”I am almost always thinking about the next painting I am going to paint, the next idea I want to try out, or what I am deeply engaged with. And somehow I think my interest is very much about the body, the embodiment. To see the remains of a process, to see that something has happened, even if the motive is representational. I am always searching for those things and it offers a kind of meaning. Since I usually paint and work alone in my studio, I think it is very healthy for me to go to a residency like this and meet other artists. The conversations help me understand more of what I am looking for, more of myself, and my view of life.

I brought my grown up daughter. We only meet about three times a year, so this intense week lead us into joyful and deeper conversations of arts and life. We enjoyed walks in the nature reserve, and both of us were really inspired by the ecological way of living. We want to bring elements of that with us home.

Since I live in a small city in Norway with no sunshine six months of the year, it is no secret that I appreciated the sun of Spain this week, which we got pretty much of. I collected colours. On a distance you could think that the landscape is all the same pale ochre, but that is not true. When you look closer, you can see a lot of variations of yellow, raw sienna, purple, crimson, brown, white, green, and even blue. And lines. You will find wonderful fragrances from dry wild herbs when you crush them between your fingers. I believe these sensory experiences will influence my on-going and future work”.

Liv Solberg Anderson, Rjukan, Norway

Liv Solberg Andersen

Rjukan, February 1, 2019