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

 

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

In the News and New Class in April!

Article in April/May 2023 issue of Swedish Press "Kurbits Painting - Then and Now" by Kajsa Norman

Hej! I have exciting news! My art is going to be covered in next month's Swedish Press! Here's a link to the website this esteemed magazine, North America's only published Swedish monthly. Thank you so much to Kajsa Norman for interviewing me and to Lani A Shumway for the photo of me in the field. I'm particularly proud of my painting "The Empress" which is highlighted above. Check it out here, I used the old-fashioned "kurbits" swoops and swirls in a new way. It is for sale and costs $3,000.

The Empress by Tina Rawson

Also News on the Class Front!! I am offering a second class on this Swedish Art Form at 14 Cedar Street in Amesbury MA. You can come three Wednesdays, and we will have fun making art. I do hope that you will come have fun with us, whether you are Swedish or not. Scandinavian folk art is fun and colorful. You can make it perfect or not, it's up to you. We will enjoy the downstairs space which is full of light and smells like coffee. 

I will teach you about the origin of "kurbits" (Swedish folk art with scroll like shapes) and how to incorporate it into your own art using stencils, or painting free hand. I meet  you where you are in your art practice whether you haven't picked up a brush in decades or are a practicing artist. The idea is to have fun making art together in a calm and pretty place. ~ Tina 

https://form.jotform.com/230295587044157 Sign up here! Only $25/class

Big fall news from this Swedish-American artist!

So many blogs, such little time! Happy Fall everyone! I hope that you're having a wonderful time sipping pumpkin spice lattes and heading out apple picking. I'm in the process of writing up a Swedish Folk Art online class and I launched a new website. Check it out! I'm really excited to share this fun art style with others:  https://tinastart2art.wixsite.com/tinarawsonart-1

In June I hosted a "Midsummer Madness" class at Museum of Old Newbury with 20 participants, they all had a lot of fun too and I got rave reviews which was very kind. We were fortunate to have had the support of the museum and access to their amazing gardens. We were lucky to have that to help our paintings come alive and everyone had fun coming up with their folk art paintings

As my work in this field progresses I will keep you informed, here's what I wrote in May on my art blog about the Seacoast Art Spot class that I held in May, http://tinarawsonart.blogspot.com/2022/05/kurbits-class-continues-and-is-going.html The women in that class were fantastic! It was a four week class so we had a lot of time to explore other mediums as well as the basic kurbits gourd. We used shoes, wood to make signs, painted Dalahorses and completed a painting. They were on fire! 

After this class I took a well-deserved break in Sweden with my mom, husband and my extended family. It's always a huge treat to get back to Skåne with its amazing food, views, walks, people and culture. I had a wonderful break and headed back to sell art locally. Guess what, the folk art was well received and I sold three of my kurbits-inspired work! Let me know if you want one too. Tack!

Tack VASA order for a fun conference in Philadelphia too!