Swedish Folk Art Class

Hej! Working at the Birdhouse Amesbury with nine lovely artists is a real treat. Last Wednesday we started by working on our folks art brush strokes and getting to know one another. Many of the participants have a Swedish connection more than half do not. That goes to show that art is universal, especially folk art.

This week is week two and I have a fun lesson planned all around color. They will learn the traditional color palette and then choose whether to use it, or to go with a contemporary one. I strongly feel as an artist you should get to choose. This is one reason why I hate the sip n paint nights where everyone has to do the same thing. It's the rebel in me I guess. 

This is made with the contemporary palette.

This one is traditional. I like them both. Which one would you go for? 

Slow Living Lagom and Fika

 

"Hygge" by Tina Rawson

What goes around comes around. We Swedes have known that doing things in a balanced fashion, and making time for the things that are most important is the way to go. We call it "lagom" - not too much or too little. Now there's a new word for it "slow living" and I like it. Basically it's taking the time to reflect on what's important and then setting time aside for that, and not scheduling as much as we usually do in America. 

This is the definition that I found:

Slow living is a mindset whereby you curate a more meaningful and conscious lifestyle that’s in line with what you value most in life.

It means doing everything at the right speed. Instead of striving to do things faster, the slow movement focuses on doing things better. Often, that means slowing down,  doing less, and prioritizing spending the right amount of time on the things that matter most to you.

Explain to me why no one has time to do anything spontaneously? Is it a badge of honor? We all work so hard. It's really incredible how wonderful Americans are, they don't take vacation and they think that's normal. But making time for friends, family and fika (coffee with friends) is important! 

So have a coffee with me! Here's a delicious treat to try to go with, and you can't have fika by yourself. ;) https://swedishfood.com/swedish-food-recipes-biscuits-cakes/104-cinnamon-buns

 

Inn Along the Way

It went well! My first artist residency in Maine from August 21 - 26 is in the books, literally, look at my scrap book below. :)

I was pleased to be featured in the Lincoln County News on August 10th, and to have finished this huge 36" x 48" painted "bonad" (Swedish wall hanging) ready in time for the party on Saturday, August 26th. To thank the volunteers at Inn Along the Way and they had a band, and a nice spread for everyone. I worked away and answered questions as I put the finishing touches on this beauty.

The amazing thing was that John - who had lived in the house before it became an inn, and was married to Mary Chapman (the last owner of the Chapman Farm) - was visibly touched by my painting. He could not believe that I had chosen a border that they used to have in the dining room and loved my depiction of the farm! 

It was a moment where I almost got chills to hear him say that they chose the exact border that I had painted for their room and it's no longer there! I just happened to see it on some china in the barn and incorporated it into my piece. Everything included in the painting was there for a reason - the class, the garden, the barn, the inn, the logo, the kurbits flowers (Swedish flowers), and the border. The heart on the wall hangs int he barn, the zinnia is from their garden and the chair with the flowers sits by the  barn door.

It took me a long time to paint that border, but I am so very glad that I did. To hear his stories about the Chapmans and to see his reaction made it all worthwhile! I worked really hard on this painting (bonad). I am so glad that he liked it. I gave my first attempt to the Inn Along the Way so that the volunteers could sign it. A big 38" x 48" canvas now hangs in the barn with their names on it! If they wish they can buy the finished piece as well.

Here I am working really hard here to get it done in time! I got up early most days, and was lucky to work hard and then have fun with my friend Anne who lives nearby. You can see the one that didn't make the cut on the wall below. 

This is the one that I gave to Inn Along the Way that they used during their volunteer appreciation. It shows the inn on top, a table, some kurbits (which I taught other how to make) and the barn on the bottom. I taught a class and gave a presentation on Wednesday, 8/23.

Here are some of the class participants proudly showing their work. They did a marvelous job! Thank you for coming, it was so nice meeting you all!

The class was humming on Wednesday, and then I held a presentation on the history of kurbits. It's quite interesting. Please let me know if you're interested in either. My next class is on 9/23/23 in Amesbury, MA Sign up here.

My rendition of the zinnia from the garden. The gardens and grounds are just lovely! There's a pond and a nice trail to it too which I walked with a new friend and her cute dog Pip. 

This space was originally going to be my work area but they had a lunch there on Wednesday called "lunch bunch" which I was happily invited to join. I set up in the longer barn instead and it worked well with good light and a nice breeze.

The house is now an inn but you can see how it used to be a family home and still feels like one. It's very welcoming and now it's open to all with a reservation. I included this sweet yellow garden cart in my painting because it provided the funds to help keep their mission* alive during Covid. 

This was just one of the very many pretty touches around the barn and the inn that I captured on paper. Thank you Inn Along The Way, I won't forget my stay as your first artist in residence and the many nice people that I met there. 

*Mission

A collaborative community offering older adults, and those seeking temporary relief from the responsibilities of caregiving, an environment of support, purpose, and sustainability in a multigenerational and mutually interdependent setting.

 - from Inn Along the Way's website, please learn more here: https://www.innalongtheway.org/

 

Swedish Art Workshop and Presentation

My first artist residency! What a thrill! I can't wait and as part of the fun I am offering a lecture and a Swedish folk art class. Please join us if you're in Maine on the 23rd of August. It will be held in Damariscotta, a beautiful town in Maine. I'll be there all week and I believe that there will be a Volunteer Appreciation picnic brunch on Saturday followed by an Open Mic. My art will be on display all week and I will be working on a special piece from the barn. It will be very interesting and nourishing for me as an artist to interact with this kind community. From their website innalongtheway.org I found their mission ~ it sounds extremely valuable and I'm excited to go. 

Our Mission

A collaborative community offering older adults, and those seeking temporary relief from the responsibilities of caregiving, an environment of support, purpose, and sustainability in a multigenerational and mutually interdependent setting.

 

Woot, a successful class! 10% off too!

We had a wonderful time at Kurbits 101! This is my demo on making the details pop.

Eight fantastic people joined me on May 6th - some were artists, others hadn't held a brush in a while, but everyone had fun and were all very proud of their work.

Here you can see how different their kurbits gourds look despite having traced the same swoop. It all come down to the color choices and the details!

I love how this man chose to make his extra-Swedish! Great idea.

The sun was streaming in and I made fika for all to share. We chatted and enjoyed the company while people had some "vetebröd" fresh from my kitchen. Here's a link for the recipe. 💛

A quiet hush crept over the classroom as everyone focused on their art. Fleetwood Mac played in the background, and it was a beautiful peaceful scene - just as I had hoped.

It was an honor to teach all of these artists. I did manage to sneak in a little history, but mainly they made the drives from RI, the Cape, Marlborough and nearby locations to paint!

Happy Mother's Day! By the way, I am offering 10 percent off all paintings at the Grog at 13 Middle Street in Newburyport for Mother's Day in addition to the coupon you got at class! There are many beautiful ones that your mom might enjoy so if you've seen one that you love, or you are looking for a special gift please inquire on my website and I will give you the discount. All prices are listed with my bio on a hook next to this painting "The Empress" Good until May 15. 

I love sharing art with you and ai look forward to the next class. I think freehand flowers is a good next step. What do you think? Will you join me for Kurbits flowers? Be well Swedish Folk Art Lovers and thank you again for coming! Tack! Tina

Saturday Kurbits Class

Looking forward to this Saturday!

Really looking forward to seeing friends and showing everyone my new art at the Grog this weekend! It's always kind of exhausting getting everything ready - the framing, pricing, prepping the info, marketing, etc - but then the actual day rolls around and it's super exciting and all worth it! 3pm on Saturday May 6th at 13 Middle Street in Newburyport it will all happen!

This is just a snippet of the art available on the walls here, and I'm offering specials on my box of goodies on 5/6/23 for those of you in my email list. You'll get 10% off of cute little paintings that I will bring with me if you either are in my list or sign up at the show.

I decided to do it all on May 6th, class and artist reception so you may see me eating lunch around 1:30 with the class or at the artist reception at 3. It will be fun either way! Here's more on the class which will be held at my studio before the reception.

Back home again

When you are multicultural it's sometimes hard to know where is home. Is home with my mother? Is it with my family in the States? Is it where I grew up, or where I made a home? I don't know, I guess that I'm lucky to have a home in two beautiful places, but it can be hard too. You're always missing someone.

So I'm home from my trip to Sweden, and it was delightful to see everybody, but it seems that Swedish isn't as good (or perhaps my parents hearing isn't as good) as it once was. My mother and my stepfather both had birthdays in the span of a week, and one of them was a BIG one (90!) so we partied hard with my aunts and uncles in Ystad.

Here is a shot of the beautiful beach that I took walks on as often as possible

We went to Vellingeblomman, check out the Easter display! They have Easter witches in Sweden. 

My family above. 

Painting in my sketchbook was relaxing. I enjoyed the downtime in between the two big b-days. It was nice talking walks and catching up with my friends. Plus I enjoyed hanging out with my sister and my mother.  

Note all the dalahästar in a store in Malmö! I went there one day for some shopping. I went to the art gallery too called Konsthallen.

The beach huts in Höllviken are one of my favorite motifs. I'm sure that I'll make something of this photo. Aren't they cute? 

Grattis igen! 

So glad that we got to celebrate with you and I miss you already!