About me

Education

• 3 year teacher education with art as a specialty
• 1 year at Pedagogy University with art and music
• Many years teaching at Art schools, colleges and private in own studio

Solo Exhibitions

• 1971 and the next 6 years: Gallery Etienne, Struer .
• 1976 Gallery Norden, Struer.
• 1984 Gallery Stone. Esbjerg .
• 1995 Gimsinghoved Arts and Culture Center.
• Struer 2011 Heltborg Museum.
• Thy 2016 Upernavik Museum, North Greenland.

Censored exhibitions:

• Silkeborg exhibition 1970
• Spring Herning 1985
• Sydjysk censored 2016
• Limfjorden Art Association (5 x) last 2017
• The Artists' Easter Exhibition (KP)1978 and 1979
• Domus Art Gallery
• Roma, Italy 2017.

Group Exhibitions (selected)

• 2008 ”Helligåndshuset” KBH – and every year since
• 2014 Gallery Anna Bjerre – and every year since
• 2015 Gallery Bredgade 22 – and also 2017
• 2016 InterArt Festival, Kerteminde – also 2017
• 2016 Art Nordic, Kbh
• 2017 Domus Romana Art Gallery, Rome, Italy
• 2018 InArte Works of Art, Berlin
• 2018 Colorida Art Gallery, Lisbon, Portugal
• 2018 Gallery Himmerland and every year since – also 2020
• 2019 Locomotive Workshop. "Art for all", Kbh. – Likewise, 2020
• 1990 Cover for travel agency "Danski" winter catalog.
• 1987 – 2006. Owner and general manager of Sønderho Kro, Fanø
• Member of the following Artists' Associations:
• The variables since 2008
• Vestjyske Artists since 1976
• "JYDERNE" since 2015
• Exhibits permanently in Eget Gallery "Torvegade 1", Struer

Born in Karup – lost my father when I was 6 years old and grew up as a lonely child, moved 5-6 times in the next 3 years – ended up in Holstebro – became the best in my class to draw – Jutland master in crawl –  later teacher  with art as a specialty – Married to Birgit – artist debut in 1970 – accepted several times at the artists’ censored Exhibitions – for 2 years headteacher in Upernavik, North Greenland and also received a hunter education.  Bought Sønderho Kro at Fanø and was, together with my wife, general manager  for 19 years – high gastronomic level and  low artistic activity.  A full-time artist since 2006 – keeps me in great shape with fitness, swimming, yoga and meditation. ½ year volunteer teacher for lowcaste children in South India – challenged me for weeks of hiking in Nepal, Andes – Alps. Own Gallery. Now I have a Large studio with Birgit, in my home with view over the Limfjord. Permanent member of 3 artist groups with many exhibitions a year. Lecturer on Greenland.

I lived the first 6 years of my life in a wealthy carpenter’s home in Karup, Jutland, DK. One day, my father came staggering home – he had crashed from a ladder on a construction site – it turned out he had a brain tumor and died a month later. My mother was without education and for the next 3 years she fumbled around West Jutland and I changed school 5-6 times until she  settled down  in Holstebro, where I then had my youth.  I thrived in school – trained diligently at Holstebro Swim Club (became a master of crawl ) – had some turbulent years at the gymnasium.

Then education at Nr Nissum Seminar  at the Art Line.

A complete landmark thing also happened at Nr. Nissum seminar – I found Birgit and we have lived together ever since.

Became  teacher at Gimsing school at Struer – Debuted as an artist at ceramist Etienne Van Wonterghem. Had private croquis school once a week for 4 years – made contacts with Paul Madsen in Gallery Norden, was in Cultural Consultation to start the Arts and Culture Center Gimsinghoved – and at the same time Struer Artschool.

Was assumed on several  Censored exhibitions including KP (1978 – 79) and exhibited in Sweden, USA, etc.

In 1981, Birgit and I took our two boys, Thomas and Jeppe, to Upernavik in North Greenland. It was 2 eventful years that changed us forever. I was the headteacher of a home for 24 young people and at the same time  was introduced to dog sledding, and  hunting with rifle in 16 foot dinghy on birds, fishes and seals. Once you have been in Greenland, it is part of you  forever. There is a beauty (and wildness) in nature, – intense colors – the oxygen-rich air – the honest people for better or worse  – the extreme in everyway – I will never forget it.

Painted hundreds of watercolors and somehow Greenland  is in all my pictures.

After that experience, it was impossible to continue as teachers. In 1987 Birgit and I bought Sønderho Kro on Fanø. Birgit is the 9th generation at this inn, which is at a high gastronomic level and we got 19 very hard working years. Work and sleep 7 days a week except one month each winter. I had naively thought that I could paint in the winter from late October to Easter, work the rest of the year and exhibit at the inn’s premises.  That never happened. The inn had to be open all year – and I very much had to put my artistic ambitions on a low flame.  In return, Birgit and I had some great years of work, up to 23 employees – on the verge of bankruptcy at the beginning – and at the same time an intense life with a wealth of lovely people, traveling to all parts of the globe – wine districts in NZ, South Africa, Australia, North and South America and Europe – lived at several of the world’s finest hotels – dinning at the banquet hall in  the Palace of Versailles – buffet at Jacque Chirac – trekking in Nepal, In the Andes of Chile, in the US, annual skiing in the Alps and much more . Everywhere  I was drawing.

When we were around 60 we decided  to stop . I wanted to resume my drawing. We bought a nice farm north of Struer, where we now live. The farm is situated at a height of 38 meters with a view of the Limfjord, 10 000 m2 garden / park, a large studio, large orangery, a magnificent home and we are both full time artists. Has extensive exhibition activities and our own “Gallery Torvegade 1”, Struer. I am a member of the artist group ”JYDERNE”.    the Danish / Swedish group  ”VARIABLES” and since 1976 part of ”Vestjyske” artists. Teaches about art, gives lectures on being an artist in Greenland, has Bed & Breakfast, holds courses . In 2011-12, Birgit and I worked with children from slums in the the Jungle in southern India (Ananya) -. Lived in 2015 a month in Upernavik and in 2016 was awarded an art scholarship for a month’s stay in Upernavik Artist’s Residence.