2019 was such a different time. When I look back on my memories from that year, it’s like looking at myself from an alternate reality. I had been working for the same company for three and a half years and was ready for something new, but before I took a new step in my career, I decided to take some time for myself and travel the world. Considering what happened only a few short months later in 2020, it was the best decision I could have made.
I was still a very new artist back then. It was only that year that I dug out my old student-grade watercolors (they were ten years old!) and began re-learning how to paint. But when I made the decision to travel for a few months, I also made the decision to take a sketch book and some paints with me. I ended up hand-picking a set of Van Gogh watercolor paints–the first set of new paints I bought myself! It’s interesting because, looking back on the art supplies I brought, they aren’t necessarily what I would choose to bring now, however my color selection is probably still the same. I might write a more in-depth post about this later.
On to the travel adventures. My first stop was Norway. Oslo, to be exact.
To be honest, the city that I arrived in was cold and felt a bit unfriendly. It rained a lot. My hostel bed was uncomfortable, and combined with my jet lag, I slept very poorly. While I did visit a couple museums and interesting city spots, my main memory of Oslo is hopping from coffee shop to coffee shop.
The next leg of my journey was much more exciting. I took a train to Flåm, with one night stay there, so I could see the Aurlandsfjord. I love a scenic train ride, it’s exactly what comes to mind when I think of value in the journey and not the destination. The Flåm Railway is said to be one of the most scenic train routes in the world, and I believe it! By some miraculous luck, the weather for those two days visiting Flåm was quite sunny and it remains one of my best memories from my entire trip that year.
After Flåm, I headed to the port town of Bergen. There was still a bit of rain here and there, but I was able to duck into some lovely art museums to avoid the worst of it.
Bergen is known for a line of colorful houses along the wharf, a historic area that was once a major part of the Hanseatic League’s trading empire, and of course I took their guided tour to get the full experience. Nowadays, the wharf is mostly home to tourist shops. I did treat myself to a reindeer steak while I was there though.
Since I was traveling solo, I knew there would be many moments when I would have no one but my self for company–moments waiting for food in a restaurant, waiting out the rain in a cafe, or evenings in the hostel when it was too early to sleep, but I was too tired to go out. My sketchbook became a steadfast companion in those moments.
In the beginning, I had worried that I might feel self-conscious painting in public, but at the end of the day, it’s just a small sketchbook with some paints and hardly anyone gave me a second glance. I became more comfortable–and my paintings became more relaxed as well. Originally, I had dreamed of having page after page of masterpiece that I could bring home to show my friends and family, but as time went on, I realized that these were just pages for me to do whatever I wanted. Even if it meant scribbled sketches or blotches of color.
It wasn’t about technique, it was about the moment.
Thanks for your blog, nice to read. Do not stop.