When Laura Ann Reed, a friend and poet from the US, sent me a new poem she had written, her words spoke to me so strongly that I immediately had a vision that for me matched her words. Moreover, I also immediately knew which two 10-year-old photos I had to put together to make the image I had in mind.
Fresh snow, as far as the eye can see. The forest looks spacious, light, and larger than usual. It is quiet, and the world feels deserted. Only the muffled crunch of our footsteps in the fresh snow.
During a long walk in a dark and grey forest, the sun briefly but brightly breaks through the cloud cover just before sunset and illuminates the forest in fairy-tale autumn colors, as only the setting autumn sun can do.
'Sad Songs' is a new artwork in my collection 'Secret Places'. It is inspired by the recent fruitless attempts by world leaders to arrive at decisive measures, humane financial compensation and quick actions to combat the earth crisis.
Yesterday the first version of this artwork, it went wrong again with the ability to comment, so grab your chance at this new, digitally transformed version 😉
A special calm comes over the evening when the sun begins to disappear behind the horizon and the light of the day fades away. Nature awaits the night.
I love that quiet moment of the day and the scents that announces the coming of night.
Some people dream in color, other's in black and white. Many people are not sure, or hardly remember their dreams. I am quite sure I sometimes dream in surrealistic color palettes and atmospheres. But as far as I remember, my dreams are always multicolored...
It is the first week of November, more than 3 weeks before that terrible day. And the first advertisements are already appearing.
So it is high time that I post again the works from the series Colorful Days....
If, with this mini series, I manage to persuade just 1 person to buy less this year, or maybe even not to participate in the madness called Black Friday, the earth will have made a small victory....
In all the turmoil of the world, there are trees that remain standing perfectly straight. Offering protection and holding on no matter how severe the storm rages around them. Deeply rooted, connected to the earth and to the trees around them.
We need a lot of money to fight the crises the earth is in. So why is so little happening to combat all these crises ? Are we short of money, then ? Well no, not really. But the rich countries prefer to spend it on unhealthy food, luxury goods, weapons, even bigger houses, subsidies for disastrous crises increasing activities.
Yesterday I climbed up the hill But halfway there, the wind and fog made climbing hard The grass slippery with moisture, and smelling of wet leaves and autumn I heard a song, it helped me to continue on my way Once at the top I used the moss as a pillow while the voices of the wind in the trees soothed me to sleep.
About two years ago were intensely enjoying our introduction to Vietnamese coffee. We only drink 1 cup of coffee a day, so when you taste a beautiful coffee for the first time and it is your only cup that day, you enjoy it with very small sips. When my cup was empty, I looked, as always, at the "markings" the coffee grounds had left on the bottom. I grind and brew my coffee by hand, pouring it through a metal mesh filter, so there is always some sediment in there. Mmmmmm.... 🙂
The 'drawing' I saw fascinated me, and inspired me to create this artwork.
Inspiration
It is a great pleasure to mention here the 3 inspiring women who, without knowing it, participated in this creation.
Niloofar Mahafel, a wonderful painter from Iran, now living in Moskow, who trusts me to be her representative AND sent me many photos of the wonderful Iranian landscape. They are a huge inspiration ! No doubt she will recognize the picture of one of her beautiful landscapes in this artwork.
Daphne Nguyen, she introduced me to the coffee coming from her company's coffee farms in Vietnam. We love this coffee, the passion she and her colleagues have for coffee and the enormous commitment to the coffee farmers. I'm sure she never expected that her coffee would become the basis for an artwork...
Karina Mosser (find her website here), a wonderful painter and a great person to work with. Some time ago she made a series of abstracts for me to use as background for my digital creations. Through a green abstract painting of hers, I managed to create a work that brings together Iran and Vietnam as a landscape for my "coffee tree".
General info on this artwork
The artwork 'Voices In The Mist' is a new work in my collection 'Secret Places'. It is a digital transformation of 3 photographs, and will be printed with high-quality ink on museum-quality, acid-free cotton/rag paper (Hahnemühle Photo Rag® 308gsm). The work comes in a limited edition of 10, signed and with a certificate of authenticity. But of course, it is also available as Open Edition print, without signature and not numbered. Available in any size you desire !
Maximum size is 250Wx125H cm / 100wx50H inches. The work can be printed in any size up to that maximum, so please let me know the size you would prefer.
I start with one or more photographs made by myself to create these artworks. Then I use digital painting, color adjusting and adding and transforming multiple artistic effects, until a surrealistic atmosphere is created that touches me and tells the story I want to tell.
Prints of 'Voices In The Mist' are available, ask for a quote or contact me through a message. Prints are also available in my Saatchi Art portfolio at the artwork page and here (smaller limited edition).
Through my artworks I ask you to reflect for a moment on the nature around you, on the beautiful feeling that nature can evoke. Thus to think about your actions to support the wellbeing of the earth and everything that lives on it. And on what humanity loses when many of us continue on the destructive path of ever more greed and consuming. And please, reflect on how you can survive in this rapidly changing world…
Lying on our backs in the woods, we observe nature's symphony flying above, and the gentle dance of light amid the trees—a phenomenon known as Shinrin-Yoku, or "forest bathing," celebrated in Japan. It refreshes the body and mind, enhancing health and well-being.
I feel it is my mission to make people aware of the beauty and at the same time fragility of nature. At the same time, this sometimes feels like hypocrisy because I am part of the society that causes the destruction of the earth's habitability. Even though I do my best to live simply and keep my ecological footprint considerably smaller than "the use" of 1 earth...
A gray, foggy autumn day. A day like so many, where you only see vague outlines of the path you are walking. The silence and lack of sight are oppressive at first...
The Western world is busy. Long to-do lists constantly hold us by the throat, and so we are in a constant hurry. The list needs to be checked off, but refills itself at the bottom as if by itself. Full agendas, an inexhaustible urge to soak up information, and the fear of missing something that others consider important causes us to be on the go from morning to night. Then we fall down in our beds, exhausted, and all too often sleep then refuses to come….
While the ice caps are melting and the oceans and seas are warming and being robbed, polluted and poisoned, also on land the humans leave a trace of destruction. Or perhaps better to say, that's where the misery begins. Because that's where humans have settled and do most of their 'ingenuity'.
The Western world should really be called the 'world of never enough'.
A morning by the sea, the water is called back by the tide, bringing the beach back to the land. Thousands of waves, as far as the eye can see, weave together like an infinite blue sheet...
What is an earthly mushroom on the scale of a galaxy? Less than a speck of dust on your windowsill... Not even the size of an atom in the infinite expanse of the oceans.
What is an earthly mushroom on the scale of a galaxy? Less than a speck of dust on your windowsill... Not even the size of an atom in the infinite expanse of the oceans.
The first rays of the sun reflect in the vapors rising from the valley after a heavy rain shower.
The morning breeze touches it, like the ripples of a silk scarf draped over the mountain tops…
Do you know those moments? A setting sun, just above the trees, in a completely clear sky. In the foreground a lake that reflects all the light... A lot of light...
With COP29 (the "29th UN Climate Change conference") approaching, we are being fed scientific publications that give us the latest updates. Although these are not happy reads, it is important reading for me. It inspires me to make new work. And motivate me to live the way I live. Above that, it inspires and motivates me to tell you about it.
And why this post, why am I telling you this? Why do I hope you will read the whole thing?
Because it's important that you know the condition of your home. It is your only home, our only home.
Screaming sounds of power
saws numb your thoughts
Ears bleed, hearts tear
Forests cry
The sun colors the evening in
the hues of the choking smoke
that kills tree after tree
How high may become
the price the future
will have to pay?
Autumn is generally a gray, rainy season in the northern part of Jutland. More gray than winter, at least if there is a real winter. But for that very reason, the overcast skies and brisk winds that can suddenly give the sun plenty of room, it is also the season of beautiful, intense sunsets...
Many people dream of an earth that is safe and clean, that is treated with care so that it can give enough to all that lives on it without becoming exhausted.
Only when all those dreams come to life in common sense and people take action to live modestly as a part of nature, the earth can recover through our care and compassion for all that lives, giving us what we need.
This is what you read and hear more and more often. In comments, articles and discussions about the state of the Earth's health, about the alarmingly rapid change in our climate.
And that alongside, of course, the call for Degrowth....
What is meant by this system change?
Insofar as you can and may explain a very complex system in a few simple phrases: ...
Thick clouds of black
smoke darken the sun
Eyes tear,
trees cry
The sun colors the evening
in the hues of the flames that
scorch tree after tree
How high may become
the price the future
will have to pay?
It is early in the morning, but it is already light when I wake up. The sunlight filtered through the curtains quickly dissipates the last images of my dream and emerging thoughts disrupt the story...
It's early on a beautiful autumn evening, no wind and a bright blue sky. There is silence in the forest. A palpable silence, soft and thick like a wool blanket.
Yellow leaves gently fall to the ground. The sunlight wraps them in gold...
Early on this beautiful autumn morning, a walk takes me down deserted narrow paths. I stop, look at the light spot at the end of the path and enjoy the warmth of the rising sun.
On a not too windy day, waves are very calming to me.
They play a game with the sun and the sky, reflecting and chasing each other's colors that in an endless variety continuously present a breathtaking spectacle.
When I walk through our garden, I love to touch the trees and plants I walk by. It creates a connection with the nature around you when you not only sniff scents and enjoy the colors, but when in addition you feel the softness of leaves, the hardness of bark, the fragility of flowers….
Tomorrow, Friday, I will post the following text on LinkedIn.
Some of you have no doubt noticed over the past six months that the LinkedIn jacket no longer fits me....
More than 15 years on LinkedIn, the last 5 of which have been exclusively, the only social media I use... Now I have decided to close my account as of next October 1.
I have always found LinkedIn a pleasant environment and a good medium to display my art, to tell something about my philosophy of life and lifestyle, and air my opinion regarding the state of the earth.
When we are at the beach, we spend a very large part of the time with our gaze focused on the ground. A few square meters around our feet are continuously scanned as we slowly walk forward. Periodically we stop, and let our gaze wander to the dunes, the sea, or the sky….
Harvest. Not by far over yet. Pears, apples, pumpkins, zucchini’s...
And every time when I walk into the garden, I notice a 1, 2, 3, ... details that I have never seen before. Full of enthusiasm I then call out to Anuscka: come and see what I found here !
Early on an autumn morning, the just-risen sun caresses the landscape. The sounds are muffled by a light haze rising from the cold waters of the river. The first rays of the sun cause a shiver, both from the awareness of the night's chill and the longing for the sun's warmth....
In the tranquil medieval village of Corenno Plinio, narrow streets and old stairs evoke a time long past, with few signs of modern tourism. The artwork 'Awakening (3)' from the 'Lost Cities' collection is a digitally altered photograph, aiming to capture a surrealistic atmosphere.
A sunny autumn day
The garden breathes colors
Leaves whispering
After a beautiful late summer week, it has now become autumn. The temperature has dropped considerably, compared to that warm week. Rain showers are frequent, although not very heavy.
Many leaves have been blown off by a summer storm, we are collecting those fallen leaves almost daily...
That was my first Star Wars-inspired thought when I saw this….
Our garden is slowly preparing itself for winter. Due to a strong summer storm a few weeks ago, autumn has arrived early. Leaves have blown off, what is still on the trees has mostly turned brown...
We have a wide variety of trees and plants in our garden. Some immediately recognizable, like a birch, an oak….
Others with a lot of effort and searching, like the Swedish whitebeam. And a few only after seeing and photographing them for a full year in all 4 seasons...
One of the most extraordinary colored sunsets I have ever seen. The color palette was so special…. And slowly the colors blended more and more, until it was too dark to distinguish any colors at all....
We return to the beach, this time in the month of May. We make a walk on a stretch of deserted, beautiful beach on the west coast of North Jutland. This beach is called Bøgsted Rende; in high season it's often crowded here with several dozen bathers. But the rest of the year, beach lovers are rarely to be found.
What I did find was this strikingly blue “fingerprint” ...
The weather has been beautiful for several days with temperatures well above normal for early September, but it cools off considerably at night, resulting in damp mornings. Dewdrops adorn the grass and the leaves of trees and shrubs.
Then I notice a bluish glint, standing out beautifully against a brown mottled background….
Today another beach find. Well, can you call something that has a length and weight like a passenger car a find? But weathered it is, by sunlight, salt water and wind, the original colors and textures no longer reveal the origin.
When I find something on the beach, other than the things that 'belong' on a Danish beach like stones, shells and seaweed, I often visualise in my mind the journey that object could have made....
Today a beach find. Weathered by sunlight, salt water and wind, the original shapes, colors and textures are hardly recognizable anymore.
When I find an object on the beach, other than the things that 'belong' on a Danish beach like sand, stones, shells and seaweed, I often visualise in my mind the journey that object has made.
Nature is brimming with a huge, fascinating collection of shapes, colors and textures. And at every moment of the day, wherever you go and no matter where you look, you will find a new treasure chest of abstract natural artworks.
Exploring this infinite pallet by crawling through forests, fields and over beaches, provides a vast amount of material and inspiration for a new collection of abstract, slightly reworked artworks.
Nature is brimming with a vast, infinite collection of colors and textures. And every moment of the day, every place you go, everywhere you look, every change in weather and light, opens up a new treasure chest of experiences.
Exploring this pallet, by crawling through forests, fields and over beaches...
Everything in a swamp seems thinner, fragile almost, untouchable….
At the same time, it is not difficult to feel part of the landscape. The silence absorbs you, the mists make you feel like you are floating above the water.
So getting lost in the pale light is very easy when you stroll around for a few hours...
Sitting alone near the pond
seeing the day fade
All things are reflections,
distorted by our mind
Only the heart sees pure
Only body and soul tell what’s right
A morning by the sea, the water is called back by the tide, bringing the beach back to the land. Thousands of waves, as far as the eye can see, weave together like an infinite velvet sheet.
Whether it is a cloudy or sunny day, open spaces in a forest have something magical about them. And the denser the forest, the greater the magic when you suddenly find yourself in a place where an abundance of light welcomes you.
In my System Change post, I explained man's impact on earth and raised a number of questions. The most important: Do you know what your ecological footprint is?
No one answered that question. No, I'm not disappointed, because I actually didn't expect it either. And the question was also not asked very directly and not very prominently in the beginning of the (long) post.
Just as I sometimes dream of spring or summer while it is still winter, I also sometimes dream of winter on a warm summer day.
It is a kind of vague longing for peace and quiet, for moments of reflection. Summer is a hectic time of blooming, ripening, harvesting, processing and making ready for storage...
There is nothing like an early morning walk in nature, where you get to witness the awakening of that piece of earth. The light, the smells, the sounds, the cool breeze caressing your skin….
What sense are we missing right now? Oh yes, of course…
A sunny, warm spring day. It is quiet in the forest, not a breath of wind, no one to be seen. As I walk deeper into the forest, the young greenery closes me off more and more from the busy world. I walk on slowly, as if in a dream...
Duendes crossing my path on a sunny morning...
In some Latin American cultures, the Duendes are believed to be forest spirits, helpers of people who get lost in the forest so they could find their way home.
None of those. The sea has the color of the sky, of the sun, of the clouds. The oceans are the soul of the earth and reflect the mood of everything that uses them as a mirror.
On a sunny day during a walk through the beautiful undulating fields at the south side of Nissum Bredning, a part of the Limfjord in northwest Jutland, Denmark.
A deserted beach, a deserted sea. It is low tide, the waves approach the coast in a regular and calm rhythm. The murmur of the waves that die on the sand, deepens the silence.
Weeping pine tree –
Blue rain falling to earth,
mixed tears of happiness.
Weeping pine tree - A pine tree on a sunny winter day, the sunlight brings tears of happiness, but mixed feelings because of the declining state of nature.
It is early in the morning. The cold haze of the night rises from the damp grassland. A light breeze brushes the grasses. Their soft rustle welcomes the sun. The quiet beginning of a new day in this beautiful nature reserve.
Commissioned by a poet for the cover of her new book of poetry, I created two new versions of the work Symbiosis. Herewith the second: a shoal of fish swims through a kelp forest.
In addition, I added an insightful quote from Charles Darwin and a link to an article on kelp farming.
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