After two weeks in Iceland, halfway through my residency, we are settling into a routine and enjoying ourselves to the fullest.
For those of you just tuning in, I’m in Iceland on a one month painting residency. The location is Hrísey which is off the northern most point in Iceland in the Eyjafjordur waters.
En plein air painting the fjords
What have I been painting you ask? Each day I paint one piece of something I’ve seen that day. It’s absolutely inspiring and breathtaking so painting sunsets, northern lights, seascapes and lighthouses are rendered. I’m grateful this also serves as a sort of visual journal so that I capture the beauty and awe I experience with my family in Iceland.
My art wall is filling up with inspirations from Iceland.
Here I’m painting right outside the schoolhouse inspired by the east fjord and a sunshine day.
I’m painting a lot in oil paint. a medium I only pick up every few years due to how long it takes to dry (the way I paint thick with it) and lack of storage space, here I have mounds of time and lots of storage space so it’s the perfect medium to work with. I am really enjoying all of the color and texture that are coming from it.
My art space
The oil is thick like frosting. I paint only with a single palette knife the entire time, I work with about a pea size amount of oil each time. Because with oilit is so thick and rich in pigment I don’t need to paint with very much.
I’m also working on another project in painted illustration, I will let you know more on this amazing opportunity after residency.
Painted illustration project in the works.
My husband, Josh, departs this week, which is sad for Jonah and me, but we’ve really appreciated his time, our time together, here. My wonderful mother in law, Deb, will be joining us the remainder of the trip where we will pursue more adventures and explore Iceland!
We have been integrating into the community a bit more. Our neighbor brought us fresh fish he caught yesterday off his fishing boat, what a sweet gesture! It’s Icelandic cod! We gave a lot so we made a fish chowder to begin with.
We made curry cod and a traditional Icelandic cod recipe includinging onions and potatoes. The fisherman runs the swimming pool which we frequent and we brought him some cookies in return, we brought Alaska Salmon jerky and Alaska playing cards so we will gift him with this as well.
We have two wonderful roommates in the schoolhouse whom we share the space with. Lila is a writer working on a play from NYC, Bonnie is a painter working on contemporary abstract pieces from Bellingham, WA, we are literally from all over the US working on projects at the art house.
Sunset views from our art house.
An 11 year old befriended us Friday night and we chatted much about Hrísey. He said kids go to school until they are 16 in Hrísey, they travel off the island if they’d like to continue school after 16. He also said the energy zone, where much good energy is delivered to people, was delivered by the aliens. And their is a “boli” a bull ghost, that wanders the village, it comes in the form of fog, mist, a cat, or a bull dragging its red flesh around. He also said the lemon sparkling water is delicious at the grocery store… he was full of information.
Jonah befriended some kiddos while we chatted and they gave him a group hug in the middle of the street.
I think Jonah now has a crush on an adorable 11 year old named Linda who was quite smitten with him.
We see Kristjan, a 3 year old boy who is also smitten with Jonah, at the pool most days of the week, he gave Jonah his water bucket and 3 gummy sharks at the snack table, it was so adorable.
Jonah’s new friends
We eat well.
We’ve made blueberry frosted sugar cookies, blueberry crepes, blueberry cobbler, and blueberry reduction sauce…
Wait there is more… blueberry pie, and blueberry compote for waffles.
We live on blueberries and there are so many to pick.
Sugar cookies Yes, this is a blueberry frosted sugar cookie.
We also made homemade pizza and bread this week, Josh is now an expert chemist in how yeast works!
We ate at the restaurant for a date Sunday night. Happy hour beers were $6 compared to the usual $14.
Jonah enjoyed a lamb burger and coloring on our romantic Wilson date night.
Our fish and chips were $24 each, not bad for prices in Iceland.
We also picked wild rhubarb for a delish rhubarb strawberry crisp, never mind we splurged the $13 for 15 strawberries. 🤦♀️
We hike everyday and enjoy the turning leaves, it is special because colorful turning landscapes are one of my favorite things to paint.
We are taking a mid-residency break and completing the remainder of driving around Iceland, on Monday we will have completed all 828 miles of driving Iceland! Waterfalls, glaciers, nature baths, and boiling mud bath photos to come!
Thank you for reading about this very special opportunity of a lifetime!