LAPLAND NATIVE, watercolor

Lapland Native, watercolor, 6x9 in.

One of my last paintings while Resident Artist in Ricklundgården,  Sweden. The deer run wild, although they belong to the Sami population. The variety of designs or growth patterns of their horns is amazing, and very beautiful.

Rosalyn Yalow, Nobel Prize in Medicine 1977, wrote: "The excitement of learning separates youth from old age. As long as you're learning, you're not old."

LAPLAND, SWEDEN II, watercolor

Lapland, Sweden II,  4x6 (10x15cm.) watercolor

I've just finished reading Gabriel Garcia Marquez' ONE HUNDRED YEARS OF SOLITUDE. marvelous book. Some quotes: "The secret to a good old age is simply an honorable pact with solitude."  ".(She was)....unaware that nothing could be sold in a town that was sinking irrevocably into the quicksand of forgetfulness."

MIDNIGHT IN LAPLAND-JUNE 18

Midnight in Lapland-June 18, pastel, 9x12 (22x31 cm.)

Now you have an idea of the varietes of "midnight sunsets" I can see from my front door and windows, if  you look at my last few posts. Unfortunately, last night, June 19, it was so cloudy and dark, that it didn't look like an interesting painting.

Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio perfected the Chiaroscuro, the use of lights and shadow for dramatic effect. Following his work, we can use the following guidelines:
-Choose a subject
-Decide on a design and composition for it
-Do a color study.......................................................Now, GET TO WORK!

MIDNIGHT IN LAPLAND-JUNE 17, pastel

Midnight in Lapland-June 17, pastel, 9x12 (22x31 cm.)

I just finished reading ALICE BLISS, by Laura Harrington. The story of a 15 year old girl, smart, funny, not afraid to stand up for what she believes in. She idealizes her father. When he goes to war, her coming of age painfully, dramatically, starts. Very entertaining!

Marc Chagall said: "If you work with your heart, everything goes well."

MIDNIGHT IN LAPLAND-JUNE 16, pastel

Midnight in Lapland-June 16, pastel, 9x12 in (22x30 cm.)

Continuing my series of Midnight in Lapland pastel skies, here is the sky a couple of "nights" ago. Well...not totally night, since after this, the light travels behind the mountains to the right of the painting, for about an hour and 15 or 20 minutes, then the light starts coming back up, having made an arc of about 45 degrees behind the mountains, from here. Then, at about 1:45 or 2 in the morning, the light becomes stronger and the sun starts coming up. Next Friday 21st is "Midsummer" called here in Sweden. The shortest night and the longest day. Celebrations are all over Sweden, with song, dance, music, drink and cakes. I am very much looking forward to that.

MIDNIGHT IN LAPLAND-JUNE 1ST, pastel

Midnight in Lapland-June 1st, pastel, 12x9 (30x22 cm)

Every night I'm flabbergasted by the beauty of the sky near midnight,  and its reflection on the Kultsjön Lake. I run around the house taking pictures from different windows, or from the front porch, or the side. So a couple of days ago I decided to start painting those midnight suns in pastel. I started by my first night here, June 1st. This was midnight sunset on June 1st.

I've been painting the midnight sun for the past three nights, and plan to continue doing so for at least a week. Some of them will make it to this blog. So stay tuned!

SAXNÄS CHURCH II, watercolor and ink

Saxnäs Church II, watercolor and ink, 4x6 on Hungarian hand-made paper

The church in Saxnäs, Lapland, in Northern Sweden, is small, surrounded by a lovely park, with the stones of town people buried here all around the church. A few benches to sit down, meditate, or paint a small watercolor like this one.

I recently read: THOSE WHO SAVE US, by Jenna Blum.  This book examines the emotional and moral gray area between heroism and collaboration during WWII. At the core of the novel are the themes of love, sacrifice, and family secrets which cause a mis-communication between Anna and her daughter Trudy. Excellent! I enjoyed it very much and recommend it, even though...I know...it's another book on a subject that has been covered so much.

KULTSJÖN LAKE V, watercolor

Kultsjön Lake V, watercolor, 4x6 (10x15 cm.)

Kultsjön Lake is in Lapland, Sweden. For this month, I live in front of it at Ricklundgården. It is huge! I have only walked a couple of miles one way and the other way, making small sketches when the time permits, and taking photographs. There are many houses in the forest, near the lake, most of them are painted red, occasionally you find one in yellow or white. Here you breath viridian, and your eyes feast on cerulean and turquoise!

EMMA'S HOUSE IN JUNE II, watercolor

Emma's House in June II, watercolor, 14x10 in (37x27cm)
Emma Ricklund owned the house, when Folkes and Emma separated. He left and started a new life. She stayed here and continued opening her doors to artists. She also started painting herself. The Spring is very short in Southern Lappland. So here in Saxnäs, a few shy flowers opened their eyes at the end of May, and by mid-June there is a riot of flowers all over the place! Lots of birds are loudly announcing their presence, butterflies appeared scattered here and there, not sure in what direction they want to go, and Emma's house, museum and art gallery Ricklundgården, witnesses it all with charm and elegance.

SÁMI GRANDMOTHER, pastel

Sámi Grandmother, pastel, 12x9 in (30x23 cm.)

The Sámi are the native population of Lapland, in Northern Sweden. Like any native population in the world, they have been misunderstood, mistreated, their rights ignored, their land invaded and stolen by the "civilized" groups that came later to the land. These "newcomers" are us, who think in terms of "conquering" nature. The Sámis live IN nature, with it, respecting it. In Lapp mythology there are seven female divine beings, and three of them are most important, the daughters of Maadter-Aahkka--the Earth Mother. The word Aahka means something good and safe, grandmother. Aahka is also an honorary title and symbol of respect.

RICKLUNDGÅRDEN 9, SWEDEN, watercolor

Ricklundgården 9, Sweden, watercolor 4x6 (10x15 cm.)
Sent as a gift to my grand-daughter Emily-Sebastian.

"They say that time changes things, but we actually have to make the changes ourselves." Andy Warhol.
"Every morning you have two choices: continue to sleep with dreams or wake up and chase your dreams." --twited by my son a couple of months ago.

So here I am, in this inmensity of lakes and forests in Lapland, painting,  pursuing my dreams, changing my life experiences. It feels good.

RICKLUDGÅRDEN 3, SWEDEN, watercolor

Ricklundgården 3, Sweden, watercolor, 4x6 in ( 10x15 cm.)

"A work of art is not put in a place, instead it is the place." Martin Heidegger.

I recently read that the great change in art in the 20th C. has been that the viewer has become " a partner in the discussion". So I will ask you, the viewer of my painting: how does this watercolor makes you feel? I'd like to hear from you...please write your feelings in "comment". Thank you.

Painted here in Lapland, Sweden, last week. Not available. I mailed it as a gift to my grandson Matthew.