An old apple tree

This what an old apple tree looks like, but it gives me good apples in the autumn anyhow.

I think it is beautiful - even if it's not supposed to look lite that, I know.

Here you can se one of the apple trees in my garden with their blossoms:
http://agnetanisbeth.blogspot.se/2012/05/before-apples.html

Flowers of spring

Finally! The sun is shining and it is getting warmer. The flowers of spring is coming and my lawn is now full of these two.

These blue ones is called Scilla siberica, and they are so nice to have in the garden.

And these are called Gulsippa in Swedish, or yellow Anemone - Anemone Ranunculoides.

My mother - in ceramic

This is my mother Gunvor and her sister Marie Louise in ceramic, as hildren. My mother made this one as a memory of her childhood in Finland.

So this statue made after a photo taken in Helsinki where she and her sister grew up with her father.
Her mother died after an illness at a rather young age, so they where looked after by the lovely Elsa.

Head of baby

One more of my mother's work. This is a ceramic head of a young child.  If I'm not remember wrong its is a child of one of my mothers friends.

And then we have this mini carpet, made for hanging on the wall. It is made of wool and of course made by my mother Gunvor.

She did it with inspiration fom the sea, as you can see.

Smoking statue

Smoking kills, you could end up like this!!! If you look closely you can see a lit cigarette in one hand.

The sitting man is placed at Hötorget, just outside PUB department store. The same store where Greta Garbo once worked.

A candle holder

And this is another work of my mother Gunvor, one of her own favourites, a couple of candle holders in ceramic.

They are also handpainted and and handmade, of course. Perfect to hang on a wall, these are just hung on rusty nails.

More Stockholm

Here is two more pics from Stockholm, the city where I live and work. The first picture is of Sergels Torg, the most central public square in town.

You can see a glass obelisk, made by Edvin Öhrström, under it there is a water fountain in the summer.

And here is a photo of Drottninggatan in central Stockholm, is one of the main shopping streets.

A painting I love

This is a painting I really love, it is an old copy of a painting that you can find in a museum in Napoli, Naples, in Italy: Galleria Nazionale di Capodimonte.

The painting is orginally a Parmigianino, an Italian painter born 1503. The painting is called, Ritratto di
Gian Galeazzo Sanvitale.
You can see the original painting here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Parmigianino_024.jpg

When you feel small

My mother did Gunvor create at lot of different art works, like this piece in white. Made in ceramic and with a frame of wood.

I see it like this, how you can feel some times in life, small and not very strong. But it could have been something completely different. How do you interpret it?

Ruins can be beautiful

I admit, ruins can in some strange way appeal to me, it has that feeling of times passed and that everyting has and end. Sad but interesting, ruins can really be beautiful.

Like these photos from a house in old wood here in the Swedish country side.

A window.

A controversial statue in Stockholm

This is a statue at Östermalmstorg in Stockholm I pass every day at my job, it is made by artist Willy Gordon and it is called The meeting.

The sculpture is also called Man with a piece of meat - lying woman. And it has caused a lot of attention and controversy.

St Bridget of Sweden in Italy

This is another work of my mother Gunvor, a saint again, St Bridget of Sweden. As you may remember I did show you another piece before of St Bridget that mom did.

This art piece is made of ceramic and show her in Italy. In 1350 she went to Rome. She died in Italy 1373.

Out at last

Finally the horses can eat outside, it has been snowing again but the sun was strong a almost all of it melted away during the day.

Even my cat Kisse was happy to be outside with me, but he did not like to be close to the horse.

Lunch at Östermalmshallen

This is just a picture of where I eat my lunch, almost every day. It is at Tysta Marie in Östermalmshallen in Stockholm.

Östermalmshallen is an old inside market for buying food, and some nice restaurants. A bit expensive, but it's close to work and the food is great.

Apples on a plate

This is some apples on a plate that I have outside in my garden during summer. They are made in ceramic and of course - my mother Gunvor has made them some years ago.

Even if I can't eat them I still love to look at them. And as you can see, one is "eaten" too, an apple core.

A home for the birds

Even the birds have facy homes, and less elegant too, like this one in my garden in Sweden. It has new inhabitants every year.

It is placed on a tree and of course hand made in wood. Hope my bird house will have a lot of birds this year too.

A table

This is a "still life" from my livingroom, as usual with a statue made by my mother Gunvor. And a wonderful book about a castle here in Sweden - written by my late uncle Åke.

And then some old candlesticks, an ashtray - even if no one smokes here - and then some old memories in silver and a crocodile in plate from Kuala Lumpur.

Shopping street in Stockholm

Not that glamorous shopping here you may think, but is really ok. This is one of the streets from Hötorget to Sergels torg in Stockholm, Sweden. Here you can mostly find shops selling clothes, like H&M, sport- and shoe shops.

This is also a place with a lot of tourists from all over the world. But this day it look only gloomy and rainy, but it is better during the summer.
Hötorget is what you see in the background, it is there, in Konserthuset, where they do give away the Nobel prizes.

And an Italian view

Some weeks ago I was in Italy, in Le Marche and Abruzzo, for a holiday. But also for something very different - to look for a house to buy.

One of the houses I looked at had this view from one of the windows. Unfortunately that was the only good point the Italian cottage had.

It was more or less a ruin, close to another ruin, not included in the price. Anyhow, it was an amazing journey.

We also visited the closest town, Amandola. It was small but very nice, you can look at one street here.

A view - from a window

This is not Tuscany in Italy, as in A room with a view, but the beautiful Swedish countryside.

You are looking out of a window one wounderful summer day last year. It is all so green.

And here is another photo of Swedish summer, taken at about eight - nine in the evening.

Stone-faced

This is really a stone-face - or should I say many faces in stone. As usual it is a piece of art made by my mother Gunvor. She worked in many materials, one of them where stone.

She found these stones here out in the country and then she made this piece of art from them.

Here is a closeup of the stone faces.

And some more flowers

Here is some more lovely flowers to remind us about spring and summer to come.

How about some lovely red tulips? Now they are gone, but I had them for Easter.
This is the time to endulge in flowers, so I give you one more photo that reminds me of warmer times.

This one is from a market in Stockholm, flowers to put out in your garden or on your balcony.

Have a Happy Easter!

The sun is shining today here in Sweden, it is still cold, but at least it is not snowing anymore...
Happy for that!

Here is some daffodils for you all - Have a Happy Easter you all!

And here is some twigs with feathers, so typical for Easter here in Sweden. They always come from the birch tree, these where sold just on a market in Stockholm some days ago.

Another cross

Today it is Good Friday, and it is a good day to post another cross. This is not made by my mother thou, but I have it in my bedroom.

It is made of wood and it is really wounderful.

A landscape

This is one special landscape, made by my mother Gunvor, and made all of wool and cotton.

She loved trees as you may know now.

Soon time for pizza!

Even if ti's still rather cold outside, it will not be long before I could use my pizza owen in the garden again.

My pizza owen, imported from Italy, it's a real "forna a legna". It makes wonderful pizzas!
And if you prefer to grill, you have that too, and a lot of fresh herbs to use.

More memories of summer

Here is another beautiful memory of last summer. It is still cold outide and easter is coming, hope we do not get more snow!

So I dream of this. Love, love Swedish summers!

Last year in Skåne

Last year I visited Skåne in the south of Sweden, it was late autumn but really good weather. So I took a walk around in Arild, just close to the sea.

Here the old houses, once home for the fishermen, are painted in bright colors.

Arild is a beautiful little town in Skåne, just close to the city of Höganäs and not to far away from Helsingborg.

Here is another part of the coastline in Skåne, close to Kullaberg.

I miss summer...

I really miss summer, especially just now when it's SNOWING outside! Hate that when it is spring!

But anyway, I will remind myself of these wounderful summer days here in Sweden.