Friday, May 25, 2012

OCEAN LINER NOSTALGIA: SWEDISH M/S KUNGSHOLM 1928-1965

It is always fun to go back to the era of Ocean Liners. The nations that had their own liners, had a chance to show  the best design and products from their country. It was excellent marketing strategy.
M/S KUNGSHOLM, the Swedish passenger liner was built 1928.
The week it took to cross the Atlantic could be a wonderfully luxurious trip for those with money-
(All photos from Wikipedia)

First class vestibule
First class smoking room.
The staircase. First Class dining room.
Kungsholm sofa from 1928 restored from this site.
Sketch from M/S Kungsholm (Wikipedia Commons)

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

WILDERNESS IN THE CITY

Sometimes we tend to over work our gardens so it is nice to see a garden left a little wild. Only a ten minute walk from downtown Gothenburg you can find  this private garden . The wild aspect has a calming effect.
The lovely  FRITILLARIA MELEAGRIS thrive here.

Not far away, dandelions are blooming their little hearts out on the roadside.
I don't think dandelions have a calming effect on people, but if one did not know that dandelions are invasive and a definite garden pest, they would be regarded as quite beautiful.

Monday, May 21, 2012

CUPS THAT SPEAK TO YOU

Mass produced cups that are sold for very little, have their place, but they lack the beauty and personality of a handmade cup. I love it when I fall in love with a cup. The experience is a definite a "must have it". And the cups become very dear friends. Let me introduce you to some of them:
I treasure these Angel cups (Gunilla Lundberg from Gothenburg)
Perfect for a very special cappuccino. 
These cups are little masterpieces (recent acquisition) By Yumi Kato of Gothenburg)
I have always loved the Arabia Ruska cups (1950's) They are machine made, but the glaze was hand applied and very tricky to get just right.
Many cups had to be destroyed in the manufacturings process.
This and the cup below are really BIG cups, The California potter Randy Schneider, made them with his father's big hands in mind. The handles are enormous.
Talk about cups with personality!
 

Nice faces painted by Angela Dougall in London. 
These are the most beautifully designed and "hand-and-lip-friendly" cups I have come across.  The glaze is  wonderfully matt and the cups sits perfectly/blissfully in your hand. Of course, one never finds cups like these again.
They do not hold a large cup of tea, so a nice strong coffee is just dandy for them.
These cups are absolute favorites. Each cup has a different design that reminds of the primitive floral design (kurbits) in my Swedish Folk Art Paintings.

Monday, May 14, 2012

IF THAT'S THE WAY AMERICAN SOCIETY TREATS ITS WOMEN -- THEY DON'T DESERVE TO HAVE ANY !

Drawing by Donovan O'Malley
In Sweden we can celebrate Mother's day with a reasonably good conscience, but can Americans honestly do the same? Chris Hayes on MSNBC tries to answer that question. And the facts are depressing. The statistics are merciless.   



American women have a lot to put up with. Besides the tribulations of motherhood, they must contend with the recent insane (and politically suicidal?) rightwing assault on women's reproductive rights -- abortion and contraception. Women in Europe could hardly imagine this insanity and journalists no doubt find it difficult, if not impossible to communicate this absurdity to the public in other countries.
Rachel Maddow sums up "the war on women":

Wednesday, May 9, 2012

A SWEDISH KITCHEN - DOING IT MY WAY

My creative American grandmother Olga loved going to flea markets (as I do now) long before it was fashionable. She inspired me to paint Swedish Folk Art. My kitchen is an expression of all this.


The round painting on the wall depicts the Swedish King, a popular subject for the primitive  painters.

I used the painting on my kitchen wall to make trays like this one. It is smaller than the original painting, but on the other hand, one can serve food on it and put it in the dishwasher.
See more about my trays here.

By Randy Schneider of California ca 1974. It fits in very nicely.
I kept the old cabinet frames that were made of solid pine, left some shelves open and made new doors.
This used to be a toolbox before I decorated it. Now it is a  perfect place for napkins
This IKEA center working table contains an amazing amount of pots and pans on the lower shelf.
The cabinets under the sink are new.

The East india Company blue china goes well with the Swedish "Dala"blue (some call it Baltic Blue)

I wish I had room for this in the kitchen. It is an old fashioned food container that I finished decorating recently.

I never met an old beater I did not buy. Mostly decorative of course, but  what comfort to be able to whip cream  during a power shortage.