Art by Maria Schölander - Where Colour Meets Soul
Maria is very much like her paintings - warm, joyful and deeply loving, with a vibrant energy that fills the room the moment she arrives. We first met her at one of her vernissages in Nerja, and it was immediately clear that her art and her presence speak the same language.
Maria’s painting is like music - an impressionistic world of colour and sound where mood, atmosphere and feeling speak louder than precise form.
Her works are often created in acrylic or oil and carry an abstract expression filled with joy, movement and energy. The viewer is gently invited to discover their own motifs and figures, as shapes and familiar faces emerge depending on light, atmosphere and emotional state. Many people experience a sense of recognition in her paintings, as if the canvas itself is quietly telling a personal story.
Maria works part-time as an artist and has exhibited in several well-known galleries around Hornsgatan in Södermalm, Stockholm, in Nerja and internationally. Maria has always painted, but around twenty years ago she took her art to a new level by training as a Vedic Art teacher. Vedic Art is both an art form and a therapeutic process, where painting comes from the heart – simply put, emotions are allowed to flow directly onto the canvas. Learning to paint without having to be “good” or technically perfect was something Maria deeply wanted to share with others. Since then, she has continued to develop and teach her own creative methods, while also still offering pure, traditional Vedic Art courses. Maria holds intuitive painting workshops, where the focus is not on performance or results, but on awakening creative joy, curiosity and freedom. In her workshops, painting becomes a sanctuary - a space away from everyday stress and expectations, where play, flow and self-expression are allowed to lead the way.
Originally from Stockholm, Maria first came to Nerja in 2018. She returned for a longer stay in 2021, living in a house high up in the mountains above Frigiliana. Surrounded by powerful, beautiful mountain landscapes and the ever-present sea, she felt deeply inspired and painted extensively during the pandemic. Since then, she has lived in and explored different areas of Nerja and its surroundings.
After the sale of her home in Ingarö in May, it felt natural for Maria to return here - to land, breathe, and reflect on how she wants her future to unfold. Nerja offered exactly what she needed: space, warmth, inspiration and a sense of belonging.
She loves everything that Nerja and the surrounding area give her, and speaks often of the incredible people she has met here. As so many discover for themselves, she believes in the familiar truth:
Once Nerja touches your heart - it stays there forever.
Intuitive Painting Workshops with Maria
Maria warmly invites you to join her intuitive painting workshops in Nerja - open to everyone, whether you have painted before or not. These sessions are not about technique, rules or “getting it right”, but about allowing colour, movement and intuition to guide you.
The workshops offer a safe, playful space to slow down, reconnect and express what wants to emerge, without pressure or expectations. Many participants describe the experience as deeply freeing, nourishing and joyful.
Maria can be contacted for upcoming workshop dates; individual sessions are also available, and enquiries about purchasing her paintings are welcome.
Contact Maria:
Email: Maria@Lyft1.se Instagram: @mariascholanderart Facebook: Maria Schölander
Come as you are. Let the colours lead. Sometimes, the painting knows the way before we do.
