An Art Work A Day

I am studying at the moment in an online course "A Beginner's Guide to Irrational Behavior" at Duke University. In connection with that some of us meet on google+ hangouts (online kollokvie group). Today two of us discussed what makes some people look for negative things and wondered whether these people really believed in them, in other words do they use self deception. That inspired today's painting. Because these people we talked about almost exclusively see black (negative side of things) and not the white (the positive side of things and other persons) except from themselves of course,  and very rarely colors (all the variations in why people do what they do or why things turn out as they do) I chose to make a white on black image.

Sometimes we just have to defent ourself and say stop to people that are misusing us.

Happy Easter everyone

May love in most variations win.
 

High up in the nest of love the baby chick wait for mum to come home. 

In these modern times so many things have moved from the physical world and online - meeting someone too has for quite a few. 

19.3.2013 Sometimes Love is Found Online - Watercolor on paper 21x30cm $100 Free SH

Love is such a wonderful word because it can be used in so many ways and in connetion with so many things in addition to romantic love.

Today I am surfing the lovely happy waves created by my love of learning as I have joined a class and started studying something new and very interesting (se below for details). My feeling are in some ways fairly close to being in love even though it is not to a person. 

Conflicts and quarrells with close ones are the worst kind, those persons are the ones most capable of hurting us with their words and actions and they are the ones that most of all reduce us to the most childish behaviours. They are the ones we keep repeating old patterns with so that we nearly know all the scenes and lines by heart but still play them through even if we now we will not win this time either. And yet we know that life has to go on and the connetion too. Tomorrow and next week or month or year we will still be in the same relationship - still dearly love each other. In short, love means that we carry along some history with good parts as well as burdens.

16.3.2013 Sometimes Love is a Bit of a Drag - Watercolor on paper 21x30cm $100 FREE SH

It is said that it takes a whole village to raise a child and also it is cynically said that a mother can support ten children but ten children cannot support a mother. The common thread in these sayings is that love and care is best done as a thing done together both to complement each other but also to share responsibilities and sometimes the burdens that loving someone may also bring.

About a week ago I met a former student of mine at the grocery store. He was there with his baby and girlfriend and I was so happy to get to know that he was happy, had a family and a job. Today I met another former student who has had a small break due to not getting into the study he wanted this autumn. He had now started in a job while applying for a study place the coming autumn. That too warmed a former teacher’s heart because of course we worry when we hear bad news in connection with students that over 3 years time naturally each carved a special place in our hearts.

13.3.2013 Sometimes Love Takes you Higher Up - Watercolor on paper 21x30cm $100 FREE SH 

In connection with a March 8th concert Kim Friele one of the most important fighters here in Norway for Gay rights especially in the early years, held a speach. As a teacher I am so happy to know that life has become so much easier for the young persons finding out that they belong to a minority in when it comes to whom they fall in love with. This one is for you.

12.3.2013 Sometimes Love Means Coming Out - Watercolor on paper 21x30cm $100 Free SH

What makes us love a person either as a friend, a partner or a mamber of our group is incredibly complicated, fortunately, and that means that most of us are able to find people to love and be loved by. How it works is sometimes a mystery - a wonderful mystery.

Another wonderful thing is that we seem to have an unlimeted supply of love which is good for us teachers that keep getting new students and in a short time we dearly love a new group of 30 individuals.

Love can bring us the biggest happiness but also be what crushes us. Loving someone who is loving you back is wonderful but that same love has an equal power to hurt us if that person disappoints us, hurt us or worst of all leaves us. But even though love also brings some sadness, we do need to keep loving each other as lovers, friends and family. Hugs from me. 

Loving yourself is also important on a Saturday when you share a Saturday with your cats and a good book :-).  

The best thing about being a teacher is all the young persons we get to meet and love.

Today after having had the parent teacher conferences where the love and care we all feel for the young persons is the common denominator for everything in the talks, I feel quite high. Such wonderful teenagers and such wonderful parents. 

2.3.2013 Bright Light in Winter Landscape - watercolor on paper 24x32cm SOLD
This one sold within the hour of posting it on facebook last night.

I am working as a teacher for 12-16 year olds and now that spring is coming there is a lot of love starting to grow. At that age love is not only a very personal thing but a social thing, especially in some girl groups who discuss every aspect of the relationships starting or ending or possibly becoming. What he said and she said and did and how to make him see her etc not to mention if two girls wants the same boy or one steals one... Lots of thoughts and emotions and time being put into it.
 

Yesterday after looking at some photos from my journey up North last year I simply had to do a landscape. 

Nothing makes us feel better than when someone we love or respect shows us care or love. Love defines us, lifts us, gives our lives meaning. Equally important is that we are allowed to love others as friends, collegues, students, pets, lovers or family. The giving and receiving of love can give us a high that nothing else can - without it we are nothing.

28.2.2013 Sometimes Love makes you Feel on Top of the World - Watercolor on paper 21x30cm $100 Free SH

I det siste har jeg hatt gleden av å bli lest høyt for i "En pingles dagbok" flere ganger i uka. Det er noe så koselig og avslappende å sammen  med noen leve seg inn i nye verdener at vi alle burde gjøre det mer enten det er de unge som leser for de eldre eller omvendt.

These days we can feel spring is starting its work - the sun is shining, some snow is melting and some of the birds has started wooing each other in the morning. 

In our modern rich society we have the possibility to decide when we want children and many wait a long time (unlike me), also many chose to have only one or two or as in China are limited to one. This long wait and modern technology means that children are more planned and longed for (or struggled for) than only 50 years ago. This means that we see differences in how people are parents today compared to before.

24 years ago on the dot today, I gave birth to my second child on the 24th of February and of course we all adored him instantly.

On the 24th of December here in Norway we celebrate another boychild's birth. Just this birth and historical comments on this birth story is something I read about just a few days ago in Jonas Gardell's book "Om Jesus" (about Jesus).

Today's painting is connected to all these thoughts.

I have been sleeping a lot the last two dags cathing up on the sleep and rest that was disturbed due to pain earlier this week. No matter whether you have a spouse or a pet that crawl near you at night - there is comfort in it.
 

My wonderful daughter and her boyfriend has come home from Malaga today. Here home in Norway the sun has been shining on a cold clear winter day where many have been either skiing or enjoying life on a chair facing the sun. Today I celebrate loving the warmt and brightness of the sun
 

Yesterday and today has been tough days. Lots of pain and discomfort in my left hip. Some days like this the biggest challenge is staying brave, continuing to believe in progress, in the future, in life. It was my hope to capture some of all those feelings abstractly today. To me it signals strength and a will to pick oneself up and move forward. To me there is some dedication to keep fighting.

Today I have both needed a friend and got support, and been needed and given support. What would we do without the love of friends?

Most of us who read sometimes dream about the love described in the classics or other stories where the men are romantic heroes and all the women beatiful and where there is real drama more that quarrels about who are to take of the grabage and who are to do the dishes.

Too Often we look far away to find happiness and love, when most of the time it is just within our reach. 
 

There is a saying that you can not live on love and air alone. Love is wonderful, but getting by and being able to cover basic needs has to take presedense many a day especially if you have children. Then sometimes love is a luxury. 

 

And for those of us who can not post a big bouqet of flowers received today on our facebook, today's message is that our big love can be just behind us waiting to catch up with us LOL.

As Valentine's Day is getting closer I think there are many who feel intensly lonely while seeing all the love fuss everywhere, either because they are in a relationship that does not work or are single at the moment.

Nå som vi er i innspurt...en til Valentine's Day er det nok mange som ekstra kjenner det at de ikke har en kjæreste eller som er i et forhold som ikke fungerer, så i dag fokuserer jeg på at kjærlighet også kan være ensom.

13.2.2013 Sometimes Love is Lonely - Watercolor on paper 21x30cm $100 FRee shipping worldwide

Who does not remember the first tentative movements of being in love for the first times when we shyly tried to get closer to the chosen one.