Sitting at the kitchen table, and the view is pretty grey and misty. After a few days of wonderful warm weather here on the west coast of Norway, we're having a bit of a set-back. To be expected. Nothing will ever be the same, day after day, even though the calendar says a certain season. I guess a valuable attitude would be to accept what you can not change, change what you can, and try to be happy.
These past couple of weeks has had me feeling quite frustrated in my studio. The work is ugly and dark and I just don't seem to know what to do about it. Layers of paint and ideas have come and gone. Just when I think I have something worthwhile, I try to "fix" some little section of a painting, and then -Swoosh- I should have waited. A few days I just decided to stay home and be creative in the kitchen instead, where things have a more predictable outcome. None the less, the guilt of not showing up at the studio is greater than going in and doing "something".
And then, the sun decided to show up again, and, unlike most other norwegians that rush outside in their gardens or go hiking the mountains or parks here, I feel the creative wheels turning in my head. I have to paint. And since I paint inside, I don't tend to have much of a tan and my hair doesn't turn blonder than the people around me, but I have something physical to show for my sacrifice. Mentally, I'm in a better place, too.
So, now I am getting ready to have a group exhibit at a venue on the north side of the city, at Aasane Kulturhus (the double a is intentional), and hope to see many people take the trip out there. It is a huge building that houses a concert hall, gallery, high school, library, cafe and many other cultural offices and practice rooms. We are 5 artists from the collective where I paint, and the range of styles reflect the different cultural impulses we bring to our work. For the next two weeks, my focus and presence will be out there. If you live in Bergen I/we would love to have you visit us. I'll post a few photos from the opening on Saturday later next week. Until then, be safe and have a great summer.
 |
100 x 70 cm. acrylic on canvas
|
 |
30 x 30 cm. Mixed Media/Acrylic on wood panel
|
 |
30 x 30 cm. Acrylic on canvas
|
 |
30 x 30 cm. Mixed Media/Acrylic on wood panel
|
 |
30 x 30 cm. Mixed Media/Acrylic on wood panel
|
