Words can’t express how much I love Stockholm. I recently visited Sweden’s capital for the first time and instantly fell in love with this archipelago spread across 14 islands and connected by 57 bridges. Its waterfront is alive with boats, from ferries to shuttle you around the city, to sailboats and yachts that cruise out into the vast archipelago that stretches into the Baltic.
Its architecture, stunning design, history, friendly, civilised people, and the fact that you can glimpse the sea out of the corner of your eye practically everywhere you go, makes it hands down one of my favourite cities to visit.
I was wondering how this dizzying cluster of islands and rocks would show up in my painting when I got home and back into the studio. Sure enough, something of the city’s watery brilliance and bright blue skies – along with (of course!), a little bit of Sweden’s most famous musical export, Abba – have definitely found their way into my latest piece. As well as visiting the modern art museum, the impressive Fotografiska museum, the Vasa ship and countless other cultural gems, we also visited the not-to-be-missed Abba museum. It was here that I came across the phrase Tyck om dej.
This phrase printed on a T shirt worn by Abba’s Agnetha Fältskog, on the cover of Hennes magazine in 1974 stands for love and to like yourself. What’s not to like about that?