March at NES: My First Month in Skagaströnd

Góðan dag from Iceland! I'm spending March and April in Skagaströnd for the NES artist residency. This post is part personal journal, part recap of my time here so far—with lots of photos! It’s a bit long, so feel free to skim or take your time reading.

Photo Credit to Daniel Rode

Why am I in Iceland?

I've been dreaming of coming here for years—an idea sparked during a road trip with Selena around Iceland in 2022. On that Fall journey, I fell in love with the changing seasons: blooming lupines, glittering moss, and breathtaking volcanic landscapes. Ever since, I've been itching to return and paint amidst this magic!

This experience also feels like a continuation of my mom's dream. She instilled in me a love for painting and traveling, often dreaming of exploring the quiet, cold corners of the world. In preparation for a Nordic adventure that never materialized, she even took Swedish lessons! The blue Patagonia jacket I’m wearing now belonged to her, always keeping me warm and dry! :)

Over the past few years, I’ve been incredibly lucky to grow my illustration business into something that supports me full-time. But with that comes its own challenges—one of the biggest being how much time I spend on admin and business tasks instead of actually making art. I can’t think of a better remedy than a two-month residency, where my only job is to create and soak in inspiration!

Dad always tells me how much I look like Mom (left) in her jacket, especially when I'm all bundled up. Photo (right) credit to Simone Gericke at Fosslaug.

First Two Days in Reykjavík

I am very lucky that my amazing friend Lila came to meet up with me for the first week of my residency, two days after defending her PhD in Sweden! We stayed at Cityhub Reykjavík, which had super comfortable sleeping pods and beautiful facilities. We were delighted that there was an outdoor hot tub too—a saving grace to help reset my jetlag and a real treat after the 7.5 hour flight from Vancouver that arrived at 6am!

Lila and I had a wonderful time exploring and catching up after a year apart. Here are some of our Reykjavík highlights:

• Eating at Íslenski Barinn (The Icelandic Bar) where we had Sjávarréttasúpa íslenska barsins (seafood creamy soup), Íslensk kjötsúpa (Traditional Icelandic meat soup), side of Vöfflufranskar (waffle fries) with Norðlensk sjoppusósa (Burger sauce like they make up North) and the Chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream and currant sauce, salted caramel and hazelnuts. It was an extra treat to listen to a pianist perform all evening! 
• Fresh cinnamon buns from Brauð & Co.
• Delicious offerings at Baka Baka, where we had croissants and Kleinur (an Icelandic doughnut).
• Visiting Tjörnin, the lake next to the City Hall, whose water is always filled with swans, greylag geese and ducks!
• Mouthwatering seafood at Sægreifinn (Seabaron), where we shared a grilled salmon and veggie skewer and fresh bread with butter. The salmon was so good, we had to get another! The lobster soup here is also amazing!

Getting to Skagaströnd

After our first night, we took the city bus to Mjodd Bus terminal, only to find out that the subsequent bus to Skagaströnd was cancelled due to intense wind. Luckily, the bus driver took pity on us and didn’t charge us the fare to get back. We enjoyed watching all the kids dressed in their puffy winter jackets on their way to school and joked we were on the “school bus tour of Reykjavík”. We were also very lucky that CityHub had a room for us a second night! 

On our second attempt, after we’d arrived at Mjodd, we learned that the bus was again cancelled. Luckily, we met the other artists on their way to NES and Daniel very bravely volunteered to drive a rental car up. The wind is problematic for buses but not for passenger cars. The four of us and our luggage squished into the car for a stunning four hour drive to Skagaströnd. 

Getting to Know Skagaströnd

Upon our arrival, Vicki, the director of NES, helped us get settled in the artist house before taking us on a tour! 

Skagaströnd is a small coastal village in Northern Iceland, situated at the bottom of Spákonufell Mountain. On a clear day, you can see the Westfjords across the water. It takes about twenty minutes to walk from one side of town to the other.

• The artist house is super comfy and cozy! I love the view from my window, where I can always see the sun setting behind the Westfjords. 

• Our studio space, converted from an old fish factory, sits right next to the water, a quick three minute walk from the house. Each artist gets a big workspace with lots of room to create in. I love the library filled with books and publications from other artists that have spent time here. The “freezer” is a comfy space where we host movie nights in.

• Kjörbúðin is the super well stocked grocery store. I had picked up some Asian cooking sauces and spices in Reykjavík before coming, but it wasn't really necessary. They not only carry groceries but also a wide selection of yarn, hygiene and art/stationary supplies. 
• Sparkvöllur Sports Hall is just across the street from the house, where I’ve been going to play badminton twice a week. It’s been over a decade since I’ve played but it’s been a fun way to get moving and meet some locals!
• We had a wonderful tour of the Museum of Prophecies, which chronicles the life of Þórdís the fortune-teller, who was the first inhabitant of Skagaströnd in the 10th century. The museum also offers different fortune readings: tarot, palm, coffee cup and runes. On our tour, we each pulled one rune from the bag of twenty four, and I was happy to receive the “dagaz" (day) rune symbolizing new beginnings. Dagný, our guide, explained that she is always happy when people pick this rune because it is her name and symbolizes that the hard times are over and a new day has begun with new adventures to look forward to.
• Hólanes Restaurant & Bar is a minutes walk away from the studio. Their burgers, fish and chips and pizzas are the perfect treat after a long day in the studio. They hosted their first karaoke night this past month, and the artists and locals enjoyed the revelry together!

• Across town is Rannsóknasetri Háskóla Íslands, a beautiful research library NES artists also have access to. I love looking through the books about local history and the publications from previous NES artists.
• Next door is Sundlaugin Skagaströnd, the pool, where some of the other artists encouraged me to try cold plunging for the first time. I’ve never been so grateful to have a hot tub to jump in afterwards!
• We were lucky to have a tour of BioPol, a research lab that focuses on a few different projects. I was fascinated to learn about how they are cultivating bacteria to create a natural dye, and isolating vitamins from smaller-than-fish organisms. 

March Artists Cohort

It’s been a wonderful experience getting to know the other artists, sharing space, meals, and creative energy. We’ve had a few potlucks featuring everything from risotto and lamb stew to salad rolls, charcuterie, banana bread, spaghetti, and lentil soup. Our movie nights have included Woman at War, Clouds of Sils Maria, Of Horses and Men, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, and some inspiring art documentaries. It’s funny how many of us are night owls, often working together in the studio until midnight or later!

Beyond the studio, we’ve gone on a few excursions to:

• Fosslaug Waterfall & Hot Spring - this was a stunning waterfall and hot spring! When we visited, it wasn't too hot in the springs, so it was a bit punishing getting out and quickly getting dressed in the harsh wind. Nonetheless, we had fun and I am glad we went! 

• Akureyri, nicknamed the Capital of North Iceland, was a wonderful spot for a day trip. We gathered inspiration at the Akureyri Art Museum (my favourite exhibition was Paintings from Home: A Journey Through Northeast Iceland of Last Century), walked around the city, had a wonderful afternoon coffee at LYST (a cozy coffee shop located in the Akureyri Botanical Garden), and finished off the evening with an incredible dinner at Strikið (I had this seared to perfection salmon and a lovely passionfruit cocktail). We stopped at Bónus, a grocery store much larger than the one in Skagastrond, to stock up as well on the way home, which was a treat! 

• Blönduós is a lovely seaside town, with many facilities for summer tourism. We stopped at B&S Restaurant for a delicious coffee and apple cake with ice cream. 

• We drove up the Skagi Penninsula and explored a picturesque waterfall framed with ice and snow, Kálfshamarsviti (that has a beautful lighthouse atop basalt columns. We even saw some orca whales swim by!), and the Ketubjörg cliffs (featuring a cliffside waterfall and stunning cliffs home to many nesting birds). The landscape was snowy and beautiful on the drive home. 

I learned a bunch of new facts about Iceland from Julie Harrison's (another artist here) newsletter. Here are some of my favourites:

• Iceland has 130 words for wind.
• Iceland is a leading country for book publishing (Iceland publishes more books per capita than any other country in the world). Apparently, one in ten people in Iceland will publish a book in their lifetime!! 
  
• Iceland doesn’t have any mosquitoes. 
• It has been said that 54.4% of Icelanders believe in the existence of huldufólk, invisible elves & trolls.
• There are 13 Santas in Iceland, and each have a name based on their specific behavior, such as Sausage Snatcher or Pot Licker. Children put a shoe in their window for 13 nights leading up to Christmas day and receive a present every evening.
  

Our Open house was on April 28th and the eight of us showcased the projects we’ve been working on! We had a wonderful turn out and many locals were curious to see what we've been working on. I’ve never had the opportunity to be with this many artists creating together at the same time and it’s been such a rewarding experience. It’s been fascinating to learn about their different mediums and sources of inspiration.

Meet the other artists: Adéla Valchařová, Daniel Rode, Jennifer Fitzgerald, Jesús Robisco, Julie Harrison, Robert Gericke and Simone Gericke. 

 

(Above) Photos from my corner during our Opið Hús. Photo Credit to Daniel Rode

Finding Inspiration in Skagaströnd

Skagaströnd has been such an inspiring environment. I've taken a billion photos since I've been here and it's been quite a job sorting through them! Here are some of my favourite highlights, in no particular order:

Northern Lights

On one of Lila’s last nights here, we saw the most spectacular show of the Northern Lights! The artists got together and walked over to the campground to get away from the village lights. The lights started slowly behind the mountain and soon spanned across the whole sky! I’ve seen the lights before but never this brightly and active. Some memories sparkle more brightly when shared with others, and I know Lila and I will be reminiscing on that night for the rest of our lives together. 

I was chatting to fellow artist Jen Fitzgerald about how, despite checking the apps for Aurora forecasts every night, the best way to see is simply to go outside and look.  She then read me the poem When I heard the learn'd astronomer by Walt Whitman, a very fitting poem.

Wonderful candid shots by Jesús Robisco

Icelandic Horses

Just up the street from the house is Kerlingarholt, a lovely Icelandic horse and goat farm. It was a real treat when we were able to visit the horses after looking at them from a distance the past few weeks. They are curious creatures, wanting to sniff and nibble on you, eager for pets and love. I love watching their long majestic hair blowing in the wind. I haven't painted them yet, but plan to soon!

Treasures at the Beach

Most days I’ve walked down to the beach, and every time is a new experience. When Lila was here, it was snowy and white, with ice clinging to the edges of the stream. We had a really fun time skipping rocks and throwing some into the ice to see how thick it was. As the snow melted, the most beautiful shells, kelp and volcanic rocks became visible and I was stunned to see how many treasures we’d been walking over on the snow without knowing!

The Everchanging Light

Every day, looking out onto the water is a new experience. Some days it is clear and windless, so you can see the Westfjords clearly across the water. Other days, the clouds are dark and stormy with dramatic sunbeams shining out of them. My Mom’s favourite colour to paint with was Indigo, and it’s been the perfect colour to bring storms to life in my paintings!

The Birdhouse

I’ve been especially drawn to this striking birdwatching structure that suddenly appears on the cliffside as you hike. The Northern Fulmars nesting along the cliffs create the most entertaining soundtrack of chittering and chattering. 

The Creatures

There is a curious assortment of new-to-me creatures here. I was fascinated to learn that Iceland doesn’t really have any predators, just foxes (native to the area) and minks (not native to the area, that had escaped mink farms and are now a real nuisance for the farmers). 

Since I’ve been here, I’ve seen some long tailed ducks, eiders, snow buntings, northern fulmars, ravens, eurasian blackbirds, purple sandpipers, great cormorants, harlequin ducks, mallard ducks, black legged kittiwakes, great black backed gull and eurasian oystercatchers. No puffins yet, but fingers crossed that some will arrive mid April! I was ecstatic to spot two gray seals eating shells on one of my walks! I found their long snouts so cute and endearing. We even saw some killer whales in the distance on one of our excursions!

Spákonufell Mountain

I make sure to look up at Spákonufell mountain every day, always curious to see how different it looks as the snow melts or the fog blows through. Working on a few larger paintings of it, it’s been a challenge to paint it before it changes drastically. Luckily, I can work from photos!

Knitting a Sweater

I picked up some alpaca wool in Reykjavík before arriving in Skagaströnd for a raglan sweater. I learned how to knit German short rows from Youtube this month (it shapes the back of the sweater to be higher than the front). I've knitted a few sweaters before, but this is definitely the thinnest and nicest yarn I've tried. Let's see if I'll finish it before my residency is over! 

That's it for now. Takk fyrir/Thank you for reading. I'm excited to see what another month here in April will bring!

-Sharon :)