At the beginning of the summer, I decided to make a painting from my holiday paradise, our summer cottage by the lake. I know of no place on earth that gives me such peace of mind as sitting on the beach or, in this case, on the jetty, looking out over the lake. Here I find a connection to my roots and very little has changed since I played here as a child. It also gives me a nice sense of belonging as several generations have walked over these lands and have probably found the same harmony as I have from looking out over the landscape. My grandfather’s boathouse, now ours, holds many memories of fishing trips with my parents when I went along as a child to take up the nets and see if they had any luck with the catch. With my uncles Ture and Tage, there were also several boat trips and perch fishing. The pine tree that stands right by the shore on my sister’s property has been photographed hundreds of times in beautiful sunsets and sunny summer days.
A gift.
When the painting was almost finished, I felt that I wanted this painting, which felt so inspired by my roots, to go to the next generation. It was to be a gift for our daughter, who this summer was on holiday elsewhere than southern Lapland. Hopefully, this is the definition of Swedish summer for her too. Wealth is to feel that this place is ours. The sky is incredibly blue and occasionally a few light and fluffy summer clouds appear on this day. The lake is almost mirror-like and only a few faint ripples can be seen on the surface. If the water doesn’t invite you to take a dip, then say so. This summer there were many wonderful swims. The most delightful thing is to start the day with a morning dip on a sunny summer morning. In the foreground you can see the wind-whipped wood on the jetty and the large stone where I sat and philosophized many times when I was little. The painting has been saved in the gallery under Lapland – summer.
