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.

Good morning everyone. It's a new day-new opportunities, and I have decided to wonder (publicly) what I will paint for the coming months/years. The thing of it is,....when I examine what it is that I obsess over, or what it is that I come back to day in and day out on my little hamster wheel of life, it's three things. Sun....it's vital and energy-giving. Without it, I am a mess sooner or later. The summer months in Norway are just what the doctor ordered-nearly 24 hours of sun a day (when low pressure weather systems don't mess things up). Nr. 2, Food. Honestly, I have been buying cookbooks, and subsequently health literature.... dissecting and comparing and analysis of different doctors/food gurus/food celebrities/food blogs/food politics/medical publications on the effects of diet on health.....I am tired of it all. After all is said and done, why haven't we all just decided to eat SIMPLY. Instead of whipping up something which costs us time, money and mental energy, we could just eat a piece of fruit or a handful of steamed veggies, and drink water/tea or wine. We would be thin, have tons of energy, have tons of time for other creative endeavors which actually could leave a lasting impression after we're gone, or just allow us to persue pleasurable pastimes that define us in a way other than how we look/cook. When I think of all the MONEY, TIME and MENTAL ENERGY I have expended on feeding myself and my family, it is a mean statistic. We have been lead around by our tastebuds and cut the cable to our brains when it comes to food. I have so much food equipment, and have the coolest kitchen so that I can do almost anything with the simple ingredients that God gave us. I love being here (am writing this blog sitting at the kitchen table). Which brings me back to my original point today...what to paint...what subject I, myself, have opinions on and impressions that I want to communicate to others, without using words. Well, I know a thing or two about the above musings, and aside from the wrinkles that I also have been trying to keep at bay, I think I have a pretty good idea of where I will be taking my paint in the coming months.... this could be my best year ever.......

Beautiful weather in Scandinavia right now.  Alittle rain sometimes, but the temp. is so warm and the showers so short that it is just perfect. I am watching the sun heading towards the horizon, but that is still 1/2 hr. away---the sun sets around 10:30 pm. With the clouds we have had lately, the sunsets are just gorgeous. The sea is calm, kayakers surrounding our home as well as ducks and seagulls. Jan and I just got back from an "after dinner" bike ride into the city. The pleasure boat traffic is huge and the boats/ships are from every part of Europe. Occasionally we see an American sailboat, usually once a summer.  

My (0ur) summer exhibit at the Handangerfjord Hotell in Oeystese, (Norway) is up and running. We installed our work and had a little party on the back lawn, so now we just wait for the sales to start happening. We're 4 artists with different styles and processes, but compatible personalities, so the arrangement went off with smiles all around. The exhibit hangs until the 31st of September. 

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.