The beauty of nature on the grounds of the museum and sanctuary never ceases to be an inspiration. This painting was created in traditional style of artists who have also lived in France. This joyful self portrait shows myself as the archetype artist painting in the garden in the French tradition of plein air artists.

As you can see, my scene took place in front of a large window looking out of Zermeno Museum. The plein air painting shows my personal objects, such as my artist easel, stone pillar standing like an obelisk supporting my planter in the center of garden, and my table on the left recently filled with a bouquet of flowers. In the background is also a Norwegian friend who came to stay with me. To portray her big personality, I represented her “larger than life” figure gathering flowers from the garden, which she put in vases in all the rooms of the galleries of the museum.

As she and I both have a deep love of nature, and for each other, our love is also symbolically represented with two horses and a big red heart, conveying my view of the world looking out of this historic mansion and museum. This painting also celebrates my sense of humor in my own unique style of art using nature as a way of feeling the human emotion of love. The painting was created in a joyful manner that could even put a smile on a young child's face. The large red heart inside conveys my outlook on the world. Viewing the world with love in our hearts as loving human beings is what I value most important about our own nature as human beings.