I'd love to share the painting I just finished and the next piece I am working on. But, the show they are going to be submitted to requires they remain a secret until the opening day of the show. Unusual, but I will honor their rules.
I will tell you that the one I just completed is my first painting of walrus (inspired by the ones I saw on the small boat trip out of Svalbard, Norway) and the one I am designing right now is a colony of one of my favorite sea birds.
In the meantime, I will share a few photos from my recent trip to Iceland and Norway.
Today I'd like to show you a few photos from an added stop on our self-drive on what is referred to as Diamond Circle in northern Iceland. No wildlife at this spot except for a small bird which was using a chimney shaft as a nest, but the place holds a nostalgic fascination for me.
Preserved Turf homes
The turf home settlement we visited was Laufas which belongs to the National Museum of Iceland. Laufas is mentioned in the some of the earliest Icelandic records and has been the home of priests since 1047. Complete with a church, this place was a revelation. The four main structures are connected below grade. One would think a "cellar" area would be dank and dark. On the contrary, the lower area was dry and light came in from carefully designed above ground angled shafts. The current buildings date from the mid-19th century and have furnishings from that period.
There was also a section dedicated to livestock so they could get out of the cold in the Icelandic winter.
The Laufas area has had a church since early Christianity in Iceland (early 1000s.) The current church was built in 1865 but its ornate pulpit was made in 1698.
The last residents of Laufas were the vicar and his wife. They left in 1936 when a newer vicarage was available.
Next up "in the meantime" before I start a painting I can show you in progress, Icelandic horses.
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