Vor zwei Jahren waren wir zu Besuch in Dora Földes Vintageladen und Wohnung in Berlin-Wedding, seitdem hat sich viel verändert in ihrem Leben. Denn Dora ist mit ihrem Mann und Sohn nach Brandenburg gezogen, hat den Vintageladen Grus Grus geschlossen und widmet sich jetzt voll und ganz der Kunst und dem wunderschönem Hof auf dem sie jetzt lebt.

Dora, du und deine Familie seid aufs Land gezogen, warum dieser Schritt, Was reizt dich am Landleben?
Dora, you and your family moved to the countryside. Why this step? What appeals to you about country life?

Yes, we moved from Berlin to a small village in West-Havelland a bit more then a year ago. We knew for a long time that we wanted to live in the country. This is where we feel the most at ease. We found this treasure of a Dreiseitenhof, with all its almost 200 years old historical outbuildings, and gorgeous garden. We immediately fell in love, and had little doubt that this is the next move for us. And it feels like this is how we were supposed to live for a long time already. The pace of this village life fits us best. Being close to the land really heals the disconnect from nature we felt living in the city. We spent most of our free time and long weekends, vacations somewhere in the countryside. And now it feels like we are living in a permanent holiday situation.

Bist du selbst auf dem Land oder in der Stadt aufgewachsen? Did you yourself grow up in the country or in the city?

I grew up in Budapest and Paris, so I would say as a total city kid. Even my grandparents lived in cities in the countryside of Hungary but they both had gardens and cultivated land. I have a lot of memories from there, that come back even sharper now. I am not sure from where this strong longing for the countryside and more specifically village life comes from. This lust for a slower, remote life, close to nature. I felt this for many years now.

Wie habt ihr euer Haus gefunden und wie lange hat es gedauert? How did you find your house and how long did it take?

I found our Hof on one of the biggest real estate websites. I knew pretty specifically what I was looking for in terms of old building and size of garden, etc. So I filtered down my search with the criteria that were important for me. I spent several weeks with searching all over the internet, then had a shortlist of a few houses we wanted to visit. We visited this one first - also just to start the process. Little did we know that the ad and photos did not even come close to the real place..We fell in love. We only visited one other house, then decided to buy this one. All this happened during the first lockdown, so we were probably early and lucky. We got our keys and could move in in autumn 2020.

Ist das Leben hier, so wie du es dir gestellt hast? Is living there the way you imagined it?

We really feel in our element. We feel connected. Living by the rhythm of nature and its seasons is really comforting to me. The field and forest is just behind our garden, so wildlife is at our doorstep. But also agriculture is at our doorstep. Which means you feel so much more connected to the food in supermarkets, seeing it being grown and produced. We also have chickens and we grew fruits and vegetables this past summer. This is more than a dream come true. It's really reassuring for me to live like this. We were even the luckiest with our neighbours in the village. They embraced us from day one.

Wie hat sich dein Alltag verändert und warum gibt es GrusGrus Vintage nicht mehr? How has your daily life changed and why does GrusGrus Vintage no longer exist?Grus Grus was a passion child of mine, besides art. It was a beautiful dream. But it was also immense amount of work - and I ended up having two full time jobs. It was draining

me out so I started to realise I have to let go of the store. Moving here helped me prioritise. Plus the pandemic and the fact that I had to be closed most of that year made the decision easier and clearer. I felt so relieved afterwards. Even if I really miss those gorgeous vintage finds. But painting full time, here in my home studio is a way of life I barely dared dreaming of. I am literally pinching myself most days.

Was hat dein Umszug aufs Land and deiner Kreativität und kreativen Arbeit verändert?
What did your move to the country change about your creativity and creative work?

Oh my goodness, I have to stop myself from painting all the time. Ideas are flowing and they come out easy. I already started my series with trees a few years ago, still in Berlin - but I definitely turned to these half real half imaginary landscapes more directly since we live here. The views I am surrounded with inspire me every day.

Wie kommt man eigentlich am besten an ein Bild von dir? What's actually the best way to buy a painting from you?

Best is to contact me via email. I sell directly from my studio. Often times when I am ready with a new series or individual pieces of a series, I would post them on Instagram. It can also happen that the work is sold by then, because people contact me in advance, and sign up for a painting ahead. You can also subscribe to my mailing list on my website. But best is to write to me directly.

Hast du eine Lieblingsfarbe? Und mit welchem Materialien arbeitet du am liebsten? Do you have a favorite color? With which material do you like to work the most?

I don't have a favorite color. I might have color combinations that I especially love. At the moment I resonate with muted, soft tones and pale colors - with a contrasting bright and sharp detail on the painting. Or the other way around.
I really like working with ink, oil crayons and oil paint, and these are the medium I use for the longest. Here too, I like to play with contrasting textures. I also used to make oil paint myself for my Milk and Blood series. It was a messy but rewarding process.

Welcher Künstler oder Künstlerin ist dein größtes Idol? Which artists are your biggest idols?

I am fascinated by children's art and the bold and instinctual way children create. I have these early memories of how it felt to draw or create when I was a small kid. And this is what I am looking for in my art practice now. This raw, primal and straightforward type of making. For this same reasons, I am most attracted by outsider art and folk art. Solange Knopf and Clementine Hunter are among my favorites.

But I am also inspired by so many of the big masters, the list would be too long. I recently discovered Mary Potter and I fell deeply in love with her world, I kind of want to move into her paintings (laughs).
And then let's not forget about the best virtue of Instagram. What a luck to be able to witness the career of many artists. Again, the list is far from complete, but I really enjoy being able to follow the work of Katarina Janeckova Walshe, Hayley Barker, Miroco Machiko, Conny Maier, Shota Nakamura, and many many others.

Kannst du an jedem Tag malen oder hast du auch mal Blockaden oder keine Lust? Can you paint on any given day or do you ever have blocks or not feel like it?

Since we live here and I set up my new studio, I need to restrain myself from painting all the time. But I know what an artist block can be...I had more than a year of not painting at all, when I got my son 4 years ago. Then I slowly got back into my practice.

Hörst du Musik während der Arbeit und wenn ja welche?
Do you listen to music while you work, and if so, what kind?

I checked my Spotify history to answer this question: Erik Satie, Cesaria Avora, Les Rita Mitsouko, Chet Baker, Francoise Hardy, Townes Van Zandt, Christine and the Queens, Georges Brassens, Otis Redding..or I put on the Reverberation Radio.

Welcher deiner Serien magst du am meisten?
Which of your series do you like the most?
I am attached to them all for a different reason, I don't think I would be able to choose a favorite.

Wie würdest du deinen Kunststil beschreiben und betiteln? How would you describe your art style?

My paintings are raw, simple and primitive, yet soft and soothing at the same time. I like my paintings to be calming and easy to live with. They explore themes of the natural world and the human realm. This modern quest for solace and a safer place. It's hard to talk about these topics and experiences without being new-agey, so I rather use them in my work. My art in recent years is consciously optimistic, and concentrates on those hidden

and overlooked corners of happiness. I choose to notice and focus on them. This is how I live, so this is also what I paint.

Ein Blick in Doras Atelier

Wie oft fährst du noch nach Berlin? How often do you still come to Berlin?

Once in a while, mostly to go to the art supply store, to visit friends or deliver paintings. Or for dates with my husband. We still need Berlin for food and culture (laughs).

Was ist dein Lieblings Ort/ Zimmer im Haus oder auf dem Hof? What is your favorite place/room in the house or Hof?

I immediately fell in love with the remaining walls and old window frames of the old ballroom. Our house used to be a Guesthouse in the 19th century. And they had a ballroom with a stage. The roof had to be taken down, but the old owners kept the walls. And it's magical. I also love that in most rooms we could retrieve and restore hundred years old wood floorboards under the vinyl. And hundred years old wall paint and ornaments under the wallpapers. The big barn in the Hof was standing in 1849 already - you can imagine all the treasures it hides..

Welche Pläne habt ihr für den Hof? What are your plans for the Hof?

We would love to potentially renovate most outbuildings and use them. I have so many visions, but they need to crystallise first and of course we need to be able to finance them...It's probably a life time's project.