Collection: Lissen Røtkjær

Lissen Røtkjær. Born 1954. Lives in North Jutland.

Medical official exam 1980. Kept at "the most" for 8 years, then - in connection with a family crisis - admitted to the Vejlefjord nerve sanatorium, where I began to draw and paint. Subsequently retired. Followed Vibeke Skov's art therapy training from 1990-91 and has since sniffed out a sea of ​​alternative forms of treatment and self-development methods. I meditate for periods, just as I find my way to the services of the good Danish folk church when I need a "sign from above". Also find these signs in everyday life and in dreams, which are an important part of my life. In fact, I would argue that my inner life is at least as important as my outer life. Anchoring in my inner life is the best protection against the storms of outer life, which can both throw me up into the clouds and down into the coal cellar.

Am I a believer? Hmmm... Yes, I definitely consider myself a believer - but I believe in what fits into the reality I can feel myself and which is true for me, independent of any affiliation with established religion. And fortunately I can notice (and notice) more and more as the years go by. When, for example, occurs "synchronicity" - coincidence of events that inspire me to go in the same direction, I take it as a sign that I am in flow, that I am where I need to be, somewhere between the Ego's will and the Ego's willingness to to listen to the Soul/Universe. I experience more and more in my life being helped from "the other side" with inspiration to act, whether it's out in reality or it's inspiration to move forward with my images and texts, and it's great - and it confirms once more what I already "know", namely that there exists a continuous or eternal life, a life "behind" life, so to speak, which is not interrupted by the death of the body.

Why I paint: First of all, I paint for my own pleasure - and necessity - sake. And I often paint in series, not because I plan it, but because the creation of the first image brings with it more than I could in any way know beforehand. The picture series "Duality - from cradle to grave" is a good example of this. There is nothing as wonderful as feeling the help from "the other side" (we can also just call it "inspiration"), and I get an incredible amount of realizations along the way in the creation of a picture about human life, its components and what it all boils down to on. Since I can't possibly convey all of this using the image page alone, I like to go out and talk about the images and their creation, e.g. in connection with an exhibition.

I "believe" in the good, but also in the fact that we can sometimes take "the wrong path". Which is actually the prerequisite for all learning. So my call to all of us must be: To boldly throw ourselves into the challenges as they appear in our lives - but finally keep our eyes and ears open to life's/Universe's response to our choice of action. To then correct the direction.

My highest wish is to be allowed to convey just a little of what I get out of making pictures to interested fellow road users on the Road of Life. And receive inspiration in return.

About my texts and images: What I enjoy most is when what happens on the canvas or in what is written goes hand in hand with my dreams and what happens in physical reality, when it all blends together and follows each other like pearls on a string. For me, all realities are equally worthy and equally important.

Works:

2009: The poetry collection "The birth of the heart - a self-development odyssey" is published. The poems written on the background of back page drawing series, an art therapy method to let the subconscious speak.

2011: The decoration in Han Herred's Egnsamling's house in Tranum is carried out.

2015: The anthology "Every bird sings..." is published. Co-editor of the book and contributor himself together with the 26 other authors associated with Jammerbugten.

2017, early summer: The picture series "Duality - from cradle to grave" begins. The pictures are painted with acrylic on canvas approx. in the size 1 by 1.3 meters. The first 2 pictures are painted, there will probably be 5 more. These images will all be included in Ida Publishing as they are completed.

2018, spring: The book "The birth of the heart - told in pictures", consisting of a selection of the image page for the original collection of poems with accompanying short texts, planned for publication. Selected images and texts from this book can be found here at www.idapublishing.shop .