Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Norway

 A Lighthouse Troll drawn in the guestbook of Kråkenes Fyr-a lighthouse 'inn' we stayed at.

I'm back from the 10 day trip around Norway that I won.  We had an intensive itinery with activities every day-glacier hiking, rafting, cycling etc. but I still squeezed in some sketching between all the extreme outdoor pursuits!
The UNESCO protected wooden shops on the waterfront in Bergen.

The Johannes Kirken in Bergen.

View across the harbour at Flåm

Kalvoya Island

Drawing in the bridge of the Fjord 1-one of the rapid ferries we used to get around the long stretches of water between our destinations.  The Norwegians have always used the fjords to transport themselves and goods-seems to be the quickest way!








 Quick sketches made out the window of the ferry of islands and landscape we passed.












We spent a day under the sun at Hoddevik-a 'surfers paradise'.  While the others practised surfing I found a quiet spot on the jetee to make this drawing.  The air was pungent with the smell of scores of rotting king crabs that had been dashed on the rocks by waves.













The banks of the Oslo fjord are dotted with cute little huts-presumably used for weekend sun-bathing and swimming.



 Sketching atop a glacier was a first for me-I got a wet behind though!



Ringebu Stave Church



20 comments:

Dani said...

Great sketches, Matt! Looks like you had a wonderful time.
Can't wait to go draw with you once you move to this side of the world!

KP said...

amazing stuff! You draw well with cold fingers.

Matt Jones said...

Aw, thanks Dani. Norway was quite remarkable. I'm really looking forward to sketching in SF with James and yourself. But you know what it's like working there-doesn't seem like there's much free time to sketch! But we'll try . . .

Matt Jones said...

Thnx Kris! The sun kept my fingers warm but my bottom was freezing!

bazza said...

Great pictures Matt. I feel I had a stake in that trip because I voted for you. I think you were a runaway winner!

Daniel said...

Artist into the wild!

Unknown said...

Bon alors! tu viens ou quoi?! c'est beau!

stefan marjoram said...

Beautiful set Matt - I really must visit Norway in the Summer one time. First artist I've seen in crampons :)

Alan said...

As always, completely blown away by your technique - simplicity and economy taken about as far as it can go.

creativisualist said...

These are great. I love the expressiveness of the brush for pen/ink illustration. Thank you, it's inspiring!

creativisualist said...

I love the expressiveness of the brush-tip for illustration. Thanks for the inspirational work!

Unknown said...

These are pretty drawings, love the linework and pops of color, they really draw the eye around the page nicely.

Oscar Grillo said...

Did you meet a figure screaming from a bridge in a blazing sunset? Andrei Riabovitchev, or someone?

limbolo said...

What no fat guys in bermudas? No babes in bikinis? Poodles with Raybans?

I hope you had a ripping time Matt.

Matt Jones said...

As Limbolo predicted it was all pine trees!

limbolo said...

Yeah, I can see the look on your face in the snap second up:
"Fuck, nothing but landscape for a million miles!"

Matthew Cruickshank said...

At last-actual photographic evidence of that incredible body warmer/anglers jacket in action!!lovely sketches but I can't help but feel this is the boring edited version of events for your adoring public.

What else did you squeeze in?!

Mattias Adolfsson said...

wonderful sketches

Lynne the Pencil said...

Sensatonal work Matt. Somewhere I've always fancied visiting...

Unknown said...

Hey Matt. Love the sketches! You've probably seen more of Norway than I have by now. Good luck wherever you're heading now. See you around.

-Bjorn