"Morning Mood" (play music below)
An interpretation of Edvard Grieg's
composition from Peer Gynt
Acrylic on Gessobord with 2" Birch Sides
Ready to Hang: 24" x 18"
Today I put the finishing touches on this painting interpreting Norwegian composer Edvard Grieg's "Morning Mood" from Peer Gynt. I received an arts grant from the Southwest Minnesota Arts Council to travel to Bergen, Norway last summer where Grieg lived and created his many interpretations of the beauty of Norway. I've found a great kinship with Grieg. He was a Romantic, as am I. He suffered physical pain from an illness, as have I. The beauty of his music speaks to me and he was prolific. This painting came to me as I was driving to my hometown of Decorah, Iowa, listening to Grieg's music, one of my favorite ways to visualize. (I know, look out!) Decorah is a very Nordic community and I grew up hearing Grieg's music every summer at Nordic Fest. Maybe it's in my bones. I find his music expresses such great beauty and I hope to express abstracted versions of his tribute to the natural beauty of Norway. I experienced that in Norway a hundredfold and I am very thankful for the experience of exploring the life, work and environment that inspired Grieg and visiting the land of my ancestors. I will be painting 8-10 paintings interpreting Grieg's work with my opening exhibit at the Southwest MN Arts Council gallery in Marshall, MN September-October 2019. More to come!