Painting My World

'Time Stands Still '. Pastel. 8x10. Stykkisholmur, Iceland

Iceland is awesome! The sun set last night at midnight so we were able to fit a week's worth of beautiful scenery in one day! We saw geysers, the Mid Atlantic Ridge, waterfalls,mountains, spent time in Reykjavik, got settled in our houses in Styikkishomur and stayed up for the midnight sunset!

Today was the first workshop day. I am here for a workshop with Stan Sperlak for a week then a few days to explore. Today we started with a demo from Stan and we painted around the red house. The house overlooks the water and has a beautiful view. It also faces a cliff and meadow filled with flowers. I chose to paint the view of the cliff. It was a challenge! There were no shadows in the morning but around two o'clock it get more interesting. I painted several versions of this cliff and had a wonderful time!

The weather was gorgeous today! It was sunny and 53 degrees. It felt great in the sun! After the morning painting session and lunch on the deck we took a drive to climb up Heptafell which is a large hill with a ruin of a monastery on top. We all made the climb up the hill for a magnificent view, it is said that when you climb to the top and don't talk or look back then your wish will come true. I hope mine comes true but if not the view was worth it! I'll be posting trip photos to Facebook so have a look!

Tonight we are waiting for the sunset....at midnight! More painting and adventures tomorrow!

Posted with Blogsy

'Morning Drama'. 8x10. Pastel

It's hard to believe that it could be any more magnificent. But every stop we made on yesterday was even better than the last. It was a day filled with painting, photography and fun with friends. We started out with a beautiful drive to Grundarfjordur which was our painting location. After Stan's demo we all painted. It was an inspiring spot right next to Kirkjufell which one of the most recognized and beautiful mountains in Iceland.

The skies were very dramatic so to warm up I focused on the mountains behind me and tried to capture the drama of the changing light.

I had time for one more quick study so I tried to paint Kirkjufell. It deserves a larger piece of paper so I will use this study for something larger when I get home!

After a picnic lunch in a grass roof shed we made a stop at a volcano. The lava field was other worldly! It was a very steep climb on loosely packed lava rocks but the view from halfway up was amazing....we will go back to paint this area this week.

On the way back to the house we found a huge rolling meadow to the sea that was filled with Lupines. It was amazing! I want to go back here to paint! Our day ended with a dinner cruise on Breidafjordur Bay where we ate Viking Sushi....scallops fresh from the bay!

Posted with Blogsy

'Summer in Iceland'. 8x10. Pastel.

The Lupines are everywhere! When we came across this huge sea of purple covering the hills down to the sea. I knew I wanted to paint here. Luckily it was our first painting spot of the day. Yesterday it rained all day so we didn't paint. We drove around instead and Stan did an evening presentation and Demo. Today we were going to paint rain or shine so we loaded into the vans bright and early and headed to the Lupines.

It was a wonderful spot with a lot of interesting atmosphere. It was Plein air at it's finest. It rained off and on, there were some bugs but it was awesome standing in a mossy meadow listening to the birds call overhead. I did four paintings before we packed up for lunch.

We didn't stop today with the Lupines. After lunch we headed back out to paint this time to the area around a volcano. I'll write more about that in my next post. Tomorrow is another big day of touring and painting. Have I said that Iceland is awesome?!

Posted with Blogsy

'As the Fog Rolls In'. 5x7. Pastel

The first part of my Iceland Adventure is coming to an end. The workshop with Stan Sperlak officially ended today and it was an awesome experience. Next I head to Reykjavik for a few days and the adventure continues. I will be doing a more thorough trip review when I return home. It has been an action packed week.

Today we painted all day. We started out on a drive with our goal being a glimpse of a glacier. But it was spitting rain. We made a stop at the black church. The fog was rolling in and it was the perfect backdrop. We painted here for an hour. I decided to focus on the rolling meadows in the mist. I will paint the church when I get home!

Stay tuned to part two of my Iceland Adventure! I have been posting photos to Facebook so be sure to check them out!

Posted with Blogsy

All good things must end so today I say good bye to Iceland. It has been a wonderful adventure. In the end it seems this trip was not really about painting. I did paint some but for the most part I was too busy experiencing Iceland to slow down to paint it. I didn't even have time to post many updates to the blog.

I am going home with my head full of memories and a memory card full of wonderful images to paint. I will be writing a detailed trip report complete with pictures as soon as I return home and get settled.

On my last day in Reykjavik I was supposed to take a tour to Heimaey Island but it was cancelled due to bad weather....probably a good thing. So instead I bought some awesome watercolor pencils and a new sketchbook at the art store (so fun to poke around in the art store in Iceland) I had to have these once I tried Riley's last night. I'll review them soon. I spent the day poking around town taking photos and sketching over hot chocolate. It was a great way to wind down and say Bless Bless to Iceland!

I used up the rest of my Icelandic money on some goodies I've been enjoying here.chocolare chip cookies with coconut and caramel and chocolate wafers. Yum!

Posted with Blogsy

'Emerging from the Mist' 5x7 pastel ©Karen Margulis
available for purchase $50

An epic adventure needs to be savored. There needs to be a time of reflection and quiet. A time to take a deep breath and let the memories come. Little visual snippets to be enjoyed and processed before the reality of every day life hits. I always say it would be nice to have a few days after a trip to do nothing but paint, look at pictures and reflect. This time I returned home on a holiday weekend so I do have some free time.

Sometimes it just isn't possible. Work and responsibilities are calling. If you are able to spare a day or two after a trip I recommend that you do three things.

a few of my plein air paintings from my Iceland Adventure

Take out the paintings you did on the trip. This sounds silly but all to often once we get back into our daily life the paintings we did get put in a pile and are never appreciated. These paintings no matter how well they turned out are a true piece of the trip. You put your heart and soul into painting them. You braved weather and experienced the scene with all of your senses. They need to be used. I tape my plein air studies on a big piece of foam core so I can see them as a group. Then I will use each one as a study for a larger studio work. DON'T WAIT to look at these paintings. Take them out right away. Plan to use them!

Ready to put photos in an album

Do something with the photos you took. One of the first things I do when I get home from a trip is download my photos and back them up. I also don't ever delete them off the card. I want at least three backups of my photos and I don't want to wait. I don't want to risk misplacing the card! Next, do something with the photos. Print some out to use for painting references. Make a slideshow on your computer or tablet or YouTube. My Iceland trip deserved an extra step. A real photo album! Remember those? I used a coupon and uploaded 200 photos to Walgreens and picked up my photos an hour later (I needed to go out for groceries anyway) Nothing like almost instant gratification. I even lucked out and found a perfect photo album at the thrift store...brand new and sealed! Tonight I will fill the album and share my trip with family over the weekend.

Unpack your Suitcase and do a load of Laundry. You will feel productive and it really does need to be done. I unpacked all non clothing items and put them on a table so I can sort and put away at my leisure. It was more fun to look at my paintings and photos than unpack so I compromised!

Coming Next Week!

If you follow me on Facebook then you might have read that I was delayed on my flight home due to the hurricane. So I was traveling for 23 hours yesterday. It was actually a bonus in disguise for me. I spent many of those hours writing about my trip in my journal and I now have a 12 part written review of my Iceland Adventure. I will post them starting Monday along with paintings and photos....please be sure to come back for Iceland: Through an Artist's Eyes

'Poppies in Iceland 2' 5x7 pastel ©Karen Margulis
purchase painting $50

I was ready for it. I packed my supplies and chose my pastels carefully. I had practiced with my setup and confidently opened my paint box and attached my paper. I was ready. Then it hit me. Iceland was overwhelming. I stood before the perfect painting scene. It had it all....water, rocky cliffs with stark houses lit by the sun, a rolling flower filled meadow leading to the sea and a gorgeous sky. How was I to choose what to paint in the face of a landscape painter's dream? Plein air painting can be a challenge!

What is a plein air painter to do? Sometimes we just get so overwhelmed that we freeze....and then nothing works. Or we get so excited that we forget the basics...and nothing works. I have some advice.

'Poppies in Iceland' 5x7 pastel ©Karen Margulis
purchase painting $50

First, take a deep breath and relax. It is important that you remember why you are painting. You don't want to be so tense that you forget to enjoy the scene or the moment!

Next, don't be so quick to get started. Take a few minutes to shoot some photos and walk around. See what really catches your interest. Then set up.

Now go ahead and paint but allow yourself to paint a dud for your first painting. Remind yourself that you don't have to only paint one perfect painting. You can paint more than one so it is OK if the first one doesn't work. You are getting warmed up. I usually choose the grand view for my first painting. When I am overwhelmed I want to paint it all....in one painting. So I try. It usually is a dud! But that is OK. Now I am relaxing and ready.

When you don't know what to paint because you are overwhelmed and the choices are too many...try to focus on just one thing. Maybe it is the sky that interests you...minimize the land then. Maybe the light on the building catches your interest...paint just the building. Ask yourself WHY and then focus on that one thing. Or, paint what you know. Paint what you are comfortable with before trying new things. And finally remember that the more you work on smaller motifs the more confident you will feel. Don't try to put it all in one painting!

For me, I was drawn to my favorite thing to paint....flowers in the landscape. I was drawn to the Icelandic Poppies. At first I resisted painting them. After all I could paint these anywhere. Shouldn't I be painting the cliff and the water? I wanted to paint the poppies so I did and it felt good. (I did paint the rest of the scene but painting what I know helped me to warm up!

Be sure to visit my blog on Monday when I start my Iceland trip report Iceland: Through the Eye's of an Artist.

'In the Mountain's Shadow' 5x7 plein air pastel Iceland ©Karen Margulis
purchase painting $50

Iceland is a land of extremes. The darks are darker, the lights brighter and the greens are more varied and lush than one can possibly imagine. As an artist I was enthralled. I couldn’t wait to paint the rich fairyland of green grasses and moss. I hoped I had packed the right colors in my pastel box.

'Iceland Extreme' 4x10 plein air pastel somewhere on the Snaefellsnes Peninsula, Iceland June 2014
sold

In Iceland the earth is raw and dark. It sometimes feels dark and brooding and sometimes the landscape is filled with a warm and gentle glow from the sun that stays low in the sky for hours on end. Sunset never really came. I arrived on the Summer Solstice and my first night in Iceland I watched the sun do a dance on the horizon. It went down around 12:30 am only to reappear and hour later slightly to the right. The sky remained bright and colorful all night. Even though it was never completely dark during my visit, I fell into bed pleasantly tired every night. I was never bothered by the never ending daylight.

The Midnight Sun as seen from my bedroom window in Stykkisholmur, Iceland

Iceland’s summer weather followed suit and was also extreme. It went from warm sunny summer days that truly never ended to gray and moody days filled with steady chilling rains. There were days in the 70’s and the sun felt hot on my skin. Then there were the cold and damp days when the high temperature was 50 with a fierce blowing wind. During my two week visit I experienced everything but snowfall.(though I did touch a glacier)

A sunny day in Stykkisholmur with our red house in the distance. This was 10:00 pm

A gray and moody day in a field of Lupines

The weather in Iceland changed constantly. I learned not to fret about a bad weather forecast. It was likely to change...several times in the course of the day. My new friend from Sweden would tell us there was no such thing as bad weather...only bad clothes. I was prepared with good clothes and that helped. I had packed layers. I had packed everything from a bathing suit to long underwear and a down jacket. I even brought my travel Wellies (rain boots) and wore them often.

Lots of layers to remove or add as necessary. A waterproof layer is important.

Keeping my feet warm and dry

While in Iceland I splurged on my very own Icelandic wool sweater. The Icelandic name for this traditional sweater with a circular pattern on the yoke is "lopapeysa." "Lopi" is the name of the yarn traditionally used in its making, and "peysa" means sweater. I noticed that it wasn’t just a souvenir for tourists. I saw locals everywhere I traveled wearing their beautiful sometimes well worn sweaters. They seemed to wear them as we wear jackets or sweatshirts. I soon found out for myself how wonderful they are. The wool from the Icelandic sheep is both soft and water repellent. My sweater kept me perfectly warm and cozy on the damp cold days.

Icelandic sheep are everywhere

The sweaters are available everywhere but I bought mine at the weekly flea market Kolaportid in Reykjavik. I had the chance to chat with the woman who had knitted my sweater. She told me “I looked well” in my new sweater. She also gave me care instructions. Did you know there is no need to really wash the sweater for two years? It is said that one somehow knows when they find the perfect Lopapeysa....like a wedding dress. It sounds strange but it was true for me. I knew it was the one as soon as I put it on and I will treasure it forever.

Modeling my new Lopapeysa

I had only been in Iceland for 24 hours when it occurred to me that it was the most amazing place I had ever seen. In 24 hours I had experienced the Mid Atlantic Ridge, volcanos, hot springs, glaciers, countless waterfalls, the midnight sun and a huge treeless landscape that begged to be painted. This was going to be an epic adventure!

glaciers

steam from geothermal springs

the Mid- Atlantic Ridge comes ashore on Icleand

Moss covered lava fields from distant volcanoes

waterfalls are everywhere

Be sure to return for part two tomorrow!

'Summer Evening' 11x14 pastel Stykkisholmur, Iceland June 2014 ©Karen Margulis
purchase painting $165 on Etsy

As capital cities go Reykjavik made me feel very welcome. I spent five days in the city and great memories were made. But to really experience Iceland, one must go beyond Reykjavik. Take a few bus tours or rent a car and drive around the Island on the Ring Road. The beauty of Iceland is all around and it is even more magical as you move away from the city.

'Evening Peace' 5x7 pastel
purchase painting $50

I experienced the both the South Coast and West Iceland on this trip. Both were filled with wonders and were made for artists and adventurers of all sorts. I came to Iceland to join an art workshop expedition led by internationally known pastel artist Stan Sperlak. Stan and his assistant Cory Brandt had come to Iceland the previous November to scout out our base and painting locations. They chose well.

Stan Sperlak doing a pastel demo on the deck of our home

Stan brought Painter's Passport signs for the vans which made us look very important and official!

A group of eleven came together from all over the world to experience Iceland together. We were painters, photographers and adventurers at heart. We didn’t know one another but quickly bonded and left as good friends with memories to last a lifetime. We were based in two wonderful rental homes in the magical town of Stykkisholmur. Thissmall town with a population of 1,100 sits on the Northern Snæfellsnes peninsula and serves as a hub for fishing and tourism. If you’ve seen the movie ‘The Secret Life of Walter Mitty’ , Stykkishholmur was Greenland. You can see our street and house in the movie! It was the perfect place for an artist.

A side view of the red house with the harbor down the street

Stykkisholmur has a special kind of magic that I can’t quite describe. It has to be experienced. It is small and walkable and filled with colorful homes and gardens. The harbor was filled with equally colorful boats and sea birds. It has a hill covered in wildflowers which overlooks the harbor and town and onto the distant snow covered mountains. I couldn’t imagine a more beautiful spot to stay for awhile. We had a week.

Quiet time, Stykkisholmur's harbor around 11 pm

Beautiful reflections

And they have snow covered mountains too? I could get used to this place!

Our town (it quickly became our town as soon as we hung the Icelandic flag) was both quaint and beautiful but what made it extra special was the warmth of the people- locals and visitors alike. One sunny afternoon after our painting session we were relaxing on the deck of the red house (we had a red house and a gray house) The caretaker happened to walk by and Stan invited her over for a glass of wine. After making sure it wasn’t rude, she joined us. We enjoyed a lovely afternoon with her and her son and grandson. Priceless memories and friends were made that day.

Stan and Cory hanging the Icelandic flag.

What a wonderful day in Iceland

One evening we were enjoying homemade truffles (we had some great chefs in our group) when a group of young men walked by. They were invited in to join us and the living room quickly filled with laughter as the young men on holiday from Keflavik came in to have a few truffles. More magical moments in Iceland.

Come on in for truffles!

We probably could have stayed in town the entire week and not run out of painting subjects. We did stay put for the first day to paint. After Stan's demo I set up on the deck and never moved all day. The view was postcard perfect. There was a rocky cliff with a few tiny houses on top. A meadow filled with yellow wildflowers leading down to the island-filled bay. There was an ever-changing sky filled with beautiful clouds and light. Could an artist ask for anything more? It couldn’t possibly get any better....or could it?

The view from the red house...endless painting ideas

The light of the magic hour lasted for hours

Iceland...a breath of Fresh air!

Stay tuned to part three of my trip report. You can read part one here.

If you would like more information about Stan Sperlak, his workshops and the Painter's Passport program visit his website here. Next summer he is planning to go to France...Paris and the beaches the impressionists painted! Another great painting adventure!

'Sea of Pink' 5x5 pastel ©Karen Margulis Sea Thrift in Iceland
available for purchase $50

'Beyond the Sea of Pink' 5x7 pastel Grundarfjordur, Iceland
available for purchase $50

The town of Styikkisholmur was perfect for artists. You could find every possible motif all within a short walk. Bathrooms and food were close at hand. Our houses even had hot tubs filled with hot water from the geothermal springs. Why would we ever want to leave? But if we had stayed in town all week we would not have experienced even greater magic. So true to the nature of an expedition....we kept moving.

They say that the Snaefellsnes Peninsula where we were based is like Iceland in miniature. It has all of the features that make Iceland special packed into one area of the country. Think volcanoes, glaciers, a rocky coastline, quaint seaside towns, waterfalls and streams everywhere, lush green meadows filled with sheep and horses (with adorable babies) lots of birds, fields of wildflowers stretching as far as the eye can see, beaches with wonderful colored stones, stark red and black lava fields covered in spongy green moss....truly an amazing place. We saw it all in a week’s time!

Long and winding roads

Lupine everywhere

Lava and moss

Just a small sample of my drive-by van photos of the Snaefellsness Peninsula

Stan had rented two vans for touring the countryside. He was the driver of what we dubbed the ‘bad van’ and Cory drove the new van. The bad van had seen better days and was probably driven on the forbidden F roads. It rattled and moaned with the wind and the door was a challenge to close. But it got us where we needed to go. We all took turns riding in each of the vans and changed seats as well giving us all a different view for each trip. It really didn’t matter because everywhere you looked the view was spectacular. You truly could stick your camera outside of the window and shoot and you would have good photos.

The red house and our trust vans

Our first trip from home was actually very close. It was a good start. We all climbed the mountain called Helgafell. Helgafell ("Holy Mountain") was considered sacred by the early Icelanders. According to myth, the god Odin will grant three wishes to anyone climbing Helgafell for the first time, as long as they climb in silence and come down on the east side without looking back. Did we come down on the east side? I also heard that you have to be pure of heart when you make your wish. I hope my wishes come true. We were accompanied on our walk by a yellow lab puppy named Perla. She reminded me of my dog Heidi and I enjoyed her company. The view from the top was worth the climb!

Helgafell on a gorgeous summer day

Nearing the summit

The view as I climbed in silence

Perla is a common name for Icelandic pets we were told

Riley descends without looking back

I want to paint her!

and her too!

On another day trip we loaded the van with picnic supplies and painting gear and drove to the town of Grundarfjordur to paint in the shadow of the mountain called Kirkjufell. This iconic mountain stands on a peninsula of it’s own and the summit is 1500 feet above sea level. The mountain is amazing by itself but it’s setting makes it hard to believe that it truly exists. Surrounded by shimmering blue water and fields of yellow wildflowers, it sits across from a spectacular multilevel waterfall. It was surreal.

The amazing Kirkjufell as seen from our painting spot

Approaching the town of Grundarfjordur

Stan doing a pastel demo of Kirkjufell. It was a bit chilly

Kirkjufellsfoss waterfall

The perfect spot for a picnic lunch

It was a beautiful day with drama in the sky. Everything was paintable...Kirkjufell of course, but the mist on the surrounding mountains, the sheep drinking from the stream, the waterfalls....It was overwhelming. Should I paint or should I take pictures? I had many days like this which is why I came home with 4000 photos and only 24 paintings. The trip was quickly becoming so much more than a painting workshop and I couldn’t wait to see what each day would bring. Iceland was amazing!

Be sure to come back for part 4 of my story tomorrow! Click here to read part one.Click here for part two.

For some truly awe inspiring photos of Kirkjufell and the Northern Lights read this article in the Huffington Post.

'In Search of Adventure' 8x10 pastel Iceland Summer 2014 ©Karen Margulis
sold

Even the rain didn't stop us from searching for adventure. The third day of our Iceland painting workshop/expedition came and we woke to a steady rain. We had been spoiled by the sunny warm days. I was prepared for the rain...both mentally and with rain boots and a waterproof jacket. Bring on the rain. I like moody weather!

I'm not one to sit still for long so I eagerly joined the group on a drive. We threw in our painting gear just in case. Our destination was to be a town called Holmavik in Western Iceland. It has a population of 375 and is known for the Museum of Icelandic Sorcery & Witchcraft. An interesting stop for a gray dreary day.

We never made it to Holmavik. It was one of those trips that didn't go as planned but will always result in a good story such as "Remember the day we went for a drive in the rain and ended up on a bumpy, muddy dirt road that was close to being a dreaded F road (as in very bad) that we called the Never Ending Chiropractic Express?!!" The going was so wet and rough that after about 3 hours with drivers Stan and Cory and passengers road weary and sore, we called it off.

Hang on kids we're going for a ride!!

Just a little dirty

We needed food and bathrooms and luckily found the only place for many many miles. That will also be a story to remember..."Remember that restaurant that only served hamburgers and fries or lamb soup and garlic bread? " It was the oddest little place. The poor guy running the place had to call in reinforcements and soon his wife and child joined him in the kitchen. Ahh, but the soup was warm and delicious and another memory was made. And despite the rain we managed to discover a special kind of raw beauty in the grayness of the Icelandic landscape.

Somewhere in Iceland...in the middle of nowhere

all the necessities

A few examples of the rugged and raw beauty that is Iceland on a rainy day

The last day in Stykkisholmur we woke up to more rain. Determined to have a painting day we all loaded our gear and ever hopeful, our picnic supplies, into the vans for a drive to the other side of the Snaefellsness Peninsula. I continued to take by drive by photos through a rain spattered window. Our first stop was Budir Church. It is a simple church painted black and sits on a lava field overlooking the sea. We couldn't see anything but the church through the mist. But it wasn't raining! So Stan set up for a demo and we got to paint for about an hour until the fog got too dense. I was happy to have good clothes for the weather!

A simple church by the sea

Our determination to paint paid off in the afternoon. After a drive over a densely foggy mountain pass we arrived at the most perfect plein air painting spot in the world. Yes it does keep getting better! The sun made an appearance and after a stop for our picnic lunch we set up to paint. This spot had it all and I was torn between painting it or photographing it. I did both.

Now that's what I call dense fog!

Picnic by the sea

Imagine a sheltered spot with an inlet and a rocky shore on one side and soft green grass covered dunes on the other....with paths leading to a black sand beach. To one side is a view of the massive white glacier called Snaefellsjokull. To the right is another area of snow covered mountains with rolling green meadows. A couple of horseback riders made an appearance to make it perfect. Behind is another imposing cliff leading to the sea. And the sky...ever-changing and awe-inspiring.

A few photographs from the afternoon's painting location

It turned out to be the perfect day. And once again I went to sleep pinching myself. It was hard to believe this was really happening.

Goodnight Iceland!

Did you miss part one? You can read it here. You can read part 2 here. Read Part 3 here.

'Journey to the Golden Circle' 12x24 pastel ©Karen Margulis Iceland Summer 2014
painting available for purchase $325

It was a well rounded workshop/expedition to Iceland. We had painting days mixed with touring days. I was very much looking forward to Stan's tour of the Golden Circle. We spent a full day of sightseeing and I'm sure the tour rivaled any of the many tours that are offered of the Golden Circle. Along with the Blue Lagoon, touring the Golden Circle is just one of those things that any visitor to Iceland should put on their list of things to do.

In case you just started reading this travelog I went to Iceland as a part of Stan Sperlak's Painter's Passport program. This trip was an art workshop/expedition. Artists and adventurers from all over the world came together to explore and create art together. Most of us were pastelists but we also had a photographer in our group. On our touring days we could bring our supplies for a quick painting or sketch or just take photos and experience the landscape. I chose to experience the Golden Circle with my camera.

The Golden Circle is the name given to the collection of three of Iceland's best known historical sites and natural phenomena. They happen to be located fairly close together and a short drive from the capital Reykjavik. We had a longer drive from our home base of Stykkisholmur but any drive across the countryside of Iceland is filled with beautiful scenery. (today's painting was inspired by a photo I took on our drive to the Golden Circle area)

We took the long scenic route

Beautiful lush country

Our first stop was Thingvellir National Park. This area has both historical and geological importance. It was the site where the Vikings established their democratic parliament in 930 AD. It is also another place where you can see the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. This division of the earth's tectonic plates creates beautiful scenery. I was especially drawn to the many wildflowers that graced the walking paths in the park.

Wildflowers along the Mid Atlantic Ridge

Interesting green flowers in the foreground

Love the color of this door

Check out the round stones on the gate posts

Such a tranquil setting

The second stop on the tour was the geothermal area of Geysir. This is an area filled with steaming earth, bubbling pools of boiling water and of course Geysers. We get our word Geyser from the Icelandic word. The highlight of this interesting spot were the geysers themselves. One of them erupted quite regularly. It went off about every five minutes while we were there. It seemed to spout off a really big one followed by some lesser eruptions. I enjoyed watching the tourists watch the geyser through their phones or cameras. That was quite entertaining...and a few people were in the wrong place and got soaked.

A few photos of the Geysir area. Loved watching the people!

The last site on our tour of the Golden Circle was the most spectacular. It was a breathtaking waterfall with two huge cascades called Gullfoss. (Golden Waterfall) This waterfall was spectacular and so powerful. There was a trail that went close to the edge of the lower falls and the ground shook with the power. I can still feel the mist and hear the deafening roar of the falls. It is said that a rainbow is visible on sunny days. It wasn't sunny (but it wasn't raining either!).

A few photos from Gullfoss

After a full day of wonderful sights we returned to the Red and Gray houses in Stykkisholmur. The hot tub was calling and another fantastic day in Iceland came to a close.

On our way home we took the shortcut through the tunnel

'A Gift from Iceland' 10x10 pastel ©Karen Margulis
puffin in the Breidafjordur Bay, Iceland
purchase this painting on Etsy $165

It was an evening to remember. My first Puffin and my first taste of Viking sushi. No, I didn't eat the puffin although they are on some menus. Instead I had an up close encounter with puffins and many other arctic birds that I can now check off my life list. As part of the workshop, Stan treated us to a dinner cruise on the beautiful Breidafjordur Bay. It was one of the many highlights of the trip to Iceland.

Leaving Stykkisholmur

It was a gorgeous summer evening when we made our way down to the harbor in Stykkisholmur. We eagerly boarded the Seatours boat and I took up my position on the bow...camera ready! As soon as we pulled away from the dock and rounded the bend we were treated to the sight of puffins skimming in the water in front of the boat. It was so hard to know where to look.....the scenery all around was simply breathtaking.

Stan and some of the group enjoying the sunny evening

The Breidafjordur Bay is known for it countless little islands and plentiful birdlife. Our first stop was a small island called Thorisholmur which is a volcanic plug. The big boat nosed it's way up to the island getting us very close to the cliffs that were filled with many birds. It was a bit challenging to keep balanced on a moving boat and zoom and focus the camera. But I managed to get a few decent pictures. By the way, the camera I used for this trip is a Canon SX40 which has a zoom comparable to a 500 mm lens so I was able to really zoom in close. I love this camera!

A few photos of the birds on this little island

We also cruised by an interesting island that is mentioned in the Icelandic Folk Tales. Our captain pointed out an area that was used for hangings. Kind of spooky! We also passed a small island with one lone house perched on top. I could imagine staying out here and painting. It would be amazing. In fact I just met an artist online, Bruce McMillan, who was on one of these islands to photograph birds while we were in Iceland. He has written and illlustrated/photographed many books about Iceland that I plan to collect for my granddaughter. I'm sorry we didn't meet but he said to me, "You'll be back". I have to agree with him.

These cliffs made of basalt look like stacks of books. See the hanging place?

A peaceful place in the middle of the bay

Next on the cruise was Sushi Time...better known as Viking Sushi. The captain lowered a shellfish plough and after a short time it was pulled up to release a colorful array of sea life ....beautiful purple sea urchins, starfish, sea cucumbers and scallops....lots of them. The crew began to shuck the scallops and offered them to anyone interested. They served it with sauces and wine. I had two scallops and they were very good. They did put back what we didn't eat.

Enjoying some Viking Sushi fresh from the sea!

At some point in the cruise we came to another little bird island and a puffin was spotted. I had visions of the cliffs being covered with puffins but we actually only saw a few. It made it even more special then to get a good photo. I had my camera ready and by the luck of good timing managed to capture my 'shot of the day' puffin flapping his wings. A wonderful memory!

My shutter clicked at just the right time with pretty good focus considering no tripod and long lens on a moving boat

We made our way back to the dock slowly and we went below deck to enjoy a buffet dinner of fresh seafood. It was the perfect way to end a great day.

I created two boards on Pinterest to share my Iceland paintings, photos and travelog posts. Click here to see the paintings. Click here to read all of the travelog posts.

'Dancing with a Volcano' 8x10 pastel ©Karen Margulis
painting available for purchase $150

There are many beautiful places in our world but few as alive as Iceland. Iceland allows you to get up close and personal with the inner workings of the earth. The Mid-Atlantic Ridge cuts through Iceland. This is the division between the North American and Eurasian plates. In some places you can stand in between two continents. Iceland lies on a Hot Spot which causes volcanoes and geothermal phenomena like geysers.

Through a moss covered lava field

The earth is active here. There are 30 active volcanic systems. The eruption of Eyjafjallajokull (can you say that?) in 2010 created a plume of ash that disrupted air travel over Europe for weeks. Evidence of volcanic action is everywhere. In places there are fields of twisted lava forming fantastical shapes. Many are covered in moss and lichen lending them an even more bizarre look.

I almost climbed to the top of a volcano. We stopped to check out the area for a possible painting spot. The volcano was imposing. It needed to be climbed. I wanted to get a look inside the crater. Four of us took on the challenge. I made it about 3/4 of the way up when my mild fear of heights kicked in. I was more concerned with how I was going to get down the steep trail than seeing inside the crater so I made my way down.

Look at the trail going straight up the side of the volcano

To call it a trail isn't really accurate. The volcano was a perfect cinder cone and it was covered in a deep layer of small lava rocks (the kind you might put in your garden.) The path went straight up the side of the cone at about a 90 degree angle....well maybe 60 or 70 but it felt like 90. With every step I took, my feet sank down into the stone so it was like walking uphill through quicksand. About 3/4 of the way to the top I stopped to look around....and down....and it was exhilarating but the path looked oh so steep. I took a few pictures and started down....sliding with each step. Three members of the expedition made it to the top and would have covered for me but I am happy with my attempt. I think it makes for a better story. And there is still the mystery of what lies within the crater to spur me on the next time.

The view from 3/4 of the way to the top. See the sea in the distance?

Clare and Maria made it to the top

Look closely at the path going straight down...see the tiny car in the distance?

A mystery man made it all the way to the top

We returned another day to paint in this same area. It was a gray day but the sky was filled with drama. The landscape here was fascinating. It was like no place else on earth....raw and edgy. Deep, dark and mysterious filled with twisted rock, spongy moss and colorful patches of ground-hugging flowers.

My Gogh Box in action

Christine hard at work

Mary Ellen painting in the lava field

The Iguana Rock standing guard over the area

We braved the elements and set up to paint. I was fascinated with the brightly colored mosses and how they gave color and texture to the smooth slopes of the volcanoes. It was like nothing else I'd ever painted. Being there in that huge space and feeling the wind and the occasional raindrop made me feel alive. This was what it is all about! Whether from the top of a volcano or painting in it's shadow.....this was an experience of a lifetime.

My plein air interpretation of the moss on the lava
5x7 pastel $50

I hope you are enjoying my travelog posts. In case you missed any you can find links to them all on my Pinterest page here. Please feel free to share them with anyone who might be interested.

'To Be Among the Lupine' 8x10 pastel ©Karen Margulis
painting available for purchase $150

I saw them as soon as the plane landed in Keflavik. My heart began to soar. It was overcast but the purples, blues and pinks of the Lupines shimmered in the distance. I was worried that I would only see them at the airport. But they were everywhere. Fields of Lupines covered the countryside. In some places they went on as far as the eye could see. I would have the opportunity to paint them and to take lots of photos.

Lupines all the way from the mountains to the sea

These fields of purple flowers known as Alaskan Lupine or Lupinus Nootkatenis is not native to Iceland. As beautiful as these flowers are their presence is controversial. They were brought to Iceland in 1885 to combat erosion which is an ongoing serious problem. The lupine have thrived. So much so that they are now invasive and competing with the native vegetation especially the mosses and the bilberries. Many favorite Bilberry picking spots have been taken over by the lupine.

However controversial they seem to be a perfect accent to the Icelandic landscape. On one of our painting days we spent about two hours in the middles of a filed of lupine. I painted several quick studies including a short demo for the group which was great fun. These studies helped me get to know a flower that I wasn't very familiar with. Having the opportunity to paint them en plein air will surely help my studio paintings.

Today I painted from one of my photos and plein air studies. I began with a watercolor underpainting on white Wallis paper. I used local color for the underpainting working on getting the values correct. When the watercolor was dry I started with soft pastel and put in the darkest areas in the foreground...establishing the 'dirt'. Next I worked on the distant mountain. I then chose to paint the sky using a selection of pale pinks, yellows and lavenders. At this point I worked from background to foreground establishing the green areas and flat horizontal areas of purples to represent the distant flower masses. The last step involved working on the Lupine in the foreground. I used a few different blues, pink and purple pastels and put down some vertical strokes. I chose a few to give more detail and clarity. The rest I left as suggested flowers.

My palette for the lupine field

Here are a few photos of some of the lupine fields we encountered on our travels. As you can see they are truly spectacular. I look forward to many more paintings of the "wolf" of Iceland.

You can find all of the chapters in my Iceland Travelog here

I have been doing a lot of reflecting since I returned from Iceland. I am grateful for the luxury of time which has enabled me to paint and write my Iceland travelog. So often when I return home after a trip I go immediately back to work. The memories of the trip get pushed aside. This time I made sure I would have some downtime after my trip. I have shared about half of my story so far. I hope to put in in book form and include my narrative, photos, paintings and travel tips for artists. Over the next week I will share the rest of the story.

Today I wanted to share a plein air tip since I know we are in the height of summer travel season and many of you are getting outside to paint. A few days ago I shared my first plein air tip and you can read that post here. Here is another tip that I have had to learn by trial and error.

Get to know your painting equipment and supplies before you take them outside or on a trip!

'Cliffside Colors' Plein air 5x7 pastel $50

Here I am with my Gogh Box pastel set up

It is a simple thing to do but so often overlooked. I know that I am always tweaking my plein air set up. I have lost track of the number of boxes and easels and bags and carts I have tried. I am always looking for the most efficient and light , yet comprehensive set up. I am always downsizing! But I always practice with a new set up before I take it out on the road. Take the time to do a test run even if it is in your own back yard. It will save you so much aggravation and could even make or break a plein air trip!

Make sure you can set up and break down your easel or tripod and box quickly and with confidence. This means you should practice setting it up over and over until it becomes rote. Ideally you should be able to do it with your eyes closed. This way when you are on location and you are faced with changing weather you can quickly get up and running (or closed up). Practice!

Tripods....Make sure you know how the tripod folds up. If it comes apart make sure you can get it back together. (when I practiced with mine, a screw got jammed and I needed a wrench to fix it so I was glad this happened at home. )

Bring along a leatherman tool or compact tool of some sort. You never know when you may need to tighten or loosen a screw.

Your bag or cart: Make sure all your supplies fit in your bag or cart and that you can manage it on your own. Test it out...put it on your back and /or take a walk with your cart. I recommend not packing it so full that everything is jammed in and you cannot easily take things out. I promise you that it will never go back in as easily as it does at home so you will appreciate a little breathing space in your bag.

Pastel and paints: This deserves it's own post but I try to keep my palette limited and simple and make what I have work. It is sometimes frustrating....but it is so much better than dealing with too many supplies (they will get heavy) Keep it simple!

The view from our home in Iceland inspired many paintings

You can find links to part 1 through 7 of my travelog "Iceland: Through the Eye's of an Artist" on my Pinterest page. Click here.

I am known as a picky eater. I am getting more adventurous with food so I wasn't worried about eating in Iceland. I had read about some of the stranger foods such as fermented shark and puffin and I wasn't planning on being quite that brave. I felt right at home with the food and had no problems finding something good to eat.

Our home away from home...the Bonus grocery store

Food in Iceland was a fun part of the trip for me. One of my favorite souvenirs is a big yellow bag with a pink pig from the Bonus store which is the grocery store! I loved going into the grocery and convenience stores and going up and down the aisle looking at the different foods. (and sampling lots of junk food) Here are some of my observations about the food in Iceland:

If you like licorice you are in luck. There is a huge supply of licorice in Iceland. It seems like it is in everything including a very interesting black licorice ice cream bar with a liquid black licorice center. It was definitely different and wonderful if you are a black jelly bean kind of person! The stores had a dizzying array of some variation of licorice from chocolate covered to licorice mints! I quickly learned the Icelandic word for licorice after I thought I bought malted milk balls....nope they were chocolate licorice balls!

A black licorice ice-cream bar with liquid licorice center

I enjoyed trying the junk food in Iceland (I was on vacation after all) There was plenty to choose from including our own Lays chips and Doritos. I found them to be saltier than our chips. On our first day in Iceland we toured Reykjavik and a few of us made out way down to the harbor area to try the famous hot dogs at Bæjarins beztu pylsur which translates to "the best hot dog in town". The line was long but we waited and I got mine plain as usual so I can't really comment on if it was the best in town. It did hit the spot though. I had read that Icelanders love hot dogs and I did notice they were available everywhere.

I'll take my hot dog plain please.

A few yummy cookies that I need to track down now.

During the workshop expedition with Stan we ate well. We shopped locally for food and prepared our meals at our houses. Breakfast was cereals, toast, yogurts and eggs. We had a variety of sandwhich fixings for lunch and most days packed it all up in the Bonus bag and made sandwiches at our picnic lunch stops. Dinners most nights were eaten in and were a team effort. Stan is an excellent cook and prepared a delicious chicken dinner one evening. There were also a few of the workshop participants who were excellent in the kitchen. Catherine and mom Frances pitched in and made some lovely meals including some creative leftovers. Riley put her pastry chef experience to work and whipped up brownies and chocolate and caramel sauce for ice cream. Jack pitched in and ran clean up duty in the kitchen like a well oiled machine. We ate out a a nice local restaurant one night and did the dinner cruise another evening.

Picnic fixings. I love a picnic in a beautiful spot!

Food shopping was also a group effort. It was fun to try to figure out what the food items were. Labels were in Icelandic and were hard to pronounce let alone understand. Luckily labels often had pictures to give clues...a picture of salad must mean salad dressing?? Stan found this delicious cake one day. It reminded us of a yodel. We couldn't pronounce it but I used my translator app and found out it was called Television cake. So we had to have TV cake every time we went to the grocery store!

Sugar? Is that baking soda? What is vanilla sugar? No vanilla?

This must be the salad dressing!

Ahhh, I want some Television cake!

What about traditional Icelandic foods? I had that as well. I did't try the fermented shark chased with a shot of Brennevin though a few of my brave friends did! Lamb is quite popular and I did have the traditional lamb soup twice. It was quite tasty and hit the spot on the cold drizzly days. You can also find other oddities such as whale and puffin on some menus. I'll stick to TV cake!

Lamb soup with a coke.....yumm!

Delicious fish and chips...I went back again it was so good!

One other observation. There are no Starbucks in Iceland though there are Subways (both staples for my friends and I when we travel in the US) I loved the local coffee shops. I spend hours in the Kaffitar enjoying the coffee with sugar cubes and sketching and eating cake. Yeah, food was not a problem for me in Iceland!

No I didn't eat at Subway. We tried to stick to local restaurants

The hot drink machine in my Reykjavik hotel was a nice feature

My last coffee and cake at the airport

The Magic Hour is a special time of day for artists. Painters and photographers long for this time of day when everything is transformed. The sun casts a colorful glow and the shadows are long and more interesting during the hour or so around sunrise and sunset. The light of the Magic Hour is usually very fleeting. It comes and departs quickly. I am aways slightly on edge at the magic hour. Will I be ready? Will I be at the right place at the right time? Will I have enough time to paint or get enough photos?

The town of Stykkisholmur glows in the early evening light

Not to worry in Iceland during the summer. The days are very long. We had 21 hours of daylight at the time of my visit in late June. The Magic Hour lasts well into the evening and if you wished you could paint the sunset and then a couple of hours later paint the sunrise. There is no need rush to find a spot for the sunset. The sunset goes on and on. Dare I say I was actually impatient waiting for the sun to finally sink behind the distant islands of the Breidafjordur Bay. One evening we were determined to see the sunset but we had to stay up until 2 am. We had an amazing display of light and color in the clouds from our seat in the hot tub. No complaints from me!

Amazing color at 2:00 am

The light in Iceland was magical in other ways. Because of the ever-changing clouds we were constantly treated to moments of dramatic light over the rolling hillsides and mountains. It was always a breathtaking sight when a shaft of light would break through the clouds and illuminate the dark rich landscape. I had three fully charged camera batteries so I was ready to capture these fleeting moments of pure magic.

The ever changing sky and wondrous light

I even enjoyed the light on the few gray and dreary days we experienced . The colors were even richer and more intense against the dull grays of the moody days. The many shades of blue and purple lupines glowed on the gray days. The colorful ground hugging wildflowers sang out. The brightly colored houses that dotted the landscape added a cheerful note to the grayness. Artists know that a balance of neutral colors are needed to help bright colors . Icelanders made good use of color theory when they painted their brightly colored buildings!

The landscape reminds us that a small amount of pure color is
even more intense when set against grayed or neutral colors.

It occurred to me that Iceland is the Color Wheel come to life! We can learn a lot about color and how to make color work by studying the landscape of Iceland. I bought myself an interesting little book. It is called 'Iceland Colours and Patterns' and consists of color chips matched to a variety of photos taken around Iceland. This little book will serve as a visual reminder of the light and color that is Iceland.

I love this little book!

Today's painting is inspired by a photo I took in a thermal area near Keflavik. These low growing flowers were a welcome spot of color in the grayness of the day and surrounding volcanic rocks.

From the window of a bus the landscape of Iceland slipped by. I logged many miles on the roads of Iceland. First as a passenger in the vans Stan Sperlak had rented for the workshop. Then as a tour passenger on the big tour buses of Iceland Excursions. I took a tour to see South Iceland and the Jokulsarlon glacier lagoon. It was a 14 hour tour which covered 600 miles!

A typical shot through the window of the van...no charge for the rain drops!

Every mile was worth it. Most of the time my camera was on and ready. I have become proficient at drive by photography. A quick glance ahead with a finger on the shutter and click! Many of these shots are out of focus but they still capture the essence of the land...the mood, shapes and colors. Sometimes it is the only choice because you can't possibly stop as much as would like. It is all about the journey but with a limitations of time sometimes a shot through a bus window is necessary.

Here comes a waterfall...cameras ready!

From the moment I arrived I noticed I could see the sky form anywhere. There are no trees to block the view. I had heard about this but it is hard to imagine such a lush landscape without trees. But it is true. No matter where we drove I could see the sky and I could see for miles on the clear days. I really didn't miss the trees. Instead I noticed the other things...the lushness of the grasses and mosses covering the hillsides. Even the lava fields were covered in spongy green moss. It truly is landscape suited for elves. I could imagine them being quite content here.

No trees but beauty all around us

The lack of trees encouraged you to look up. As we drove through the countryside I would often find my gaze following the many streams and waterfalls to their source in the mountains....and this is where it got thrilling...that place where the mountains met the sky. The sky was always changing and always amazing. We never had a simple blue sky day. We never had just plain white puffy clouds. No, we had dramatic skies and they changed by the second. I think we probably saw every type of cloud formation and sometimes in the matter of a few hours!

Interesting clouds

The arctic sky is different. It is lighter and warmer. It never really was a deep dark blue. It was almost like the lower part of our Eastern US sky. It was quite beautiful and I was glad I had brought a selection of blue pastels with me.

This is an untouched photo. Just look at the vibrant blue in the water and sky!

Iceland is a skywatcher's dream come true. We had mist, fog and low lying clouds. We had dark brooding storm clouds moving over the mountains. We had clear blue skies peeking through clouds to reveal the sharp white outlines of distant glaciers. We had beautiful sunsets with painted clouds. This was the stuff dreams are made of.

Just a few of the many drive by photos taken out the window of the van and bus

My thousands of 'drive-by' photos of the landscape and sky will provide me with endless inspiration. Today's painting is inspired by a photo I took from the van window on the drive back to the airport. Several in the group had an early flight so we were on the road at 5:00 am and this is when I took the reference photo. The clouds were low and the day promised to be beautiful. I was glad I still had another 5 days in Iceland!

Iceland is green and Greenland is ice. That's what we learned in elementary school. I still wanted to see ice on my trip to Iceland. I wanted to walk on a glacier and see some icebergs. I came close to some glaciers and there are tours to take you out on them but I didn't walk on a glacier this trip. I did see icebergs though.

The spectacular glacial lagoon of Jokulsarlon was 600 miles roundtrip from Reykjavik but it was well worth the drive. After the workshop I spent 5 nights in Reykjavik on my own. It was my plan to take some tours. The tour to see the South coast of Iceland and Jokulsarlon was my first tour. I went with Iceland Excursions and it was a wonderful experience. We rode on a comfortable brand new bus complete with wifi. Our tour guide was interesting and knowledgable. My seat mates turned out to be a wonderful couple from New Jersey of all places and one of them was a pastel artist. It truly is a small world.

The edge of a glacier reaching down to the highway

The entire drive was spectacular...from waterfalls to distant islands to the largest river bed in the world, to the volcano Eyjafjallajokull, it was all amazing. The glacial lagoon was the final stop on the tour before heading back home. It was more than I could ever imagined!

A couple of the spectacular waterfalls we stopped to see

You don't know what is coming before you get the lagoon. It is right off the main road but there is no 'preview'. You go over a bridge and there it is. I felt like a kid on Christmas morning. I was in awe and I know my jaw must have dropped. Yes it really was spectacular. It couldn't possibly be a real place and yet it was. We were greeted by the din of hundreds of Arctic Terns flying overhead. They would prove to be a distraction for me.

Hundreds of Arctic Terns greet us at Jokulsarlon

Part of the tour included a boat ride in the lagoon. We put on our life jackets and the amphibious boat slipped into the water. The colors and shapes were simply beyond my wildest dreams. Every shade of blue seemed to be represented in the sky, water, distant glacier and mountains and of course in the icebergs themselves. It was eerily quiet except for the sound of the boat. We learned about how the icebergs are chunks of ice broken off from the glacier Breiðamerkurjökull We had a chance to taste some of the glacial ice which was interesting.

A few photos from the boat tour among the icebergs

After the boat tour we had time to wander around the area. I was torn between taking more pictures of the lagoon or turning around and watching the Arctic Terns. They fascinated me. Hundred of these little sea birds had made their nests on the grassy area beside the parking lot. These birds make the longest annual migration of any other bird. They fly 25,000 miles from Antarctica to their Arctic breeding grounds in Iceland and Greenland. (and I thought 600 miles on a bus was long!) Since they nest out in the open on the ground they have to be fiercely protective of their nests and young. And they are! They will attack anything that ventures onto the nesting area....they dive bomb the highest point (your head) and will even poop on you! The chicks were well camouflaged in the grasses but I managed to see them through the telephoto lens of my camera.

protecting the nests

nesting in the grass

A crazy tourist. I hope she got pooped on!

Can you see the chick?

So well camouflaged

Sheep....move out of the way...or I'll poop on your head!

I may have been a long day but I wouldn't trade this experience for anything. Many of the stops we made deserve more time but at least know I have more to see on my next trip to Iceland!

If you have missed any of my Iceland Travelog posts you can find links to them on my Pinterest page HERE

Paint Iceland Trip Report Day 1

Paint Iceland Trip Report Day Two

Painting Iceland Trip Report Day 4

Painting Iceland Trip Report Day 6

Last Day in Iceland

Three Things to Do Immediately After a Painting Trip

Plein Air Tip no. 1: What to do When Overwhelmed by the Landscape

Iceland: Through an Artist's Eyes part 1 First Impressions of Summer in Iceland

Iceland: Through an Artist's Eyes part 2 Beyond Reykjavik

Iceland: Through an Artist's Eyes part 3 Exploring the Snaefellsness Peninsula

Iceland: Through an Artist's Eyes part 4 Rainy Day Adventures

Iceland: Through an Artist's Eyes part 5 Journey around the Golden Circle

Iceland: Through the Eye's of an Artist part 6 Puffins and Viking Sushi

Iceland: Through the Eye's of an Artist part 7 Dancing with a Volcano

Iceland: Through the Eye's of an Artist part 7 How to Paint the Lupines

Plein Air Tip #2...Know Your Equipment!

Iceland: Through the Eye's of an Artist part 9 Food Talk!

Iceland: Through the Eye's of an Artist part 10 The Light

Iceland: Through an Artist's Eyes Part 11 A Skywatcher's Dream

Iceland: Through the Eye's of an Artist part 12 Icebergs, Glaciers and Arctic Terns