![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/8855804c-49f9-40b1-a821-7f30d22593c0/9f4df123-0b49-462b-9bdd-c069b32264c1_rw_1920.jpg?h=93c406b5639fa3185f637108a53ecbd9)
Here's a little summary of two art projects inspired by a month guesting at SIM residency in Reykjavik and travelling around the country.
#2 - The Portrait of Iceland
I The country is infinitely rich with textures, and I have collected a big bunch of those having rented a car and explored natural reserves and local spots as well. By the end of my trip I started running out of space on my hard drive - that's how much my photo and video collection was growing, and I knew I would have to tame it by directing it into a painting. That painting started as a shapeless playground full of objects and textures, and little by little it started evolving into something bigger and more important - a portrait of a new friend, a portrait of Iceland itself.
I The country is infinitely rich with textures, and I have collected a big bunch of those having rented a car and explored natural reserves and local spots as well. By the end of my trip I started running out of space on my hard drive - that's how much my photo and video collection was growing, and I knew I would have to tame it by directing it into a painting. That painting started as a shapeless playground full of objects and textures, and little by little it started evolving into something bigger and more important - a portrait of a new friend, a portrait of Iceland itself.
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/8855804c-49f9-40b1-a821-7f30d22593c0/5c011531-50b5-488d-89c2-8dca59cfd849_rw_1920.jpg?h=a53de416ef4b858395c6363fc2e9fc4b)
My humble collection of local textures that made it into the final painting:
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/8855804c-49f9-40b1-a821-7f30d22593c0/5a771ddc-c7e8-4611-8f73-870933c11e49_rw_1920.jpg?h=d05aaf5f383c019ee8e573f0b6cc761b)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/8855804c-49f9-40b1-a821-7f30d22593c0/8ff3106b-dc27-4fd7-963b-7743f98a9827_rw_1920.jpg?h=694eb79ae13f475c9835155adba6f587)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/8855804c-49f9-40b1-a821-7f30d22593c0/e5edf49e-6ff1-47a4-977b-99c0835087b1_rw_1920.jpg?h=14a2b181f8e92c6712ba562188d4e562)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/8855804c-49f9-40b1-a821-7f30d22593c0/e56067cf-1945-4c9d-bd68-8e68d8e2e8ed_rw_1920.jpg?h=4d88eb40fd763d6a479c64be2f882ed4)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/8855804c-49f9-40b1-a821-7f30d22593c0/3a2f6c6a-bbff-421b-ac14-a7f0ff9feae1_rw_1920.jpg?h=dc316faa9fdd84794e1213ef803c79d7)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/8855804c-49f9-40b1-a821-7f30d22593c0/6c99a37c-f513-485f-96d5-2ddb90a6fe1d_rw_1920.jpg?h=d36078f9ff558547ce078b754428ce14)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/8855804c-49f9-40b1-a821-7f30d22593c0/afb7d6c4-94a1-40d9-b369-f71b9d8170ec_rw_1920.jpg?h=5ee48157ffeb1979c176cede002c9fad)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/8855804c-49f9-40b1-a821-7f30d22593c0/7968fc10-6da5-45d4-90a1-9ed09e19a566_rw_1920.jpg?h=0555d7943a9df3717c93a2ce08e23829)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/8855804c-49f9-40b1-a821-7f30d22593c0/dd1053da-f52f-4f47-8f1a-ca844358e8e9_rw_1920.jpg?h=c9c657212be969e24591990f40207dc3)
Some other significant bits of culture made it into the composition, too:Â
Hot springs and hotdogs, sharks and puffins, the nation's devotion to art and folklore.
Hot springs and hotdogs, sharks and puffins, the nation's devotion to art and folklore.
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/8855804c-49f9-40b1-a821-7f30d22593c0/92ce5523-3c7d-4b78-b3ea-46c4d4ecef20_rw_1920.jpg?h=fc7ab4c214291b3cbfac48d84d5c6bcf)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/8855804c-49f9-40b1-a821-7f30d22593c0/9971abf1-c427-41e7-a11c-655d77ce803f_rw_1920.jpg?h=06c1147af968dcc557fd9a18f6be0969)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/8855804c-49f9-40b1-a821-7f30d22593c0/1eaa5247-af45-49a3-bb66-39d835b40d04_rw_1920.jpg?h=9d01db96460e08053b4adcfc16e470d1)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/8855804c-49f9-40b1-a821-7f30d22593c0/a291b641-9b12-4f24-9e81-88d3d8f6aba2_rw_1920.jpg?h=a63d418a16e64118c371da2c8c40cb70)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/8855804c-49f9-40b1-a821-7f30d22593c0/e819d245-d96f-488d-9313-6903653c3100_rw_1920.jpg?h=e5b9fc08c1ea72a63136f22c22b1ea78)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/8855804c-49f9-40b1-a821-7f30d22593c0/f43141f5-05fb-499e-80f7-20fb13cb2689_rw_1920.jpg?h=0fccd07a28fe81ef0dac5a4d7342328d)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/8855804c-49f9-40b1-a821-7f30d22593c0/e5e0c8b1-aaf5-4819-a74e-6464d3c9e56b_rw_1920.jpg?h=061c3e9fb164f1fe83f8ee836c27e4dc)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/8855804c-49f9-40b1-a821-7f30d22593c0/3207de3b-f534-4729-8dc8-989ddef594d6_rw_1920.jpg?h=0fb0e89d6a28cedf460bcfe7c48bcb31)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/8855804c-49f9-40b1-a821-7f30d22593c0/54625f26-811b-4211-b215-59b89e71b3c4_rw_1920.jpg?h=e0417e06e2203705ee2be2cc496174c4)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/8855804c-49f9-40b1-a821-7f30d22593c0/6766f4e1-355a-46a6-acb9-c53159b8ed75_rw_1920.jpg?h=fd2359adf2bb8113961478f1f209eee0)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/8855804c-49f9-40b1-a821-7f30d22593c0/097db8e3-8f5d-45fa-ac8e-1a5bfbb1618c_rw_1920.jpg?h=eb92bc9ec47092bde036ac27e1e6b7d4)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/8855804c-49f9-40b1-a821-7f30d22593c0/795c2cf7-cc58-469e-90cc-d15e000c0944_rw_1920.jpg?h=d18d18da0ee2a5c00d140aa44842827f)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/8855804c-49f9-40b1-a821-7f30d22593c0/7d136d4a-294f-4476-b9dc-5d2435a52b6f_rw_1920.jpg?h=2c66a354d0adc108cec02640314503ae)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/8855804c-49f9-40b1-a821-7f30d22593c0/daa4f202-39fc-4419-a569-bb0ae2252ad3_rw_1920.jpg?h=cbea2740043d576dcf0cd45a9c1fd0e0)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/8855804c-49f9-40b1-a821-7f30d22593c0/8ed83e39-6a71-4f03-83ae-36801a61b3fe_rw_1920.jpg?h=ffd20d8a2b9cdf4b765eec82b447f56b)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/8855804c-49f9-40b1-a821-7f30d22593c0/f40de132-f478-4659-ae7b-29700a260a4d_rw_1920.jpg?h=d8183a61f11fa83ffa48aa4ccbdf11ed)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/8855804c-49f9-40b1-a821-7f30d22593c0/dcc032d2-c4f2-4af5-96ce-378a650b2565_rw_1920.jpg?h=ad324659f6cf5fdba05eab4d76b67acb)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/8855804c-49f9-40b1-a821-7f30d22593c0/c1e160fa-c120-4597-9402-ca0d46aff639_rw_1920.jpg?h=76ccd07146661f901467a58df955f3a8)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/8855804c-49f9-40b1-a821-7f30d22593c0/9935bb9a-fe6d-4e54-961f-98a50577415a_rw_1920.jpg?h=147963a1e4000235876d75a56a708985)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/8855804c-49f9-40b1-a821-7f30d22593c0/6feabef1-9d71-4fbd-aa61-13e038056b10_rw_1920.jpg?h=f34efa93a1a29ad9bddfdc9dea59efd9)
It's a unique place proud of its individuality and full of quirk and character as well as raw power of nature.
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/8855804c-49f9-40b1-a821-7f30d22593c0/50e203e8-50f2-4f7a-80cc-bc8b0ff2fb7d_rw_1920.jpg?h=7775046dd2af49ccf33dd21fc7b74f5d)
I played with shapes and after a while a personality started to appear.
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/8855804c-49f9-40b1-a821-7f30d22593c0/df183d53-3f04-4a3a-bad1-c903dedccc24_rw_1920.jpg?h=2054f05e20bcf2bd03288707d543e4ea)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/8855804c-49f9-40b1-a821-7f30d22593c0/cc6ed08f-6158-4d50-a759-da499cf4b150_rw_1920.jpg?h=5e7a85d4d8a51ea74cb9f086b34754bd)
I used watercolor and acrylic ink on thick textured aquarel paper.
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/8855804c-49f9-40b1-a821-7f30d22593c0/50ac5cb5-6610-4cb7-bfdc-e3236032edb9_rw_1920.jpg?h=8a0b0297d6d4abe2f4f6c0d43b361986)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/8855804c-49f9-40b1-a821-7f30d22593c0/1d65bf75-349e-4489-b3c1-9972107c0d83_rw_1920.jpg?h=4e2082c44bbee55d38ae91635d41a9f2)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/8855804c-49f9-40b1-a821-7f30d22593c0/0f2cd244-fc66-415f-be66-9b26153a6b08_rw_1920.jpg?h=1db99e50c1672731fa563eecdf91e8d1)
The original painting found a home in the states. It was important for me to start the process of creating this painting and finishing it there on the spot, and I didn't want to carry it with me. It was meant to be born in Iceland and find a new family there.
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/8855804c-49f9-40b1-a821-7f30d22593c0/e2b5de19-3ada-425f-8a40-27eecb6b4710_rw_1920.jpg?h=d3239e2bbed28809d183bb312fd089e8)