We are very pleased to have Nancy Odalen, VGM (2022), as our teacher this year. She will be coming from Wisconsin and is ready to teach us one of her magical projects in acrylics using a lovely catch-all (or some call it a mitten bowl) that Larry Pickett has designed and made for us.  Nancy is still working on completing this project, so we are showing the blank wood (right) and some of her previous work.  We will update the photos when the finished piece is available. We are so excited that Nancy can come and share her knowledge of history and painting.  It will be a great opportunity to learn and see old and new friends.

She will be teaching us in a style most of you know of as Rogaland but she prefers to use Ryfylke as stated below.  It came from a combination of a local style from the late 1700s combined with elements from the central eastern Norwegian rosemaling areas known as Telemark, Hallingdal and Agder.

Why do I call this Ryfylke and not Old Rogaland?  By Nancy Odalen

I made a conscious decision to call my work Ryfylke and not Rogaland although it is one in the same. When I looked at the collection from Hovden, I felt a need to reintroduce this style without being hampered by any preconceived ideas of what this style should be like. The old piece that I saw in the Hovden collection had such impact on me as an artist, and it has proven to be an exciting style that lends itself to many different interpretations. 

I see a maturing in my work as I continue to understand more about how the elements from Hallingdal, Telemark and Agder are used to form the Ryfylke style.
My journey in the study of Rosemaling began with my first Vesterheim Rosemaling class in 2001. I have taken and continue to take classes from instructors that have given generously of their time and talents to instruct me in various styles found in Rosemaling. I have spent time in intensive individual study of five different rosemaling styles to gain a greater understanding of these styles. I traveled to Norway in the summer of 2014 and spent time studying the old rosemaling pieces found in the Rogaland area. In 2025, I visited Norway to meet with contemporary artist in the Telemark region, thanks to a fellowship granted by the American Scandinavian Foundation.

In 2022 I received a Gold Medal from Vesterheim. Although the highest award a Rosemaler can achieve, I continue to value learning from exceptional instructors that are passionate about rosemaling and enjoy the free flow of ideas and discovery.

My journey continues as I learn from the old and create pieces that come from my soul. It is my true joy to share my passion, enthusiasm, and knowledge of Rosemaling with my colleagues and those whom I teach.