Happy New Year, friends! Before us lies a completely fresh year, full of opportunities, adventures, and new things to learn.

Over the last few months, I’ve felt a bit of restlessness and ‘painter’s block’, with my well of inspiration seeming to have run dry. After a long break however, and some adventures not too far from home, I am feeling inspiration returning, and interests in new things to learn.

On that note, I have a new project for 2020 that I’d like to share with you now! A Year of Scandinavian Craft!

Since childhood I have been enamored with Scandinavian style, traditions and creative endeavors that seem to always find their roots in those far northern lands. Be it knitting, weaving, stitching– or just a love of coffee and sweets— there seems to be some big connection with Scandinavian culture.

After we returned from Lindsborg and all its lovely Swedishness last month, I was mulling over these things and thought it would be a fun project for 2020 to really let myself explore the Scandinavian roots of the crafts I love, and perhaps learn new ones! I’d love to share these adventures with you as well, and I’m sure they will spark new art. And so, a Year of Scandinavian Craft is born!

There are some things I already enjoy doing that have deep roots in the Scandinavian countries of Sweden, Norway, Finland and Denmark. Weaving and knitting will be great places to start in my adventures, but there are some new things I’d like to learn too— perhaps rosemaling painting, wheat art, wood carving….so many options! And we cant forget the food! Cooking is a craft as well!

I’m excited for this fresh idea and to learn new things. I’d also like to get to know others who devote their lives to the pursuit of Scandinavian craft, and introduce them to you as well. I hope that this leads to many ways to be inspired and create— I hope they inspire you to create as well.

And if you already create in the Scandinavian craft tradition– I’d love to hear about it! Please share! I can’t wait to learn from you as well.

So….shall we?

Let’s start our year, January 1…..

~H