BERIT CARLSEN
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ARTIST STATEMENT
BERIT CARLSEN
2018
It is very important for me to continue being creative. Not only is it a great form of therapy but it make me happy! One concentrates so hard that the brain chatter stops, which is a relief. I also love the camaraderie of being in a group of like-minded souls; stimulating and learning from each other. And having fun!
I have been drawing and painting ever since I could hold a pencil. I am grateful to my parents who encouraged me and always made sure I had good quality art supplies, like getting me a box of Faber-Castell coloring pencils for Christmas! But when the time came, in high school, to choose the direction of my studies, I was discouraged from going to art school. I had thought about being an illustrator or fashion designer. I was not strong enough to stand up against this negative pressure and went to secretarial school instead. I continued taking art classes all my life though. The closest I came to art school was taking classes from a stern but brilliant nun at the Dominican University in San Rafael, California. (In defense of Catholic teaching nuns I want to say that they all were expert at guiding us to produce our absolute best work.) Getting a college degree was a long time goal which I finally accomplished in 2001 at the age 67. It was great fun and extremely satisfying.
I am no longer young but I feel much younger than my years and am very excited about art. From watercolors, oil, knitting Norwegian ski sweaters, crocheting and embroidering I have now moved to collage, jewelry from found objects, painting on driftwood and knitting "abstract" scarves of my own design.
Growing up in Norway, gorgeous landscapes were always close and I painted all that I saw. I developed a strong spiritual connection and concern for nature, fostered by vacations by the sea, in the mountains or on year-round hikes on foot or skis in the extensive beautiful forests surrounding Oslo.
After I emigrated to California in 1963 I began to focus on painting flowers; from tiny little detailed bouquets to larger and larger images until I finally filled an 18 x 24 canvas with one Bird of Paradise flower. The Women's Movement; the Sixties and my divorce in 1990 may have had something to do with this. I had begun to think I WAS somebody! I began to produce printed cards of my art and selling a few.
I keep having new adventures! The latest one is connecting with a fabulous group of artists at the Altenheim Retirement facility in Oakland, California. This June will be my second time of participating in their yearly Community Art Show. One of my best friends of 50 years' duration, Janet Brugos, is in charge of organizing the shows, which are lots of fun and very successful.
Finally, quite late in life I have been blessed with a miraculous, creative, brilliant granddaughter here in Bend Oregon. We have done a lot of art together since she was old enough to hold a pencil! When asked, she said, at about 8, that she wants to be "a artist"!
BERIT CARLSEN
2018
It is very important for me to continue being creative. Not only is it a great form of therapy but it make me happy! One concentrates so hard that the brain chatter stops, which is a relief. I also love the camaraderie of being in a group of like-minded souls; stimulating and learning from each other. And having fun!
I have been drawing and painting ever since I could hold a pencil. I am grateful to my parents who encouraged me and always made sure I had good quality art supplies, like getting me a box of Faber-Castell coloring pencils for Christmas! But when the time came, in high school, to choose the direction of my studies, I was discouraged from going to art school. I had thought about being an illustrator or fashion designer. I was not strong enough to stand up against this negative pressure and went to secretarial school instead. I continued taking art classes all my life though. The closest I came to art school was taking classes from a stern but brilliant nun at the Dominican University in San Rafael, California. (In defense of Catholic teaching nuns I want to say that they all were expert at guiding us to produce our absolute best work.) Getting a college degree was a long time goal which I finally accomplished in 2001 at the age 67. It was great fun and extremely satisfying.
I am no longer young but I feel much younger than my years and am very excited about art. From watercolors, oil, knitting Norwegian ski sweaters, crocheting and embroidering I have now moved to collage, jewelry from found objects, painting on driftwood and knitting "abstract" scarves of my own design.
Growing up in Norway, gorgeous landscapes were always close and I painted all that I saw. I developed a strong spiritual connection and concern for nature, fostered by vacations by the sea, in the mountains or on year-round hikes on foot or skis in the extensive beautiful forests surrounding Oslo.
After I emigrated to California in 1963 I began to focus on painting flowers; from tiny little detailed bouquets to larger and larger images until I finally filled an 18 x 24 canvas with one Bird of Paradise flower. The Women's Movement; the Sixties and my divorce in 1990 may have had something to do with this. I had begun to think I WAS somebody! I began to produce printed cards of my art and selling a few.
I keep having new adventures! The latest one is connecting with a fabulous group of artists at the Altenheim Retirement facility in Oakland, California. This June will be my second time of participating in their yearly Community Art Show. One of my best friends of 50 years' duration, Janet Brugos, is in charge of organizing the shows, which are lots of fun and very successful.
Finally, quite late in life I have been blessed with a miraculous, creative, brilliant granddaughter here in Bend Oregon. We have done a lot of art together since she was old enough to hold a pencil! When asked, she said, at about 8, that she wants to be "a artist"!