Long before I started my art practice
I would dream of the day when I would be an artist, I didn’t know how that would happen or what it would look like. But I knew deep down inside me, in my soul, that the day would come.
There were moments that brought clarity to my journey. One of these times, was during a trip to Australia in 2017 for a Christmas holiday. I had started that year with a sketchbook, and it felt very intimidating to work in it, but I knew I wanted to start in this way. I had catch myself sketching and drawing more and more that year and even had tried to start oil painting after almost two decades. On my way to Australia, I got to see a film in the plane, it was La La Land. I felt so moved by the beautiful imagery, the colors and the music were absolutely breathtaking and I felt completely taken by the film, I remember crying while watching it from how moved I was. I knew that had turned something in me, during the whole trip I continued to sketch but upon my return to Oslo, there was a long pause until I would return to the sketchbook.
I was intimidated by art making, and didn’t really know how to get past that feeling. I kept my art dreams close to my heart, and became more vocal to my husband and family about wanting to start an art practice. With little knowledge about what it takes to be an artist, neither them nor I, really knew how this would happen and what this meant.
Then in April 2018, I took a trip to London with my sister, my oldest daughter and my niece. This trip would have the most impactful of happenings that I could ever anticipate. We visited Exmouth Market, a street my sister and I lived in 2005 when we were both studying in London. This street held sweet memories for us both. We wanted to show our daughters this street and we came across the most magical of shops, Marby & Elm.
Marby & Elm, is a letterpress shop and so much more. It has become an important place for me, that marks a real turn in my life. Walking into the shop, I felt at home, like something that I can’t quite describe but which was beautiful and calming. We were welcomed there by the marvellous Eleanor Tattersfield, a splendid woman that has become someone dear and special over the years we have gotten to know each other. Her warm smile and enthusiasm embraced us, she told us the story behind the shop and I knew I would be returning. I make a point to visit every time I am in London. When I think back to this moment, I realise she was the first creative I got to know first hand who was living a creative dream, and I honestly feel this gave me the final push I needed to get my creative practice started. Some moments mark our lives in unexpected ways and this was certainly one of those moments. I am grateful that I can look back at this memory and know exactly how my art journey began so I can share it with others, and so that others may find inspiration or excitement and dare to live a wild dream of being an artist because it is one of the most exhilarating and wonderful of happenings in life.
