NORWAY!

Liz and I just returned from Norway.  I was invited to give a lecture and to co-lead a symposium called"Hot Week" where the National Academy of Arts of Oslo invites two jewelry artists to give a talk on their work and to discuss students' work while they are there. Each "Hot Week" has a theme and this year's theme was "links".  Students were encouraged to produce a piece of work inspired by the week's theme and to submit it to the gallery for a show at the end of the week.

Liz and I spent 8 days in Oslo, which is currently under much construction.  The city is quite beautiful.  Our hotel was next to a very quiet neighborhood just off the city center.  Often I felt like we had never left the US because everyone spoke English and the entire city was peppered with American muscle cars.  Several people before we left said that Norwegians are not friendly people but we found it to be the opposite.  Norwegians are super friendly and always willing to help or at least try.  We found more smiles than frowns.

Most of the week we spent at the National Academy touring the school (which is amazing!) and visiting with students.  On top of the main building of the school is a neon sign that says This Is It.  And it is!  The school is mind blowing!  They have so many nice tools and equipment.  It made me want to go back to school. Their 3D fab lab had FIVE 3D printers! two laser cutters, a water-jet, a CNC and two 3D scanners! I can't even mention all of the wonderful tools in the metals studio.  

On the last night, we went out to dinner with the chair of the jewelry department, Heidi Sand, the other visiting artist, Iris Bodemer, and two other women, one who works for a small jewelry gallery/workshop center in Copenhagen called Goldfingers and the other is part of an artist collective called Klink.

There was so much to do in Oslo.  We went to the botanical gardens, the Opera House which is made out of Italian marble and situated right on the waterfront, the Munch Museum, and toured the fjords in a small boat. We really had a wonderful time.  I actually would recommend going.  Bring your wallet because it is expensive. 

Here are some highlights from the trip.  If you want to see all of the photos you can visit my flickr page. 

Soooooooo.  Liz and I will be leaving for Norway on Friday.  I have been invited to lecture at the Oslo National Academy of Art's Metal and jewelry program.  I am VERY excited.  Of course it means a lot of sleepless nights working on my lecture.  

After visiting with the guy at the AT&T store I have found out that my phone is going to be  almost 1$ a minute.  So I am not sure how much blogging I will be doing while I am there.  I will however take tons of photos so I can remember the experience.  I have a bad habit of not remembering when I am in the thick of it.  I hope to have some free time to visit some sites etc.  Liz and I have been so busy lately that it has been hard to sit down and write something.  We have had a number of crazy things that have put the studio and the blog on hold.  On a sad note we had to put down our dog.  He had a slew of health issues.  The vet told us that anyone of them he could drop dead from.  I felt like he was keeping himself alive for us.  After realizing that he must be in agonizing pain I had to make the call.  It was probably the hardest thing I have ever done in my life and I hope that I will never have to do that again.  For 15 years I have been getting up and letting him out or taking him for a walk.  I still find myself rushing home to let the dog out or getting up early when I hear what I think is scratching at the door.  I am sure this will pass but in the mean time sleep has been VERY hard to find.  


The schedule is filling up.  After Norway I immediately go to Milwaukee to do a lecture and a workshop.  This summer I will be teaching at Haystack and Penland.  Somewhere in the middle I have two shows and a couple of pieces being made for themed exhibitions.  Of course during all of this I am teaching and doing my tech job at New Paltz. Liz and I are considering renting a large studio space.  I think it is about time to finally do this.  Forever my studio has been in my house.  I worry sometimes about the hazards of having a studio at home and I feel like if i was paying for it I would use it more. I think at this point in my career I actually need it in order to keep up with everything.  

That is all for now.  I will try to make another blog entry before our trip.   

 

thanks ford