Landscape
My landscape paintings have been developing over the past couple of years towards slightly surreal works or works where certain aspects are exaggerated to the point of banality to create a strong impression.
dated 2009 until 2016
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Landscape
2013A landscape in cubist style. The colours are suggestive of morning light in the summer time. While the landscape is not of a particular place, the shapes and features strongly reflect Icelandic landforms.
Homecoming
2016In this work I try to give a sense of depth. The birds are returning to their breeding grounds in the central areas of Iceland - thus heading determinedly towards the mountains. But they are not entirely realistic, but have taken on the colours of the land, water and sky they travel through.
Achill
2012An abstract diptych painting inspired by the island of Achill in the far west of Ireland. In the ever changing weather of this Atlantic coast the light and colours interact with the ancient field and cultivation patterns to produce a particular atmosphere. Anyone who goes there is also strongly affected by the "deserted village" of Slievemore which is thought to have been abandoned during the great famine in Ireland (1845-1849). I hope I have managed to convey at least some of this atmosphere in what is hopefully a very Irish painting.
Close encounter
2012Sailing off the coast of Iceland, one sometimes encounters a group of killer whales (orca), usually unexpectedly. The atmosphere is often rather surreal and ghost-like, especially in dim light. I have used cold colours for the landscape but painted the whales in warmer colours to emphasize their life. The painting is very dark and slightly sombre, recalling some of the earlier Scandinavian artists.
Values
2012
Values (painted under the influence of the Hólar cathedral site in northern Iceland) oil 150 X 120 cm
A picture on 4 panels inspired by the nature surrounding this ancient eclesiastical site as well as the buildings and their contents. It could be interpreted as an altarpiece although the main content is simply Icelandic nature.
Rofabarð - H3
2011Soil erosion by the wind has been a problem in Iceland ever since the Settlement in 874 with its associated felling of trees. Volcanic eruptions have also contributed to the problem. For the artist however there is ample opertunity in the rather surrealistic landscapes which soil erosion produces. In this picture I have tried to portray the feeling of desolation created by this sole remaining island of soil and vegetation in an otherwise desert landscape. The Icelandic word rofabarð does not really exist in English and refers to this particular landform. Erosion outlier might approximate. The H3 refers to the volcanic ash layer from Hekla which appears as a white line low in the formation. It was erupted 2800 years ago.
Whaleback landform
2016These glacially eroded landforms are common in the eastern fiords of Iceland and even as a geologist I always find them rather mysterious with brightly coloured rocks underneath. This effect can be greatly magnified in the frequent fogs of this area. In this painting I have allowed my imagination to run a little wild and given the landform a rather surreal appearance.
Esja
2011An experiment involving cubism, limited palette and under influence from Jón Stefánsson (Icelandic 20 th Century artist).
Vellirnir við Laugarvatn
2011This painting is one of a series where I try to emphasise or exaggerate certain features in the landscape to create a slightly strange atmosphere. This one is of a rather typical Icelandic landscape. Three mountains dominate the scene but I have taken the liberty of moving them both in perspective and laterally so that they somewhat overwhelm the viewers vision.
Álftafjörður (Wildgeese fiord)
2016In this painting of Iceland´s southeast coast I have raised the horizon and heightened my imaginary viewing point in order to emphasize the great expanse of water and reflected light.
Dimon
2016The painting is based on images of two isolated landmark mountains which rise up from the huge glacial sands in southern Iceland. The sun in Iceland often picks out such features while the surrounding sands and sky are almost black because of a nearby volcanic eruption. This creates a surrealistic effect which I have tried to produce here.
Esja - August colours
2010The mountain Esja in Iceland is always changing appearance as is the weather. In August showers and sunshine alternate producing fresh bright colours. I have tried to obtain this atmosphere by using almost entirely pure colours with no mixing.
Glowing mountain
2010The very low winter sunlight in Iceland often throws some features of the landscape into heavy shadow (often strong blues when on snow), while other features directly lit by the sun appear to glow in a yellow-pink light. This work tries to show this in a simple and emphatic manner.
Icelandic mirage
2010The Vestmannaeyjar (island group) off Iceland´s south coast often appear to float in mirages caused by temperature structure in the atmosphere. The huge glacial sands have been treated in a very abstract way in this painting.
Kitsch moment on Snæfellsnes
2010The painting emphasises the unbelievable atmosphere which is often created by the rapidly changing weather and light in Iceland. In this instance "kitsch" best describes the moment.
Route 1
2016Route 1 is the main road running around Iceland. When driving for long distances one gets fleeting glimpses of certain colours, landforms and bends in the road often repetitively. And always the long,usually clear, stretch of road surface extending onwards. The palette used reflects the light nights of the Icelandic summer.
Strange landforms
2010This picture is of glaciated mountains in Iceland. The colours are exaggerated and reflect both the underlying geology and the glow of the winter sunlight on the rocks.
Summer night at Lón
2016Light nights in the Icelandic summer produce subtle colours and tones on the acidic rocks of some areas like this.
Clearing sky
2009The sky in Iceland changes rapidly during the winter months. Sometimes a sudden clearing produces strange pinks between snow showers.
Winter light
2009The winter light in Iceland produces subtle shades of colours in direct sunlight and shadow. The underlying rocks also have an effect.