this summer: dalsland

Dalsland is a dreamy piece of Sweden, full woods and lakes. A growing artist community attracts other artists and culture workers, as well as visitors.

Not Quite is located in a former paper mill, now filled with artists' studios, a bakery, galleries, shop and a fantastic café. It is getting better and better each time I visit.
notquite.se

Nearby is Dalslands Konstmuseum, the program always an interesting mix of contemporary art, design and craft.
dalslandskonstmuseum.se

koster island sculpture park walk

Koster islands, a summer paradise in the Swedish west coast archipelago. Since two years a sculpture park is slowly taking shape on the south island. Starting point for the walk in the woods: Koster gardens, best café/restaurant on the island.

This year Norwegian artist Solveig Egeland built a (to be two) tree cottage in a meadow, still smelling from the newly cut wood and tar in the roof.
She has built houses in other places, like Svalbard, in materials found on the site. Environment and sustainability; educating art work.

Ocean Hope, Svalbard, photos:
smaahytter.squarespace.com/fotogalleri

Solveig Egeland webpage, in Norwegian
www.solveigegeland.no

lärjedalen - lunch break walk

 

Five minutes away from my new work place in suburbia Angered, is a magical mystical forest. The perfect place to catch your breath and sort your thoughts. It´s a nature reserve with prepared paths, in lunch break distance. Am I lucky.

 And there is a café Lärjeåns café och trädgårdar... with much more than just the fika.

internet exhausted

Long blog break; I think I am a little internet exhausted. Even if the camera is always with me, somehow the photos seems to stay in a computer file and not reach here.

But now, when on holidays from the office computer at KHVC, I feel a spark of inspiration for internet again and will catch up with some of what I saw this spring.

But first: Midsummer magic with friends on a raft not far from the polar circle and endless summer nights. At a lake where the mosquitos can't find you. Best cure for every exhaustion.

This is where I want to go: Anish Kapoor in Berlin
Some more Berlin fun

a block in malmö

In Malmö there is a block where a lot of artists and designers have their studios and shops: Kulturkvarteren Fersen. They will have a Gallery Night May 14.

Ströms bowling shop in that same block, with this lovely display, has very limited opening hours.

SwedishDesign.org
is a new webpage where Swedish artists, designers and architechts can contribute. I did. All in English.

take a swim

No big plans for my weekend in Malmö, but one thing was important. To take a dip in icecold water after the sauna might seem insane, but it actually fills you with endorphins, and makes you feel alert and relaxed at the same time. I love it and Ribersborg open air bath is such a nice place to do it.

There was a hole in the ice for us.
Thank you for joining me, Felicia Konrad!
Her voice is strong.

svartöstan!

Svartöstan, Luleå; my birth place and pride. I´m so happy to visit. Times are same same, but different. Blackis, where my father used to dance and have fun as a young man, is still the place.

Heart warming concert night: First, seven songs in a row in Finnish mellow minor with "Handsome Johnny and the knives". After that Evighetens Orkester, spiced with some Norrlåtar members from older days - progressive folk. And a few bands more.

Listen to Evighetens orkester here...
Norrlåter, sista brevet från Liikavaara-Franz here...

water and viola

This summer the water color museum in Skärhamn shows a Bill Viola exhibition, videos with water as a medium. A truly spiritual experience. So was having lunch in the restaurant by the sea.

There will be an interesting seminar September 7-8: Images in sacred rooms and the art of Bill Viola, read more (Swedish)...
www.billviola.com

And the village is a nice place for a walk in the sun.

around tranemo: glasets hus

A short break in an area new to me, a trip around Tranemo two hours busride from Göteborg, visiting friends. Glasets Hus in Limmared was first stop. Charming glass museum, combined with nice café and waiting area for bus and trains, so clever. Limmared is also the place where the bottles for Absolut Vodka are made, with other glass containers.
www.glasetshuslimmared.se

There is a small glass shop and also a shop with the products from Oddbirds, a Tranemo based group of designers and makers, design for the home:
oddbirds.nu

furry creatures

A walk in the countryside.

Sandra Magnusson, crochet artist
Shows work at Frölunda kulturhus, Göteborg.

Hit borde man också åka i sommar, We love lera på Meken i Bergslagen (info in Swedish only...)

mid summer

Celebrating the summer solstice this year in a very relaxed way, with friends in the countryside. Lovely days with both rain and shine. Musts on the midsummer dinner table: season's fresh potatoes, strawberries and flowers.

Ceramic artist Malin Grumstedt

summer started

For me, summer starts today. I've worked franticallly at my office job, to make free time for studio work this summer. No stress ahead, just lots of hard work to enjoy.

Photos from around Gerlesborgsskolan some weeks ago, the art school located in the very heart of Bohuslän, Swedish west coast.

Gerlesborgsskolan www.gerlesborgsskolan.se
And there are guest studios and accomodation...

rock carvings

We took a trip, Danelle Bergstrom and I, to see the rock carvings around Tanum. Mythical, mystical figures hidden in the woods. And great company!
Vitlycke museum, the world heritage site
Scandinavian Society for Prehistoric Art, more images here...

Danelle Bergstrom, Australian painter, stays in one of the guest studios at Konstepidemin, visit here...

My gifted friend and graphic designer Anna Larsson opened a web shop: posters, cards and prints.