Dreaming of Norway

Viking Ship

I took this photograph when we were in Norway back in 2014. I have made my grandkids a large poster with it and a canvas for my Norwegian Aunt on my husband's side. She loves it except it would be nice if she could see the buildings on the dock too. They were obscured by the beautiful ships but overall she was very pleased with it.

Waterfalls galore! I saw so many and each one was unique. The beauty of the landscape was incredible. If you have never ventured to this historic and rich culture you should! Adventure awaits you.

This is the Church on the Island where my Mother-in-law and Aunt were born and raised. It is in the village of Gursken, on the western fjords.

The beauty of the rocks of Norway

The beauty of the landscape was around every turn and place. The rocks were amazing, a work of art in nature. 

Ulriken Cable Car 

The cable car was pretty scary for me, considering I am afraid of heights, but I did it! It was well worth it for the views and awesome photographs I took while at the top. I can't recommend enough the many adventures and things to do not only in Bergen but within the whole country of Norway. It was a lifetime adventure and I hope to return again one day.

At the top of Mount Ulriken overlooking the City of Bergen

Scenic view of Bergen Norway

My Steer Skull Painting

Steer Skull

I have always wanted to paint a Steer Skull. This one looks like it still has one eye and the other has shriveled away. I like it, and I love the colors. My style of art is to have vibrant colors for the background.  Hope you enjoy viewing

Painting Koi Fish

Koi Fish

Having FUN with acrylic paints......trying to paint Koi Fish.

I still need more practice, but it is relaxing to paint. I never know how my paintings are going to turn out. Sometimes they are really good, and I am totally surprised. Other times, I think to myself, "What was I thinking?"

The good thing is I can paint over and start from scratch.  Never a wasted canvas!

Below is one of my photographs from the Seattle Japanese Gardens that I used as an example:

Koi 

"Cerulean Blue" by Carol Eliassen

Some call me Cerulean blue.  I am a coat of many hues that range from Cyan the great to the depths of the dark deep blue.   I’m not really one but many.  I sometimes overlay my bluest of friends.  I may be dimmer than some but I can accent anyone.  

I love to be the colorful flower swaying in the wind or the backdrop of the sky as the white fluffy clouds cluster nearby.

My Artist friend uses me to be a fragment of the color of a fish in a tropical sea or the background of a pink salmon breed.  I am versatile at best and can be used with all my palette companions, especially sunflower lemon yellow, flaming tomato red, or that outrageous lime green.

I tend to light up the sky behind the tall snow covered mountains or help that bright frothing white to accent the towering swells that are turbulent in the precarious Bay. I have to admit though my favorite place to be is with a vase of other colors swaying in the breeze.

I am versatile at best not like all the rest.  I’m not just blue, I’m also a hue. 

A Journey To Being An Artist

Vera Ritter - Artist

I have posted some of my art and photography on line at Fine Art America and have developed a following from around the world.  I don't really care about selling my art but I love sharing it with people as a way to showcase my progression as I move through life and develop my talents in these areas. 

I have always loved landscape photography with mountains, water, boats flowers and/or wildlife.  I am not a Photographer who enjoys doing Photography for weddings or events.  I love looking through the lens and finding the right composition for my photographs to preserve them as a memory.  There have been many trips where I have had a wonderful adventure and when I look back at the photographs they flood me with good memories. I know when I leave this life those memories will fade and the photographs won't have the full meaning unless I display, explain and show them to the world.  I need to do a better job at defining that moment in time with my viewers so they can come away with the feeling of being in that place and time.  I need to really work on writing out my thoughts as it pertained to that one moment in time.

My art is rather new and yet some would say old.  I have always influenced my children and grandchildren in the area of art.  I bought many art supplies and kits, canvases and paper for them to dive into yet I didn't.  I didn't think I was an Artist but that maybe  I could influence others to see their full potential.  It worked, yet one day an Art Teacher who was displaying their work and art classes at a Winery where my daughter's art was being showcased in their tasting room asked me if I was an Artist as well.  I laughed and said "Oh no, not me!  I'm crafty and love photography but no I can't draw a straight line!"  She said "oh, really!  Look around this room at all of the vendors with art and do you see any straight lines in their work?"  I truly looked around and saw through her eyes that no, there wasn't a straight line drawn!  Incredible.  She then explained that I could very well be an Artist.  It just takes the first step to start. 

I went home and bought myself some art supplies and pulled off the shelf one of a hundred books I have of my Grandmother's collection on how to do art. My Grandmother Vera Ritter was an Artist and had a book on how to do just about everything in art from pastels, acrylics, water coloring and oils. There was no topic that wasn't covered so I decided to read some of her books and review mixing colors.  It became an adventure and passion.  I was hooked.  I decided to just paint out of my head and they turned out good but looking at pictures and painting was somewhat easier for me.  I had plenty of photographs to choose from since  I have been a Photographer since my Freshman year at college and really even before that. 

I believe that if you put your mind to it you can do just about anything!  I'm still in the learning stages of fine art and I am currently looking at doing some mixed media projects and how to paint stimulating backgrounds for my canvas paints.  I think a great background with interesting color mixes can open up the world of imagination.  I sometimes flip through my Grandmother's books and find inspiration.  They are very old books and booklets but are still relevant today as they were 30-40 years ago. 

So if someone tells you they could never be an Artist, maybe they just haven't had the courage or the push to get started.  Share my story.  I shared it with some elementary girls in a book club that were reading about art and learning to sketch for the first time.  I believe words can leave an impact and that we all have the capability to be creative!

 We are made in the image of God and God is certainly the most creative ever!  I know I can't be at his level but he has given us gifts and creativity is certainly one of them!

Vera Ritter - Artist

Paul McCartney Rocks out at Safeco Field

 
I wasn't sure what I was in for when I went to the Paul McCartney "Out There" Concert last night but found out that it was one or actually the best rock and roll concerts I have ever been to!

We arrived early to have dinner at the stadium and that was great timing on our part.  People were still arriving around the time the concert was suppose to start.  It started late but they had music playing with pictures and art work streaming from the large projector screens.  The Beattle's photographs and video clips that were shown brought back memories of long ago. 

We had an awesome dinner at the stadium and a great view.  Paul's crew and the Safeco stadium really worked in "harmony" to make a spectacular show entertaining and comfortable for sitting or standing over 3 hours.  Paul made a point to publicly thank everyone associated with setting up and working the show! 

Paul McCartney can play and sing like it was yesterday!  He played songs from the Beattles, Wings and some new songs.  He came back on stage several times and even surprised the crowd with a local surprise!  He brought on stage former Nirvana band members to rock out with him and his band members!  It excited the local Seattle crowd to see Nirvana play and Paul just hit it out of the ballpark singing a Nirvana song with them!  They continued to play a few more songs together with Paul and his band.

Paul finally ended the night or should I say morning since it was well past midnight with another song and fireworks again( they didn't skimp on the fireworks - they went off several times at the end of the show).
 
When we bought the tickets I actually thought we paid too much but after going to the show I have to say it was money well spent to be entertained by a music legend that can still rock out after decades of playing and singing.  I would recommend seeing this concert.  It truly is art in the making!

Keep rocking Paul - we love you in Seattle!

Learning to Paint

I've noticed the trees with their shadows and light illuminating in the sun and even the fog.....seeing reflections in the water and the two tone colors of miscellaneous things in a distance.  I have seen things I don't normally see because I have started learning to paint.  I have opened up a new world filled with wonders that reflect light and a rainbow of colors.

In my photography I have seen composition and searched for the "right" light but in painting I am seeing the world in a whole new light.

I am excited to have this adventure.  I will post my work as I am learning and seeing through my imagination.  This one is appropriately called "Pacific Northwest Camping."  I used acrylics on canvas.