Mountain vacation 2008. August 15th: Olav Dille

On the Friday we had planned to take a day trip ... or actually we were going to do it on Thursday, but then my second cousin Elin wanted to come too and because of her schedule it would have to be the next day. No problem, since we totally had no schedule. :-) Our destination for the day was Røros, a city a little further north (a little closer to Trondheim) which is famous for its charming architecture and its now defunct copper mine. The copper ore was discovered in 1644, the mine and works was opened in 1646, and via a long series of ups and downs did not close until 1977. When it was at its height, it was raking in enormous amounts of money. Not sure how much of it stayed in the country for the first 170 years or so, but there you go.

Anyway. More on that later. As Elin had a meeting to attend before we could leave, my mother and I stopped by to visit with my grandmother. I discovered something completely hilarious that my grandmother had done ... but more on that later. ;-) The drive to Røros was uneventful although through some beautiful scenery. We got there at about 2pm ... a little too late to get to see as much as we wanted to, but what can you do. Elin's mother Mille had told my mother that there was an art gallery we absolutely had to visit which none of us had seen (I hadn't been to Røros at all for years and years) and coincidentally we ended up parking the car literally outside the front door of the place. So of course we made that our first stop.

The artist who owns and runs the gallery is called Olav Dille, and he paints a lot of semi-naturalistic scenes, often from the town and its characteristic architecture. The gallery was quite unusual as it was basically in his home. Some rooms were closed off to visitors, of course, but he was using his living room as a showroom for his paintings ... he also had a lot of antique furniture which was quite interesting. His studio was upstairs along with another room which seemed to be a potential guest room used as a second studio, display room and storage room. :-)

The painting he was currently working on. Check out that pile of paint tubes on the table. How does he find the color he wants??

Some paintings on display in the second studio whatever room.

His worktable in the second studio. My mother (left) and Elin perusing some more of the paintings on display. (The photo's too dark, I know, sorry. I need a better camera.)

Something else he was working on ... this was on a table behind the easel, up against the wall. I am so nosy, shame on me. :-( I guess this is a draft for a new painting, some idea he's working on. It was quite fascinating to see all this. :-)