Views From a Car Window, My Iceland Roadtrip
Many people have asked me what I like most about my time in Iceland. There are so many things... The fantastic landscape and scenery, seeing humpback whales playing in the fjord, riding Icelandic horses along the river to the fjord…
"Stop every now and then. Just stop and enjoy. Take a deep breath. Relax and take in the abundance of life." - Anonymous
I'm back in my Vancouver studio and slowly returning to the busy city life (but I'm keeping my small island attitude!).
Many people have asked me what I liked most about my time in Iceland. There are so many things... The fantastic landscape and scenery, seeing humpback whales playing in the fjord, riding Icelandic horses along the river to the fjord (and laughing the whole time like a little girl chasing butterflies!). Seeing the puffins up close on the cliffs... I loved the simplicity of the small village life on the island, and getting to know the locals (who are so kind and helpful and seem to just want to be of service!).
But what I loved most of all, was how I lived each day.
Here are just a few favourite photos from my Iceland trip…
The Object of Art
The object isn’t to make art, it’s to be in that wonderful state which makes art inevitable. - Robert Henri
Soon I’ll say good-bye to this little island paradise… It’s been really wonderful to stay here with no pressures, no deadlines, no expectations… time to just BE…
The object isn’t to make art, it’s to be in that wonderful state which makes art inevitable.
- Robert Henri
Soon I’ll say good-bye to this little island paradise… It’s been a wonderful month with no pressures, no deadlines, no expectations… time to just BE.
It’s a simpler life.
And it’s actually been really good to have less choices. The small convenience store, for example, is only open a few hours a day with limited food choices, which means… simple meals, less shopping time, (I can walk there in two minutes) and a little more creativity in the kitchen! There are less things “to do”, so that means less distractions and more focussed time to paint and create!
Hrisey mountains - Triptych, work in progress
Most days I’m in the studio painting, or out in nature filling myself up with fresh, mountain air and inspiration. And if I do want a little more stimulation and people, the “city” is just 45 minutes away.
It’s everything I wanted and needed.
But before I return to Canada, and the busy city life of Vancouver, I’m off on a 10-day road trip around the West Fjords of Iceland, so more adventures to come!
To walk into nature is to witness a thousand miracles. - Mary Davis
66 Degrees North
There’s something special about the northern light at this time of year. Especially during these long summer evenings… everything just glows, bringing out the vivid colours of the majestic landscape….
Hrisey Town at Midnight
It’s 24-hour daylight now in Hrisey, Iceland, and I have the opposite of “S.A.D.” (I’m suffering from G.L.A.D. - Good Light All Day!).
The light in the north is truly beautiful and the sunset just goes on and on and on…
There’s something special about the northern light at this time of year. Especially during these long summer evenings… everything just glows, bringing out the vivid colours of the majestic landscape.
Mountain and Moors at Midnight
When the sun is out, the sea looks cerulean blue. In the evening, the mountains reflect pinks, purples and greens… and the moors become golden.
There’s a celebration as everything comes alive… and the birds seem to go crazy in the never-ending twilight!
It’s hard to know the time of day… There are people here out doing yard work at 3 am! But somehow I’m getting lots of sleep… My days consist of going for hikes across the moors to the cliffs, swimming (in the geothermal pool just down the road), napping, making food or going to a local cafe, writing, reading, and of course painting!
I love the northern landscape. It’s rugged and wild… and I always feel a sense of “home”. Perhaps it’s in my blood…
So this is what I’m exploring - What is the importance of the land and environment to a ‘sense of place’ and the feelings of connection to oneself and one’s place in the world?
I’m getting to know this land. Through the sights and sounds of nature… and the colours, shapes… the feeling of this place.
I brought just a few supplies with me, including some small canvas boards with a limited palette of paints.
I made a time-lapse video of a little painting I made. I’m calling it ‘Wildflower Eruption’, inspired by the wildflowers and flora of Iceland.
Hrísey, Iceland
I’m spending a month here on Hrísey near the arctic circle. It’s a small island in Eyjafjörður (fjord), north Iceland, with approximately 200 people living here. Today I walked around town and checked out the amenities…
I’m spending a month here on Hrísey near the arctic circle. It’s a small island in Eyjafjörður (fjord), north Iceland, with approximately 200 people living here. Today I walked around town and checked out the amenities…
There is a grocery store with basic supplies (but they will also order other items for you by request), a museum, a restaurant and cafe, a guest house, a church, a geo-thermal pool, and of course, the Old School Arthouse, the international artist residency where I’m staying.
Right now the sun sets at 12:30 am and then rises again an hour or so later, so it doesn’t really get dark… despite that, I’m sleeping like a baby! Must be all the fresh air hikes and stress-free living. Soon we’ll have 24 hour sunshine…
It’s so quiet here (except for the birds and howling wind out on the moors!). A perfect place for me to rest and recharge…
An Evening Walk on the Moors
Tomorrow I start art-making!
Arrived! - Settling In And Exploring: Hrisey, Iceland
It’s my first full day here on Hrisey island (called the “Pearl of Eyjafjörður”) for my art residency at the Old School Art House in northern Iceland. I arrived in Akureyri, the closest city (pop. 18,000), and spent my first night there…
Arrived!
Art Adventures in Iceland
It’s my first full day here on Hrisey island (called the “Pearl of Eyjafjörður”) for my art residency at the Old School Art House in northern Iceland. I arrived in Akureyri, the closest city (pop. 18,000), and spent my first night there (sleeping a glorious 12 hours after my long trip!) and planned on making my way to the island yesterday by bus. I discovered, however, that no buses run on Saturdays! Fortunately I had a contact number to call and was able to catch a ride with a local last night. From Akureyri it’s a 30 minute drive and a 15 minute ferry ride to Hrisey .
I unpacked and settled into my room yesterday evening and then (despite the light skies) slept another 10 hours in my comfy bed.
My new home for the next month…
My Humble Abode
Gamli Skoli - Old School Arthouse
Arthouse Front View
I have a private bedroom with shared living-room, kitchen, bathroom, laundry and a studio space. There are three other artists here with me… a film-maker from Belgium and two “sound artists” (electronic) from the US. (They use headphones and it’s very quiet!).
So today I just settled in and went exploring a little…
Wind, Birds and The Fountain of Energy… Exploring the Land
It’s pretty cold here right now (about 5 degrees C) so I bundled up and headed out towards the cliffs. I came to the “Fountain of Energy”, a place to sit and meditate while listening to the sounds of nature… the wind, the sea and the multitude of birds… while receiving the peaceful energy from the mountain Kaldbakur across the fjord.
There are over 40 species of birds on this island, and right now it’s nesting season. A large part of the island is a bird conservation area where eider ducks come every year to nest. The soft eiderdown are humanely gathered every spring after the eggs have hatched (there are no predators on the island).
Although there are a few smaller trees around town (not much taller than me!) most of the land is rocky with small shrubs and wild flowers scattered about, creating pretty bursts of colour and a gentleness in this vast, rugged land.
And the wind!
I love watching the birds soaring around the cliffs in the wind…
Tomorrow I’ll check out the town’s amenities…