Arrival in Iceland

I wanted to let everyone know that I've made it to Reykjavik safe and sound. I'll get up early tomorrow and catch a bus to where I am painting for the next month. I can't write very much tonight as I have a headache.

Thanks to all my friends and family for praying for my safety on this trip.
More tomorrow.
Viv

Lessons from Sweden

23 days have come and gone since I left home- 23 days of adventure and learning. Tonight, I sit here at a small table in the hostel's common room and have time to reflect on some of the biggest lessons I've learned. With my headphones on and my computer tuned in to the local country station back home, I hear new songs that have been released sometime between July 7th and now and they are a happy change from the songs on my iPod- I've been itching for a musical makeover and tonight's station offers just what my ears have begged for.

When I think back to my arrival in Sweden almost a month ago, I can't believe how much I've discovered about the country, people in general, and myself. Here's a condensed list of bits and pieces I've learned along my journey so far:

-Banks are great places to stop and ask for directions- they're quiet and have air-conditioning.
-Taxis are expensive.
-Avoid gypsies at all costs.
-Money is hard to come by and very easy to lose.
-Nothing is better than being with people you love and who love you back.
-Trust your gut- if you don't feel comfortable with something, there's probably a reason why.
-Expect delays, plan on mishaps, and always leave with plenty of time to get where you're headed.
-If you don't know, ask.
-My deodorant and toothbrush are my two most precious possessions.
-Patience. Patience. Patience.
-Being a host or hostess is more than just letting someone enter your home, it means making your guest feel special, comfortable, and welcome.
- I don't know anything about cooking or Swedish politics.
-Don't smile at strangers.
-Swedes don't like excessive chatter.
-Nothing beats good soft-boiled egg.
-I get by just fine with a small duffle bag of personal belongings.
-I will always remember the generosity that my friends and relatives have shown me.
-Faith, Family, Friends- these are what matter most.
-After two years, my heart is really starting to heal.
-I miss home more than I thought I would.
-This trip is harder than I expected.
-I love traveling.

There's much more to add to this list, but this is the CONDENSED version.
I leave tomorrow for Reykjavik and then head to my artist residency on Monday. August is a month of painting, drawing, journaling, blogging, Joe Artist, photography, and discipline.... and fun.
Even though I had a blast in Sweden, I'm ready for Iceland- like a child graduates from crawling to walking. I'm ready to walk.

This blog needed some spicing-up, so I decided to do a little video entry today. Here are four small videos- not smooth, not refined, just Viv and a camera and some random thoughts.
Bing, bang, boom. Done.



A nice little note from The Vivster




Humidity is my Kryptonite.





I know I say 'really' a lot in this clip, and I'm okay with that, really.





Making my mama proud.

Vroom Vroom

Just seconds before writing this blog, I threw my hands behind my head and leaned as far as I could backwards over my chair- resulting in the most horrid, excruciatingly painful "POP" I've ever felt in my spine. Someone call for a wheel chair some morphine, please. Thanks.

So.... did you miss me? I know, I know, it's been two full days since my last VAA update. I have good reasons for my tardiness, however. Let me explain.

On Tuesday evening (during my sacred blog time), I found myself at the Motala Speedway for some motorcycle racing. Sofia's Dad invited me to tag along and watch Sweden's top two teams battle it out for the number one spot in the country. I politely agreed to go to the event not knowing what to expect. Well, let me tell you, what sounded like a fun evening turned out to be one of the most memorable times I've had in a long time.

First of all, the place was PACKED with enthusiastic Swedes. If you know anything about anything, you'll know that Swedes do not easily show outward signs of emotion, so that makes the fact that these people were excited even more... um...exciting. Yeah.

Secondly, the motorcycle racing itself was pretty fantabulous (that's a real word- go ahead and Google it). I mean, those guys got on thier bikes and rode like Satan himself was right behind them. They tore around each corner chasing after one another with raw competitive spirit. There were crashes, there was dirt flying in the air, there was people screaming in Swedish- it was sweet.

Last, but not least, the reason why the motorcycle races happened to forever cement itself in my brain is because the two teams (Motala Pirates and the (something-something) Indians) were neck and neck throughout all 15 heats- making it even more nail-bitingly suspensful. Yes, the Motala Pirates lost by a couple of points (tears were shed by many a fan) but we'll get 'em next time won't we, fellas!?

Tell you what, I will include a little video for you to see the first heat of the night. The following races were much better than this one, but it'll give you a little taste of what I'm talking about.




So, that was Tuesday. On Wednesday, we went to a dinner party with Sofia's Dad's side of the family and we were there until pretty late. Actually, truth be told, I went home earlier than the rest of the group because I'm a weenie and can't stay up as late as everyone else. So, I went home, changed my di-di, sucked my thumb, crawled into my crib, and fell asleep way before everyone else came home. It's okay, I know I'm a wimp.

That brings us to today- a day spent taking care of errands and tying up loose ends before I head back to Stockholm on Saturday and then fly to Reyjkavik, Iceland on Sunday. I've got tons more to report on, so I'll write again tomorrow and bring you all up to speed on what's new here in ol' Sweden.

Skol! (that's 'cheers!' in Swedish)

PS. If you happened to call my bluff and Google 'fantabulous'. you'll know by now that that whole things about it being a real word was a bald-faced lie. But, it is a good word, isn't it?

Bumblebees are Cool

It's July 25th- and we all know what that means, don't we? That's right, July 25th means I only have four days left in Motala and then I head to Iceland on Saturday. I seriously cannot believe how fast time has flown while I have been here and I'm trying to figure out how to magically squeeze a few more days into my stay here.

The past several days haven't been very artistically productive. However, since this trip to Sweden wasn't solely for the purpose of painting but really intended to spend time visiting with family. So, I'm am pleased at what I've done- no regrets.

Since I leave on Saturday and it takes several days (if not weeks) for my oil paintings to dry, I don't have enough 'drying time' to do another large painting. Instead, sketches and photographs will suffice. My three completed paintings will be rolled up on Thursday and sent back home to Washington.

In other news, all you coffee fans will be happy to hear that I am up to one and a half cups of java a day. And all you tea fans will be happy to hear that I no longer loathe the coffee substitute- in fact, I've developed a small appreciation for it. (What's that!? Hell's frozen over?!???)

The other day, I went to an art show by a Swedish artist named Viktor Paulsson (I searched for a website for him, but couldn't find anything). Anyway, Viktor did an entire art show about bumblebees and how they're proportionally unbalanced and (scientifically speaking) they should be physically incapable of flying- but they fly anyway...an insect miracle. Viktor did an entire series of fabulously detailed pen sketches of these amazing creatures and then painted them using brilliant watercolors. If you get a chance to observe a bumblebee within the next week, I encourage you to do so- and marvel at their miraculous flying abilities.

While we're on the topic of fat bodies and skinny wings (arms), I would like to make a small confession and tell everyone reading this that I've been eating way too many Swedish baked goodies. I'm pretty sure those kladdkakas are going straight to my thighkakas. As a result, I've started running and walking- hopefully this way I won't have to buy myself an extra plane ticket for my ride back home. I can just see my friends and family greeting me when I come back and trying to act like they didn't notice that it looks like I swallowed an entire hotdog stand. "Oh, hey Viv. Wow! You look...uh...great. I...uh... I can tell that Europe was good to you ((maybe TOO good)). Well, gee gotta go."

Speaking of swallowing hotdog stands, has anyone seen a photo of Val Kilmer lately? I did a Google search for him the other day while Kristoffer and I were discussing who we thought was the best Batman. Let's just say that I don't think Val's Batsuit fits him anymore.

With that said, I'll be leaving you with some pictures from the past week or two. Happy Monday, Everyone!

Headlines on July 23

Sketching Some Houses

Chairs: a major source of frustration

Swedish Hymnal. It's impossible to sing and read a foreign language at the same time

Motala Church

Tuva + Juanita= Best Friends

Tuva loves playing with my hair.

Doodle Session

Fresh Picked Berries

A Moment of Silence

It's been two full days since the horrific events took place in Norway. I am been in a rare spot here- a visitor to a region experiencing pain and loss. Scandanavians mourn together- each person struggles to make sense of what has happened. I am not Norwegian, I am just a painter on a trip and, as these sorts of events have taken place, I feel the insignificance of my little adventure.

Church was packed today. Scores of votive candles lit the entire front of the church, signifying silent prayers for those most deeply impacted by the abombinable acts two days ago. I did not light a candle, but prayers were prayed nonetheless.

No painting today, just time spent with family and, in my mind, that's time well spent.

Chairs Are Dumb

Have you ever tried to sketch a stack of chairs? Well, have you? I didn't think so.
Let me tell you that, from personal experience, it's a lot harder than it sounds. First of all, there are legs everywhere...in every direction, legs, legs, legs- like a Can-Can dancer had babies with a centipede.

If you somehow get the legs properly drawn, good luck with all the chairs' backs and seats. I close my eyes and remember the 'simple' scene I had set up in the living room today: three chairs haphazardly stacked and one black chair on its side. I remember the scene and let out a shudder thinking about the green chair's back and how I unsuccessfully represented that back with paint today. And then I think about all the other unsuccessful attempts I made at painting the other three chairs' various parts.

After the challenges of the legs, backs, and seats, there's an element that I don't think has a name- it's what I call 'I'm out of my league' factor. It's that feeling when a painter, sculptor, or any other artist faces something so completely above their skill level that they let out a sigh and commit this moment to 'learning experience' and have no hopes of mastering whatever it is that they're facing. It's like handing a beginning piano student Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue and saying "Knock yourself out, son." or giving a novice sculptor a chisel and some marble and saying "Recreate Michaelangelo's David".

You are painfully aware of what your skill level is and you know that it does not match the skill required for the project you're trying to comlete. This doesn't give you any reason to quit or refuse to work on the project, it just means that the product will never be seen (heard, witnessed, etc) by the public. Instead, your product will serve as a reminder of how much you still have to learn.

Today, while trying to work on my stack of chairs, the 'I'm out of my league' feeling hung over my easel like a thick fog. This project today reminded me how much I have to learn this year and that I have my work cut out for me. I worked and, as I tried one sketch after another, I pacified my fragile artistic self by saying "This is lame now, but you'll get better at it. No one ever has to see this."

And no one will. Nope, no picture for you. Just be happy knowing that my silly-putty artistic skills were stretched today and it'll pay off later. As for today, we'll just call it a learning day.

I'm sick of legs, backs, and seats. As a sign of my frustration, I am going to silently boycott chairs for the rest of the day and sit on the floor during dinner. Maybe then those chairs will be reminded of who calls the shots around here.

Making Progress

Here's a picture of my most recent painting, "Still Life with Limes" (12"x12")


I painted this one yesterday and feel pretty good about it. The colors are a little brighter than my other recent work, but...dull-colored limes look like they've gone bad, so you gotta bump the color up a bit.

Today, I started sketching a stack of chairs I made in the dining room. It's a good thing that Sofia and Kristoffer are so nice 'cause I'm pretty sure anyone else would have kicked me to the curb by now. They put up with my crazy schemes, antics, and a few lame puns now and then.

I can't write much tonight. The terrorist attack in Norway that happened today sure puts me on edge and reminds me that the world is a scary place.

Much love to friends and family.

Exclusive Interview #2

It's Wednesday- which means it's time for another Vivogue interview with myself- totally raw, unfiltered, and only available here at www.hellovivian.blogspot.com

For those just tuning in, Vivogue Magazine is my own imaginary magazine. It's filled with amazing photos and editorials and is much better than what you can find in the check-out line at your local grocery store- no siree this is legit.

My interview this week came at a very inconvenient time. Running behind schedule and not sure what to wear, I showed up a good 10 minutes late. Out of breath and slightly sweaty, I sat down for the weekly interview- I'd prepared a few answers for the questions I knew that the interviewer was sure to ask and I brought a few pictures to show as well.

The interview was held as a small Swedish cafe and, once I settled in at the table, I ordered a cup of strong coffee and then embarassingly had to cancel that order and get tea instead.

Now that I've set the scene, here's this week's interview:

Vivogue Rep: Hello, Vivian. It's good to see you. You look amazing like always- albeit a little out of breath and slightly sweaty- but amazing nonetheless.
Vivian: (sipping tea, tasting its weakness and making a face) Bleh. What was that?

Vivogue Rep: I said you look amazing.
Vivian: Oh, thanks- I couldn't decide between the Chanel gown or the Dior suit, so I just settled for khakis and a t-shirt.

Vivogue Rep: That's nice, dear... Okay, so- bring us up to speed with how your week is going.
Vivian: Well, it's been simply amazing. I've gotten a chance to finish two paintings and have started an underpainting for a third. See?

Vivogue Rep: So, your theme this past week was 'houses'. What's your theme for this next week?
Vivian: Well, I am starting a 'still life' theme. I know that one painting that I am going to do this week is of a few old chairs that are in the house. Sounds lame, but it should be cool.

Vivogue Rep: Yeah it does [sound lame] but hopefully it turns out well. Anything else?
Vivian: Yeah, there's a bunch of limes in the fridge, so I think I'll do a scene with some limes and a red chili pepper that's been sitting by the stove for a few days. I like the vibrant complimentary colors.

Vivogue Rep: Cool. Cool. Did you bring photos of paintings you've finished this week?
Vivian: Yep. (shows pictures)

Vivogue Rep: Okay, good. Enough about art. Our readers are interested in hearing about any men in your life.
Vivian: That's for me to know and you to find out.

Vivogue Rep: Some say that you just went on this trip to find a suitable boyfriend. Is that true?
Vivian: If I wanted a boyfriend, I'd have one by now- trust me. I don't need to go on a big search around the world for a guy- that would be a waste of precious time, energy, and money. Nope. I am single for a reason and I plan to stay that way while I am on this trip.

End of Discussion.

Vivogue Rep: Ok, Jeez. Calm Down.
Vivian: I AM CALM!

Vivogue Rep: Tell us what you've learned about yourself this week.
Vivian: According to my cousin Sofia, I make this 'doooooh' noise (kind of like Homer Simpson) whenever I drop something or come close to disaster. Oh, and I like gummy candies shaped like eggs.

Vivogue Rep: That's underwhelming.
Vivian: You asked.

Vivogue Rep: Well, look at the time. That does it for this week, tune in next week for another edition of Vivogue's Exclusive Interview with Vivian.

Photo Courtesy of Vivogue Professional Photographer

The Bean Bites Back

At the risk of divulging too much information on this blog, I feel the need to tell you something very important, so I'm just going to come out with it:

I have very sensitive intestines. Very.

I think you might have gathered that from yesterday's blog entry about the giant gut-ache I got after fifteen minutes of Snack Fest 2011. But, just incase things weren't clear enough, let me spell it out for you: V-E-R-Y.

If you're a close friend or family member, my news about my touchy-tummy-syndrome isn't really a shocker, especially if you've had to hang out with me after I've accidentally eaten something fried and chased it with a cup of coffee and then devoured an icecream sundae right after. This happened at Outback Steakhouse almost ten years ago when I ate the 'Bloomin' Onion' and had coffee and a giant scoop of Vanilla Icecream with chocolate sauce on top. I've not been to Outback since and, believe me, there's a reason why.

When it comes to my digestive tract, things get ugly in a hurry and, I am sorry to say, I've had to literally run from one restroom to another with stomach spasms so strong I think they count as contractions.

Now that I've painted a nice little picture in your mind (I AM an artist, afterall), let me tell you why this unfortunate physical condition has anything to do with my artistic adventures here in Motala.

I just mentioned that coffee sometimes can be a bad belly ache factor but I can usually get around this by not combining my caffine with other 'triggers' like the Bloomin' Onion or any sort of frozen milky dessert. I just avoid those things and my body can handle as much coffee as I like and LET ME TELL YOU I like my coffee. I love it. Okay, it's true, if I could marry it, I would.

When I arrived in Motala a week ago, Sofia immediately offered me a cup of good Swedish coffee (so strong, it makes your tongue beg for mercy) and I eagerly agreed to a cup, and then another. Two hours passed and it came time for afternoon coffee. Dinner rolled around and, guess what? We had coffee with dinner too. If there's a coffee heaven, I've been living there for the past week- drinking the beverage like spring water- and enjoying every minute of it.

Until now.

Over the past 8 days, I have consumed so much coffee that I think the lining of my stomach has deteriorated and now, when I drink my favorite hot beverage, my tummy lets me know that it isn't happy- not happy at all.

In order to try to placate my stomach lining, I've done something I swore I'd never do.

I've switched to- (I can't say it, it makes me sound like a weenie. Maybe it's better if I take a running start). Okay. Here it goes:

InOrderToPlacateMyStomachLiningI'veDoneSmethingISworeI'dNeverDo.

I(gasp)SWITCHED(gasp)TO(gasp)TEA---------------------------!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I've disgraced my entire Swedish family by limiting my coffee intake to one small cup a day and then having to turn to tea in the afternoons and evenings. I'd like to take this moment and apologize to Swedes around the world who are, no doubt, reading this and weeping softly.

As a result of semi-retiring my coffee mug, my afternoons here in Motala have gone from coffee-buzzolicious to tea-drab. When the time for a cup of joe rolls around, I let out a mournful sigh and sleepily turn towards the tea cupboard. The only good thing is that, with any luck, my stomach lining will slowly repair itself and I'll soon be back in full swing.

Until then, I'll be sitting here- steeping my tea and without a painful stomach ache.

Dear Tummy, I hope you're happy.

Your's Bitterly,

Viv

Snack Fest 2011

Two days ago, while walking to the store to mail a postcard, I saw a sign for a snack food that I'd never heard of- something called 'Cheese Doodles'.

If 'Cheese Doodles' doesn't sound tempting to you, you're not human.

Instantly intrigued by the snack, I rushed home to tell Sofia and Kristoffer that I had a new idea for a blog article- something new, something daring- something....delicious. And so came about my research assignment for the next two days- an assignment that I nicknamed "Swedish Junk Food: Exposed". My goal was to try and rate a smattering of different candies, chips, and goodies that we don't find back home and report back to my blog readers just what I do and do not recommend if they ever happen to travel to Sweden.

Kristoffer and Sofia listened to my idea and, after much talk and excitement, we put our shoes on and headed to Ostenssons grocery store to purchase snacks of all sorts for me to try.

We entered the store with the mission of only purchasing typical Swedish goodies. We walked out of the store with 2 different types of crunchy snacks (you can rest assured that one of them was Fun Doodles), a dozen different varieties of candy, and....more Bilar.

When we returned home with our newly acquired food, we launched straight into the snacking research- no regrets, no looking back- this was a blog assignment and not time to count calories.

First I tried the 6 different types of chocolate that we bought, then I ate a gummy Swedish Ferrari (like Swedish Fish shaped like a...um... Ferrari). Then I got into the chips, dip, and Cheese Doodles. I am happy to report back to you that 'Cheese Doodles' is pretty much a Swedish version of Cheetos, but fluffier. Let's see, then it was on to the taffy and caramels and hard candy. I tried something shaped like a gummy 'sunny-side-up' egg and even choked down some salted licorice.

About fifteen minutes into the Snack Fest frenzy, I paused, looked at my two goodie partners and sheepishly made a confession:

"I don't feel good."

For some reason, I thought that my guts would tolerate the torture I was putting it through in the name of blog research; I thought wrong. Pushing a bowl of candy away from me, I told Sofia and Kristoffer that I had to stop with the junk food and and left the room to go get a glass of water.
Even though I didn't get through EVERYTHING we purchased, and even though my intestines still haven't fully recovered from our binge, I can proudly say that I made it through a approximately two-thirds of the goods and can confidently give you a report on my findings. Here's it in a nutshell (you may refer to the pictures at the bottom of this page if you need to):

Best Crunchy Snack:
Cheese Doodles (if you like fake cheese... I'm a sucker for fake cheese)

Best Chocolate Bar:
Kex Bar (uh-maze-ing!)

Best 'I'm a Purist and Only Eat Milk Chocolate":
Marabou Milk Chocolate

Grossest Candy Ever Invented:
Generic Blueberry Hard Candy- super salty, super icky.

Best Overall:
Ballerina Chocolate Cookies (what Oreos wish they could be)

Vivian's Favorite:
Bilar, anything with chocolate, and the gummy egg-shaped things because they're cool.
When I'm done with those, I'll take the following:
Tums, Rolaids, and a barf-bag.

***In other random news from yesterday and the day before: I caught my small oscillating fan on fire and filled the house with the smell of burning wires and plastic. Don't worry, only the fan was harmed...along with my pride.

PS. A big shout-out to my Swedish homie, Gunnel. Thanks for reading. =)

Let the snacking begin.

For those chocolate purists out there

I never compalin about rubbery eggs

Delish

For Your Snacking Pleasure

Cheese Doodles

Ferrari Time

Then Sings My Soul

Sundays are always special, they offer a chance to take a step back from the hectic pace of the week and appreciate what's most important. For me, Sundays are reserved for family and for God. Before I left on this trip, I had set my mind to take time each week and go to church and to spend time just BEING with the people I love. Today, I got the chance to enjoy these things.

This morning, I ventured to the big church in the middle of Motala. The sound of the ringing bells echoed all throughout town and I easily found my way to the doors of the beautiful, historic building. I entered, grabbed a small red hymnal from the stack sitting on a bench and found my way to a wooden pew.

A traditional hymn played on the organ as a small number of parishioners filed in and quieted down in their spots. The stained-glass windows and the large chandeliers gave off a very 'European' feeling- and, as I took in the scene, I admit that tears filled my eyes. I had longed to be in a place of worship since I left home and it felt good to sit and reflect on how blessed I really am.

The service was entirely in Swedish- and that was fine. I wasn't there to necessarily hear a sermon, but to participate in something bigger than myself. In the entire building, there were only about 20 attendees, so it was a more intimate service than with a larger congregation. An hour passed, I thanked the priest for his message, and went back home to be with Sofia and Kristoffer.

Sofia's dad showed up shortly after I'd come home and invited us to go pick blueberries at the cottage where my great-grandmother grew up. I absolutely love to harvest things (especially berries) so I jumped at the opportunity to go pick some delicious fruit. The three of us picked for almost two hours, chatting about politics, music, and anything else that came to mind. Once we'd filled our containers, we headed inside the cottage where Sofia's aunt made us fresh coffee and offered us some tasty miniature cinnamon rolls.

I haven't done much art today and that's ok. Tomorrow and the rest of the week offers plenty of chances to paint, draw, sketch, and jump back into the hustle and bustle of 'Vivian's Artistic Adventures'- today, however, I am happy to sit and enjoy a Sunday in Sweden.

Pictures Courtesy of Sofia Saleteg:


Blueberries and Raspberries Galore



Overlooking the Lake Near The Cottage

Brad Pitt is My Pawn

I would like to take a moment and give you a quick stat update on this blog.
So far, this blog site has been visited a total of 3500 times.
And the top four countries that follow this blog are as follows:
1.USA
2. United Kingdom
3. Sweden
4. Australia

It might sound funny, but I check the blog stats frequently to see if people are actually reading this or if I am just contributing to the senseless internet blabber that plagues the world wide web....or a if it is a small combination of the two.

Anyway, I checked the 'audience' stat that tells me the top reading countries- I was surprised to see Australia made it to the top four- especially since I don't know a single soul in Australia right now. Cool, right?

After looking at my 'audience' stats, I took a gander at how people are finding this blog. Turns out that most people reading are friends from Facebook as my blog stats listed facebook.com as the biggest source, and then it looks like people are Google searching my name (or variations of the blog title) to find me...like "Vivian Byrd Paintings" or "Hello Vivian Blog"... you get the idea.

I was just starting to feel pretty neat thinking that there's people out there asking the all-powerful Google.com how to find my blog. People were looking for ME- wow! How neat. I even have readers in the UK and Australia! Look at that!

It was just about then that I discovered sometheing else....
Along with the typical Google searches that involved my name and some sort of reference to this blog, one of the highest searches that brought people to this blog site was a Google search for "Pictures of Crocodile Dundee".

It turns out I don't have a large population of fans in Australia at all. The truth is that the majority of them happen to accidentally arrive at my blog because I put a picture of Crocodile Dundee on my blog a month or two ago- and Google knows about it. I don't have devoted readers in that continent- just a bunch of people who have randomly bungled into my blog.

I thought about getting upset about this... and then I realized I could use this Google search to my advantage. In order to get more viewers, I think I will just start posting pictures of very famous people on my blog- like Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie...or...Obama....or Octomom.

Ha! That's it! My secret to increasing my viewing audience- the old 'bait and switch' strategy.

"Ohhh... you wanna see pictures of Charlie Sheen? Guess what!??? You found Vivian's Artistic Adventures instead!" Muhuhaha.

On that note, I'm going to bid you all goodday and if you've happened across my blog on accident because you're just trying to find a decent picture of Crocodile Dundee or Brad Pitt, I'm sorry....kind of.

Base Hit

I finished my painting.
Let's just say that this one isn't my greatest work, but they can't all be homeruns, right?
I consider getting any painting to the 'finished' status a good base hit though, so I'm loading the bases and getting poised for an artistic grand slam in the upcoming weeks.

The majority of the day was spent either painting or helping Sofia and Kristoffer prepare tapas for a Spanish themed dinner party. The whole thing went off without a hitch- but not without some serious effort, a few burns, and a lot of stress.

I was just telling the dinner guests that I never had the intention of traveling to Sweden for the food, but I have to honestly say that every single meal I've eaten here in Motala has been of the highest quality- wonderful tastes of sweet and salty and savory, and plenty of it.

Tuva (Kristoffer's four year old daughter) left today to go spend the week with her mom, I miss her little feet running around the house and I miss her little Swedish voice.

It's getting late here in Motala, so I will leave you with a few pictures of my painting progress and a promise to bring you up to date on all the latest 'Awkward American Moments' I've been having here in Sweden.



Picking up where I left off yesterday


Making progress

Prett much done

Happy little snapshot

Slow and Steady Wins the Race...or something like that

Greetings from Motala.

Sofia, Kirstoffer, Tuva and I just returned from having dinner at Sofia's parent's place. I don't think I've ever eaten as much food in my entire life- sure makes up for the spaghetti and scrambled eggs fiasco from last week.

This morning, my alarm clock went off at the ungodly hour of 6:30 and I was so tempted to hit snooze and go back to sleep. But, I managed to drag my sorry rear out of bed and head to the porch for some early morning painting. The light in the mornings and evenings is best for plein air painting because of the strong shadows.

It took about 2 minutes for me to shake the tiredness from my head and start getting excited to paint my scene of three houses (the one I have been sketching for a few days). My 'house' theme this week has kept me busy and (somewhat) focused.
Up went my easel, and out came my paints, and in went my earbuds... time to hit the canvas with some serious attitude. My artistic progress has been a little slow here as I have spent the past few days getting some sleep and spending quality time with family. When given the choice between painting and being with my family, I will always choose family...always. With that said, when it's time to paint, I really need to dive in and get going.

Brad Paiseley played loudly in my ears while I painted this morning, reminding me of home and making me determined to 'cowgirl up' and paint even though I sometimes don't feel like an all-star artist. I painted for a good hour before I reached a good stopping point- by no means finished-... plus, the wind had kicked up and was threatening to scatter my art supplies all across Sweden.

The rest of the day was spent with family- and, since it was raining for the rest of the day, I just started a silly little sketch of a ceramic chicken egg-cup- which we use each morning to hold our soft-boiled eggs.

This evening, before heading out to dinner, I caught a little bit of Disney's Dumbo in Swedish. Let me tell you, even though the movie is in another language, I still cried at the part when Dumbo's mom rocks him to sleep from her jail cell. SO SAD!!!... and I was still creeped-out by the clowns... some things don't need translating.
Happy Thursday to my friends and family at home and all my followers scattered around the world.

Here's some photos for you:


Setting up to paint


My inspiration




Sketching to figure things out






Another value map
(sorry about it being sideways)



When my apron goes on, I mean business!



Paints are mixed and read to go



Ready to do small color sketches


Value and color sketch

Getting started on the final (big) one

Unfinished random sketch...emphasis on the 'unfinished' and 'random' part

Exclusive Interview

Sitting here, chewing on a mouthful of Bilar (Swedish candy), and staring at my computer screen, I realize that a whole week of adventure is gone. I only have about five months and three weeks left.
(excuse me, I need to grab another handful of Bilar...)

As I was saying, time is cruising by at a break-neck pace and, if things continue to go this quickly, I don't think that I will be ready to come home when time comes to a close...

It's far too early to get misty-eyed about this whole thing ending though- so, now... on to the main event.

Instead of blabbering on about recent events in paragraph form, I've decided to have a little interview question and answer session with myself. I was hoping that some major magazine would have contacted me by now for a real interview, but since Vogue is busy at the moment, I will conduct my own interview- for my own (imaginary) magazine (which I just named 'Vivogue'- when directly translated, 'Vivogue' in Viv-language, means 'Viv-in style'-). Look for Vivogue coming to a newsstand near you.


Here's the interview:

Vivogue Rep: So, Vivian, we hear that you're on an art trip. Tell our readers what it's like to be away from your small town.
Vivian: (delicately brushing her long, beautiful hair from her beautiful blue eyes) It's funny you should ask. My trip has been filled with plenty of excitement and adventure so far. But, let's just say we don't have money-stealing gypsies back home in Curlew.

Vivogue Rep: If you could tell our readers (your fans) one thing, what would it be?
Vivian: Thanks for reading Vivogue...and...if you ever get a chance to travel to Sweden, you definitely should. Oh, and plan on getting lost in Stockholm.

Vivogue Rep: How is the painting going?
Vivian: Good. I have been sketching each day and even started doing some small painting-sketches today. I plan on working on a large painting of some houses tomorrow.

Vivogue Rep: What's the best part about this trip so far?
Vivian: Getting to know my Swedish relatives better...and Bilar.

Vivogue Rep: What's a major difference between Swedes and Americans?
Vivian: Swedes are quiet and they're not chatty. In fact, they'd prefer it if you keep to yourself. And their yards are really tidy- oh, and their strawberries are not like strawberries back home... these are small, dark red, and full of flavor. Warning: they're highly addictive.

Vivogue Rep: You mentioned getting lost in Stockholm. What did you learn from that experience?
Vivian: (laughs) I learned not to be afraid to ask for directions and to pay attention to street signs.

Vivogue Rep: How much Swedish have you learned this week?
Vivian: I’ve learned how to say “worm”, “shell”, “spider”, and “goodbye”…very useful words, obviously.

Vivogue Rep: Do you have anything you want to say to your dearest family and friends?
Vivian: Yes, I do. I love and miss you guys. Don't worry about me, I'm in good hands.

Vivogue Rep: You are so much better looking in real life.
Vivian: Thanks... I guess.


Well, that wraps it up here on this end. Tune in next Wednesday for another Exclusive Vivogue Interview.

Tomorrow's Blog: "Proof that I've been doing work" Pictures of Paintings Thus Far.