Janet Jacobs

I have the tremendous good fortune of being able to do my true heart’s work. I’m both a practicing studio artist and an art teacher, as well as a wife to Niko and a mother to our three sons.  I am deeply connected to my own artwork and to my practice with my students.  I write about art, I read about art, I look at a lot of art, and I bring ideas from other artists into my teaching and my studio.  I truly enjoy sharing my knowledge and the ways that art helps us to see our worlds better.  Together with my family I am living my dream, and I’m grateful for this every day.  

At 5 years old after living in Pennsylvania and Calcutta, India my family settled in San Francisco.  At an early age I took many art classes and visited museums all over the world, and I quietly absorbed my surroundings in a watchful and curious way.  Art was a big part of my young life, and I always knew that I would carry this love of the arts into the rest of my life.  I received a BFA in Drawing and Printmaking from the California College of the Arts and an MFA in Sculpture and Painting from Mills College. After returning to school for a teaching credential I taught at Bay Area high schools, including the Urban School of San Francisco, where I was also Chair of the Art Department. I now teach privately in my studio or on-line, in Bay Area art centers, on retreats, in the field, and at my local library where I lead workshops that are free to the public.

I believe in learning the skills one needs to create art - drawing from observation, how to lay down a wash in watercolor or the difference between opaque and transparent paint, etc.  I also know that making and looking at art offers us a connection to our physical and internal worlds and it connects us with other people who are also paying close attention.  

The practice of looking closely, and learning how to record what we see is one of the best things I know.  And doing that in the gorgeous landscape of Osterlen, well, that is simply dreamy.

For more about my teaching and art you can visit www.janetjacobs.com

Niko Frithiof

I was born and raised in Sweden, mostly in Stockholm, and every summer we traveled South to Osterlen for our family vacation.  These trips were a big part of my childhood - playing in the apple and cherry orchards, swimming in the Baltic Sea, and riding my bike through town with my siblings. After college I wanted to travel and my first stop was the East Coast of the United States.  Since my mom is originally from the US I was lucky enough to be born with dual citizenship and was able to work my way through my adventures.  After a year in Philadelphia I moved West and found the Rockies.  The passion for skiing that I brought with me from Sweden grew and I spent the next 10 years with a base in Colorado but also traveling the world to ski.  I was lucky enough to live in Chamonix, France; Queenstown, New Zealand; Argentina; Chile and Australia.  But the Rockies remained my real home during these years where I managed ski shops in Vail, Keystone, Breckenridge, and Beaver Creek. When I needed a break from skiing I moved to  Hawaii to pursue another hobby of mine - scuba diving. This is where I first heard of the San Francisco Bay Area and specifically Marin.  After visiting a few times and working some odd jobs I moved to Marin in 1993 and built my restaurant.  It was scary going from being a ski bum to a business owner, but also one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever done. I became an intimate part of a community and that was very special to me.

In 2004 I sold my restaurant and bought a small construction business that I’ve grown into a mid-sized company.  We focus on helping people keep water out of their homes by designing and installing windows, doors, and siding.

People all over the world have shared their countries with me and they’ve taken the time to show me some of the hidden gems from where they live.  I’ve always wanted to do the same with Sweden.  Combining my wife Janet’s amazing passion for the arts, and my personal knowledge and love for Southern Sweden we’ve created the perfect opportunity to share both of our worlds with you.  I’m happy to be your guide and will do my best to give you a week that you will never forget.