Arctic Love (treat 1)

Hello fellow readers,

I hope everything is well with you and that your 2016 so far has been amazing ;)

Here is a first treat from one of my projects for this year, called Arctic Love. This excerpt is from a novel I am working on and is part of the first chapter called (so far) Promised the Moon. Enjoy!

"No sooner had I said that, than a dark claw emerged out of nowhere and pierced right through my chest, pushing all through it, but not before embracing my scared heart with its burning razor sharp fingers and pulling it right out of me. My heartless body fell to the cold ground and with it all my hopes and dreams of immortality and longing for that sweet tune of love. I did not move, not for a long time. I just stared into the black night and thought and felt absolute nothing. It was as if nothing could evoke any form of reaction from me. My heart had been ripped out of me and with it, all that I had been, leaving nothing but an empty carcass behind. I was not dead and still, I was not feeling much alive either.

Our parents had warned us many times before, to never ever trust forest spirits, for they were restless souls, ancient souls, who had never found their peace and were now roaming over the earth and preying over innocent hearts. Once seduced by them, one stood no chance against their intoxicating lure. Sadly, the stories never spoke of what had become of these forsaken souls who had been deprived of their most precious possession. That part of the stories was for me to soon be discovered…"

The novel will contain 7 chapters. It is a twin project to another part from Arctic Love, where I will be creating 7 paintings that will go along with this story.

Light in the Dark

New Year, New Projects!

Project Number 1:

Some years ago, also in December, an idea was born. However, I never finished the project that followed the idea. The project consisted of creating a series of paintings inspired by songs from Sonata Arctica which I thought, were somehow connected to each other. My exact words from back then were:

"I was thinking to create a series of paintings around a story inspired by their songs :)I haven't started yet...but I'm very exited about it and can't wait to begin to work! The series will have the name Arctic Love :)"

Since then, I only created two of these paintings and started the plot for the story. That is not much, considering that I had this idea almost four years ago. But never say never, right? Arctic Love will be one of my main projects for 2016. There will be an Arctic Love project A,  which is the story told through these paintings and  an Arctic Love project B, which will consist of writing a novel for these paintings. I will also consider redoing the first two paintings and if everything goes well, I will try to have an exhibition for Arctic Love.

Project Number 2:

I really enjoy writing these 7 words stories and, since you guys also enjoy reading them, I decided to look over all the stories I have written so far over the past few years, select the best ones and put them all together in a collection of sorts. Until now I have 15 stories. That is however, not enough, especially when I would like to push my luck a little and publish them. I am not sure, what name to give this book, yet so far I always called the stories Wonderland treats.
This is a special project to me, since I would like to involve you guys in it. The part you have to play is quite simple: provide the words for the upcoming stories and I will also mention you (if you don't mind) in the book, next to the story.
What I also love about this project, is that it somehow underlines the important connection between creation and inspiration, a connection we all should be thankful for. We get inspired by words, movies, people, feelings and so on, the important thing always being, to acknowledge what it is or who it is, that inspired us and also celebrate it. This is my way of celebrating you guys ;) I am looking forward to working with your chosen 7 words of wonder.

Lost in Secret Garden

A few days ago I decided to go out for a walk and discover some new places in Umeå (Sweden). I was really curious about a forest so I made it my destination for that day.

This is the Forest I choose for my little adventure

When I left home I had no idea what would await me in my so carefully planned morning walk. The sun was shining and everything was lovely. I checked the roads leading to the forest and was set to go. Ready and confident that I will have no problems whatsoever and would be home for lunch, I packed my camera and went out the door listening to music and enjoying the lovely sun. The path I had chosen to go by in the forest was not that hard to fin, and after 4 songs (15 minutes) I was standing in front of the entrance. 

I use Google maps to show you where exactly it was....now there is no green...just white white snow :D

I was really exited to be there. It seemed however that I was not alone. There were a lot of people, either walking their dogs or skiing. That forest has a lot ski paths and also tiny paths between the trees. It was like a little wonderland. Birds were singing and the bright and warm sunlight made you forget that it was actually still winter, it made you immune to the minus degrees, so you just had to loose the hat and gloves that were keeping you imprisoned. I followed the straight clear path that you can see in the first picture. As soon as I entered I wanted to take some pictures to capture this amazing moment. Assuming that the snow cannot be of no harm I stepped to my left towards the green army of trees to get a better shot at them and zboom...I was knee deep in snow :)))

This was taken as lay there with my right foot deep in snow =)

I took some pictures and returned to the "right" path and thus going further. I kept looking at the amazingly tall trees and how majestic they looked. My green soldiers. Pictures were taken now and then but I mostly wanted to enjoy the outdoors after I have been trapped inside for so long because of my studies...

While I was slowly walking on my white path I noticed something weirdly shaped on my right side. I went closer and stood underneath a tree looking at it. It was the remains of a tree I believe, it looked just like a nature made statue so obviously I had to take a picture of it.

My Friend, my Saviour

  Now, why would I call it my saviour? Soon, I will come to that part of the story. For now I kept on walking and came soon to the end of the wide white road. It was then that I decided to head towards a much smaller path that went south from where I was. I continued on that road, not fearing anything. I was even slightly exited that I might encounter some interesting wild animal. After a while I decided to stop listening to music and just listen to the forest sounds, for it had been a while since I encountered some human beings and was now happy to embrace the whole beauty of my surroundings. I came to a sort of bridge, but because of the snow and ice thing, I was too scared to go over it. I only climbed on one side but when I looked down at the other side, I decided not to go down, cause the only safe way would have been to slide it down. =) I turned back and while I was heading back I observed a tiny path between the trees. So I went that way, head in the trees and heart wide open!. I kept on going like this until I came to a place where there were less trees and several other wider (ski) paths. 

Wicked place where all went crazy!

   Confident and proud I managed to come this far and not get lost I decided to go a little further and then head back home for lunch time, a little sad though, that I had not encountered any wild animals. I saw a little boy and his dog come out from between the trees and naturally I was curious about where they came from and went to see. I crossed that wide place and in I went, inside the wide arms of nature. The path was not that  long and I soon heard cars rushing along the street and decided to turn back since I was not interested in anything city related. While heading back I picked up some little souvenir from the forest and was ready to go home. Amazed by the bright sun and snow I stood there in that opening and was happy. After  while I headed down the road I thought I came from....it was then after going up and down on it that I realised that I did not remember where exactly I came out from...Oh well I said, it must be this way! So I went with one of the ski paths, that sadly lead my right to the city. Okay, so I decided to go along the forest until I reached the point where I went inside it. And so I kept on walking along the street, still calm and patient hoping that soon I will see some street name that I knew?! I went like that for 4-5 songs (20 minutes or less) until turned right and I still had no clue where I was, so I went to one of the maps along the several forest entries and looked for the street I was on. Oh how my eyes fell out of my face when I saw where I was =)) 

The Green Star was where I cam in and wanted to go from the wicked place...but I ended where the red Star was...

Okay, no need to panic... I went back inside the forest, this time not stopping to take pictures. I managed somehow to come back to the wicked place by walking on small paths but then, I faced the same problem again, where to from here? I choose another path, this time hoping it was the right one. Sadly while walking on it, with no humans to ask for directions I realised that it was again the wrong one =) I was heading now somewhere  in this area:

Big Circle of Mine

Okay all seemed lost... sort of, but I kept on hoping to come across one of the ski paths and maybe see some people and ask then how to get to the other part of the forest. No such thing happened, at least not for a while...and thus I kept on walking between the trees and snow piles when suddenly I noticed something odd on my left side. At first it seemed like two pair of legs and a behind of some animal. But it was too far away to be sure. I continued, slowly, just in case it was an animal, searching for a better view of it. It then appeared more clearly since there were no trees hiding it. It was a deer! And oh how sweet it was!. It was looking back at me with as much curiosity as I was looking at it. I grabbed my camera and tried to capture this moment. Sadly it was too far away and I had no time to adjust the settings to fit the light, since I was too scared it might get away. This is how this dreamy like picture came to exist:

Dreams

But hey, it's something! Soon after that I was not scared any more and I continued on my path to find my way back home. After  while I came to a ski path, with people on it but I did not ask them, I just followed them... then after a while we came to a cross road and I as well as a lady with her child turned left and it was then, after walking for some time that I recognised something! It was my dear friend, the weird looking tree thing, but from behind! I rushed towards the main road and was so happy that I finally found my way back. All this time while walking towards the main road and out of the forest I was listening to a song from a Korean Drama, called Secret garden (thus the name of this adventure) After I stepped out of it, it switched to Nightwish's Last Ride of the day and as I was walking downhill towards home, surrounded by little water rivers caused by the melting of the snow i was gliding on the sweet sounds of Lana's Video Games...

And thus my dear friends, I enjoyed a lovely adventurous morning and was right in time for lunch at home ^_^ 

Keep on Dreaming...

keep your faith

...till you dreams your dreams come true.

I won't do only that....I will fight for them to come true while I'm dreaming them alive. Today I understood that one has to suffer and let go of so much even if it hurts like hell in order to grow and move on...
I finished my first Arctic Love  painting. It's funny how inspired we are when we are sad... How is it that we are blind and open up to the wrong ones and then they just let us down...when it gets real...Nothing hurts me more than when a friend turns his/her back on me and while doing that shouting bad things at me.
But as I always believed there is always light in the dark, so under a storm of tears I finished my painting and now I will be able to work on the next one :)

Secret Wishes and Dreams

Winter

Pick a tree...and project all your dreams and wishes on it :) It may still be winter, even though it's warm and there is still no snow....The empty branches of the trees are well...still without leaves. Use your imagination. Make you dreams and wishes their winter- leaves. And in Spring they will bloom and one by one will come true :)
Don't be sad when Autumn comes and the leaves will fall....for they are dreams or wishes that have come tru, and they only make room for more.
Never stop believing in magic, in beauty...in yourself! Never Question them or anything else, nothing is for granted....love and be loved. Don't you ever stop dreaming and wishing ...never, you hear me? Never! It will be your doom once you do....

Special Tree

Merry Jule!

This drawing I had to do a couple of years ago for school. We had to draw our own Christmas tree, the way we would like it to be. :)

I wish you all the best and Happy Holidays!
Ani

Eternal Flame

SummerLove

It seems that this years summer has decided t join us in celebrating new year...and oh Christmas too :)
It's not that warm....but what can I say...rain sunshine...the warm touch of the wind...it makes me feel like summer fall and spring in one :)))

So why crying after  Winter when he is right here...a little bit changed :)), but here!
So welcome new Winter! :* You must be in love with Summer, since you won't let Her go :)))

Last White Cristmas...

pretty snow was pretty

yup, picture was taken last year somewhere in December....
Now...I don't know what this Christmas will be like...but it doesn't look like it's going to be white...at all!!!! It's freaking 8 degrees out here =)))
Someone give me my winter back!!! He is mine! I don't know what to do with this warm and fuzzy thing....called December...


Well...anyways...last night I started the Work on my Arctic Love project :) and here you can find the first glimpse of it :D

 Arctic Love I

Hope you like it :)

PS: I promised Ada i will scan it, so thank her ...otherwise I wouldn't have posted it :)) And I won't post the other ones if there is no request :)