Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year!

Christmas morning was quiet and as my kids watched the Christmas cartoons on TV, I sat down with a cup of coffee, a pencil and a drawing pad and reflected on the year that will soon come to an end.  I've always loved the number '12' so I just knew that 2012 would be a good year.  And indeed it was.  This little drawing shows just a fraction of what I loved about this year.

Looking forward to 2013.  Thirteen is a good number, right?!

Thank you all for following my blog, I'm grateful for every visit it gets.  Lots of more things to share here next year :)

Love and peace to you all wherever you are!

xoxoxo

Linda

Slippurinn

Slippurinn, Reykjavík - Oil on canvas

One of the happy discoveries I made when I moved back home and saw Reykjavík  again with what felt like a brand new set of eyes, was this corner here of Geirsgata and Ægisgata.  When driving West Geirsgata you almost feel like you are about to drive into a ship.  It's a bit surreal really.  This is where ships rest on a slipway while they're being repaired or repainted  Luckily there was a beautiful red ship at the slipway when I shot the reference photo, which I've been craving to paint for months. 

And the Fifth Stamp is....Reykjavík Gay Pride!

Hinsegin dagar í Reykjavík - Reykjavik Gay Pride

Here's the fifth and final stamp in the first series of the "Icelandic Town Festivals" stamps from The Iceland Post, to be released in Spring 2013.  Celebrate diversity!  Hurray!!!

Open Studio & Jólalgögg

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This Saturday me and my studio mates, Besla & Ado Design are having an Open Studio and Jólaglögg.  It's the third time we have this event and it's always real nice and cozy with lot's of people stopping by.  So it's kind of becoming a tradition and the kick start for Christmas, yay!  I'll be selling some prints as well as the Christmas Cards I did for Hringurinn.  More info on the event and whats for sale here.

So, if your are around, please stop by at:

Brautarholt 28, 3rd floor

Saturday, November 24th

Between 3pm and 6pm

Have some jólaglögg,

chat with us &

see what we've been up to!

Hope to see you!

Illustration Friday - Tree

I knew I wouldn't have the time to create something new for this weeks topic, so, how convenient I happened to have this tree over here! Click here if you want to see it grow ;)  

New Stamps for The Iceland Post

I recently got the oportunity to illustrate stamps for The Iceland Post.  I will be illustrating a series of 10 stamps, 5 being issued in Spring 2013 and 5 more in Spring 2014.  The Iceland Post just released the issuing plan for 2013, so I can share with you 4 of those 5 stamps coming out next year. 

The theme for this series is "Town Festivals" showing all kinds of celebrations held around the country.  I have to say I've had a total BLAST creating these.  And I have to thank my friend Helga at Soupdesign for all the help in wrapping this up with me and just for being so fun an great.

Stay tuned for more stamps to come,...now go write a letter or something!

 

Chrismas Cards ' Lend a helping hand' & Besla

'Lend a helping hand'

The Chrismas Cards I did for Hringurinn Children's Hospital Fund have arrived!  All 100.000 of them!  Plus the cute little gift tags.  I feel honored to help the fine women at Hringurinn with this part of their fundraiser.  I must thank my friend Selma Rut for helping out with the layout and delivering the cards to the printers, thank you Selma!

I went to see the women at Hringurinn the other day as I wanted to give them the original painting of the Chrismas Card.  It was really lovely to meet them where they were hard at work preparing for the Chrismas Bazar held on Nov.4th.  I think I might have to join them some day :)

Guðrún and Sonja

 

You can buy the Chrismas Cards at the Hringurinn Children's Hospital and at many fine stores in Reykjavík and around Iceland.  For further information or to order a large amount of the cards please contact Sonja at jolakort@hringurinn.is or Sonja@least.is

In other news, things are rolling for my friend Brynja with her Children's clothing line, Besla.  This weekend she'll be at Handverk & Hönnun at Ráðhús Reykjavíkur where you can check out her beautiful line of clothes and other goodies and later this month the clothes with my pattern will be on a show in Japan! I know I've shared some photos of the Besla clothes before, but I just couldn't resist adding the newest photo of the Underwater Pattern I did for Besla.

Besla - Underwater Pattern.  Photo by Jenný Guðmundsdóttir