Happy August dear friend!

I was initially meant to be hiking in Norway this week, but plans changed quickly when my cat came home with a gaping hole in her cheek. We're now staying busy trying to keep our dog away from her, he’s equally thrilled/terrified of the cone monster but dead set on licking that wound. Weirdly, as she’s unable to do it herself, she gladly accepts the (not so favorable) favor.

The gallery has been busy thanks to the gloomy weather keeping people off the beaches this summer. Swedes are inherently obsessed with the sun, probably due to never having enough of it. July here is known as THE vacation month as many businesses close down for four weeks, and these weeks are what we look forward to all year, expecting greatness. These are the weeks we dream of during the dark months, frolicking in the thoughts of warm rays and happy children, but as we all know - this is when Universe goes HAHAHAHAHAH!

So after summers like the one we’ve just had, we feel collectively robbed of the summer we’re supposed to have, of memories we never got to form. That will be the highlight of every conversation happening in this nation until we start dreaming of next year.

I don’t paint bright, perfect sunny days. Bright colors make me nervous, and as soon as I can add something to desaturate them, I can breathe again. I find peace in the gloomy shades; they’re in my DNA. My most vivid summer memories are from playing in the ocean in the rain, building mattress forts underneath the bed and playing board games in pyjamas. Beautiful memories can form - regardless of weather.