The downside of this trip...

I've now been at my artist residency at Baer Art Center, in northern Iceland, since June 3.  It has held more wonder for me, in every conceivable category, than I could ever have anticipated...and I anticipated a lot.  The landscape, the light, the people (the director and those who work here, the locals, the other artists), the uninterrupted work time, the general inspiration...it changes someone, in small ways that begin to add up.  I am so very lucky to have been offered this opportunity.

All of that said, there is one drawback, one area of continual battle, that I've faced since my arrival: the ability to sleep.  It is midnight sun season here, and we're approaching the longest day of the year, on Friday.   On a day with clear sunny weather, the light shines for almost 24 hours straight.  We've been blessed with clear, dry weather on most days thus far, and that translates into sleepless nights as my body and mind fruitlessly attempt to understand that, hey, it's nighttime.  The windows are equipped with black-out shades, and they work pretty well.  However, a bit of light still sneaks past on all edges of the shades, illuminating the room just enough to confuse my mind, and my sleep patterns.  An overcast day/night is a bit darker, and a bit easier, but with the clear weather we've had, most nights have been a sleep struggle.

 an evening view.

No huge surprise, I suppose: coming from solid dark at night to virtual round-the-clock sun will mess anyone up, at least a bit.  I never anticipated, though, the limited amounts of sleep my body is allowing here.  I have been averaging about 4 hours per night, and much of that is restless.  Fortunately, I am so taken with everything- sights, sounds, the work I'm doing- that my waking hours seem less fatigue-filled than I would have thought them to be under these conditions.  My studio is connected to my bedroom, so I stumble out of bed and into work...sometimes at 3am.  The line between work time and sleep time is heavily blurred.

So, it continues.  Today is overcast, so I'm hopeful that tonight might be one of the easier nights.  We'll see.  However, I predict I may continue with sleep struggle for the duration.  I can handle it...small price to pay for  being here, truly.

I may, however, sleep for a week straight when I return.