A Matter of Spirit

'The Matter of Spirit' - Acrylics on canvas - 60x73 cm

Leaving the path

Watching this piece I remembered hiking in the mountains of Norway. Last time I was there I was by myself, which is a stupid thing to do really, since just a few kilometers into a valley you often find yourself outside of all networks, meaning you can't call for help. Falling is one thing, since you typically die anyway, but if you get stuck between rocks or cut yourself on a sharp edge while stumbling and find yourself bleeding and unable to make the walk back you could die in vain. Dying due to stupidity is something I would like to avoid, yet experiencing the Norweigan national parks in silence and solitude almost makes up for the risk. 

What I clearly remember are the times when I left the marked paths for a closer encounter with a waterfall spotted from afar, or to look down a crazy drop, and how the 'never leave the path'-warnings from old fairytales echoed inside. In the Norweigan mountains those words really make sense. The ground feels uncertain beneath your feet and you never know what's covered by or hidden by the moss and undergrowth. A badly chosen step can be fatal, and yet the seductive beauty drives you onward, further and further away from the path. 

'Leaving the Path' - Acrylics on canvas - 55x38 cm

A shore of stories and encounters

'In a Notebook on the Shore' - Acrylics on canvas - 65x81 cm