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Artist Spotlight: Rivka Wilkins and Northern Lights Painting

Rivka Wilkins is a professional oil painting artist and a Princeton Brush Ambassador. She found her true passion in creating northern lights paintings and other landscapes. Rivka finds inspiration from the natural world and powerful forces in nature. Learn more about Rivka and her art journey below.

1. What was your journey like to become an artist? What inspired you to start?
I’ve always been involved in art in various forms from a young age. I spent years searching for the right medium to help me convey my emotions and ideas into a physical form. Painting was the art form I kept returning to, and over time, I found myself gravitating towards landscape art. I find creating landscapes to be an escape— a way to craft an environment and mood that is entirely my own. I sometimes explore other mediums or themes when inspiration strikes or when I’m looking for new challenges, but there’s something about painting landscapes that feels like home. The absence of humans or man-made objects in my work is intentional—unless I feel they would add to the mood or narrative of the piece.
2. What are your creative inspirations? Or where do you draw inspiration from?
I draw inspiration primarily from nature and the emotional response it evokes in me. The natural world holds so much beauty, chaos, and serenity—elements that fuel my creativity. Whether it's the shifting colors in the sky during a storm, the mesmerizing motion of the ocean, or the delicate yet powerful Northern Lights, these are the forces that inspire me to translate my feelings onto canvas. I also find inspiration in photography and color theory, examining why certain colors and compositions resonate with me emotionally and trying to recreate that sensation through my art.
3. What does your art process look like?
I typically begin by looking through photography and color theory, searching for something that really grabs my attention and examining why it moves me. I aim to recreate that emotional response in my paintings. Music plays a big role in my creative process—though it often leads me towards more abstract imagery that can be harder to capture. I love experimenting with different mediums and tools, pushing myself to discover new techniques. I enjoy the challenge of using unfamiliar materials to create new effects. The process is always evolving, but it begins with feeling and exploration.

4. What is your favorite type of landscape to paint?
While I enjoy painting Northern Lights, my favorite landscapes to paint are oceans and storms. These scenes are full of both chaos and beauty, which gives me so much room to explore colors, moods, and dramatic contrasts. I find the interplay of light and dark in stormy seas particularly captivating. I also love working with bright colors, though the choice of palette often depends on how I’m feeling at the time of painting.
5. What is your favorite oil painting technique?
Blending oils is my absolute favorite technique. I find it incredibly satisfying to watch the colors come together and create smooth transitions and beautiful gradients. The way the paint merges and creates soft, flowing movements is so fulfilling, and it’s something I focus on heavily in my landscape work.

6. What’s the best way to paint Northern Lights with oil paint?
Patience is key when painting the Northern Lights. You need to pay attention to the cause and effect of each element: how the thickness, wetness, and blending of your oil paint impact the final look. It’s important to find the right balance between brush type, paint thickness, and wetness to create smooth blends that don’t get muddy. When painting the lights, I recommend using only a few colors—keeping gradients natural, like blue and purple next to each other—so the vibrancy stays intact. Avoid overworking the blending, as that can dull the brightness. Also, be sure the stars and background are dry before adding trees or mountains to the foreground.
7. What are your Princeton brushes of choice?
I absolutely love the Princeton Select Petite Mini Fan Brush 20/0 for painting trees. It allows for fine detail and texture, which is crucial for bringing the forest or smaller features of the landscape to life. For blending the Northern Lights, the Princeton Aspen Flat Mottler brushes are my go-to. They give me the flexibility to create smooth transitions and are perfect for capturing the delicate nature of the lights.
8. What is your favorite piece of advice you would give to other aspiring artists?
Experiment, experiment, experiment. Try out new techniques, tools, and materials to discover what resonates with you. Pay attention to texture, movement, pressure, and the angle of your brushes—one brush can give you multiple effects, so don’t be afraid to play. The beginning of your artistic journey should be about finding what you enjoy, so create for yourself first. Abstract art is a fantastic way to start because it allows for freedom in your movements and enables you to discover small techniques that you enjoy. Remember, your art won’t be for everyone, but it will be for someone. Some people love abstract art, while others don’t; some appreciate landscapes, and others don’t. Don’t let rejection bring you down. What matters is the impact your work has on those it moves. Keep creating for yourself and for those who connect with it.
Thanks for sharing your art journey with us, Rivka!