Original Painting "Would You be Mine?" by Raija Nokkala 19.7" x 27.6"

Raija Nokkala

was born in 1956 in Forssa, Finland. With a background in speech therapy, special education, and theater arts, she brings a deep understanding of human expression to her work. A member of several Finnish art associations, Raija continues to explore the connection between people, nature, and imagination through her paintings.

Living by the sea beside a forest, she draws daily inspiration from the shifting seasons and the music that always surrounds her, whether from instruments or the sounds of nature itself. Her paintings often begin as stories about people but transform into whimsical worlds where humans become animals and emotions take new shapes. As Raija says, “I no longer paint portraits of people once, when asked for one, I painted two owls instead.”

Through this gentle humor and poetic vision, Raija invites us into a world where life, nature, and spirit dance together in quiet harmony.