Watercolor in blue tones with a cityscape and long shadows.

Stockholm · Since 2021

Watercolors by Ola Gustafsson

Light, mood and presence

Original watercolor paintings by Ola Gustafsson, featuring landscapes, nature, and cityscapes.

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Watercolors

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Artist statement

About my painting

I am a Swedish watercolor artist who primarily paints landscapes and urban environments, with a focus on light, value, and presence.

My paintings often start from my own reference photos from everyday life and my surroundings. I return to seasonal shifts, different times of day, and moments when the light changes the entire experience of a place.

In watercolor I work with simplified values, larger shapes, and varied edges: soft, hard, and lost. I want the image to be clear enough to carry direction, but open enough to leave something elusive behind.

What interests me most is the tension between control and letting go. When water, pigment, time, and decisions are allowed to work together, the subject can become more than a description of a place and instead carry an experience of presence, transience, and connectedness.

In my day-to-day work, I’m a visual communicator at Stockholm School of Entrepreneurship. That background has given me a strong focus on composition, simplification, and visual clarity.

Portrait of Ola Gustafsson
Ola Gustafsson painting outdoors in Sandemar.

Projects

100 Days of Sun

In the summer of 2025, I carried out the project 100 Days of Sun. Every day I took a photo of the sun in the moment and painted a small watercolor (18 × 26 cm). Each painting could take a maximum of 20 minutes. The project became a way to practice quick value judgment, presence, and consistent work over time. Something I quickly became aware of was timing and how much or how little pigment I had in the brush.

Montage of all 100 sun images from the project 100 Days of Sun.

Examples from the series

Colorful sunset in July
Storm clouds obscuring the sun. Blue-gray, violet, and gold.
Sunset in warm orange tones.
Sun study in blue-gray and gold.
See all 100 suns · order prints
Colorful close-up of Ola’s palette.

Materials

I usually paint on Arches 300 gsm fine, Arches 640 gsm rough, as well as Baohong 300 gsm rough and satin.
The paints vary between Daniel Smith, Winsor & Newton, Schmincke, Sennelier, and Old Holland.
Some brushes I often come back to are Escoda Perla, Korean Eo eo, Princeton Nautilus, and Chinese calligraphy brushes in various sizes.

Frequently asked questions

How do I buy a painting?

Open the work in the gallery and send the inquiry form at the bottom of its page. The inquiry is not binding. I reply with a total and payment details.

What does an original painting cost?

The price is shown with each work. Originals currently cost between 1,200 and 9,500 SEK depending on size. They are sold unframed and are signed.

What do Reserved, Sold and Not for sale mean?

Reserved means someone has asked me to hold the work. Works that are sold or not for sale cannot be bought, but you are welcome to ask about similar works or upcoming paintings.

What is a fine art print?

A print of a painting on Hahnemühle Photo Rag fine art paper. Each print is signed and numbered by me, in an edition of at most 20 per image. The print comes mounted on an acid-free board. Works available as prints are marked Fine Art Print on their page.

Which sizes and prices do the prints come in?

Sizes are given as the outer frame size: 30 × 40 cm for 1,800 SEK, 40 × 60 cm for 2,900 SEK and 50 × 70 cm for 3,800 SEK. Prices include VAT. The image is smaller than the stated size: the board it is mounted on has the frame size and gives a white border around the image. The sizes available for a given work are listed on its page.

Are frame and mat included?

No. Originals are sold as loose sheets, and prints come mounted on an acid-free board in the frame size, ready to frame. If you would like the work framed or matted, I can arrange it. The cost of materials and a service fee of 300 SEK per work are then added. If you frame a print yourself, use a spacer so that the image does not rest against the glass.

What does shipping cost?

For prints, shipping within Sweden is 150 SEK per order, however many suns you order. For originals, shipping is added, within Sweden usually 150–250 SEK. Outside Sweden: price on request.

How do I pay?

By Swish to 070-433 36 74 or to my business account at Swedbank, 8327-9, 903 671 334-6. Write your name and the title of the work or the sun numbers as the message. Prints can be paid as soon as you have sent the order. For originals, wait for my confirmation with the total.

How long is the delivery time?

Prints are made to order and usually ship within a few days. If you order a frame, add about a week. Originals ship once payment has arrived.

Do I have a right of withdrawal?

Yes. As a private customer you have 14 days from the day you receive the work. Let me know within that time and return the work undamaged; you pay the return shipping. I refund when the work has arrived.

Can I buy the suns from 100 days of sun?

Yes, as fine art prints. All one hundred suns can be ordered individually, in different sizes, on the 100 days of sun page. The originals are not for sale.

How do I get in touch?

Email ola@olagustafsson.com or write on Instagram, @holagustafsson. For questions about a specific work there is a form on its page.

Contact

Get in touch!

For exhibitions, collaborations, or questions: feel free to send an email or write on Instagram.

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