Knut Larsen, who has a drug-sentence, here hands over the money he and his fellow prisoners have earned for the ´Hardangeraksjonenª - aiding children with cancer. ´This is very specialª, says Larsen.

Together with three other prisoners at Ulvsnesøy he collected more than 7000 kroner.

Yesterday the proud contributors could hand over the cheque to a grateful leader of the ´Hardangeraksjonenª Kjell Jostein Vågen. ´The money will come in handyª, he assures.

The money will be spent on helping children with cancer at Haukeland Hospital in Bergen.

Knut Larsen, who has a drug sentence, had never touched a painting brush until five months ago when he got the inspiration to take up painting. In connection with the ´Hardangeraksjonenª one of his paintings was sold by auction. The highest bid was 2500 kroner. ´It feels good to be allowed to do such thingsª, says the 32-year-old artist.

Knut Larsen and two fellow prisoners were invited to Haukeland Hospital to see what the money for the ´Hardangeraksjonenª was spent on. They could see the apartment which parents of the children with cancer were allowed to use while their children were hospitalised. A number of organisations, clubs, companies and individuals have given their contribution to the ´Hardangeraksjonenª. The total amout has now risen to 1.2 million kroner. Vågen concludes that all contributions are equally welcome. However he was particularly impressed by the contribution of the prisoners. Vågen has actually previously worked as a policeman and a prison warden. ´We welcome the contribution doubly having in mind that the money comes from people who are in difficulties themselves. I have worked for a couple of years in a prison myself and I know how difficult it is for youª, he said addressing the delegation from Ulvsnesøy. In addition to the money from Knut Larsen’s painting, the 7000 kroner comes from the work of three prisoners who have changed the wheels of cars of inhabitants at Vaksdal. In the course of one Saturday the three youths changed quite a number of wheels. The money for the job went to the ´Hardangeraksjonenª.

´The most important factor has not been the money, but the idea behind the projectª, says Rune Soltvedt, a recreational officer at Ulvsnesøy.

About two years ago Knut Larsen was depressed being confined to a prison cell. His future looked grim, but when he took up painting it was as if this was the therapy he needed. At weekends he exhibited his art at Kalfarhuset in Bergen.

Knut Larsen is from Stavanger and his story is a fairytale from reality. Neither Knut himself nor any of his friends would have believed it if someone had told them 2-3 years ago that he would be an artist today. He now lives on a farm at Bulken in the vicinity of Voss in Hordaland, where he spends most of his time painting. Now he will try to make a living out of his talent.

´It all started with my being depressed and fed up serving a prison sentence. It sounds incredible, but there was a lot of drugs in the prison, and the situation was difficult. Then it suddenly struck me that I wanted to start drawing, and I noticed that it was some kind of therapy for me. Gradually I also took up painting. It was very fulfilling for me to do this. The painting has gradually contributed to my gaining confidence and believing in myselfª, says Knut.

The painting was not only a hobby for him, but a way to get out of his misery and all the bad things that had persecuted him for 15 years. Today Knut is an artist in rapid development and with a firm belif in the future, and many of his paintings have been praised by the man in the street as well as by art colleagues. His paintings are colourful and sensitive. He is probably one of the very few artists in the world who paint with a phonecard instead of a brush.

When Knut served his prison sentence he got in touch with Kjell Grønner, a clergyman who was project leader for the Kalfarhuset in Bergen. Kalfarhuset is today run by ´Kirkens Sosialtjenesteª whose aim is to rehabilitate earlier drug addicts. Knut started frequenting Kalfarhuset and the contacts he made there had a very positive influence upon him. At weekends Knut Larsen arranged art exhibitions in Kalfarhuset and half of the profits he made on his paintings Knut gave to ´Kirkens Sosialtjenesteª and Kalfarhuset.

´Kalfarhuset has given me a lot, and therefore it is only natural to give something back. There is something about the atmosphere in this house that has touched a string in my heart. Here you are accepted for what you are. This place is really positiveª, Knut ascertains.

Kalfarhuset in Kalvedalsveien serves many purposes, and this weekend there is an art gallery at Kalfarhuset - for the first time in its history. It will probably not be the last time.

Two young people exhibit their pictures. She is Renate Hope aged 26 from Bergen who draws pictures. He is Knut Larsen, 32 from Stavanger. He paints in oil. They are sweethearts and have lived together at Bulken in the vicinity of Voss for some time. Both of them are selfmade artists with no formal qualifications.

Arne Mæland, a famous sculptor from Os, has joined them.

´I really got started with my drawing after I met Knutª, says Renate. ´I got inspired to do something more with my drawings than just putting them into a drawerª. She draws people, portraits, acts and dream-creatures.

Knut composes in fiery colours and always with a phonecard instead of a brush.

Bulken is surrounded by beautiful scenery, which naturally is a fantastic inspiration.

Renare and Knut do a lot of gardening, and they are not rich in money, but what does that matter when they feel contented in their realm.

Knut Larsen (32) finishes the verbal communication before he goes on to the non-verbal artistic communication employing unused phonecards as his brush when painting. And the result is striking. You can study his paintings in Voss at Bioform and in Voss Foto og Rammeforretning and judge for yourself.

´Paintbrushes never worked for me. It was all wrong for me. But one day my eyes caught sight of a phonecard lying on the table and the idea struck me: Why not use such a card to paint with? and it functions.ª

Knut Larsen is a spontaneous and intuitive painter. He has never studied painting at an academy, but artists with formal qualifications, who have seen his paintings, are really impressed by their quality.

´I have only colours in my head when I start painting. For me communication is what matters, and what you experience when studying the paintings is as correct and important as what I experience. Impulses govern my painting and inspiration comes from anyone.

Larsen is very good with colours and his paintings are a combination of clear and strong colours - painted with his phonecard.

Larsen, who originally comes from Stavanger, has served a sentence at Ulvsnesøy. Now he rents a house in Dyrvedalen and he wishes to live here and paint.

´The first time I came to Voss I was used to the narrow landscape aoround the fiord at Vaksdal. The open landscape at the end of Vangsvatnet was a strong experience and an enormous inspiration. I wanted to return to this place!ª

´The idea to exhibit my paintings at a training centre like Bioform was a bit unusualª, says Larsen.

´We went bowling at Bioform and that is how I got the idea to exhibit my paintings there. And why not?ª asks Larsen, who does not see any problems in mixing gymnastics with art.

Larsen also makes many of the frames himself - most of them of metal. But he has also started cooperating with Voss Foto og Rammeforretning, and some of his paintings are exhibited there. He also exhibits some paintings in Gallery AK. It is certainly not the first time he exhibits his pictures, and the reactions have been positive everywhere. In June he and his live-in partner, who draws portraits, will exhibit their art at Bulken. Larsen feels that the combination of portraits and his own non-figurative oil-paintings will give a varied and comprehensive exhibition.

Julian Misic makes music. Knut Larsen paints. Renate Hope draws. Now all three of them perform/exhibit their art at Ladegården Nursing home.

The experiment is launched tomorrow, Saturday. Knut has already been exhibiting his paintings at Ladegården for three weeks, and tomorrow the young musician Julian will join him and perform his music together with his band ´Angelas Dagbokª. It is the first time they try to combine music and art, but already at this stage they feel like doing it again.

The ways of expressing themselves are different, but we have one important thing in common: ´We express our feelingsª, the young artists say.

Julian has been a musician for nine years.

´I have chosen to write about things I have experienced myself. A lot of music is pure entertainment. It is my experience that people enjoy listening to something they recognise - something realistic."ª

´I feel I have a task in life, namely to give expression to something I find important.ª

Have you the ability as a song-writer to understand other people’s fates?

´I fell I become the ones I write about. In my view it is a privilege to be allowed to use words to express thoughts and emotions.ª

Knut is very humble when it comes to explaining his relationship to painting. ´It gives me a lot to be allowed to carry on with this. I make so many paintings that it is a problem for me which ones to choose for an exhibitionª, he says.

He never makes a title for his paintings.

´Because what you see in them may be something quite different from what I had in mind. People may escape into my paintings and have sweet dreamsª, as the artist puts it.

Knut got acquainted with Renate a year ago and encouraged her to go on to drawing professionally.

´I never thought of that before I met Knut. Now we inspire each other - my drawings are dominantly black and white and are quite a contrast to his colourful paintingsª, she explains.

It was Kjell Grønner who suggested that Knut and Julian did something together. What did they think about that idea?

´Fantastic to be able to combine music and art in this way. We gain support from each other; the songs underline the impressions from the pictures and vice versa.ª

´The audience get different things at the same time. We think they appreciate this and get a deeper experience out of it.ª

All three make a livelihood out of their art, but they never think in terms of getting rich.

´It is about other values. We are parts of an environment where we experience a good and meaningful life. The most important thing is to get response. That is extremely important for usª, conclude Julian, Knut and Renate.

Knut Larsen & Renate Hope

Dyrvedalsveien 446

5277 Bulken

91330055