twenty-six.
During her studies in England, she was a finalists at
the Smithsonian Young Illustrator's Competition. She
went on as her country's sole representative at the
Nordic Graphic & Illustration Awards. Moving to the
United States in 1994, she changed her focus to
portraiture, and found herself booked solid for the next
7 years painting portraits in oil.
Vala rekindled her interest in sculpting
in 2001 and has won awards from the Allied Artist's of
America, the International Guild of Realism and placed
as finalist at the Art renewal Center. She is an elected
professional member of the prestigious National
Sculpture Society. Once a year she teaches a workshop at
the Scottsdale Artist's School.
Her inspiration derives from her
observation of life. Even the most mundane circumstance
we find ourselves in daily will spark an idea. The
Flemish artist Vermeer would paint the simple act of
pouring milk, elevating it to a moment worth remembering
for eternity, in a similar way Vala will look at a
moment usually passed by as moment worth noticing.
"All we have in life at any given time is
the very moment we are living and that moment is of
importance", Vala says. "I would like to inspire myself
and others to have awareness and appreciation for our
life."
