Folk art is important to look at when studying a culture because it gives us a peek into the daily life of its people. Most often, folk art adorns useful everyday objects or depicts routines and rituals. By examining both the folk art and the fine art within a culture one can get a more well rounded view of the culture’s identity and heritage. As artists, we can draw great inspiration from cultural art, only deepening our connection to the artists, makers and creators that came before us.

Obviously, the folk art traditions that come from Nordic countries are many, so we will only be exploring three art traditions or styles from this region.

Rosemaling or Rose-painting

A Scandinavian decorative folk painting that flourished from the 1700s to the mid-19th century, particularly in Norway. Rose-painting was used to decorate church walls and ceilings. It then spread to wooden items commonly used in daily life, such as ale bowls, stools, chairs, cupboards, boxes, and trunks. Using stylized ornamentation made up of fantasy flowers, scrollwork, fine line work, flowing patterns and sometimes geometric elements give rose-painting its unique feel.

Some paintings may include landscapes and architectural elements. Rosemaling also utilizes other decorative painting techniques such as glazing, spattering, marbleizing, manipulating the paint with the fingers or other objects.

The artists who rosemaled for their livelihood were trained within a “guild” and they traveled from county to county painting churches and/or the homes of the wealthy for a commission of either money or merely room and board. Thus, rosemaling was carried over the mountains and toward Norway’s western coast. Eventually the tradition was brought to America via Norwegian immigrants.

Rosemaling from Rogaland, Norway

Bonad (Sweden), 1890

Bonad (Sweden) 1775–1825

Sami Arts & Crafts

The Sami people are an indigenous Finno-Ugric-speaking people inhabiting the region of Sápmi (formerly known as Lapland), which today encompasses large northern parts of Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Russia, most of the Kola Peninsula in particular.

Traditionally, the Sami have pursued a variety of livelihoods, including coastal fishing, fur trapping, and sheep herding. Their best-known means of livelihood is semi-nomadic reindeer herding.

Obviously, these people are incredibly connected to Nature so it is no surprise that their handicrafts are created using leather, wood, roots, birch bark, bone and horns. They also used pewter, silver and pearls which they often traded for. They created beautiful drums, jewelry, textiles, beadwork and much more.

Here are just a few examples of their art and crafts:

A traditional Sami Shaman drum used in ritual and Shamanic practices made from reindeer hide.

As mentioned, these are just some of the folk art creations from the Nordic region. There is so much more to explore if this interests you. Take note of the colors, symbols, styles and patterns that inspire you. If you have a family connection to this part of the world, do a little digging if you feel called to and see what kinds of creations your ancestors might have made.

Remember, art is influenced by the world around us, the broader your view and experiences of the world, the more inspiration you can draw from!

Picture this – a rainstorm has just begun outside, you are cozy and comfy in your favorite sweats, slippers and all. You light a few candles in your studio and sip from a warm mug of your favorite tea. You slowly and deliberately set up your workspace and begin to splash your favorite colors onto your canvas. Sigh….right?

OR

You are sitting in a warm cafe with your favorite art friend. Outside the snow is beginning to fall. There is soft music playing. The gentle hum of people chatting and laughing quietly fills the room. The smell of freshly baked croissants lingers in the air. Your hands are wrapped around an extra-large cup of hot cocoa as you discuss your favorite paints with your dear friend. You feel so grateful for this connection.

This is Artist Hygge and oh my goodness, does it feel good to our Artist’s souls! So how do we invite more of this into our day-to-day creative life?

Living in your NOW

Being fully present in the moment is key to experiencing hygge. You can’t be worrying about the past or overthinking the future. You need to breathe and slow down and just BE with what is. Find something to focus on that brings you comfort. This could be really focusing on how your fragrant tea tastes and feels as it warms your belly. It could be watching the flame of a candle for a few minutes and breathing deeply. This presence is the gateway to a hygge moment. Hygge doesn’t happen alongside stress or anxiety.

Connect with those your Love

Connection is a big part of the hygge experience. Make time to physically (when possible) connect with the people in your life who fill you up. Us Artists can be a little hermit-like at times but we need human connection just like anyone else. We especially need to commune with other creatives who support and inspire us. So go call that art friend you haven’t seen in ages and set up a date.

Artist Activities that support a Hygge vibe:

• Creating a self-care creative altar (see Denise Stargazer’s video about doing this!)
• Drawing or painting outside in Nature
• Arting with a close friend or family member
• Creating portraits of your family and pets
• Making your own paints or papers

What are Runes?

Rune stones are an ancient proto-Germanic tradition dating back to potentially the 1st century AD. They consist of a runic alphabet of 24 letters, usually made out of wood or stone that were used as a method of divination and protection sigils. The first completion of the total alphabet was the Elder Futhark runes in the 5th century AD, that are most often used still today, and then the Younger Futhark stones were adapted by the Vikings and other Nordic tribes and continued until Medieval times.

They are said to be based on Old Latin inscriptions. Runes stones are full of powerful and magical history, and so were highly venerated. In the Norse cultures it was believed that they held strong divinatory and protection powers and as such were taken very seriously.

The origin of the word “rune” stems from the Germanic word for “mystery” or “secret”, and similar findings are present in Old Irish Gaelic, Welsh and Old English, sometimes also meaning “miracle”. In Lithuanian it means “to speak”, and in Finnish it can also mean “poem”.

Today, runes are used as a method of connecting to one’s higher self, inner guidance and tapping into intuition as a method of offering advice (similar to Tarot or Oracle Cards). Read on for our guide to what are the rune meanings and how to use them for yourself! (plus we will have a lesson this month where we create our own Artist’s runes!)

Understanding the Runes

The Elder Futhark runic alphabet is split up into 3 equal parts of eight runes each: Freyr’s Aett, Heimdall’s Aett, and Haeg’s Aett (“aett” meaning family). Similar to the Tarot, the Runes are a story of the life cycle and these three parts tell of this path.

The first set of runes (Freyr’s Aette) is representative of finding our footing in the material plane and the accumulation of worldly possessions. As such, it holds runes symbolizing things like cattle (the main indicator of wealth in those times), communication, and vigor.

The next set of runes (Heimdall’s Aett) tells of our increasing maturity and growth, it holds runes such as obstacles, fate, and harvest/abundance.

The final set of runes (Haeg’s Aett) portrays our developing spirituality and legacy. It includes runes such as birth, community, intuition, and inheritance.

Like most cultures, the Nordic countries are filled to the brim with incredibly colorful, intricate and amazing stories, myths and traditions. Most of these tales were passed along by oral tradition and were not written and recorded until the 12th century.

This month, I just wanted to share a few of the Norse goddesses with you. Their stories, symbols and imagery provide such rich inspiration for art making!

Freya

Freya is famous for her fondness of beauty, fertility, fine material possessions, and love. She was one of the most powerful goddesses in Norse mythology due to her strength and wisdom. Freya was the one who taught magic to Odin and the rest of the Aesir. She also had the ability to alter and manipulate one’s desire and fortune, and she was also the ruler of the afterlife. Valhalla was not the only hall of death for the Viking soldiers. Folkvang was the hall where Freya chose half of the warriors who were slain in battles. According to the myth, brave and handsome warriors would go to Freya’s hall. Freya went to places in a chariot pulled by two black or gray cats. She also had a magical cloak made from falcon feathers that allowed her to fly anonymously through the skies. Most pictures depict her as a very beautiful young woman riding her chariot or wearing her magical cloak. Freya also had three kinds of animal companions: the two cats which pulled her chariot, a golden boar named Hildisvini, and a mare, also called the night-mare.

AS mentioned, this is only a fraction of the characters in Viking mythology. It you are intrigued, I recommend doing some more research. I’ve created a Pinterest board with some of the artwork related to Norse mythology.

As usual, mythology always gets me inspired! So I encourage you to create a vision of a Norse Goddess or God that resonates with you. I chose Freya with her pale beauty and falcon feather cloak. I created my Freya in PanPastel but you can feel free to use any medium you enjoy!