A Studio Visit and Interview with Artist Carola Helwing

Walking up the stairs to Carola’s studio in Frankfurt am Main feels like entering a world built around calm energy and creativity. The first thing you meet is the soft scent of paint, a few open jars of colour on the table, and the quiet background music filling the space. Her studio sits on the upper floor of her home, brightened by large windows that let in natural light throughout the day. It is both a working space and a place of peace, where every corner carries traces of her artistic journey.

In this interview, Carola opens the doors to her studio and shares how she creates her paintings from start to finish. She talks about moving between painting on the floor and on the wall, how music influences her rhythm, and how she often takes a quiet moment to sit back, drink tea, and look at her work from a distance. Surrounded by her paintings, books, and memories, she describes how this space allows her to experiment freely and stay connected to the ideas that inspire her.

Her cat Max often joins her, curling up nearby or watching her work as if taking part in the creative process. Through this conversation, we get a sense of the balance that defines Carola’s art and life. Her studio is not only a room for painting but a place where movement, light, and emotion come together, turning everyday moments into something meaningful.

My name is Carola, I’m a painter and creative soul based in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. The passion for creativity, especially painting, goes back to my childhood, when I spent hours drawing and painting. As well as dancing, it accompanies me through my whole life and is an anchor, especially when times get rough. With my background in art and dance education, I focus on dance and movement as a central theme in my artwork. I aim to catch the power and beauty of movement and translate it onto canvas. I want the viewer to see and feel the grace and strength as well as the eternity of dance itself.

Another focus of my artwork lies on icon-portraits. I want to capture the uniqueness of these outstanding persons in my artwork and let their power and personality shine. Beyond drawing and painting, I also work with photography, exploring its variety and possibilities to create new perspectives. It‘s an invitation to the viewers to see the world through my lens and to gain a different approach to specific topics. In summary, my aim in dealing with creativity is to make the world a little bit brighter, to focus on beauty and strength and to open up new perspectives, mainly because of these uncertain times we live in at the moment. My work has been awarded several international art prizes and can be seen in galleries around the world, both in digital format and in physical form.

1. Can you walk us through your studio space? What’s the first thing you see when you walk in?   

When I go up the stairs to my in-house studio space on the upper floor, the first thing I see is several artworks of mine and the canvas I’m actually working on with all the stuff needed like pastels and colours.

2. How is the space arranged to support the way you like to work on a painting from start to finish?  

I like working on the floor, so there has to be enough space around me. To prime my painting, I use a large surface and, during the process, switch from painting on the floor to the canvas on the wall. And I always listen to music while I paint. It influences how I feel, and that, in turn, affects the whole creative process.

3.   What materials or tools do you keep closest to you while working?  

Canvas, colours, pastels and my mobile phone.

4.   Are there certain books, film stills, or notes that stay in the studio as part of your process?  

In my studio, you can find several of my artworks, photos, books, and personal items. They do not necessarily serve the creation of a new painting, but they create an exceptional and personal atmosphere in which I feel comfortable. It’s kind of a safe space, where I can try out all the ideas I have in mind.

5.   How do you usually keep track of ideas as they move from your journals into the canvas?  

Most of my ideas are kept in my mind. I also take a lot of pictures and shots with my mobile phone everywhere I go so that I can remember the moments and situations that catch my eye.

6. What does a typical day in this studio look like for you?

Coming up the stairs to the studio with a cup of tea or coffee in my hand, turning on good music, maybe dancing a little bit, checking the light and starting to work. When I got into the flow, time didn’t matter. And this is what I really love about it: doing something that captures me so much that nothing else matters.

7.  How does the light in this space change the way you approach a painting?

Two large windows illuminate the space, making it exceptionally comfortable for me to work during the day without any additional lighting. But I like trying out different spotlights to see how the painting’s effect changes. So I can decide which colours to use, rearrange something and figure out the final version of my artwork.

8.  Do you have works in progress visible around the room, or do you prefer to focus on one piece at a time?  

I prefer to work on one piece at a time. Sometimes artworks need to be revised, but they are not in my field of vision when I’m working on a picture.

9. Is there a spot in the studio where you usually pause to step back and look at the work differently?  

During the process of creating, I like to sit leaning against the wall opposite to the artwork, sipping a cup of tea. These are little moments of peace, and they enable me to see more clearly whether I have to change something in my artwork or if I’m on the right track. And sometimes our cat Max shows up, taking a little nap or also reviewing the artworks.

10. If you get a chance to set up your studio anywhere in the world, where would it be?

That would be either in New York or somewhere by the sea.

Carola’s studio feels peaceful and full of quiet movement. The soft smell of paint mixes with the sound of music, and sunlight falls across the floor where colours and canvases wait to be used. It is a space that feels alive yet calm, a place where time slows down and ideas can take shape freely.

With her cat Max sometimes sleeping nearby, the room carries a sense of warmth and ease. It is the kind of space that seems to breathe along with the person working in it, steady and full of quiet focus.

To learn more about Carola, visit the links below.