I thought that staying in one place for the summer would make me bored quickly. Instead it made me extend my stay and paint a whole collection in nature.
I had as many a life changing 2020, so to spend the summer of 2021 out in nature was the best medicine.
When I came to the old washing cottage I had no deadline, or intention that I needed to paint for. The collection was painted with the flow of the water. I didn't feel that I worked one single day, and I created something most days.
“To fall a sleep with waves and wake up to watching the birds fly over the water, is life quality to me.”
This little cottage almost stands in the water as it used to be a washing cottage. All families in the village used to come with a horse and carriage with all their washing. Women used to stay and enjoy each others company at the lake while washing and you can still feel this energy at the place.
Days followed the rhythm of nature
Swimming to the closest island, or just fetching water in the lake. Every single thing that you do when you live in a place without internet and all modern convince brings a natural flow of mindfulness.
You don't need to think about how to add mindfulness into life, it just is.
All paintings where done on the same size of canvas using the same limited color palette of fluid inks, acryclics and charcoal. The stormy days when the sky turned light emerald green and quickly shifted to darkbluegrey where as beatuifiul as the picture perfect midsummer sky.
The swallows living in the roof kept med and Tilda the border collie company for when we not had guests. They live in the roof on the side of the cottage that is facing the water. Watching them fly and with absolute perfection dive into the roof is just one of my favorite things to watch. It has been since childhood, and to me they represents freedom and letting go.
These two paintings to me is about letting go and the feeling of absolute freedom.
Painting outside helped the process of not overworking the paintings but staying in the moment.
#lakeside_art #mixed-media-artist
The last painting of the summer, all about heading back to the city with new energy. This summer truly gave me a completely new way of recharging with nature. Painting outside and working while listening to the waves was just amazing. I can't wait to go back.