Dag Telhaug

Maritime painting is a genre depicting ships and seafaring – a genre that was particularly strong from the 1600s to the 1800s. As a young man, Telhaug wanted to work at sea, but his mother put her foot down. His passion for vessels, sailing ships and pleasure craft is evident in his maritime works. "There's always something going on at sea," says Dag Telhaug. The boat is often an eye-catcher in Telhaug's paintings. A vessel brings people and goods to a destination or to uncharted waters, but the boat can also symbolize existential contexts such as the journey of life, the eternity of nature and the urge to travel.

Telhaug likes to fish and be out in be out in his old wooden boat. He also fills the boat with painting supplies and canvas and can often be seen out on the archipelago of Våre, which are some of Norway's southernmost islands, where he can stand outside to capture moments after changing weather, weather phenomena and shimmering motifs. If one lives by the sea under a high sky, the blue color often becomes dominant in the paintings. Telhaug's paintings in blue tones have many expressions. The blue color has an infinity to it, it takes you out into space and it provides contemplation, calm and rest.

Telhaug paints all prima or wet in wet, a painting technique in which he paints quick brushstrokes to capture the moment before light and shadow change character. Sometimes he must wait for the same kind of weather and light, and then go back to finish the painting. He prefers to be outside in front of the subject, and then works intensely. The best thing for Telhaug is to be short on time.

Telhaug received advice from his mentor, the artist Ottar Helge Johannessen: "Don't try to copy a popular painter but create your own expression and be true to it". There can be several reasons why a painting creates interest in a viewer. Telhaug believes that the most important thing is that it touches something in us. Something that has to do with recognition or moments experienced. After all, life consists of many moments and a painting is such a moment.

Art historically, Telhaug is inspired by impressionism and the French outdoor painters who celebrated the immediate impression and the immediate experience of nature. Shadows of the sun were not grey, but blue violet, as they are in many of Telhaug's works. The painter and naturalist Frits Thaulow called himself a marine painter and he painted many maritime motifs and beach landscapes from Jæren. Telhaug is closely linked to the Skagen painters' interest in the bright summer light, intense depictions of light and realistic outdoor paintings. Like the renowned 1800s painter Peder Balke, Telhaug often paints dramatic pictures in a limited colour scale.

Telhaug has been associated with Art Gallery Linn since 2021, where he has sold many works and received much praise from visitors. In connection with this year's reality series Master of master’s on NRK, Telhaug has had many requests because there were purchased paintings of him hanging in the villa where the sports stars lived.

https://www.fvn.no/magasin/i/kE5o0j/de-bor-i-mesternes-mester-huset

https://www.dagbladet.no/mote-og-livsstil/de-eier-luksushuset-i-mesternes-mester/80778552

Dag Telhaug (born 1950) was educated at the National School of Design at Notodden, Norway and has had the artist Ottar Helge Johannesen as a mentor for many years. Telhaug has taken several courses at Gerlesborgsskolan in Sweden by the renowned artist Inger Wallertz. Telhaug has had exhibitions all over Norway, in the USA, Germany and he has been purchased by, among others The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries, Equinor, Sparebanken Sør and Lindesnes municipality. He has had several commissions for decoration and had the main responsibility for the design of Snartemo bautapark in Hægebostad municipality.