[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":11},["ShallowReactive",2],{"blog-post-norway-days-2-3":3},{"_type":4,"body":5,"bodyHtml":6,"excerpt":5,"featuredImage":5,"publishedAt":7,"slug":8,"tags":9,"title":10},"blogPost",null,"Two more days of Norway school visits! I wasn't entirely planning to make this visit a comics-themed visit, but comics games work so well that I've fallen into it anyway. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/torvasted_pug_wip2_zpscfrlybln-f07cda5780.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nI'm back at my loft apartment above the art gallery, blogging on their little wooden table in front of the window overlooking the orange roofs of Skudeneshavn, with Radio Norge playing... uh... Phil Collins... in the background. This evening as I was coming home from dinner, a young couple (Peter and Lisa) spotted me and said they recognised me from Skudeneshavn's top 'feel-good book', by \u003Ca href=\"http://www.h-avis.no/karmoy/nyheter/siste-nytt/nyter-det-gode-liv-i-skudeneshavn/s/2-2.921-1.8529279?null\">Svein Arthur Kallevik\u003C/a>. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/skudenes_johannesbok_zpsx4w40mbb-d1c6a63e51.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nOddly enough, Svein Arthur spotted me on London Southbank when Philip Reeve and I were on our \u003Ca href=\"http://jabberworks.livejournal.com/718729.html\">London Pugwalk\u003C/a>, and recognised me from the encounter at Johannes's waffle cafe, even under the wig and icicle tiara! I didn't realise I was in his book, which was a nice surprise. :) \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/skudenes_bok_zpse7l6itjv-5ba426dc0f.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\n(Here's my drawing of Johannes from \u003Ca href=\"http://jabberworks.livejournal.com/622337.html\">February last year\u003C/a>.) \\r\n\\r\n\u003Ca href=\"http://jabberworks.livejournal.com/622337.html\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/johannes_waffles_drawing_zpse2750adc-ec6141c43e.jpg\">\u003C/a>\\r\n\\r\nOn this visit, I'm staying in the apartment connected with Studio 21, a new gallery run by \u003Cb>Eli Aarskog Monsen\u003C/b> and \u003Cb>Ingvar Torbjørn Øritsland\u003C/b>. For the SILK Festival this week, they're featuring the lovely graphic work of Stavanger-based artist \u003Ca href=\"http://www.anettemoi.com/\">Anette Moi\u003C/a>. The gallery's shut on Mondays, but they opened it up after my first day of school visits to show me the exhibitions. The prints are all very reasonably priced and I hope they make lots of sales. (You can see details about \u003Ca href=\"https://www.facebook.com/Studio-21-433105113528375/?fref=ts\">Studio 21 on Facebook\u003C/a>.)\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/anette_moi_3_zpsz4112zq2-20efd161c0.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nCheck out Anette Moi's picture book, \u003Ci>I Love Stavanger\u003C/i>. Such pretty colours and wonky lines! \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/anette_moi_stavanger1_zpsp6yl79gp-69410d1873.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\n\u003C!--more Click here for more under the cut!-->\\r\nAnd these pictures made me smile, especially the polar bear. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/anette_moi_2_zpsxuu1gs4r-1d21bee94e.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nSome drawings of Stavanger buildings, which made me want to go out and draw a bunch of Skudeneshavn buildings... (I hope I have some time to do it on this trip!)\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/anette_moi_zpscwwjwhor-fd65f838a9.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nLove her sense of design so much. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/anette_moi_stavanger3_zpsdf10yfql-c9fde66716.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nRight, back to school visits! The very first school I visited was \u003Cb>Torvasted Primary School\u003C/b>, and it's so brand-new that the building's only been open for one month! \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/torvasted_schoolbldg_zpshqk5lugz-a1ac5e5c15.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nNorwegian kids tend to be very cheeky, but this group was cheeky in a really nice way, and I enjoyed the visit very much. I'd only ever done \u003Ci>Pugs of the Frozen North\u003C/i> events as a double act with writer \u003Ca href=\"http://www.philip-reeve.com/\">Philip Reeve\u003C/a>, so I was wondering how it would work, but it seemed to go well. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/torvasted_group2_zpsfoz0d02v-6093d81840.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nWe used pugs as characters and set off on \u003Cb>Comic Jams\u003C/b> featuring our pugs. (They tell me that 'pugs' is 'mops' in Norwegian.) \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/torvasted_comickers_zpsgqsfmdlf-dbd2d6d734.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nThe kids drew quite confidently, it was nice to see. (In our Comic Jam, each of the four panels is drawn by a different person. You can find out more about Comic Jams over \u003Ca href=\"http://www.jampires.com/activities/\">on the Jampires website\u003C/a>.)\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/torvasted_pug_wip_zpsag5e53ro-a5bf5fe6d3.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nThis comic made me laugh. I told them I might use the 'It is hurting' panel for my new Facebook profile picture, ha ha.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/torvasted_pug_toilet_zpsoqqc1s71-e1ea2b92b6.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nTeacher \u003Cb>Evy Vikingstad\u003C/b> gave me a tour of the library and I went straight for the stacks of Norwegian picture books, to see if I could find out about some Norwegian illustrators. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/torvasted_library_zpsbrtzntze-b695233f8a.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nSome of the pictures in this book by \u003Ca href=\"https://www.artsy.net/artist/per-dybvig\">Per Dybvig\u003C/a> made me smile:\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/torvasted_book_dybvig_zpstvbb5rb2-4e65ef0060.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nAnd then I got to have lunch with Headmistress \u003Cb>Liv Hammervold\u003C/b>, Norwegian rapper \u003Cb>Lars A. Toennessen\u003C/b> and tattoo artist \u003Ca href=\"http://instagram.com/anderstattoos/\">Anders Meland\u003C/a>. Lars and Anders are travelling around the country for ten weeks teaching all-day juggling workshops, which culminate with a performance of the children's new skills at the end of the day. They've been doing it for years and kids look forward to being in Year 7 so they can take part. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/torvasted_jugglers_zpsswmkzejz-d0097d91ed.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nA little peek at the pretty, very Norwegian school lunch:\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/torvasted_lunch_zpsttpa7fpt-36ce807315.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nIn the afternoon, I visited \u003Cb>Avaldsnes School\u003C/b>, which is very near the Viking Museum I toured on my first visit to Norway. There's an island nearby where more than 10,000 people gather every year to camp, in the old style, dressed as Vikings. So here are a few of our Vikings, with their Comic Jams:\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/avaldnes_school_zps9h0knwlz-7de8cd3e6d.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nAnd my nice teacher hosts, with a glimpse of the library on the left. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/avaldnes_teachers_zpsdceczhfj-cd9be08a31.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nThis morning, I started my second day of visits at \u003Cb>Sevland School\u003C/b>. I like this wooden tower stuck in the middle:\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/sevland_buildings_zpsalrnwdev-504937698a.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nAnd here's my group with their Comic Jams! A lot of them sent me messages on Instagram, which made me laugh because I usually work with younger children who aren't on social media, so I'm not used to getting messages from 11-12 year-olds, but it was very sweet of them.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/sevland_school_zpsewysnb5g-bcddaf8a63.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nHere's part of the giant Great Northern Race board game they helped me make. They suggested a Viking as one of the perils, and we were going to give him a sword, but then decided an attack chicken would be funnier. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/sevland_boardgame_zpsy0lrccrx-e3e0c2c712.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nI love seeing what ideas the kids have for their pug stories, especially when they draw them very boldly, like this one. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/sevland_vulkan_zps5iaf5xna-7d2f0ee313.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nI like the 'Kaboosh' sound the lightning makes! \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/sevland_pugsharks_zpszaflvo0m-968e18b3c1.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nAnd this wins so far for most glam pug. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/sevland_pug1_zpszkgqhhoq-f67cc30029.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nLunch in the staff room, and you can just about see SILK Festival's Silje Maria Skaadel (in front), who was my excellent driver for most of the day. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/sevland_crew_zpsjvlvkm1s-5c84111394.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nAnd then we went to a very small school. The state had closed it, but the community wanted so badly to keep their school that they reopened it privately, as \u003Cb>Kvalavag Montessori School\u003C/b>. It's in a beautiful, wild-looking rocky area, and I had my nose glued to the car window the whole way. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/kvalavag_school_zpsykkllfbe-7d2e440133.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nThey were a really fun, enthusiastic group of kids and funnily enough they all had mobile phones, so we had a massive selfie session at the end. (I wonder if any of them will pop up on my Instagram!) \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/kvalavag_class2_zps0qianig6-7a9f8eb155.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nHere you can see some pug drawings and a Comics Jam:\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/kvalavag_bunnypug_zpsh00qp83h-8380ef727a.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nPoor pug is stuck in cheese on Pizza Planet:\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/kvalavag_pizzapug_zpscqpmdlhf-6ef1259902.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/kvalavag_pug4_zps48nhzvgw-f303d1d5d5.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/kvalavag_pug1_zpsrikiadoh-8db277aac3.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/kvalavag_3pugs_zpscegnxga5-2e30e4ab0b.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/kvalavag_pug2_zpsckmay9rm-c2c54ad06d.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/kvalavag_bondpug_zps8od0zdze-fbad52938b.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nHere's a lovely teacher, and SILK Festival's stalwart trouper Ellen Skaadel, who drove me on the last leg of that day's tour. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/kvalavag_crew_zpsj9aagvkz-4917cf3200.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nThanks so much to the four schools for hosting me, and John, Silje and Ellen for looking after me! \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/kvalavag_class_zpsuq9custj-156c9b5418.jpg\">","2015-11-03T21:48:00.000Z","norway-days-2-3",[],"Norway days 2 & 3",1776628727900]