Last May I made a sojourn to Sweden to take a workshop with the very talented and lovely, Camilla Engman...that's her in her studio, smiling next to one of her paintings. The workshop was organized by world traveler and adventurer, Angela Ritchie. Her workshop offerings are always unique and a little offbeat and you can check them out here. She's in India right now with Lotta Jansdotter...how fun would THAT be???
Seven of us gathered from around the globe...me (the only American), two Aussies, one Swiss, one Italian, one German and one Argentinian - lovely, smart and talented women all. On our first day we wandered from the hotel in Goteborg's city center to Camilla's studio in the Konstepedemin artist's community, getting to know each other along the way.
We gathered up some traditional Swedish pastry and sat outside enjoying the May sunshine and each other's new company.
Camilla's studio is light and beautiful (like her) and filled with not only her amazing paitings and illustrations...
...but little installations...
...and vignettes...
...and moments...
...and collections...
...and works on cardboard...
...that make the heart inspired and the mind curious.
She shared her work with us...wonderful paintings...dreamlike and questioning.
This world and yet another world; familar yet strange.
Being an American, and wanting to probably overanalyze everything, I tried a couple of times to ask Camilla about the motivations and inspirations for her work. She would smile and shrug. Or say she doesn't know. Or turn the questions around and ask, "What do you think". The more I thought about her answers the more I think she's onto something. Our work doesn't need to be explained. It can just be. Images swirl and surface and if we are wise we accept them. We can simply be a conduit for them, letting them be whatever they are. Beautiful and mysterious and unexplainable.
Please go to her website here and her blog here to see her beautiful paintings and work in high resolution. These photos barely do them justice. I only used my iPhone on this trip...while handy and convenient, it certainly doesn't replace a real camera.
A generous teacher, she took time to walk us through her painting process from sketch to finished painting. It was a glimpse into the way she works (which is always fascinating), but not an explanation of why or what the images mean to her. We are watching on a tiny iPad...as the little projector in the background on the table was having technical difficulties.
Thoughtful, approachable, intelligent and lovely with a keen sense of humor...
...Camilla opened her studio and her heart to us for a lovley Swedish week.
Next time...more about the arist's community that Camilla is a part of and some of the workshop work.
