Gold Medalist Portfolios

Although I do have some Norwegian ancestry that connects back hundreds of years, my great-great grandfather emigrated with his family from Denmark in 1862.

My rosemaling journey began in 1971 when I married into a Norwegian family that was devoted to their heritage and customs. I admired the few pieces of rosemaling in their home. When I began decorative painting in 1975, I was so happy to find that rosemaling was a part of that experience. Little did I know what lay ahead.

I discovered Vesterheim in 1980 at a Society of Decorative Painters (SDP) convention and began a life-changing journey. My first decorative painting teacher introduced me to a Rogaland design by Vi Thode. I consider her my first teacher, even though I never had the opportunity to paint with her. I studied her book Rosemaling Instructions Rogaland Style from cover to cover many times, marking it and taking notes. I took rosemaling classes every year that I attended the SDP convention and got to know many of the Vesterheim Gold Medalists who worked in the Vesterheim booth.

When I finally gathered the confidence to try creating my own designs, I entered my first piece in the National Norwegian-American Folk Art Exhibition in 2000, mostly to find out where I was in my efforts to learn everything I could about rosemaling and the many different styles. It gave me the courage to continue. I love the different styles and history of each one, and I look forward to opportunities when I can paint something new or challenging. I love teaching and am grateful for the many lives that have crossed mine while following this path. It has been a rewarding journey – always painting, forever learning.