Although I'd probably advise going in summer as Røros is an infamous 'coldhole' and can get almost beyond freezing in the winter ...
One thing my mother really wanted to see while we were there was a workshop/store/showroom place belonging to some amazingly talented artist that she'd heard about ... and I think she'd also visited this place once before. I'd never even heard of it. But it sounded cool so I was happy to tag along.
This man's name is Per Lysgaard and he is a widely acclaimed ceramic artist. He designs all sorts of items and then makes them in his workshop. His range is pretty amazing, everything from little knickknacks, animal figurines etc, via mugs and plates and bowls and dishes to decorative tiles and even statues. His work is rather easily recognizable as he works a lot with some rather specific forms and colors. He sells his work through his shop and he also takes commissions. He's participated in a number of exhibitions both in this country and abroad. All in all a very creative, talented and recognized artist. I definitely recommend a visit to his place in Røros, it's pretty unique. :-)
You enter through one of those old fashioned narrow alleyway-like things that are typical of the town. Then you arrive into a courtyard from which you can enter the store/showroom and also another workshop/store where some friend of Lysgaard's, apparently, sells silver jewellry. Some very pretty pieces here too. The walls of the entranceway and the courtyard are decorated with glazed ceramic tiles, and a lot of Lysgaard's serving dishes are hung on display on the walls. Very striking. The first thing you see as you enter is this design in the tiles:
The head on this thing was higher than my head. Beautiful. And extremely detailed - you can pick out every scale. Must have been a huge job. Pretty amazing.
As you enter the courtyard, you see this design further along on the same wall - wow!!
This is soo detailed, and it's as big as a real tree. Amazing.There are serving dishes hung everywhere, and there are also several huge figurines and statues placed around the courtyard.
One flying statue, even!! :-D
Interior detail. :-) The showroom slash store was chock full of all sorts of items for sale - bowls, mugs, saucers, plates, dishes, fridge magnets, figurines, wall decorations, ceiling decorations, mirrors - and the walls and staircase were also beautifully decorated with more of those glazed ceramic tiles.
My second cousin Elin in one of the doorways in the showroom. She will be so pissed off at me for posting this ... !! :-D
Detail from one of the tile designs. I love dragonflies. :-)
As we were leaving, I wanted to take one last picture of this cactus-like thing in the courtyard. But there was a woman standing next to it talking on her cell phone; seeing as she was a total stranger I didn't want her in the picture, but she totally did not take the hint. Finally my mother - shown here :-) - went over to stand by the statue, and she said 'I'll just stand here and block her so at least she won't be too visible' - she said this so loudly that I heard her clearly from fifteen feet away, but the woman, standing right behind her, was totally oblivious. So that's why she looks kind of giggly in this picture. ;-)
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2 comments:
A bar in Ireland has banned mobile phones, I like the tiles
Yeah, the tiles were really cool. I really liked how they were asymmetrical like that. :-) As for cell phones, it's pathetic that there is a need to ban them in places, but there are definitely people out there who are stupid enough to warrant it.
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