Context Opening

I can't believe that it has already gone a week since the opening of the Context Show in Silkeborg, Denmark. As you can see from the photos below, the show's location is full of light and space and appropriately enough, in a space that used to be part of the neighboring paper mill. I was fortunate to meet several of the participating artists from the Nordic countries; Iceland, Sweden, Finland and Denmark and spent the weekend creating art with them in a collaborative workshop (pictures to follow in next post).



(photos taken by Torkil Molin, takk så mycket!)

CON-TEXT, 26. September

Next weekend is the opening of the CON-TEXT exhibit in Silkeborg, Denmark. I will be leaving early next week to spend some time in Copenhagen with my dear sis in law before taking the train across the country for the show. Looking so forward to meeting other artists "from the north" (Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark). This show focuses on artists books and promises to hold many different interpretations of the subject.

The piece above, "RE-collections" is a reconstruction of an old photo album. I re-assembled the book, fixed the pages and filled it with collage.

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The next piece was one I created after collecting all my memorabilia from my summer vacation.
These pieces were assembled into an accordion style book and mounted in a French cookie tin.

Our main project, a paper suitcase, is drying as we speak. I will share that before I leave. :)

back to reality

Do you recognize this?  A week ago, we returned from a 3 week long vacation in France.   This picture was taken at Claude Monet's house in Giverny.  Yes!  It is a magical place, so well preserved, that you can actually imagine him sitting there painting his beautiful water lilies.  This visit was one of the highlights of my trip.

We also managed to get to Paris again. Of course, having the boys along as well as my 17 year old neice, meant that we would have to fight the crowds at the Louvre to get a glimpse of the most famous lady in the world.  

We had rented a house near the city of Rouen which meant that we were able to take a lot of day trips, one through the beaches at Normandy. Knowing a bit about WWII from hubby, I found the American War Memorial as well as the Mulberry docks off Omaha beach a bit humbling, knowing how many young men were lost to liberate France. I feel very fortunate to have been there.

Because we had almost two weeks in Southern France, we were able to explore other cultural cities, this time with a trip to Arles, the place Van Gogh painted over 300 of his most famous works.  A walking path with plaques circles the city, allowing you to stand where he had most likely placed his easel to paint.  

We were staying about 2 hours from Barcelona, which meant that we could stop in Figueres, Spain. This is Salvador Dali's birth and final resting place and also where his Theatre Museum lies in an old theater.  Dali himself, created this museum and was said to be his final masterpiece.  He must of been satisfied as he is buried in its walls.   It is our second time visiting and it never disappoints.  

I have some art to share as I get ready for the exhibition in Denmark next month.  I promise to post pictures of my work in the nearest future.

now, get ready for school start Monday...

Rats!

My "I will do it tomorrow" has turned in to almost a month!  I have been busy working on (and thinking about) the up and coming exhibition and workshop in Denmark in September.  I have completed a Jacob's Ladder book, based on a Shel Silverstein poem entitled "Rain".  This piece measures 4" x 6" and is done on book board.  Read more about CON-TEXT and some fantastic Nordic book artists in our wordpress blog here.

Otherwise, busy with unexpected home improvement projects.  We have had some unwelcomed guests in our home (rats!) and have had guys in tearing out ceilings and walls.   The good news is that I will be able to create a studio for myself from the ground up and have twice the space I have now.  Something to look forward to in the Fall!

May 17th

Yes, it is once again May 17th and that can only mean one thing, Norway´s Constitution Day (thanks!) and also the biggest day of the year. Being the person that I am, I do tend to do my fair share of complaining. I know, some of you are probably surprised... i like to feel a bit sorry for myself at times, living in a small country, feeling like I am sometimes in the middle of nowhere...but, on days like this, I can honestly say that I am contented here and with each year that passes, I feel like I belong here more and more. Happy Day, Norway!

i love Copenhagen

So nice that they knew i was coming...

Actually, these steel plates are all over the city, not sure what they actually stand for.  I like to think that out of all 29 letters (yes, 29), that they just randomly picked these two.  :)

I feel fortunate to have lived and travelled all over the world and have seen  a lot.  Some places tend to "stick" more than most, and Copenhagen is one of those places.  So full of life, culture and inspiration.  Even though I have been here countless times, I never get tired of it and can´t wait until my next visit.  Fortunately for me, my wonderful SIL lives here, so taking an hour flight down and staying with her, makes for a lovely weekend.  I will be returning again in 6 weeks time, this time for a work do.  Can´t wait!

Thought I would share some imagery from my weekend.

stay tuned, I have a brand new pair of beautiful purple shoes to share in my next post...

Ellen, my SIL

just as many bikes as cars.  i like.

small canvases

Been working on some larger pieces and use these little guys as my fillers. Have listed these little guys on ebay if you are interested!