What a change! From 30 degrees in the air and in the sea, to snowy winter with 10 below. (-10 degrees C.) But the sun came and made the Norwegian scenery beautiful. The most difficult thing was the jetlag. But in a week’s time I am back to normal.

Art Critique

Last fall I asked the Art2Life team if I could have a session with art critique in the Art2Life Academy. I was put on a waiting list, and while I was in Thailand I was asked if I still wanted to have one. I was thrilled and said: Yes, of course! So two days after the return from Thailand, I was having a very good session with Susan Melrath of the Art2Life team critizising some of my paintings. Wow, it was so good, and I learned a lot. The problem is to follow the advice, because she made alterations in Photoshop, which is easy, compared to doing it in real life and on the canvas. Below you will see three of the paintings that was being critiqued. I don’t have the result, as it has not been published yet. But Susan promised to send me some photos of them. The video will be published in March I think. On the Art2Life Academy.

These paintings are based on photographs of rusty iron objects on a harbour. I used them as a start off to make the rest of the painting. I really like the structures that is on rusty things, paint that falls off walls and such things.When I look at the paintings through Susan’s eyes, who has no attachments to my photographs, I understand her questions to me. I see now that I have been too focused on the photographs and forgot about the design of the painting.  Susan showed me what I could do, but I don’t know if I will be able to do it. I might have to make completely new paintings. She also asked me some crucial questions like: why are these photographs important to you, what is the most important in them, what do you want to express with them? I learned that these questions are important to ask oneself when making art.

Where does it come from?

When I had the interview with Susan Melrath on the World Tour with Art2Life and we looked at some of my paintings, my figurative paintings, she asked me where the  images came from. I then answered that they come from my subconscious.

I am going to have an exhibition at Holmsbustuene in May this year, and the gallerist wanted to see an example of how my art therapy education influences my art. So I had to find a painting where the subconscious were present. Below is the painting. It is actually painted in 2008.

The story behind this painting is that when I was a little girl I had a traumatic experience linked to picking flowers. When I started this painting and was playing with colours and lines, a figure like this little girl emerged. I gave her some flowers to hold. A bird appeared next to her, and also in the woods behind her. When she was finished I could not bare to see her eyes. It was as if they looked right through me, they really disturbed me, so I had to put sunglasses on her. Then I could look at her.

So what is the message here? Maybe you can help me? What does a forest symbolize, or the bird? Maybe the colours has a significance? I would like to know what you think.

Have a great weekend.