An Art Work A Day

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.

Love can be playful and love can be fun, for adults as well as kids.

In my previous posts I have focused of some of the tougher aspects of love so today I thought it was time for comfy love. May you all have a lovely day.

Sometimes being loved can be a bit suffocating and make one feel trapped. That is the theme for today's painting. 

Continuing my theme of Love outside of the majority view and playing around drawing for fun.

Yesterday I explored the situation of being alone when everybody around seems to be part of couples. Today my focus withine the love theme is what I have chosen to call non mainstream love. People belonging to the LGBT community struggle a lot in many cultures or groups and may not be able to fully and openly enjoy celebrations of love like Valentine's Day with their chosen one. Their love might even be taby or even illegal. This is the basis for today's painting.

I dag har jeg tatt utgangspunkt i tanken om at mennesker som tilhører LHBTgruppen i mange kulturer og grupper ikke kan være deltakere i hovedsamfunnets gassing i kort og symboler knyttet til den store feiringen av kjærlighet på Valentine's Day. Kanskje er deres kjærlighet til og med tabu eller forbudt

I am a megareader and I read almost all kinds of litterature. However I must admit that I have not read any of the Shades of grey books and probably will not. A cosy chick lit book however on a dark and cold winter night in between grading student papers is a nice distraction. Pink Bird really daydream along with her romance books.

Jeg har i kveld arbeidet med en tekst inspirert av diskusjonene rundt intervjuet av Marte Krogh. Å få barn er nok en utfordring enten man har au pair, vaskehjelp og milliardærsamboer eller ikke.

I'm working this evening with a text inspired by discussions concerning the interview of Marte Krogh last week. Having children is probably quite a challenge whether you have an au pair, cleaner, personal trainer and billionaire boyfriend or not.

Everybody have heard about and knows that in schools we struggle with some students' behaviours, especially antisocial, disruptive or aggressive behaviour. This has got a lot of attention and numerous programs all over the world have been started which is a very good thing because usually these behaviours are ways of externalizing pain or screams for help.

In today's painting I wanted to focus on the totally opposite group - those that internalize their pain but who do not get as much help simply because they are not a big daily problem for the teachers, their costudents or the system. They just fade into the walls and become nearly invisible. These often becomes the forgotten sufferers - their abuse stories never discovered, their mental health too often deterioring way too much before anyone sees them. Or if we notice something being off, we have a tendency to postpone doing something simply because in today's overcrowded classrooms the acute and loud demands occupy us and we find ourselves having spent yet another day postponing finding time for these students. I am so happy for all social teachers and school nurses that help us also take care of these students.

Most of us know and use the expression "to see someone" in the meaning of seeing who we are, see how we feel and accept who we are and how we feel. In today's painting I focus on listening in a similar sense, more meaning listen to who I am, listen and understand how I feel - connect, not just hear what I say - the words and the open content also meet me as an individual. Few things are as difficult as opening up - few things as scary and few this as devastating as being met with a closed heart or harsh criticism. My abstract figures today hopefully illustrates some of this

9.1.2013 Listen please - acrylics on paper 24x32cm $100 Free shipping worldwide

Today I read about HSP Highly sensitive people after reading a link on facebook. For attributes and characteristics see http://www.sensitiveperson.com/attribts.htm . What I found interesting was to think about different ways people handle being sensitive. The questions asked in the Norwegian test are alot about how much all kinds of things including other people's mood influence them. As a philosopher my thoughts of course went in all directions. How will a hsp act in various situations? What will he or she be willing to do to avoid the stress of other people is bad moods? How do they handle competitions? I think they might let the other person win or at least hope that the other person wins if the other person is a very competitive  person that hates losing. I also imagined that a HSP person in general tries to think things through and chose the safe option. Therefore today I imagined a game of Noughts and Crosses and how playing it safe would look visually. Of course then it is no longer a game LOL but then again a HSP probably is not a game's kind of person.

6.1.2013 Safe actions - acrylics on paper A4 $100 Free shipping worldwide

5.1.2013 Focused on Translating - acrylics on paper A4As I explained in my post below I have spent all Saturday sitting hunched over the computer focusing on translating words. It has been a fantastic experience.

2013 Focused on Translating - acrylics on paper A4 $100 Free shipping

Spring Serpent abstract acrylic on paper 32x41cm
$150 without frame or mount