Sons of Norway - Rosemaling - May 9

The program at our Sons of Norway meeting was a fabulous presentation by Christina Keune - a prize-winning Rosemaler. She's studied in numerous places - including Norway! Her work is absolutely beautiful! She's received many prizes and ribbons for her work....I'm sure you can see why!



Christina presented a slide show where she chronicled her journey from a novice Rosemaler to the expert that she is now. The presentation was peppered with personal tidbits that were both amusing and informative. I got so caught up in her description of her journey, that I felt like I was there as she learned and honed her craft.

These samples show the "sample" plate she made to show 10 major steps in Rosemaling from the bare wood to the finished project. There are many more than "10 steps" involved in producing the final piece, but this definitely shows key changes. Notice how angular the designs are in the plate on the right. That plate shows a more modern interpretation.

The items here on the left show some more examples of traditional Rosemaling. The focus always returns to the center of the plate...whether it's a traditional interpretation or a more modern interpretation. The central focus is one of the key elements in Rosemaling.

The item that looks like a bucket is a "Tine" - it was a lunch box that was taken out to the field. The lid is painted as well and fits on top of the "bucket" and is carried by the handle on the lid. It's definitely a work of art - both the woodcraft and the painting. These were considered more utilitarian than ornamental. I definitely find them to be beautifully ornate and couldn't imagine bringing something this lovely out to the field!

I was absolutely intrigued by the wall hanging of the entire cycle of flax processing - from planting to spinning. It's done in the Swedish style. It's simple, yet very ornate...there's something soothing about it as well. Perhaps it's just the thought of "spinning" that I find so soothing.