"My father loved Louis Armstrong and Miriam Makeba, and my mother loved to dance - and fish. I was an only child and for a while my very best friend was a little blue bird. "
Tone Aanderaa was born in Bergen, in western Norway, in 1957. Due to her father's military career the family moved about a bit, but they always kept a close tie to the 'the old family place' at Hardanger fjord. This is also where she later set up her home and her studio.
"I remember my childhood as a time of adventure and discovery; drawing and 'making things', solving puzzles, searching the shores for treasures from a world 'out there'. Other times wandering about the landscape and environment in each new place my father brought us to.
And then the pictures; in books, and on walls, like doorways to other times and places - other worlds. This was magical. At 15 I proudly showed my mother a rather rudimentary painted angel which had 'appeared' to me, and I declared my 'mission in life' was to become a painter. No wonder my mother was sceptical. 'Heaven Girl' has remained with me ever since."
"At 17 this little girl made her appearance. I later named her Agratha.". It was one of the main characters in my novel 'Det store pulsespillet', published in 2004.
After such a 'mobile childhood' travelling seemed to be inevitable. At 19 Tone Aanderaa headed for USA; where she met the Hungarian artist Stephen Rettegi, who introduced her to 'the magic of oil painting'. She studied with him for a year. At the same time she was becoming involved in a musical group and suddenly finding 'an alternative career' unravelling.
Music and art seemed to want to go hand in hand for some time, and certainly travelling became a way of life; many of the USA states as well as 'every corner' of Norway were visited.
After a while, however, the urge and need to focus on art made it necessary to make a choice ...