On Exhibition: Carl Larsson, Our National Painter

25 mars, 201725 mars, 2017 / Leya / 10 kommentarer

Our little town is right now the lucky host of the only exhibition of Carl Larsson’s art outside Dalarna and Sundborn. A visit to this tiny, but exquisite, exhibition was on the menue today. Our 39th wedding anniversary.

Carl Larsson (28 May 1853 – 22 January 1919) was a Swedish painter representative of the Arts and Crafts Movement. His many paintings include oils, watercolours, and frescoes. But, when we think of Carl Larsson – we first of all think of his watercolours of his wife, children and home at Little Hyttnäs, Dalarna.

He considered his finest work to be Midvinterblot (Midwinter Sacrifice), a large (6-by-14-metre oil painting completed in 1915) painting now displayed inside the Swedish National Museum of Fine Arts.However, this great work was at first rejected by the board of the museum, and later sold to Japan. The fresco depicts the blót of King Domalde at the Temple of Uppsala. Decades later, the painting was purchased and placed in the National Museum, on the wall it once was intended for.

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Carl Larsson was born on 28 May 1853 in the old town of Stockholm, at 78 Prästgatan. His parents were extremely poor, and his childhood was not happy. His father told the young boy that he ”cursed the day he was born”. A younger brother of Carls´ was the much loved son, but he died at an early age. Throughout his life, CL could never forget his father’s words…and…

…with him was forever the wish for being loved. Much loved.

For some years he and Strinberg were great friends…

…but Strindberg misunderstood the painters wish for love and recognition..

…and terribly let him down

And he found his great love in another young artist, Karin Bergöö, whom he soon married. Together they worked in perfect harmony – he painting and she designing and working mostly with textiles. She bore him 8 children.

Carl and Karin

Self portraits…

…were popular with CL

A beautifully written Love for Japan and Japanese Art

My favourite CL painting. This window is what I dreamt of having in my own home when I grew up!

Through their paintings and books, Little Hyttnäs has become one of the most famous artist’s homes in the world. The artistic taste and harmony of its creators made it a major line in Swedish interior design. Despite its controversialness to the style of the time. The descendants of Carl and Karin Larsson now keep the house open for tourists each summer from May until October.

Travel theme: Woman

13 mars, 201713 mars, 2017 / Leya / 13 kommentarer

Woman

There are so many women in the world…and they are all important. My choices are still easy to make – the two most important women in my own life: My daughter and my mother. My daughter, some years ago, a summer in our cottage by the sea, and my mother hiking one of the Madeiran trails at the age of 75.

Woman – industrious, hard working, smart, loving, kind, helping, generous, caring…

Thursday Thoughts – Moving a Town

23 februari, 201723 februari, 2017 / Leya / 24 kommentarer

Kiruna is the northernmost town in Sweden, situated in the province of Lapland in Norrbotten County. Inhabitants – about 20 000.

Esrange Space Center was established in Kiruna in the 1960s, and they also have the Institute of Space Physics^.

The re-development of Kiruna is a reconstruction project, as the Kirunavaara mine, run by LKAB, undermines the current town center. Several buildings, including Sweden´s most beautiful church and the famous Town Hall, are to be moved or demolished. The whole town center is to be moved 3 kilometers to the east.

The ground deformations became apparent in 2003, and the redevelopment started in 2007. The moving of the town was started in 2014 and is expected to be finished by 2100. According to the plan, there will be a denser city centre with a greater focus on sustainability, green and blue infrastructure, pedestrians and public transport rather than automobiles.

Walking the empty streets at night, the snowy silence is almost visible, touchable, embedding you in cotton cold. I wonder how the people here really feel…knowing most of them will have to leave their homes and their familiar surroundings for something they have not chosen themselves. A great piece of history will be lost, and I guess a piece of Lapland´s soul as well.

Travel theme: Eyes

14 februari, 201714 februari, 2017 / Leya / 13 kommentarer

Eyes for Ailsa – who doesn’t love eyes?

I met some interesting eyes on my trip to Galapagos. In the header, the intriguing Nazca Booby. Piercing.

The Red-footed Booby has got red feet and marvellously blue eyes and bill.

Another interesting thing – the total metamorphosis of the Swallow-tailed Gull. Eyes like deep wells as young, and then….

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Thursday Thoughts

2 februari, 20172 februari, 2017 / Leya / 35 kommentarer

This country road passes an old homestead, long since abandoned. I pass here maybe once a month, and every time I think…I really should stop and walk up that old road…

Today I drove past again…but something told me – this time I really must stop –

– so I finally did. I turned the car and parked it on the meadow nearby.

Happy to have made this decision, I slowly started walking towards the stonefences marking the road up to the house.

To the right, the fine old cellar that used to store food for the winter.

Then the house itself, on the left side of the road. I wonder who once lived here and why they left? The house lies beautifully on a hill, close to the forest and surrounding meadows.

My love for these roads with grass in the middle has a long story…all those childhood years I walked forest roads, meadow roads…and always with grass in the middle. StilI it is in me…I just have to follow them, to see where they go and what I eventually will find.

This road was very well kept, and must be used fairly often…

…at least by hunters

Another reminder of childhood days was this old telephone pole

Some finds I made, even if the walk did not last for more than 15 minutes. I was happy.

I believe we should try to do those little things…follow those whims and ideas we sometimes have. What do you think? It may take some time…but, I try to. Often with a positive outcome – for both me and people around me.

Meet Cachalote and Her Lovely Crew!

30 januari, 201731 januari, 2017 / Leya / 19 kommentarer

Santiago – Sullivan Bay

28 januari, 201720 mars, 2017 / Leya / 17 kommentarer

On the northeast side of the island Santiago, Galápagos, is Sullivan Bay. The lava walk here showed us a lava phenomenon called Pahoehoe – a ropy lava flow, coming from from the latest eruption in 1902.

The day started rather misty and the only thing we could see on shore was the dark lava flow, interspersed with red streaks and topped with lava mounds and volcanoes.

The Galápagos Islands are in a highly volcanic area, and the volcanoes seldom rest. On Isabela, the largest island, there are several of them alive. In the end, all these 19 islands will disappear in the Pacific Ocean. Some of them are already dying.

We anchored between Santiago and the small island of Bartolome. Already there was a blue sailing ship waiting to unload its group of Americans.

You had to watch your step – crevices and very uneven ground. This lavafield is indeed the largest I have ever walked. Iceland’s Krafla area we could not walk properly as we visited when the eruption was just over. The ground was too hot and too dangerous.

Many beautiful and interesting patterns were found on the walk, and each one of us had his or her own interpretation…What is yours?

Here the flow suddenly came to a stop

Walking back to our beautiful ship, the sun lashed its late evening colours on our steps.

Bartolome consists of an extinct volcano, and its landmark is called Pinnacle Rock.

The evening offered a bright moon, and in the velvety air, we all went soft and still on deck. This was our last day but one in Paradise.

Thursday Thoughts – The Importance of Festivities

26 januari, 201726 januari, 2017 / Leya / 5 kommentarer

Travelling means learning new things every day. I guess that is one of the best parts of life – learning new things. In this 2 million people capital, Quito, Ecuador, I enjoyed every second. Almost 3000 metres up in the Andes – you had to take it a bit easy the first day.

Do you, for instance, know which mountain is the world´s highest? I learned from the Ecuadorian businessman sitting next to me in the plane between Guayaquil and Baltra, that it is…..Chimborazo, a big volcano in Ecuador. It is higher than Mount Everest – if you count from the middle of our planet Earth.

Colourful Old Town Quito, together with Krakow, Poland, 1978 became the first UNESCO World Heritage sites. And they keep it colourful, clean and tidy.

There were grand festivities this week – December 6 was celebrated everywhere. So, what did they celebrate? Their freedom? No, they celebrated the Spaniards conquering them in the 16th century…I asked them how this could be something to celebrate – and they all answered that they had put all this behind them – this day was just a good day for festivities and having fun. That sounded just great to me!

Ecuador Ama la Vida

Music and Dancing in the street

Miss Quito and Gentleman

Lovely festive ladies

These musicians were absolutely professional – we did not leave even if we had finished our meal…

Beautiful city and beautiful people – and wonderful food! We enjoyed Quito despite some rain. Old and young, everybody in a good mood.

A young man came up to me with a rose. You know, the thing they do everywhere down in Europe, expecting you to give some money…This young guy was in a group of students, and he was the only one to have a single rose in his hand. I shook my head and told him I had no money, but his eyes were shining when he smiled, saying that he did not want any money…just to give me the rose.

Thursday Thoughts – Our Young…

19 januari, 201720 januari, 2017 / Leya / 27 kommentarer

Take good care of our young – let them be safe with their parents, let them play and give them food, and raise them to be able to fend for themselves, to stand on their own feet.

Animals know how to do…

Swallowtailed Gull…

Only let them – and try to learn from them…

Half grown Red-footed Boobie…

…adult with chick

Because we are much the same – only humans seem to have forgotten how to raise children properly…

Frigatebirds…

Surely you want your children to grow up to great, magnificent people?

Like this Red-billed Tropicbird. People who use their own wings – and fly! Together!

Animals still know how to do…Let us believe there is hope for us humans to restore that knowledge. Because once we had it – at least many more of us had it…

Tomorrow will bring a more unstable world…let us all do our very best to make it safer for nature, animals and our young. We must decide not to give in to all these difficulties and negative movements in society, – we have to fight for the good things that are still here!

Travel theme: Walking

17 januari, 201717 januari, 2017 / Leya / 25 kommentarer

My first thought is of course my every day dog walking. Walking is also one of my absolute favourite things to do. But, I just have to share this amazing, graceful creature with you.

Have you ever dreamed of ,or wished, you could walk on water? I thought I only knew of one…who maybe could do that….

But, at sea, swirling around our sailing ship in the Galápagos, I saw this wonder with my own eyes. It is an Elliot’s Storm -petrel. I took hundreds of shots…but only a few shows clearly enough this amazing bird’s abilities – it walks, runs and stands on water.

The story of this Storm-petrel is enigmatic as well…It is pelagic, and feeds while fluttering and pattering on the water with wings raised. …”…endemic subspecies galapagoensis. Population estimated at many thousands and although a nest has yet to be found in Galápagos, breeding is suspected to occur between April and October. Conservation Status: Data Deficient.” (Birds, Mammals, and Reptiles of the Galápagos Islands. An Identification Guide by Andy Swash and Rob Still.)