Folk Art Study Tour to Gudbrandsdal
Rosemaling, Woodworking, and Knifemaking
July 31-August 13, 2012

For information contact Michelle Whitehill: 563-382-9681 ext. 240, or .

Itinerary

Day 1 Tues., July 31: ARRIVE IN OSLO (D)

Meet the tour group at your hotel in the city centre of Oslo. Explore the capital city, or just relax before the “Welcome Dinner” and overnight at the Rica Victoria Hotel, Oslo.

Day 2 Wed., August 1: OSLO-LILLEHAMMER (B/L)

Depart Oslo for Lillehammer. In route, stop for a tour of the Norwegian Emigrant Museum, guided by Knut Djupedal, a friend of Vesterheim. Next, enjoy a tour of the ruins of Hamar Cathedral, protected by a glass and steel structure called “the Hamar Dome,” which is an attraction in itself. Lunch will follow at the Staur Gjestegård, a thriving farming estate with a continuous history that stretches back to the year 1400. Upon arriving in Lillehammer, enjoy a short city tour and then some free time downtown before transferring to Birkebeineren Hotel.

Day 3 Thurs., August 2: LILLEHAMMER (B/D)

The morning will be free to explore the quaint city of Lillehammer. After lunch on your own, board the bus for a behind-the-scenes tour of Maihaugen, Norway’s largest open-air museum. Bjerkebæk, Sigrid Undset’s home, and Aulestad, Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson’s home, will also be included. Following free time to explore more of the museum, there will be a “Welcome Dinner” with the instructors. Overnight at Birkebeineren Hotel.

Day 4 Fri., August 3: LILLEHAMMER (B/L/D)

Folk-art class sessions will begin at the Birkebeineren Hotel with your outstanding Norwegian instructors traditionally trained in the crafts. Class time will be daily from 9:00 a.m.-3:30 p.m., with optional studio time each evening. The woodworkers will spend the day on the private island of the Falks, learning what to look for as you gather greenwood for your projects. Dinner and overnight at Birkebeineren Hotel.

Day 5 Sat., August 4: LILLEHAMMER (B/L/D)

Class. The woodworkers will spend another day at the private island of the Falks. Dinner and overnight at Birkebeineren Hotel.

Day 6 Sun., August 5: LILLEHAMMER (B/L/D)

Class. Dinner and overnight at Birkebeineren Hotel.

Day 7 Mon., August 6: LILLEHAMMER (B/L/D)

Class. The knifemaking class will travel to Elverum to visit the Norsk Skogmuseum where you will have the opportunity to study Norway’s largest knife collection. On your return to Lillehammer, stop for a once-in-a-lifetime visit to Håvard Bergland’s shop in Hamar. Dinner and overnight at Birkebeineren Hotel.

Day 8 Tues., August 7: LILLEHAMMER (B/L/D)

Last day of class. There will be an opportunity to display and share your folk art with the other tour participants. “Farewell Dinner” with the instructors and overnight at Birkebeineren Hotel.

Day 9 Wed., August 8: LILLEHAMMER-RINGEBU-HEIDAL-OTTA (B/L/D)

First visit rosemaler Tove Brit Eikanger, followed by a visit to Tre & Tradisjon, home of woodcarver Tom Skaansar. Next tour the Ringebu Stave Church, filled with beautiful painting. Enjoy a wonderful lunch at Nordre Ekre Gård. Depart for Heidal and the home of Gudbrandsdal rosemaler, Inger Sandvoll. There will be time to shop at the Heidal Nisseloft og Husflid. Dinner and overnight at Rondane Hotel & Spa, Otta.

Day 10 Thurs., August 9: OTTA-DOVRE-LESJA-DOMBAS-OPPDAL (B/L/D)

Start the morning with a visit to Killi Tredreiing to see local woodturning. Depart for Dovre to visit the Hjerleid Folk School, where many master carvers have trained. Enjoy a traditional Norwegian lunch and a guided tour at Lesja Bydgetun. Next visit the Lesja Church filled with Gudbrandsdal rosemaling. End the day with dinner and an overnight stay at Kongsvold Fjeldstue, Oppdal.

Day 11 Fri., August 10: OPPDAL-TRONDHEIM (B/L)

Depart for Håndtverksstuggu, where you will see amazing woodworking. Lunch will be followed by a visit to Brødrene Bjørndalsseter, with unforgettable woodcarving. In route to Trondheim, stop at Bårdehaug Herregård for traditional waffles and coffee. Dinner on your own with overnight stay at Rica Nidelven Hotel, Trondheim.

Day 12 Sat., August 11: TRONDHEIM (B)

In the morning enjoy a guided city tour of Trondheim, including a tour of Nidaros Cathedral, Archbishop’s Palace, and Stiftsgarden (Royal Residence). Your afternoon and evening will be free time to explore on your own. Overnight at Rica Nidelven Hotel, Trondheim.

Day 13 Sun., August 12: TRONDHEIM (B/D)

Enjoy free time in the morning. After lunch on your own, the afternoon will be filled with a guided tour of the Sverresborg Museum (folk museum for Trøndelag county). We will have our “Farewell Dinner” at Sverresborg’s Tavern owned by the Museum and built in 1739. Overnight stay at Rica Nidelven Hotel, Trondheim.

Day 14 Mon., August 13: TRONDHEIM (B)

Tour will end with breakfast at the hotel. Safe travels home.

The tour operator reserves the right to make changes necessary in order to give travelers the best experience possible.

Price: $3,995
Please call or email for single supplement rate.

Minimum of 25 participants
Maximum of 15 rosemalers, 12 woodworkers and 8 knifemakers
“Leisure” travelers welcome

Price Includes (as listed in the above itinerary):

Airfare is not included in the price of the tour.

Tour Classes

Rosemaling with Tove Ness

Learn the basics of painting the Halling style (scrolls, flowers, line work, shades, color mixing, and more) using free Halling techniques. While improving your painting skills, discover and use your own creativity by developing your own variations to the Halling style. Tove Ness will teach the history of Halling-style painting, discuss its development through generations, and give a history of the origin and use of paints and colors. Tove will work with you at your own pace to meet your needs and skills. Class will be taught in oil paints, but those wishing to paint in acrylics are welcome if proficient with acrylic colors and mediums. Knowledge and experience of rosemaling is recommended to benefit from this level of teaching.

Woodworking with Eivind and Tonje Falk

Spend a couple of days with Eivind and Tonje Falk on their private island learning what to look for as you gather greenwood for your wood projects. Return to the classroom to learn the art of carving, constructing, and decorating “shrink” (greenwood) boxes and wooden spoons in various traditional Norwegian styles of decorating, such as kroting (carving out a design on an already stained or painted surface producing a light design over a dark background), svidekor (burning), kolrosing (making incisions), maling (painting), and blandingsteknikker (mixing techniques). Containers and spoons will be functional. No woodworking experience is necessary.

Knifemaking with Morten Håkonsen

Learn to make the brukskniv, or utility knife, including a handle in birch with your choice of inlay (moose antler, whalebone, or silver) and a leather sheath edged with silver. No knifemaking experience is necessary. You will also have the opportunity to study Norway’s largest knife collection at the Norsk Skogbruksmuseum (Forestry Museum) in Elverum and compare the various styles of knives associated with the specific regions of Norway. For a special treat, you will get to visit Håvard Bergeland’s shop in Hamar. Please note that the 2012 Nordic Hunting & Fishing Days will be held at the Norsk Skogsbrukmuseum in Elverum from August 9-12. Instructor Morten Håkonsen will be demonstrating at this grand expo.

Tour Class Instructors

Tove Ness has been painting since 1991 and has her own studio in the mountains of Hallingdal. She learned Halling rosemaling from painter Solveig Treverket, daughter of the famous Olav Vestenfor. Tove has participated in numerous exhibitions in Norway and taught rosemaling throughout the country. She taught two Freehand Halling classes last summer at Vesterheim with requests for her to return. Learn more about her painting at www.rosemaling.info.

Eivind Falk received his folk-art training from Telemark College in Folk Art Studies (wood) and from the University in Oslo in Folklore Studies. He has been doing folk art for the last 15 years and has been teaching multi-generational classes in green woodworking since 2001. Eivind has also demonstrated woodworking for national television in Norway and is a member of SIKA (Centre for Intangible Cultural Heritage) and NHU (Norwegian Crafts Development). Eivind lives in Lillehammer, Norway.

Tonje Falk, Eivind’s wife, teaches courses that combine folk art and cultural studies to all age levels. As president of Lillehammer Husflidslag, Tonje actively exhibits green woodworking and textiles.

Morten Håkonsen is a highly skilled, full-time knifemaker from Skien, Norway. He started making knives in 1987 and is now the most productive knifemaker of Norway. Morten’s blades are used by knifemakers from all of the Nordic countries. He has won many prizes for his blades and knives in Nordic knifemaking competitions. Morten is a member of the Norwegian Knifemakers Association and on the board of Greenland Knifemakers Club, which is the largest and most active club in Norway..

Tour Leader

Darlene Fossum-Martin, Vesterheim Education Specialist, planned and led two folk-art study tours to Norway for Vesterheim in 2001 and 2003. She lived in Norway throughout the 70s and 80s and traveled extensively. She has studied weaving, woodworking, and knifemaking. Her knowledge and experience of both Norway and traditional Norwegian folk art make her a perfect leader for Vesterheim’s folk-art study tour.