S.I.N.O. - SUMMER IN NAME ONLY

Not sure what to write here, about the summer that played hide-and-seek with most of southern Norway this year.It seems that NORTHERN NORWAY made off with the sun and high temps. and have the most D.vitamin going into this winter. We, in the south west of the country, have new records for rain and sales of water-proof outdoor clothes. Between my better half having come down with Shingles and the weather, it has been a steller summer for staying home and getting lots of work done in the studio. Now that it's the middle of September, the sun has decided to make an appearence and I'm ready to take a break and fill up my depleted energy levels. I did, however, manage to get in a little trip to western Ireland and southern Norway (Grimstad) in June, and southern Norway (Lindesnes) in September, and they have helped to inspire. The studio has been my daily retreat, and I don't see that changing any time soon. The course with Pam Caughey (Art, Success, Masters) was completed in August, so now I am FREE to explore my own interests and painting direction. I think light and sun, contrasts of light and dark in nature will always be a theme for me. The spring and summer months, with new growth and color bursts, just calm me down and reassure. One take away from the courses I've taken are decisions over color choices. Previously I have blindly used the 3 primary colors in their warm and cool versions, plus black and white to mix with. As you may know, there are VERY many yellows/blues/reds on the market, so depending on the opacity or transparency and properties/color versions of those primaries, you will get thousands of color combinations. Mixing color swatches in huge numbers, exploring the different combinations of colors that I have, have narrowed me down to some definite favorites-and they aren't what I was using previously. Just one of the many ah-ha moments in the never ending study of art. This weekend is the yearly art festival B-Open in Bergen and lots of interesting things are happening in art studios around the city. Artists are opening their studios-inviting in anyone who is curious to see what goes on in there where we are spending sooooo much time creating something out of nothing. My studio will be open for a visit from 12-17:00 on Sunday, along with Charles Grande. Sandviksboder 73a, 5035 Sandviken. I'd love to see friends and neighbors for a coffee and a chat. Check out B-Open.no for the whole proogram and list of artists whose studios are open both Saturday and Sunday. That's all from me for now. Stay in touch!

 In The Thick of It....

Today, February 1st, is a small milestone on the way to spring. The worst of December/January is behind me, and the days are noticeably lighter/longer. Now, if the storms would just cease to roll in over the whole of the country, we would actually be able to enjoy this winter. Extreme wind, rain and high water have visited us more often than is normal-but it is fascinating to watch!

Since I last wrote here, I have taken/am taking 2 art masterclasses, with varying durations. The first one was 3 months last April, May and June. The current one is a college level masterclass that will engage me for one year, if I manage to follow the schedule. I can pace myself and extend the time it takes me to complete, but am keen to finish by this August. These courses are filling in gaps and expanding theoretical principles so that I can better judge how to get out of stuck situations and be more ME in my work.

As a result of doing a deluge of assignments, my own studio practice has been directed more towards completing those assignments than following my nose. BUT, I still did manage to be accepted for a summer gallery showing at Galleri GEO, here in Bergen, plus I have work at Panorama Art, also here in Bergen. The building that houses my atelier (and 15 others) has a large indoor hall that is perfect for exhibits, which we have on a regular basis. Our Christmas exhibit was a fun, informal showing of work, and in April we will have a Spring exhibit and open ateliers at Sandviksboder 73a in Sandviken, Bergen.  

In April I will also be having an exhibit at a popular cafe in the ski resort town of Geilo, Cafe Mocca.  I will show a collection of smallish works (30  x 30 cm,. 50 x 60 cm., possibly a bit larger) of abstract organic compositions.  Hoping that these smaller works will find new homes across the countryside. I will ship within Norway, and to people I know and trust outside the country. I have attached a small sample of what to expect in this blog. Meanwhile, I paint daily and am looking forward to what/who turns up in my studio this year. You're all invited!

Acrylic on wood panel, 30 x 30 cm. (12 x 12 in.)

Acrylic on wood panel, 30 x 30 cm. (12 x 12 in.)

Acrylic on canvas, 80 x 60 cm. (31.5 x 23.5 in.)

Acrylic on canvas, 50 x 60 cm. ( 20 x 23.5 in.)

Acrylic on wood panel, 30 x 30 cm. ( 12 x 12 in.)

Acrylic on wood panel, 30 x 30 cm. (12 x 12 in.)

Acrylic on canvas, 40 x 60 cm. (16 x 24 in.)

Acrylic on wooden panel, 30 x 30 cm., (12 x 12 in.)

 Turning the Corner on Winter--almost.

Things have been very busy these past few months, what with exhibits and new courses and I am currently towards the end of a course that's been 3 months long and soooo interesting. The school is AM Kunstskole, an online course with a leader from Oslo and only 8 participants. This is so much more personal and intense than any past course/school I've taken. I decided to invest in a Norwegian course to maybe get a better idea of how the art circles in Norway work. They are so much more exclusive here and not receptive to artists who haven't gone to the "approved" art institutions, here-or abroad. PAPERS are everything here. It makes the long road of working it out on the "outside" track much harder. Talk about having a handicap right from the start, before a gallerist will even consider looking at your work you're boxed in tight. Anyway, I just can't let any of that get in my way. I have been to plenty of art schools and taken many wonderful courses, and had a studio for 26 years, so I think my dedication and abilities, and style have evolved to a very good place. I am a member of several artists communities and don't see that changing any time soon. I'm in it for the long haul.  

Anyway, about Spring....where are YOU??? We had a whole week of "summer" about a week ago, and then some ungodly cold Arctic air just moved in.  We've now had snow, wind, rain, and grey clouds hanging around for over a week now and it doesn't look like it's leaving any time soon. UGH!!! All I can say is that it makes for no guilty feelings for spending hours in the studio every day.  I have painted, drawn and collaged on massive amounts of paper and canvas these past months, and feel confident that a series of work is being born, of which I will be constantly evolving into future work. One series feeds the next. I've gotten so many ideas for future work out of this newest course, that I can't wait to get on with it after I turn in my current series to AM Kunstskole. Annette Martens is the instructor with just the right amount of empathy/criticism/questioning/enthusiasm. I'm a sponge and she is the well. Here's a bit of new work from the last year. 

Tomorrow's a new day and nobody knows what it will bring, but just showing up guarantees that SOMETHING will. I hope it's a good day for you, too.  

Will Summer Deliver?

 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

How To Ruin A Spring (or Save It).

 Good morning from the waterfront.  It has been a super sunny, almost warm whole week of spring here in Bergen. Before I made the trip down here again from Geilo (our winter home), I checked the forecast for Bergen and it looked "ok" for a couple of days and then not so great for the weekend. Whatever, I thought to myself. I'd be in my studio anyway, so, if it turned ugly, I wouldn't really care. The opposite has been the case though. EVERY SINGLE DAY has been a joy to wake up to. It elevates my energy from the first second. Even though it is a shame to spend those precious hours inside for 5-6 hours, I made sure I got a good walk in on my way to the studio. The signs of spring are so welcome right now. Snow drop flowers and crocus, birds singing, green sprouts of "something" springing up everywhere. I live in such a beautiful city, and believe me, I appreciate it so much considering the world state of affairs right now.  

I'm one of those highly sensitive persons that is so affected by what I see and read everyday, that my heart is so heavy these days. I feel rage, sadness, helplessness. I will give what I can to, what I hope are, the right assistance organisations, but it breaks my heart to follow what is going on with the innocent people of the Ukraine. No one country has the right to kill and maim and forcibly ruin  another country because they are not willing to live under some regime that they choose to abandon. Apply this on a person to person level....it unfortunately happens to personal relationships all the time. The freedom we all have of self determination for the direction of our lives can not be trampled on by someone who wants another outcome from us. 

As this is an art/painting blog, I will just say that I hope that if you get a chance to see some great art this week, you take it. Music, dance, theatre,  books, poetry, visual art in the many forms it takes, can lift us up and take us to another realm. It can trigger the brain to see other creative solutions to the obvious.  

Take care.  I will continue to write and paint and hope that both forms of expending energy move the needle towards a better vibe in the world. If more people allowed themselves to be creative and absorb creativity from others, we could lower the aggression and suffering in this world.  Just saying!

Be well, Connie

Just Playing, acrylic on canvas 40 x 40 cm.

UNDERBRUSH,  100 X 80 cm.  Acrylic on canvas

Turning The Corner on Darkness

 So good to see January in the rear view mirror! If my palette of colors was any reflection of the weather we've had in the first month (which it usually is), it should have been all shades of grey. Grey can be exciting when you mix it up yourself from complimentary colors, so maybe that will be an avenue of exploration in the future, but to have to live with GREY outside my window from morning to night gets me down after a few weeks. Thank God for my studio with plenty of light and plenty of chances to make my own sunshine. 

Our exhibit at Geilo Kultur Kirke (a church that also has facilities for art exhibits, concerts, lectures, etc.) is opening this Saturday.  I am putting the finishing touches on some works on paper, painting the sides/edges of paintings and have had a coffee with the people in charge. They're excited and so am I (we-Sissel Hindenes and myself). Saturday, at 16:00 we'll both be present, and possibly much of the opening hours the following week. After that we'll be up here on the weekends and will visit the exhibit when we can. 

We have both worked our butts off the past year or so and the collection of paintings has the feel of something that has evolved immensely. I have had quite a year of experimenting with techniques and materials and with the mindset that "anything goes"-until it doesn't.  I moved to a larger studio and the new room has given me space to breath and play and contemplate what it's all about. When I have the answer to that one, I'll let you know, but all I know now is that the painting process is an essential part of my life.  I don't have a master plan for the road ahead, but it's slow and steady, one foot in front of the other. Quality comes with quantity-and applying the principles of art making with intuition are satisfying me right now.  

Take care of yourselves and, if you get corona, I hope it's the weakest version possible. There are many other dangers out there, so just keep your eyes open, and live well. 

Acrylic on wood panel,   30 x 30 cm. 

Acrylic on wood panel, 30 x 30 cm. 

Acrylic on canvas,  80 x 100 cm.  

Acrylic on wood panel,  30 x 30 cm.

Finding My Way

 It's a new year, and art making was put on hold a bit from the middle of December, 2021 til a week after the new year began. Christmas in the mountains can be beautifully white, like a postcard from one of the coldest countries in the northern hemisphere. But the past 5 years or so, we've had rain on top of beautiful snow, which then freezes to an icy mess.  Sooner or later we get more snow, but the cycle repeats itself just a lot more than it used to. This requires shoes with spikes, and even then, I'm walking on eggs (figuratively). And so, I long for my studio after a week or so of this nonsense. Even though I always take drawing/ painting equipment for smaller works while I'm away from Bergen, it's just never as private and quiet working in the middle of the dining room. 

Now that I've been back in Bergen for about 2.5 weeks, I'm warming up and the painting is going well. I have put down squishy matting on the floor, bought new panels to paint on, and large blocks of tough acrylic paper to create works on paper. I see things clearer after returning from a longish absence from my previous work, so things can happen fast the first  week or so. Also, I have been re-watching my CVP videos and videos/articles by other artists that I respect, so that I am extra inspired when I head off to work each day. I try to make it to the studio for at least 4 hours a day-often more. Even on Saturday and Sunday, I can sneak off for an hour or two, just to keep the momentum up. It's like an addiction that I can't live without. I'm not a happy person if I'm away from this too much. 

So, in my last entry I mentioned that I would post works in progress, but, it's such a long process from beginning to finished pieces, and posting crappy unresolved work seems counter-productive, so I'm just going to drop that. Here are some new pieces that I feel are worthy of a signature and a place at my up-coming exhibit at Geilo for 6 weeks starting February 12 thru April 2nd. This is an exhibit with my good friend and fellow artist Sissel Hindenes. who also has a cabin at Geilo. We decided to apply for this exhibit at the new Kultur Kirke there last year, but corona has put everything on hold until just recently. Now we're MORE THAN ready, and it's going to be a lovely exhibit. Hopefully, the response will be enthusiastic, as Geilo has a good deal of wonderful art and art exhibits at their hotels and cafés. 

Cheers for now.

Acrylic on canvas - 40 x 40 cm. 

Acrylic on canvas - 50 x 40 cm. 

Acrylic on canvas, 100 x 80 cm. 

Acrylic on canvas - 40 x 50 cm. 

Acrylic on canvas - 60 x 80 cm. 

Acrylic on canvas - 80 x 100 cm. 

Acrylic on canvas - 30 x 30 cm. 

Acrylic on wood panel - 30 x 30 cm.