Ah! Sweden in August is divine

• Some of the many things to do in Skåne in the summer include hanging out with the family having fika, or visiting Malmö to enjoy a coffee or bite to eat
• While in Malmö go to Lilla Torg which is the cutest spot to shop and see "Form och Design" with free exhibits housed in a beautiful old timbered house
• Try paddling the canals or visit one of the many parks in town. Did you know that Malmö is known as Parkernas Stad? With 20 disctinct parks, Slottsparken, Kungsparken, and Pildamnsparken, being the best-known ones it is certainly worthy of that name.

Then there are the beaches, in August the water gets chilly, but it's usually a good chance to access your inner Viking and the sun still feels fine. There are beaches all around the penisula, so many good ones to chose from. My favorite is closet to home, Höllviken, as I can walk there! Speaking of Vikings, there is a Viking musuem in Höllviken with an excellent Viking market at times, good food and demos. Check them out https://www.fotevikenvikingaby.se/en

This is Smygehuk, the southern most tip in Skåne and well known for its art exhibits, Swedish crafts and delicious fish sandwiches. Sit outside if the weather is fine and enjoy a sillamacka. There's lots to see and the harbour is so cute. 

Next we have Lund - a university city near to heart because I went to highschool there and my cousin lives there! We have Domkyrkan which is a magnificent middle ages church (I can't believe that I actually used to sing there!) and tons of good eating and shopping. I highly recommend Saluhallen where you can get a delicious meal and buy some sausages or other goodies for later. Mums!

The fresh air, the cool nights, the people that I love - I will miss you so much. Until next time Sweden! 

 Vi ses (see you) xo, Tina

Sweden ahoy! I'm leaving on a jet plane to Höllviken!

 

The weather is fine. My bag is packed. I have a big week planned. I will be visiting my mamma in Höllviken, Sweden. I hope that we will get some beach time in, and that I'll see my extended family. It will be nice to just laze around for a bit, eat good food and hopefully see some old friends.

I'm staying at Höllvikens Mat and Logi which comes with a full "frukost" (breakfast) and comfy little cottages. My mother lives right down the street from it, which makes life handy. For those of you who might be interested in ever visiting beautiful little Höllviken, here's a link to the Hollviksnas hotel .

Did you know that Swedes get five weeks of paid vacation a year? I think that's just about right. ;) I wish that we Americans did too, but I'll only get to stay for a week. This is the brygga (dock) that I hope to head down to with my coffee and mackor (sandwiches) for a day in the sun. 

Höllviken is South of Malmö on the penisula called "Näset" easily accessbile by bus. There are beaches on all sides, and further down on the spit you will find Falsterbo, a gorgeous community from the middle ages that reached its zenith as a bathing destination for the rich in famous in the 1930's. 

Here's some history from Wikipedia:

"Falsterbo historically enjoyed trading privileges with the Hanseatic League. During the Middle Ages, it was a rich and prestigious town owing to its location in a center of trade and herring fishery. On the beach between Falsterbo and neighboring town Skanör was the Scania Market where merchants from various parts of Europe had fixed market places."

I've been in Falsterbo many times, and I can't wait to go back. We lived not too far away in 2012 - 2013 in Ljunghusen. More on that adventure to follow...

I hope that you have a great end of August and wishing you all some downtime too! Living la vida lagom is harder from the US but we put in good effort to find balance, and carve out some time for what's most important - family. 

Glad Midsommar! 2026

 Happy Midsummer from the beautiful mountains around Alton Bay, NH. We enjoyed a wonderful hike and meal with friends in the fresh air, and live music with the the legendary James Taylor at Bank NH Pavilion in Gilford, NH. I made an appetizer with salmon, fresh veggies, pickled herring and caviar and a painted a bottle of champagne to help kick off the celebration. We sang some Swedish songs and had a wonderful time. Thank you to our Danish/American friends for indulging me. Midsummer is one of my favorite Swedish holidays and I loved celebrating it with you. 

Here's the recipe, borrowed from The Scandinavian Year: Food and Thoughts from Sweden, Denmark and Norway by Bronte Aurell. I hope that you enjoy this pretty wreath called "Midsummer Plate" from page 114 of the book. Make each plate seperately and multiply the ingredients by the number of visitors that you have.  

• 1 boiled/cooked egg - cut into quarters
• 50 g/1-3/4 pz smoked or cured salmon
• 3 - 4 pieces of pickled Matjes herring or plan onion herring
• 2- 3 cold, boiled new pototoes, halved
• 3 teaspoons red lumpfish roe caviar
• 2 cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 radish, thinly sliced
• 2 tbsps sour cream
• pea shoots, dill or other small leaves such a baby spinach to garnish
• a few edible flowers, if available
• crispbread and butter to serve

Arrange the food around the plate creating a midsummer wreath of food as you go. Decorate with caviar, cherry tomatoes, radish slices, dollops of sour cream, peas shoots, leaves, and dill sprigs. 

Serve as a starter or light lunch with the crispbread. Yummy!

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.