#72 Thingvellir Valley, a pen and ink drawing

One of the last days of my 2017 visit to Iceland, I was traveling with my dear friend Zuzana to Thingvellir, the site of Europe's first Parliament in 963. It is a broad valley in the south of Iceland with sufficient water and grassy lands for folks to gather and find what they needed to stay a while. It also has the most interesting rock faces which were formed by earthquakes and the movement of tectonic plates.  I don't know enough geology to be able to begin to explain what happened, but each time I visit there, I am enthralled by the walls of rock. They are 20'-30' tall, bereft of life other than a plant or two sometimes growing out of the crevices. They're imposing, silent witnesses to all that has happened there. Laws were created; justice was meted out - sometimes cruelly as from the hanging rock or the drowning pool; alliances were formed; couples were coupled; horses and sheep were traded. In more recent times, Icelanders have gathered there to celebrate freedom from Denmark and other important hallmarks.

Tons of tourists go there because it is relatively close to Reykjavik and is part of the "Golden Circle" trio of sites: Thingvellir, Geysir, and Gullfoss (a waterfall). It is where the European and North American continents meet - you can even scuba dive at Silfra, the rift between the continents. There's a place you can touch both continents at once! The water is so clear there, it's disconcerting even to experienced divers.  And cold!  The water that feeds it is glacial, so you have to wear the right diving suit, etc., to have that experience!

When I go to Thingvellir, I tune in to a most remarkable energy that makes me feel really good. It emanates from the ground and swoops through me. I gather inspiration and a feeling that all is right with the world from it. I visit there each time I am in Iceland to experience the energy and even chose to stay on the lake one year for 18 days to have more time there.

The picture I created here is from a part of Thingvellir National Park where there aren't so many tourists. The rift valley seems to extend forever, and I can well imagine horsemen arriving from the North for the annual gathering at Thingvellir. I'm guessing it looks very much now like it did over 1000 years ago.

#72 Thingvellir Valley
pen and ink
11"x8"

My impetus for creating that picture was Paul Landacre's woodcuts. I saw them on Pinterest and wanted to try to create something similar. In drawing my piece, I learned just how difficult it is to simplify the landscape as beautifully as Landacre did. I plan to keep trying, but my marks became much more detailed, not as general. I really like his work and want to learn what I can from it. I find it very helpful to try to copy art by artists I admire - I learn a lot from their style and methods of working and eventually incorporate it into my own work, or at least have a sense of their strokes in my own fingers as I work.

Monterey Hills
by Paul Landacre
woodcut