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EXHIBITION
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July14
See it from 15 to 22 July at ION Art Gallery, 2 Orchard Turn. Ten percent of
all profits from Astrid’s exhibition will go to The Red Pencil foundation, which
provides art therapy programmes to children suffering from illnesses, injuries
and traumas. Call 8383 1642 to reserve a space in one of Astrid’s upcoming
Master Classes, to be held on 18 and 20 July. astriddahl.com
to test out new mixed-media ideas and
combinations of materials.
Each of my paintings has its “own time”
tobe finished. Someworks can take two to
four weeks to complete, while others can
take five to eight years before I’m happy
with them; in fact, one of my paintings took
about 20 years to complete.
What is it about landscapes that
inspires you so deeply?
Nature gives us humanity, a sense of
belonging through natural history and
a global view of that which is greater
than human endeavour. We all take part
in the struggle between the macro and
microscopic elements of survival and,
as we all walk this ancient earth on that
delicately balanced line between good
and evil, some of us, including myself,
try to tread lightly.
The natural world is shrinking, and we
need to worship and nurture what is left.
Throughmy paintings I endeavour to show
the spiritual inspirations, the beauty, and
my respect and appreciation for being on
this planet. I’mgrateful for the opportunity
to record nature in all its wondrous forms
and my ability for self-expression.
Right now, I’m most inspired by the
mixtureof natureand the spirits that inhabit
the world around us. Visual alignments of
rocks, cascading water, or freak effects of
earth, lightandsoundwereseenasthemes
for ancient spiritual worship. Nature is in
itself majestic, awe-inspiring, and full of
drama and unpredictability.
What can we expect from your
retrospective?
Expect diversity, interest and a visual
story of my search for self-expression.
I included as much of my story as
possible, with a couple of paintings from
each of the different exhibitions I’ve had.
Different eras have produced different
styles and subject matter, and my own
feelings and creative growth, together
with the culture of each decade, have
played a role in determining each series
of work.
My landscapes are taken from life all around me,
as well as my inner landscapes of my mind. My
creative spirit is beneath the soil, above the earth and
on the ground. –
Astrid