Now that summer has finally arrived, there is a real conflict going on about spending time in the studio vs. being outside and getting yourself charged up for the months to come. I guess it has to be a half and half proposition, as one without the other is just boring. It's time to smell the flowers, literally. When my husband comes home from Australia, we'll take a "road trip" with our antique car (mercedes 450 SL, 1976) up the western coast of Norway, then over the mountains, down to the eastern coast and then back to Bergen.  I'm hoping for sun, so we can have the top down (!!) and maybe get some kind of color on my milky white skin. I guess that the rain and lack of sun (most of the time) are good for keeping the wrinkles at bay, but, I know I might just be willing to sacrifice some of those wrinkles for more sun.  I have to supplement in the winter with a light therapy lamp, and a trip to a warm sunny place just before the worst of the darkness sets in.  The goal is to be in Norway in the summer months, and somewhere else in the winter (except, of course, for Christmas, which is really cool here).  Now that the sun is slowly warming up the fjords, our boys have been throwing themselves (literally) off the front balcony, and swimming around the house, making friends and daring the neighbors. It continues to fascinate me how lucky we were to acquire this condo, and I thank the universe every day.  Hope your summer is giving you renewed energy to tackle your challenges.... 

OMG, tomorrow is the summer solstice, people....the longest day of the year and it's all downhill from here.  Sorry for sounding so negative, but you have to realize that the opposite of Midnight Sun  is ...... total darkness in the middle of the winter.  (Norwegians don't have a catchy phrase for that event, cause they would rather forget it, and the tourists don't find it fascinating much). Of course, the thing that is great in the darkness of winter is the Northern Lights, but that is rather illusive down here in the southern part of Norway.  Anyway, tomorrow, we light bonfires all over the countryside, (not that it's dark) drink lots of champagne or whatever, have food, go out in your boat until the morning light, stay up all night, listen to outdoor concerts, and just have it "kult (norwegian for "cool"). It's a celebration of light, and thank God it the weather report is really good.  Have a great time everyone. I long for this to last year long....but like they say, be careful what you wish for!!!! Connie

I can hardly believe that it has been almost a whole month since I updated. So much has been going on, and I don't even know if I just thought it was important, or if it really was.  Anyway, the exhibit is over and I am now minus 4 paintings...not too bad in economically challenging times. There was alot of time/effort/money put into this exhibit and at least it has been rewarding talking to the many people that ventured in. It is a huge step for some people to come to a gallery...they are so afraid that 1. they might meet a gallery owner bent on selling them something, and 2. they might just have to talk about what they find in there. I always give viewers a WIDE space to just look, so if a conversation starts, it's always them that have initiated it. There have been MANY conversations this month, and I take that as enormously positive. The fact that 2 of my personal favorite paintings were purchased and taken to Italy really inspired me. Also, the painting sold after the exhibit closed confirmed that those postcards I made, that very many people took, were worth their weight in gold. Also, I had lots of time to read, write and think between visits which resulted in some great insights and determination that I have something of value that is being appreciated. After the closing, I have been celebrating birthdays (JP), hosting a company reunion party (Gulf), cooking more than normal since my boys (23 and 26) are home from their hectic snowboarding nomadic lifestyle.  Right now everyone is out traveling, except me.  That leaves me free to "camp out" at the studio for the next 3 weeks, although if the summer weather warms up here in Bergen, I might be tempted to take my sketchbook and drawing utensils outside instead. It's still chilly, but sunny, so I'm hoping for lots of sun and warmth, cause I am tired of freezing in the summer!!  Oh yea, just a little critique of a concert that I went to on Wednesday night in Bergen-if you get the chance, see BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN on his current world tour.  He and the E Street Band were fabulous in Bergen-gave it their all and had a great time doing it. The energy level was off the charts-mutual love.  Keep those good vibes moving around the earth everyone. 

Flowers inside and out

Well, it's the middle of the month already and I have been busy sitting at the gallery, meeting the visitors and conversing on my work.  The interest is greater this year than previously, and I am enthusiastic.  One sold painting on the first day, and many visitors taking cards and postcards with their fav painting, intending to show it to friends and family. All of it is good P.R.  It was a cold and windy weekend last Sat. and Sunday, so I had to find/buy some firewood, and make a fire in the fireplace.  It is a great little gallery, and with the heat pouring out of the fireplace, it creates a uniquely cosy atmosphere.  

The days are getting so long now.  It is sunset at 10:15, and not really dark by 11:00, so it makes for very long days.  No complaints here, though.  Dark curtains and a sincere tiredness because you've woken up so early and stayed up too late make sleep almost instantaneous when you hit the pillow.  Which is what I have to do right now.  Have a great Wednesday.  

Monday a.m.....should be in bed, but am still going over ""to do's" for the coming day. The arrangements for the exhibit are coming together...and I am feeling calm and excited about the whole project.  The exhibit that is in our little gallery this month (April) is a real masculine exhibit by a very talented and gifted guy.  I wish him many more sold pieces than he already has.  Would like to get a couple pieces of his work for my boys, which I will see about before Christmas rolls around this year. I am going to get together with the 3 other "managers" of our gallery and have a little pep talk about how we should be profiling our image.  We are not your "usual" gallery, in that we are a kind of coop set up.  We 4 have rented the location, and we, in turn, rent out this location to 8 other artists-after deciding ourselves which months we want to have our own exhibits.  We don't promote, hang up/take down, watch the gallery during opening hours, clean out or otherwise restore the premises for the next exhibit the following month. Each of us creates the exhibit that we want-either high profile or discrete. It's what we each make of it.  I feel that the public that generally makes the gallery rounds doesn't know how or why we are different than the other places in town, and I want to remedy this.  I have a plan.  Stay tuned and I'll let you know how it goes in a week or two.   Have a great day.

Hi Everyone (anyone).....it's been a nice 10 days at Geilo.  Snow, sun, cross country skiing, painting, and reading.  Also, too much food, cause that's what happens when your house is full of people and you are the hostess.  We want to impress each other with our culinary abilities, and so we bake, cook and provide snacks and wine for the duration, and it is beginning to show on my waist and hips..... 

Anyway, a funny thing happened on my way to painting another piece for the exhibit.  I came up here with 2 blank canvases and the intention of at least starting on them both, but I tripped over them on my way out of the studio, tearing the edge of one and stepping on the back of it, leaving a big black shoe print.  Well, I thought, I'll have to take it off the stretchers, cut it down, re-stretch it and then I can use it again....but imagine my surprise when one of my guests offered to pay me for it.  The whole group then proceeded to paint a group picture which turned out quite interesting!

We all signed it, and agreed that we will do the same thing every Christmas and Easter. Highly recommended.    Tomorrow it's back to Bergen, and back to the studio.  Bye for now. C.S.

April 1st!  I get giddy just typing it.  Just one month left to create enough so that I have too much.

It might, then be easier to hang the show when I have more than I can actually fit in......or not.  

Tomorrow I will be heading for the mountains for the Easter break....quite long in Norway.  We are going to our son's home in Geilo for about 2 weeks.  I plan to take 4 - 30 x 40 cm primed small canvases with me, some acrylic paint and brushes, and use a good chunk of time on the sunny side of the house experimenting with techniques.  Can't be skiing every day!!

I hope everyone reading this has a wonderful Easter break, enjoys the holiday in whatever way they choose to celebrate it, and feels refreshed afterward.  I will miss my children (23 and 25 years old, but still my kids), as they will be in the middle of the snowboard season, and they are in Alaska and Canada...not able to come home.  If you're reading this JP and Stian, "God Paaske", and we'll save you some marzipan and an chocolate easter bunny.  Happy Easter!