Good morning...being November already, I have to admit that I have been totally absentminded about adding to this blog....mostly because I have not been in the studio enough to warrant letting anyone know what's going on there. Jan and I have been traveling in the US the past month, and the SUN and warmth have charged me up for a while. Also, the people I have met on this past trip have been wonderful and inspiring (thanks, Falda) so I came back to Norway with renewed inspiration and enthusiasm for the work that I do...and it is WORK. I am alittle tired of the comments that I get when I tell people that I am at the studio or that painting is what I do....as though I'm there just "realizing myself", throwing paint around and having a ball. So much for acknowledging that years of school and showing up at the work place (atelier) qualify for calling what I (we) do as a real job. Artists who work hard and consistently show up and do the work needed for progression don't always have the marketing skills needed to "brag themselves" out to the rest of the world. And much of the world totally underestimates/neglects the side of their existence that needs visual/mental stimulation through the arts. Well, that won't stop our quest toward reaching for more than the eye can see, or trying to project our energy and insights outward, so that others can experience the power that the arts calls forth. The old adage that the pen is mightier than the sword, can be used for all of the art forms.... ignore the sensual side of yourself, and you close out some of the richest experiences you will have as a human being.