Hello!
Arlaine Santos
9/24/20264 min read
Hello, nice to meet you!
My name is Arlaine Santos, and I am the hands behind Laine Atelier.
For those who don’t know me yet, I am a Brazilian artist, married, and mom to a 3-year-old boy, currently living in Malmö, Sweden (we are actually in the process of moving, but that’s a story for another day!). I hold a degree in Architecture and Urban Planning from PUC-MG — a background that gave me a strong foundation to pursue my passion for illustration and watercolor.
And how did it all begin?
I’ve always loved drawing, but for a long time, that hobby was kept tucked away in a drawer — even after graduating in a field closely related to it. That was until 2020, when the world went through a collective moment of chaos. We lived through one of the worst global crises, the COVID-19 pandemic: people lost their jobs, some lost their homes, but without a doubt, what hurt the most was seeing so many lives being lost daily around the world.
Parties and in-person gatherings gave way to online meetings. The lockdown we were all subjected to gave us the chance to protect ourselves (for those who were able to stay home) and also to rescue forgotten dreams, hobbies, or plans that had been pushed aside due to the rush of daily life.
It was no different for me. I was at home, terrified and overwhelmed by the news coming from Brazil and across the globe. That anxiety sparked a deep desire in me to learn something new to clear my mind. It could have been an instrument or a new language, but I chose something that had always walked hand in hand with me: ART.
Between brushstrokes, trial and error with watercolor supplies, and learning as I went, I slowly gained the confidence to keep going. The drawings which were honestly very bad at first began taking shape. My heavy hand became lighter through the process, and what seemed to be just a hobby started telling me every single day that it could be something more (spoiler: it took me 6 years to gather the courage to actually try and sell my art!).
Why did it take so long, Arlaine?
Before Laine Atelier came to life, a lot happened: I moved to a new country, got married, became a mother, and learned to speak Swedish (not perfectly, but I manage, so bear with me! haha). Somehow, though, I always felt like something was missing, that my work wasn't good enough, or that it might not be interesting to anyone else. These were natural insecurities, but they were also paralyzing. So, year after year, that hobby longing to be more than a hobby kept sitting on the waiting list behind what I considered "priorities."
At the same time, life in Sweden didn't feel like it was fully happening for me. I couldn't land a job, despite applying for countles positions. Even though I made friends, something inside told me that a piece was still missing for me to truly feel part of society. For me, it wasn't enough to know that my son was enrolled in school, that I was paying taxes with every purchase, or that I had my personnummer. I wanted to feel integrated into Swedish society and I felt that would only happen if I got a job.
Then, in May 2026, my sister-in-law encouraged me to participate in what would be my very first flea market. I thought about it, overthought it, reconsidered... but I went! You know that saying, "if you're scared, do it scared anyway"? That was exactly it. And at that market, a whole new world of possibilities opened up for me. People were incredibly warm, welcoming, and positive. With the help of my sister-in-law (who was the voice I didn't have at the time), we sold my very first pieces!
From then on, I took part in another market, opened my shelf at Hylde, and decided that I don't ever want to stop. I love meeting my customers when I'm restocking my shelf and someone stops by to say something kind, my heart warms up completely, and I just want to give them a hug! (If you're ever walking around Malmö, make sure to visit Hylde, located at Mitt Möllan @hylde.se on Instagram. They have amazing things in this vintage/art shop, including my shelf. Please drop by!).
Thank you so much to everyone who read this far! This was a first post to introduce myself a little bit, but also to thank you for supporting me and believing in this dream without even knowing me. Here, I'll be sharing my creative process and the everyday life of an independent artist who took a while, but finally set insecurity aside and jumped right into this world of possibilities and beautiful things.
Malmo -2020
2020
Hylde - Sep 2026
