Saturday, February 27, 2010

Oh, the end of February and the winter in Bergen has been unbelievable this year. Temperatures have kept below freezing, the snow that has fallen has stayed, and piled up, layer upon layer. The skies have mostly been clear and blue and the sun has shone at every opportunity. Not since 1918 have we had a winter like this! (statistics say so.) In just under a month, we will screw our clocks ahead one hour, and then I will feel the usual surge of enthusiasm to make the most of that extra hour! I have been in the studio nearly every day since the beginning of January, and the work is coming along. This year's exhibit is in August, so I must have about 10-12 new paintings; just plain need as many as possible to be able to pick and choose what represents my best work this year. I have decided to paint a larger format (1 meter x 1.20) with a few smaller sizes, but will concentrate on the 1 meter area to experiment on. I get alittle claustrophobic working small, but I see that there is a period coming when I will go down in size and stay there awhile to accumulate some proficiency there. I have begun painting my interpretation of landscapes... choosing some gorgeous photos and turning them into my own creations. Rather, they start out as forms and colors that interest me, and from that point on, the direction changes according to whim. So far, so good. Stay tuned.