Reykjavik Watercolor Exhibition /
Vatnslitasýning Reykjavíkur
Reykjavik and Beyond /
Reykjavík og Víðar
Watercolors featuring the art of Óskar Thorarensen and Bruce McMillan
Ófeigur
Skólavörðustígur 5, Reykjavík
354-551 1161
(On the left side next to Mokka-Kaffi on the art street leading up the church spire of Hallgrímskirkja) / (Við hliðina á Cafe Mokka, til vinstri, við upphaf listagötunnar sem liggur upp í Hallgrímskirkju)
Opening Reception
Saturday May 28th
2:00 4:00 pm
Wine served / Vín borið fram
Opnunarmóttaka
Laugardaginn 28. maí
14:00 16:00
Come to the opening reception and you have a chance to go home with this free watercolor painting.
Týndur á hálendinu / Lost in the Highlands, 5" x 7", Bruce McMillan, will be given away at the exhibition's opening reception to the winner of a free to enter raffle/drawing for those who attend. You don't need be there at 4:00 pm for the drawing, but only attendees can enter the raffle/drawing. Someone's getting this free painting.
Watercolor Artists Óskar and Bruce
Óskar Thorarensen, a native of Reykjavik, is a watercolor painter of architecture, mostly in Reykjavik, but also drawn to the architecture in Iceland's small towns. He's a Reykjavik lawyer who also paints.
Bruce McMillan, a native of New England in the US, has been coming to Iceland for almost 30 years. He's a successful US author and photographer of 46 children's books plus 4 for adults, and he also paints. Seven of his award-winning children's books were photographed in or set in Iceland.
Óskar and Bruce met years ago at the suggestion of Icelandic painter Gunnella, who knew their passion for watercolor painting. They've painted together in the US around Maine, at a David Dewey watercolor workshop in Maine, and of course Iceland. They are both members of Vatnslitafélag Íslands, The Icelandic Watercolor Society.
Óskar's loose watercolor impressions of city life, Reykjavik, the place where he lives, give him the perspective to paint what he knows well. Bruce's rural explorations reflect his appreciation of the Icelandic nature and landscape, having lived solo on an island in Breiðafjörður for five weeks, as well as exploring the remote highlands, and around rural Iceland with close Icelandic friends for 29 years.
About Óskar:
Óskar Thorarensen of Reykjavik, Iceland has been painting in watercolors since 1994. He first studied with Gunnlaugur Stefan Gislason and later attended workshops abroad with David Dewey from the US; Joseph Zbukvic and David Taylor of Australia and Alvaro Castagnet of Uruguay. He has held exhibitions in Reykjavik and in Portland, Maine. His works are currently on display in Gallerí Fold, Galleríið, both in Reykjavik and in Roux & Cyr International Fine Art Gallery in Portland Maine. Óskar is an attorney. He is a member of the Watercolor Society of Iceland. He is married to Þórey Maren Sigurdardottir and they have three daughters.
About Bruce:
Bruce McMillan of Shapleigh, Maine, after a career as a photo-illustrator, evolved to watercolors, beginning in 2012. He minored in art at the University of Maine. He's taken watercolor workshops with Susan Abbott in the Bahamas and Vermont (both 2015), David Dewey in Maine (2014, 2015, 2017), and another with Dewitt Hardy in Maine (2014). His works are in private collections in the US, Canada, Iceland, Hong Kong and Switzerland. His watercolors of Olympic curling were the cover in a two-page Arts Maine Sunday Telegram feature. During the 2018 Winter Olympics he was commissioned to paint for the US Gold Medal Curling Team. He's a Signature Member of the Vermont Watercolor Society (VWS), a member of the Icelandic Watercolor Society. His son and two grandsons live in Switzerland. The voice of his then plein air painter eight-year-old grandson is always in mind, "It's a painting; you can do anything."
Óskar's Watercolors (below) of various sizes feature mostly Reykjavik, a few of small towns and their architecture, prices listed at the show.
1
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5
6
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10
11
12
Bruce's watercolors take you to highlands, to the offshore island and the rural areas of Iceland in between.
1
1.432 Metrar hjá Loðmundi / 1,432 Meters of Loðmundur
160,000 ISK / $1,200 USD
2
Snæfell frá hálendinu / Snæfell from the Highlands
160,000 ISK / $1,200 USD
3
Bjarneyjar Fjögur / The Bjarneyjar Four
160,000 ISK / $1,200 USD
4
Norðvestur frá Snæfelli / Northwest from Snæfell
120,000 ISK / $900 USD
5
Eyja Sauðfé Borða /Island Sheep Eat
120,000 ISK / $900 USD
6
Herðubreið í Skýjunum / Herðubreið in the Clouds
120,000 ISK / $900 USD
7
Stormasöm hálendisform / Storm Shaped Highlands
120,000 ISK / $900 USD
8
Snæfell frá Fljótsdal / Snæfell from Fljótsdalur
120,000 ISK / $900 USD
9
Stóri Dímon frá Syðsta-Mörk / Stóri Dímon from Syðsta-Mörk
120,000 ISK / $900 USD
10
Síldarhátíð Siglufjarðar / Siglufjörður Herring Festival
120,000 ISK / $900 USD
11
Réttir / Roundup
160,000 ISK / $1,200 USD
Fossinn Dynjandi Rennur Fyrir Neðan / Cascading Dynjandi to Below
160,000 ISK / $1,200 USD
13
1.510 metrar af Viti í Askja / 1,510 meters of Viti in Askja
160,000 ISK / $1,200 USD
14
Norður Akstur á Strandir / North to Strandir
120,000 ISK / $900 USD
15
Sumar á hálendinu / Summer in the Highlands
120,000 ISK / $900 USD
16
Æðarfuglaflug yfir Breiðafjörð / Eider Flight Over Breiðafjörður
120,000 ISK / $900 USD
17
Stórhöfði Kind / Stórhöfði Sheep
120,000 ISK / $900 USD
18
Gletta folald / Gletta the Foal
120,000 ISK / $900 USD
19
Flétta á Torfey á Breiðafirði númer 2 / Lichen on Torfey in Breiðafjörður Study 2
120,000 ISK / $900 USD
20
Baulárvallavatn á Snæfellsnesi / Baulárvallavatn in Snæfellsnes
120,000 ISK / $900 USD
21
Forvitnilegt par, Hestur Þarna / Curious Pair, Hestur There
Bruce McMillan, 11" x 14" (w x h), 2022, matted, 95,000 ISK / 700 USD
22
Frá Breiðafirði að Snæfellsjökli / From Breiðafjörður to Snæfellsjökull
Bruce McMillan, 11" x 14" (w x h), 2022, matted, 95,000 ISK / 700 USD
23
Loðmundur hár / Loðmundur High
Bruce McMillan, 11" x 14" (w x h), 2022, matted, 95,000 ISK / 700 USD
24
Eyjan Dúnsafnarinn / The Island Down Collector
Bruce McMillan, 11" x 14" (w x h), 2022, matted, 95,000 ISK / 700 USD
And 18 more smaller works by Bruce.
You may print the Exhibition poster with this full size image of it, plus the two announcements below.