Because harebells are cute.
Theme: Fairytales, trolls & skrømt
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Skrømt
Skrømt (in Norwegian) means ghostly or scary creatures (or “underworldly”), but also covers our many fairytale creatures that really aren’t that scary. Skrømt could be mischievous, but help you if treated well.
The folklore concerning mythological creations have shifted over time, and especially when Christianity arrived in Norway. Before, the skrømt (or trolls) represented nature and had a more mischievous nature than “good or evil” (more like humans). The creatures could play you one day could help you the next, it depended on how you treated them. They represented nature or livestock, as in “don’t be an idiot when dealing with nature’s forces”.
With Christianity the stories were shaped in a Christian view, with a God as the helper or punisher, not nature itself, and his minions as angels or demons. So our fairytale creatures, and many creatures from Norse mythology, were then shaped as stories about evil trolls that could be defeated if you were a good Christian.
The skrømt (or trolls) from Norse mythology jotun, jotne, jøtul, gygre, rise, were demonised, still representations of (and shapers of) nature, but something to be beaten, not respected or interacted with.
And then there is the plethora of smaller and more humanoid creatures that certainly didn’t have a “good or evil” alignment, like the hulder, the fjøsnisse, draug, and fossegrimen. Yes, they could make life miserable for you, but not in the power of themselves, but because you (us, the idiots) ignoring the signs of peril and ventured out into the forest, out to sea, didn’t treat your livestock well, and were then unfortunate enough to disrespect them. Or, you just caught them on a shitty day.
That’s why I love the pre-Christian stories about skrømt and creatures from Norse mythology, the taxonomy is not as black and white, not good vs evil. Skrømt inhabits a vastly populated and colourful space in storytelling, where humans and skrømt interact, not as opposed (and dumbed down) species.
There are of course different branches of folklore, with different explanations of the different creatures. It really depends from what time the stories are from, and from what religious views they are told. Most of Norse mythology is written down in a Christian view, which will have shaped the retelling of the old myths, which again have shaped how the creatures from the Norse myths are treated in modern retellings.
I contribute to this storytelling by creating my own skrømt, with the pre-Christian relationship to the stories in mind. The creatures I interact with pops up on my drawing board after my visits in nature, a hike, a walk or a swim. They might be be mischievous, represent what I’m concerned with for the moment, or reflect my mood or experiences. Or just show my general awe for how magical and vivacious nature around us is.
I sometimes write about the creatures I sketch over at my Wild Drawing page.
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Forest guardians for Nature School Mt Fløyen
Characters for Nature School at My Fløyen.
I was invited to create illustrations for Naturskole at Fløyen in Bergen (Nature School), and I’m so happy to take on projects with an agenda for the nature we live in. I live at the base of Mt Fløyen and hike there regularly, and on one of my hikes Mr Moss, a character that later spurred this project, popped up in the scenery. More about the drawing in this post.
Nature School at mot fløyen is an outdoor classroom, where kids learn by exploring the forest, lakes and streams and wildlife that lives in an around them. (like us!) My task was to translate that sense of wonder and curiosity into visual form.
The concept
The goal was to desing illustrations that educate and inspire, large scale artworks that celebrate the natural environment while blending seamlessly into learning spaces. I drew inspiratin from the forest’s eco systems; ligchen and moss, undergrowth, and the wonder of discovering living things in the undergrownt.
What I enjoyed about this task was that the client didnt want drawings of kids with magnifying glasses looking at the ground, but the kids in the illustraions are emmbodied nature, antrpomorphic and a part of the environment they live in habit. Be immersed rather than be oberservrs.
The illustrations are used when teaching visiting classes about the diverse life in the undergrowth at Mt Fløyen, and how we are dependent on the smallest creatures on so many areas of our lives.
The process and technique
This project already had the concept in place when we started, that Fløyen wanted nature figures to teach us about nature. I already had Mr Moss, so next step was to I give him a family. I kind of knew where I wanted to take it, I had a sketch from the Ulriken Sodas that I ended up scrapping but now found a use for. And also a lot of sketchbook hikes and a sleepover in a tree. His family in the end consisted of his wife, the pensjonert biologist called () and their three grandchildren Stein, Bjørk and Bøk. And Aunt Oak with the magnificent beard.
Since the characters were to be used large scale I wasnt sure at what size to draw them and did different tests with line weight vs scaled up, and eventually decided on a much smaller original size than what i first thought would be needed. Balancing detail and readability to where people would see the characters from.
I did the drawings in watercolour and ink on 300 gr paper, scanned at 600 and 1200 dpi and broke my mac and had to start thinking about buying a new computer to handle large format. (I eventually bought the new computer when working on another large scale project for Kystmuseet) Then I assembled the characters as a collage in Photoshop in large format psb, in case I had to move a part of the drawing a few mm to not overlap a window and since these were to be mounted on the wall one by one. The printing was done through Kopibutikken.
I earlier made a map for Fløyen, and use the trails there alot. On one of my hikes, a character emerged, that the Fløyen crew thought maybe could fit as guardian of their Nature School.
Along with these illustrations you can also find plaques with drawings and info, and follow a trail where you have to answer questions and tick of “geotags” on a printed map that you can get from the Fløyen shop.
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Wild sheep from Bømlo
This Wild Drawing setting wasn’t too far from home, did the actual drawing in my studio at Bryggen. But the idea sparked in Bømlo, an island outside of Bergen where I spent a few days in summer.
Sometimes inspiration blocks your way – not like an art block, but an actual hairy hurdle. A ram stood on the path we were heading up in the heather looking down at us. Guarding its flock, the island, or the entrance to the underworld. It was a massive animal, and it did leave an impact. I have no pictures from the walk, as sideways rain isn’t too good for camera equipment, and I was too terrified to do anything but sidle a long detour around him. So I had to rely on my memory, and thorough research (helped by the few sheep farmer instagram people I know) of its supposed legs since they were firmly rooted in the heather.
It was also a good excuse to do some colour tests in my sketchbook. I use my own photographs alot when I do colour studies, but this time I had to work from memory and some google searches of west coast flora.
We stayed at Bømlo in July (yes, windy and sideways rain; go Norwegian summer!) but I couldn’t forget it, and started drawing the ram in late November when the alley outside my studio window was covered in snow. That changed the colour scheme to a cooler palette.
Painting in cute little pink and lilac alsike clovers just didn’t fit in that day, so I hinted at a more barren setting instead.
Here is the final result! I made 50 prints of it, and have a few left guarding the counter in my shop at Bryggen. If you want one, come by at Bryggen Mon-Sat 11-17 or head over to my web shop.
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Woodland sprites
Girl wandering a forest, this was inspired by a mushroom and berry picking trip in Os, where we found some truly magical places. 
Frog king or queen? It’s a bridal crown from Hardanger. Just had an idea that I wanted to dress up toads in jewelry from our national costumes. 
Illustration made for exhibition at Mjøsvågen gallery in 2015 – inspired by the surrounding flora. 
Forest minion drawn in 2009 
Hulder drawn in 2022 
Hulder or troll girl drawn in 2022 based on a photo of my niece in her national costume 
Hulder drawn just for fun! 
Wood nymph 
