Hilsen fra Norge: Painting Expedition beginnings.

This is where I am staying. It is the blue building amongst all the dorm buildings next to the high school I attended as an exchange student. The accommodations are terrific, comfortable, and central.

This is a part of the common space that I am not sharing with anyone at this time. I am not sure if others will arrive, but there are several rooms in the building.

shared kitchen space for carefully arranging cheese and other things atop bread slices. Pots and pans and other amenities are available for cooking dinner.

My friend Rachel is visiting from Tromsoe. She and I went to the Knut Hamsun Center yesterday which not only features interesting exhibits about Hamsun, but the view from the building of the surrounding nature is spectacular and particularly meaningful for me since this is where I lived as an exchange student (you can see the vicarage where I lived from this balcony.

 http://hamsunsenteret.no/en/home

Yesterday evening Rachel and I hiked up to the top of a peak called "Veten". Veten is also the name of the building where I am staying. On top of Veten one can enjoy amazing views of Hamaroey from all directions. Here is Lofoten late at night.

Here I am posing next to my village (Oppeid).

Tomorrow Rachel and I will spend a few days in Lofoten. I will make watercolor pictures along the way. Upon my return to Oppeid I will begin making oil paintings.
I am settling in nicely. I have arrived only a few days ago and have spent time with my host family, met my host nieces and nephews, and have been wandering around reacquainting myself with this place. The weather has been perfect so far but I have secured a classroom in one of the school buildings as a studio space for rainy days.

At the end of my painting expedition I will exhibit my work at the Hamaroy Galleri:
http://www.hamaroygalleri.no/