This post is a follow up on the previous post.

Snow has been the most central feature of my works in the series of landscapes. It’s been a hallmark in which my followers has been able to recognise my works for over a decade. I felt it was time to challenge this modus and try something different. It proved to be a much more complex and difficult task than expected.

The patches of snow usually simplifies and draws up the landscape, creating a wonderful dynamic. The lack thereof forced me to get stuck into a lot of tiny details. It’s hard to simplify without creating a mess. I have observed this problem in numerous landscape paintings by other artists, and can only imagine the struggle they have gone trough. Yet, when you finally get there, the result can be very rewarding. There is no quick way to do this. You have to take one feature at the time and slowly build up the layers.

The lake in this painting is the reservoir of the biggest hydro power plant in Etne, and a dam was built in the first half of the 20th century. They also drilled a passage, allowing them to taketh level down 11 meters. The dam also gained 11 meters, giving this reservoir a total range of 22 meters. At low level, the landscape turns in to a moon like environment, exposing the lakebed and all its minerals. It sure can be exiting to explore, but the visual impact is brutal. The maximum water level can be seen in the small green patch on top of the hill in the mid ground. This rock (or hill) turns into an island when the water level is high. It rarely is, and this is how we usually experience it.

“Løkjelsvatnet”. 120 x 135 cm. Acrylic and oil on canvas.

No, this is not a blog about me getting into environmentally friendly materials. It’s literally about colour.

I have always had a bit of a struggle working with green, so I knew from the start this was going to be challenge.

The summer of 2015 was indeed rather unusual. The hard winter left a substantial amount of snow extending the “motif hunting season” into the summer. Another curious aspect of this, was the the exchanging of the browns and beiges into different shades of green, some rather intense.

Whenever the snow pulls back exposing the soil to the sun, the ground thaws and the gras will eventually come back. Normally the process takes a few weeks and this occurs in a mixture of earthy colour up against the white snow. For 2015, the patches of snow lasted much longer and the ground was exposed to a much higher temperature. This speeding up gave us white and green! This series of paintings are all from the same location using the exact same image.

There is a lot going on, I admit. I spent months adding details that had to be covered up in the end. It just got too busy.

So, maybe not to everyone’s liking, here are some “Very late in the season-Rafdals”.

Occasionally customers approach me with the desire to have a piece made from a location of their own choice. How can I make this work for both my client and myself? What if, at the end of the line, the client decides the artwork isn’t quite like he/she imagined it? And how about taking on something that doesn’t quite go along with my style and preferences?

I have made this easy for both parts by making some rather simple requirements:

You may bring your own photo reference for the piece. However, I’m inclined to reject any image that doesn’t meet the standard for my production. The image doesn’t have to possess the atmospheric details my paintings and drawings entail. I quite often start with a rather plain image. Some level of sunlight might add some interest, as it sure gives the landscape more depth and “volume” through the casting shadows. The number one reason for rejecting an image is the amount and distribution of snow. No a dark mountain with a few reclining patches of snow at the top, please.

You are merely given the option to be the first to consider the piece. I will make it according to my preferences, and you will take it or leave it as is. Sorry, I will not add your sisters dog in the foreground or give the skies a little purple tint to go along your recently purchased wall paper. It is what it is …

On the other hand, you are not obliged to take the piece. I will hopefully find another client for it. No hard feelings.

I will reserve the rights to make further version from the same motif.

So, that’s basically it.