Drawing, painting, sculpting... surely one will do the trick?

He started out as a sketch a few years ago and while going through art pads for inspiration and some stone to leap from, I found him lodged between scribbles, barely formed yet entirely sure of himself. Wanting to break in my new easel given to me by Husband as a wedding gift, I decided this noble fellow would be my first excuse to wear the shine off and get started. I had not painted in quite a long time and though it is like riding a bike, the nervousness of hitting obstacles and other immovable objects, like practice, gave me a passing flicker of dismiss able thought. Doesn't matter if I can't paint, I'll learn again or at the very least. the tragedy of enjoying myself trying.

I picked a medium canvas and decided acrylic would be to my speed. Easily forgivable and not much waiting time between attempts.

The first underpainting took an hour to block out and not much

trouble. The next hour was building up basic highlights and shadows and roughing in the volume. So far NO problem. I was quite pleased. A few breaks and cups of coffee in between drying layers, play with the dog and chat with some of the guys in the building. In fact I was feeling so confident, I started a fimo clay figure head, though the painting kept luring me back. A wonderful way to spend a cold winter day.

Day two: Working well. And then I hit the wall.

I just got stuck with shadows and details, started messing up the clothing.. BAH. Time for a different approach.

So I found that you can get really cheap clay here around the holidays. Apparently it's used for sticking plants and things into for table decorations. 2 kilo for 1 dollar 20. Man! Genius! I got myself a whole new media. I haven't really worked with clay so much and wanted to make a study of this froggy fellow to help me with the detail work of the painting based on the sketch.

Nothing finished but still enjoying the tragedy of it all :-)

Love from Cph

The Making of an Art Studio and Happy Domesticates

Husband is a gem of a man and quite the anthropologist when it comes to his wife. I am often in awe of his insight and consideration as to the methods of enriching my life and thrivelyhood. I am an unfortunately simple organism that has few requirements though to describe them would give entirely the opposite impression. Husband can however give you the rules of how to take care of a Kyrie should you find one in the wild and wish to domesticate it with any degree of success and happiness to the both of you.

A recent concern has been that quite often they can become lethargic and depressed when confined to a static or unchanging environment or one which is too small for it's needs...

(Cue: sound of heavy footed tripping followed by tense cursing)

A build up over time of this can lead to a very frustrated and unhappy state commonly expressed by terse and repetitive remarks (often complaints guised as accusations), fits of anger, acquiescence, and other outward expressions of melancholy. A very cranky situation all round.

The answer? Make an Art Studio.

(Cue: raucous applause, laughter and shouts of joy)

I am the proud renter of an atelier- 18 square meters of pure creative space. Out in the abandoned and newly re-purposed B&W shipyard area of refshaleøen. The top floor of the old riggers building is where I rent my space from. It's the orange brick building to the left. The bottom level is leased to an auto repair shop and the entrance of the building neighbors a huge antique warehouse where often

I find discarded furniture to re purpose. All of my storage shelves and chairs have been contributed in this fashion and I am quite proud to support the recycling mentality though were I to be a perfectly upstanding citizen I would have to allow these items to be picked up by the city disposal (I am a tax payer to technically I am paying for it already) and drag it off to a dump where it would be burned or mulched (I mostly save hard wood items- they can have the metal).

It was Husband's idea, he got me started by sending me adverts from the local paper and I took it from there, and found my new joy-ground.

This is the BEFORE, looking in.

The building has several rooms for rent and has around 8 creative residents and 4 studio renters: musicians, painters, photographers, an installation artist and circus performers. The part I rent is a section of a large room which was divided by makeshift partitions, cutting the room into 3 ateliers, each a little under 18 square meters. One large window each and the small circle on the back wall is the ventilation.

Of course there is no heat in the building, no electric heat anyway. Each atelier comes with a gas

space heater- I buy the gas tanks, they loan the heaters. Not too pricy, if you dont have to heat the whole room that is. Windows are 2 layers of plexiglass, no insulation on any surface and this is scandinavia.. a bit of a challenge for someone who loathes the cold.

This is the BEFORE, my back to the window

Where Subi is sitting is the hallway to access the other sections. The comfy chair was donated by my wonderful Svigermor, Dorthe (Mom-in-law). With the heat being an issue for me I promptly went about pitching the idea of building a proper insulated wall and was met with agreals all round. HuRAH! Husband and I spent 2 weeks building it and laying insulation on the floor along with a few carpets and thin plates of particle board, painting the walls and moving in all my tools and supplies.

The final result. AFTER looking in

I have a clay and sculpting station at the window. The table top is glass and I can alternatively use it for lino-print and general hard surface requirements. To the immediate right I have my painting easel, frames and canvases stacked in the corner. 3 quarters of the wall is taken by shelving of supplies and tools, including my sewing machines and coffee making gear.

In the foreground to the left I have a desk which extends in length for sewing and other large projects needing a sturdy indestructible surface.

AFTER, with back to window

I have a split, dutch style door to help with ventilation and the occasional passing inquiry which allows me to open the top part while keeping some of the heat as well as the dog in. I have had several comments on how hot it is in my studio... LOVELY.

Husband is SO jealous :-D

I am overjoyed!

Hugs and Love from a real live artist

Sweets and Heat

Outside as the temperature falls along with the leaves just a bit more every day, the chill tarnishing greens into yellow golden-orange and browns. As always, it is beautiful out at Dorthe's lake in all the seasons. My favorite place to regress into childhood activities.

This visit, as with our last, two weeks ago, has been filled with many enjoyable projects. Barter, trade and recycle is the best way out here.

The blackberry bushes that grow along the lake path have clawed, scratched and stung their last battle this season, rewarding with fat berries to only the most determined of foragers. I am the proud Blackberry Queen, finding buckets where only few were guessed to remain. haHA! I made a wonderful blackberry syrup with the batch freshly picked, thick and sweet and smooth to accompany husbands delicious danish style pancakes for this mornings breakfast.

Last visit, Dorthe required better satellite reception so Chris, a friend from the area, came and cut down a pine and a fir tree. I got inspired and got my pick of material to practice and learn wood carving with. My first project is a yard gnome about 2 feet tall. Ambitious but delightfully challenging. First tests with wet wood have taught me that I need better tools. A few gauges of curved chisels, V- chisels and a small chain saw will be aquired and hopfully in the near future I will post progress on that one.

Helle and Mohammad have a beautiful yard and offered me the use of their lavender so I could make "lavendel pind" or lavender bottles for the girls. Simple, charming and gorgeous smelling decorations for linen cabinets or lingerie drawers.

Besides that, they have a new litter of kittens, two of which I have come to ferry to Copenhagen as a birthday present to a close friend of mine who is anxious and impatient to receive. I'm getting daily photos from LOLcats and name proposals (though last I saw of the kitties they were too young to tell their gender).

Fall is good, life is good and Subi-dog is having a blast out here.

Love from DK

Subi

The Forgotten Wilbur Smith

I have three books on loan from a South African commercial pilot living in Denmark.

Because I have the tendency to forget, I have learned to compensate with curiosity. I make do with whatever is at hand, inspect and pose it with some interest to what’s between my ears. It also gives me a window I would otherwise be too occupied to use.

With plenty of time to spare this morning, coffee and pastry in hand(my spoonful of sugar to swallow the train so to speak), I sadly stood at the track and watched the clock, black armed, pushing fat minutes into blocks of fives and tens- minutes I could have been in Africa. I could have been in Canada or wherever with my caffeine comfort observing Sean Courtney, had I remembered my book. I’m told by Chris, who was raised in South Africa, the level of detail and accuracy Smith writes with in all of his novels, winning respect and interest before I even turn a page. And after turning a few it gives me a feeling of solid ground. So solid I could kick up the dust with my own feet.

I see Chris reading these books with flashbacks, the smell of heat and nostalgia of his own childhood.

Subi 10 weeks

So we have 7 days under our belt and the routine is starting to take shape. I have to say I'm impressed with this little personality. She is a sturdy puppy and hardly seems effected by being corrected. Some pups act as though you've killed them, but no, not our Subi. She could care less really most of the time. Besides taking correction pretty well, she actually learns and listens. She's doing it all pretty fast.

Potty training is nearly there (note to self, repeat 90 times).

She sits on command, though to be fair she prefers sitting calmly and watching you so that one was easy.

Dæk (danish for lie down, kinda like "hit the deck")- she's done a few successful repetitions of this one without many clues. Repeat 30-90 times.

Come- she doesn't focus when there are other dogs around but she is pretty good at stopping whatever she is doing and coming back to get a good ol pat on the head.

Not bad for one week. Jeez she is growing fast too.

Time flies like an arrow, Fruit flies like bananas

It's been a long time since I my last entry. Loads has happened.
In february Hubs and I took a 3 week trip to Australia to visit his sister and niece. We saw the great outback, kangaroos, wild boars, koalas, joeys and even had a up-close encounter helping an echidna cross the road (I'm sure there is a aussie joke out there somewhere about that). So many wonderful things I can say about the south side of the equator. I still have batches of photos to process and will get them up here eventually.

At the end of May, we surprised my dad with a visit for his 60th birthday. Only my partners in crime, Aunt Kendra and Uncle Jack were in on that and the outcome was the best (good) shock I think my dad has had in decades. I'm proud to have such a wonderful husband to support me and my connection with family back home. It was his idea in the first place and he made sure it happened despite my protests of practicality. We stayed 10 days and took a small trip to Eureka Springs Arkansas. Beautiful. Deege will hate motocycles for a long time :-)

In July we returned to Kansas City for 3 weeks for our full summer vacation and spent a week in Colorado and a few lost hours in Wyoming. Took the Nephews, Jason (5) and Noe (10) on their first real camping trip. Real in that they were in genuine wilderness, with real live animals which prevent you from being the top of the food chain, in a minimal shelter, no public facilities or even water to be found. We needed to bring our own water with us.
I think despite the normal tantrums and behaviour acts, they enjoyed it. A shock for Hubs and I as we don't have contact with children of any age back in Denmark. One evening/early morning a bear came into camp and was sniffing around the kids tent (the only unarmed shelter) .

He didn't cause any trouble and left on his own as the food was locked in a car a few yards off. I have to be honest, there were a few tantrums the kiddies threw that led us adults to ponder the peace we might have had were the bear not so picky that night.

hehe.

And tomorrow, at 12:00 we start a new endeavor. We will be picking up our new puppy, Subi, down in south sjælland and taking her into our hearts and lives. Companionship is a huge motivator for anyone part of the human race. I think we have been needing more family near us, and this will be our training wheels for future additions.

I look forward to new experiences, new situations, new friendships and perhaps even a more fit (physically and mentally) Me.

She is just what we were looking for. A 50/50 mix between a Bernese Mountain dog and a Border Collie.

Our New puppy, Subi- 9 weeks

SnowDog

Went up north for the weekend. 3 bridges and 3 hours later we arrive in Århus for our

Valentine's

Day treat of spending a few hours in Den Gammel By (The old city). The main purpose of course besides the photography was to obtain our favorite honey-heart cookies that are baked (we hope) fresh from the old time bakery they have there. They can be many sizes, but our favorite ones are about the size of our hand and they all come with pictures of angels pressed into the chocolate coating on top.

The next morning we woke to a white landscape across the land and lake.. it snowed all day and was perfect perfect perfect for building with snow. I could not help myself and decided to have at it as the temperature could

change and close the window for fun. I began with the traditional balls of snow for bulk and ended up with a mass slightly shorter than my 5ft. 3. Hand sanding and carving from there ended up with a rough shape of a dog and I gave up the rest when friends came over for coffee and a chat. the results are still nice though I think you can see that I will be going to Australia soon.

Dog?

or kangaroo? You choose. :-)

F-F-February at 56°00 'N

The countdown begins.

The worst of the winter months has arrived in Denmark. Although we have already had 3 months of grey, cold weather, this month is the final test. The coldest, greyest, wetest, most depressing and least loved- as well as the shortest (with good reason). Winter blues are hitting hard and as the country is abraded by ice and wind and dark, Hubs and I are taking 3 weeks in Australia. It is exotic, it is warm, it is dangerous and there will be adventure this winter. The sunlight will dislodge the dustbunnies of gloom from our brains make them sparkle with joy. Woohoo, Yipee, La-la-la-la- SNAKE! Hehe, Haha, yeehaa- SHARK!

Okay, cautious joy then.

Until you have lived with long dark winters (Alaska, you hear me) you have every reason to scoff at this mamby pamby mood "disorder". Those of us that have, however, mutually scoff at those that have such a dismisal of the effect of one's environment. And just one winter doesnt count Im afraid. Surviving it once is almost unnoticeable. Having 13 of these cycles under my belt weighs a ton and makes my knees buckle and boy I'm ready to travel light. har har

Lets see how the packing goes.. and the 24 hour flight. :-P