The Lofoten Series
In the summer of 1992, my family visited the Lofoten Islands in Norway, and the location left a lasting impression on me. I was in the middle of my troll era, so the mossy hills and craggy rocks made the perfect environment for all my ugly little troll dolls. I remember fishing from a bridge with hot dogs in the midnight sun, and actually catching something, much to my surprise. I remember exploring the little hills near where we stayed along the water, and discovering a cave. I remember the charming red fishing cabins and dramatic mountains, and looking for moose but never seeing any. I have been dreaming of returning to Lofoten ever since.
Just a few weeks ago, I was finally able to return to his magical place above the arctic circle with my husband Josh, and he too was instantly mesmerized by the landscape that captured my imagination some 33 years prior. This place just doesn’t look real. The mountains are way too pointy, and it’s hard to name their color - is it purple, brown, a deep cool blue? The water way too turquoise, water can’t actually be that vibrant in real life, can it? The moss entirely too bright, a mix of neon yellows, greens, and even orange tones. It looks like something out of a movie, a painting, a dream.
Getting to Lofoten takes effort. In addition to the transatlantic flight, we still had quite a ways to go after landing in Oslo. Lofoten is nowhere near the capital, so more regional flights, a ferry, and a car ride were soon to follow, but it was all worth it. We stayed in Nusfjord, a historic fishing village with speculator views in every direction. The colorful “rørbu” cabins were just as charming as I remembered.
The views were so beautiful, I couldn’t help but be inspired to create a felted landscape series upon returning home, using photos from our hikes, drives, and fjord explorations. Every piece in the series was inspired by a specific location in Lofoten, using my own photography from the trip. I hope I was able to capture the beauty of this place in my favorite medium, needle felted wool fiber. Enjoy the collection!
Some of my favorite memories, in no particular order include: watching the black legged kittiwakes (a kind of gull) nesting on the steep rocks just outside out cabin, exploring the troll fjord by boat while drinking hot chocolate, spending the afternoon in Høv riding Icelandic ponies on the white sand beach then running back and forth from the wood fired sauna to the freezing turquoise ocean , stopping to see all the adorable lambs roaming free on the winding roads, trying multiple versions of the local fish soup and trying to rank them, hiking Flakstad (and getting my butt kicked by the steep trail), and seeing two moose crossing the road just a few feet away from the moose crossing sign.
