November 15, 2025

149th Entry, Flüeli Ranft

Today is my 59th birthday, and I am celebrating and enjoying it. With Franziska and our dog Bobby, I drive to the village of Flüeli Ranft to look along the Melchaa river for a cross-shaped piece of driftwood, which is not easy to find. In a previous diary entry, I wrote that more cross-shaped natural artworks would follow. With a commission from a woman, this theme continues. Photographs will follow.

And then, as so often happens, ideas emerge. Completely immersed in collecting driftwood, I take a closer look at the white stones in the stream. I notice that a white ribbon winds around some of the stones like a string.The name of this work, which will soon be created, is revealed here: “The White Ribbon of Flüeli Ranft.” Photos will also follow.

Lunch in the Hotel Pax Montana ist simply wonderful, including wine and dessert. The weather is mild and the sun continues to shine. At the moment there are few guests here, and we simply enjoy our time together and in nature.

Oh, and there was also the “20-Minute” interview last month on an english radio station, with an audience of 4½-5 million people. I think we rocked it pretty well.

The day after tomorrow, on Sunday the 16th of November, we will rock on. At 11 a.m., I will be in the recording studio with Tino, a good friend, composer, and musician. We’ll talk about music, art, life, and much more… See Music-Talk on YouTube

September 28, 2025

148th Entry, Brienzwiler

Referring to my last diary entry, my hands have been busy and hardworking. I have created five oil paintings depicting sunny moments and mountain silhouettes. Now they are stacked up to dry on the top floor of our apartment–once our children’s rooms. Here are a few impressions:

I am very pleased with my work. The paintings are drying very well, so when I am in the house alone, I like to set them up in the room and let them work their magic on me. I critically analyze the composition, color gradients, aura and titles of the paintings: Here are a few of them: ‘Golden Mountain,’ ‘Wild Mountains,’ ‘Grey Mountains,’ and ‘Glowing Mountains.’

Working with oil paints allows me to be totally in the moment, to flow freely, wildly, and honestly, and to discover myself in depth. No other materials allow me to work so intensely. I express the light that I discover in my works as the sun…

August 28, 2025

147th Entry, Brienzwiler

There is quite a bit to report as a breath of fresh air is blowing through the studio. I dispose of dried-up tubes of oil paint on a large scale because today I have bought fresh oil paints, lots of white for mixing since I will be painting eight new white canvases. They will be sun pictures with evening ambiance, textured with sand and glass particles to add depth and dynamics. Everything is ready in my head and tomorrow my hands will begin working.

My wife Franziska thinks that I work too much because I hardly ever take a day off. Last week was the seventh annual Swiss Art Expo in Zürich main station, which I took part in for the fifth time. Yes, the days there are intensive and long. I sleep little and enjoy staying in the nearby Hotel Hirschen. Conclusion: friends become strangers and strangers become friends. As long as the Swiss Art Expo in Zürich exists, I will be there–as long as I continue to be on this earth, of course.

P.S. The series “Sacred Compositions” exhibited for the first time, consisting of 30 pieces (each 30x24cm) produced in 2013-2014 and created to the music of Mozart’s “Requiem” was well received and some were purchased.

during and after the Swiss Art Expo 2025

July 22, 2025

146th Entry, Brienzwiler

They have been hanging there for days now, directly behind my work table on the white wall of the studio– the two natural works called Sacré I und Sacré II. And, how can I put it, they delight my eyes and my soul. Art that has such a strong effect on me, where words are never able to express what is good and sublime flowing from them. Sacredness at its finest, which I am so fond of.

On a walk on Lake Brienz with my dog I found these weathered, old spruce driftwood and took them home with no intention of creating wooden crosses out of them. And yet, it happened. My hands followed the flow of energy from my soul. And so Sacré I und II were born.

Sacré I was completed on July 6, 2025 and Sacré II on July 17, 2025.

On this very day, July 17, I received a letter in which a woman wrote that she had given up her search to find a suitable wooden cross and had let go of her wish.I had remembered talking to a woman a few months ago at an exhibition about a natural work of art in the shape of a cross and her desire to own one.She would get in touch with me as soon as she had found a suitable one. Franziska immediately wrote her a detailed email about the two works of art, Sacré I und II, with photos, of course. The answer came promptly: She would love to get in the car and drive to us right away.

Today, July 22, the lady is standing in the studio in front of these two works–and she decides to buy Sacré II. I am pleased about the good energy of life that finds ways to make things happen.

I think that this story is a good example of how intuition works.

P.S. And this will not be the last…

June 27, 2025

145th Entry, Brienzwiler

Events that touch my soul:

A couple from Austria are on vacation in Ticino. The wife really wants to buy a crystal sun, so on a Saturday they drive from Tessin to Biberist where I am having an exhibition for three days. I find that very special–such a long drive for a crystal son.
We get into a good conversation and after three hours, they drive back–with a crystal sun in their luggage.

Furthermore:
A sculpture finds its way to Paris.
A lady, 80 years old, mother of 6 children and 18 grandchildren, lived in Africa for a long time, built up a business and when she handed it over, there were 200 employees. This makes an impression on me. Well, this sculpture is supposed to be a gift for a man who lives in Paris. The lady is tough and wears her heart on her sleeve. She knows what she wants. The sale is the same: direct and quick with a lot of enthusiasm. Without wasting many words, she buys ‘Forte Lumière’.
I am so happy to know this sculpture is in Paris. Something starts to resonate in my soul…

 
‘Forte Lumière’              ready for the journey

May 19, 2025

144th Entry, Brienzwiler

Hardly home from the holiday on the Red Sea and I am already back in the studio and work with strength and intensity.

Now she is finished: ‘Madonna’ with baby Jesus in her arms. What an impression and charm in her face! For almost two long years I hesitated to tackle this work. The vacation gave me distance and time to gather my strength.

People often think that other cultures and countries have an influence on my work. That’s not the case. All my inspiration comes from my soul. When I go to the studio, it’s like a switch that I flip, from ‘normal’ Seylech to that of an artist. I open my mind and connect with the great invisible.

But yes, of course, it was also a wonderful holiday. A week spent on a ship with good and lovely people who became friends. The encounters with the dolphins were extraordinary – my heart opened wide, but I also enjoyed snorkeling on the coral reef with countless colorful large and very small fish. And the silence there, deep in the sea – a great blessing.

I draw strength from this stillness and transform it into works of art.

April 30, 2025

143rd Entry, Brienzwiler

It feels to me as though life rushes by like an express train. It is already the end of April; the woods are green, and the first irises are blooming. The last few months were filled with exhibitions–one every fourteen days–and intensive work in the studio.

I gave a presentation at the last exhibition in Solothurn. It was not my first and will probably not be my last. Giving speeches is not my strength. It is difficult for me to stand in front of people and speak freely. However, I have learned that it is better to have courage because this gives you self confidence, strength, and the feeling of overcoming hurdles which at first seem insurmountable.

What is also surprising and makes me grateful is that eight pieces of art from the Homage to Earth series have been purchased in the last few weeks. Only one remains–No. 20:

Life–a mystery and a marvel. A dream comes true: soon Franziska and I will swim with the dolphins in the turquoise-blue ocean…

March 6, 2025

142nd Entry, Brienzwiler

It’s only been a few days since we returned from our trip to Egypt. The impressions and feelings are still fresh and linger with me in the studio.

It is difficult to select single moments–such a wealth of encounters, people, temples, pyramids, birds, plants, and begging children who unfortunately must grow up far too early.

The balloon ride over Luxor and boat ride on the Nile to the Aswan Dam and back were meditative and a blessing for the soul. So many ruined temples–strange and impressive, breathtakingly magnificent and sublime in their heyday.

We spent the last two nights in Cairo, a city with twenty-two million inhabitants. I did not see an automobile there that was free of rust, dents, or cracks. The cars from my childhood are omnipresent there. I don’t think anyone there is interested in emissions regulations. My throat is still sore from all of the smog.

And then, early in the morning at seven, I had the fortune to be the first to enter the pyramid of Khufu. Alone, I swiftly followed the guide to the Grand Gallery and continued through to the granite stones that were slid down to seal the tunnel, and on to the heart of the pyramid, the Main Chamber. I became very lively and joyful and let it all sink in. I find it hard to believe that everything here is of earthly origin. “Star siblings” leave traces behind…

Of course, I also had a crystal sun with me, “Cheops”, and I had a photograph of it taken of me with it in front of the Cheops pyramid and in front of the three Pyramids of Giza.

February 15, 2025

141st Entry, Brienzwiler

It took less than a day after appearing on my homepage for the work of art titled Stargate to be purchased. This is extraordinary! Also extraordinary is that the happy new owner of this unique piece has not even seen the original. Now I have it packed well and it is ready to travel.

The handing over of “Stargate” will happen at the Zürich Airport. An appropriate place, I think, because an airport also seems like a small stargate to me: people fly – close to the stars – to faraway countries, civilizations, and adventures.

Franziska and I will also take the risk and board an airplane which will take us to Cairo and continue on to Luxor…

P.S. Packed within our luggage: a small crystal sun with the name “Cheops”…

January 31, 2025

140th Entry, Meiringen

What really shakes me to the core are photos and reports of children, for example in Palestine, who must fight for a little food for themselves, their siblings and friends in order to survive. Right now, I am sitting comfortably here in a cafe in Meiringen and am reading this article in “Stern.” I am very thoughtful and full of sympathy for these children, as I was myself was in this land two years ago, which is steeped in history.
“What can I do?,” I contemplated later in my studio.

Send light and love – yes, certainly.
Nurture peace and understanding for other cultures – yes, certainly.
Give children around me the feeling that planet Earth is a loving and safe place to live – yes, certainly.
Give hope and be confident – yes, certainly.
Work in my studio to inspire and bring beautiful, light-filled art into the world – yes, certainly.

December 31, 2024

139th Entry, Brienzwiler

A year with many stories is coming to an end. And a new year that is still waiting to be lived lies ahead of me.

I work. Often too much. My energy is no longer infinite and needs to be managed. Time and again, if I’m not mindful, I lose myself in my eagerness to work. Other things are then neglected: reading books, maintaining friendships, walks with my wife and dog, honest conversations with my grown-up children, etc.

For the first time in 30 years, I spent December 24th alone with Franziska. It was quiet and strangely beautiful. The grown-up children with their partners and grandchildren spent some lovely hours with us.

30 years – a long time. So much has happened – and yet every day is new, every moment unique and precious.

I wish you all a year of truthfulness and inspiration.

November 29, 2024

138th Entry, Brienzwiler

My world in my studio here in Brienzwiler is small and manageable. I work here almost daily, enjoy the beginning of Advent, the classical music, and sometimes experience tremendous peace and inspiration here. There are often moments of extreme tranquility and good strength inside and around me in my studio.

I am writing this because I often have thoughts about other countries that struggle to find peace.

We are one big universal family, brothers and sisters in truth, born from the same origin. Our natural state is peace, joy, and love. I try to take this to heart in my everyday life and in my artwork. Often it goes well, but sometimes it doesn’t work at all. Then I forgive myself and reflect.

Peace within me and peace on earth.

October 29, 2024

137th Entry, Brienzwiler

Franziska turned 60. We celebrated her birthday on the 21st of October with our small family circle and a few friends in the Hotel Pax Montana in Flüeli Ranft. The day was simply wonderful, and we enjoyed it even more because on the weekends before we had been busy with exhibitions in Darmstadt and Wil, St. Gallen.

I have been together with Franziska for 32 years and look back on an exciting life with many challenges and uncertainties. Some of it was very stressful and is still today–both in terms of creating art and with our partnership because we all have needs and expectations. Of course, much was also unique and wonderful. We are each extraordinarily ordinary.

I live, I love, I enjoy, I am.

September 22, 2024

136th Entry, Brienzwiler

Crystal suns can also travel.
A total of three of them sojourned for a week in the south of England. They are called “Avalon”, “Avalon’s Tor”

and “Stonehenge”:

I photographed them where, according to legend, Avalon was located and in the innermost circle of Stonehenge.

A group of inspiring and light-filled people and I visited the time-honored places of Glastonbury Tor, Chalice Well Gardens, the Abbey with King Arthur’s tomb, Stonehenge, and the Avebury Stone Circle.
A personal highlight was the two days and nights in Camelot Castle in Tintagel, Cornwall on the west coast of England, the birthplace of King Arthur, according to legend. The view of the Atlantic from our hotel room was simply indescribably beautiful!

England: a land with old history, inspiring, and powerful. I will gladly return.

August 31, 2024

135th Entry, Brienzwiler

I work a lot in my studio. In the last two months, I have created 26 new works, and I really like some of them. This is good because my expectations of my artwork and myself constantly change.
A good work of art always makes me fall silent at first. Then a smile appears on my face.

The big storm on August 12th in Brienz caused only minor damage to my gallery which is located there. Water came in through the door. With a dehumidifier, the carpet was dry again after a week.

The Swiss Art Expo, held from August 21 to 25 in the main hall of Zürich’s train station–it was my fourth time there–was both exhausting and great. I was happy to be there. It is the only exhibition I manage alone, without Franziska, because the hustle and bustle of Zurich station is just too much for her. I completely understand.
A painting was purchased, and good contacts were made.

And last but not least the “Flickflauder” (see the last entry) is finally flying!
It is now hanging in the Hotel Seiler au Lac in Interlaken along with three other works. It is a small, fine exhibition.

July 21, 2024

134th Entry, Brienzwiler

“Flickflauder”

I will rarely or never show this work. The right wing – a piece of wood found in the fores t –was the inspiration for this piece with the name Flickflauder, which is the Appenzeller Innerrhoder dialect word for butterfly. The left wing was very clumsily painted and not at all like I wanted. Franziska scored this artwork a 2 on a scale from 1-10.

Her remark bothers me a lot and causes me to think. I hesitated and let this sink in. I like the bold materials: a brass star, a round lapis lazuli stone, upholstery nails, and a wood and steel frame. The transparent background with the colorful dots that look like little soap bubbles bursting in the wind appeals to me. The golden wing is strange but good and beautiful.

This unique butterfly will find its way, and when it flies, the music of Franz Liszt entitled “La Campanella” will accompany it.

June 30, 2024

133rd Entry, Brienzwiler

What I write here each month is not much, and this month it is even less than usual. It is better to write nothing than something meaningless.

The children are well.
The grandchildren are thriving.
My wife is full of life and very helpful.
Our dog Bobby: pure zest for life.
In the studio is a tireless artist whose hair is becoming whiter and whiter and his beard longer and longer. There are a few too many kilos around his belly.
He takes life as it comes is quite content when the sun shines on a Sunday and the orchids bloom on a mountain hike.

May 31, 2024

132nd Entry, Brienzwiler

A good alternative for an artist to exhibit their work is not necessarily only in a gallery. It could also be presented in a store that sells products that delight the mind, body, and soul and is managed by someone who is not only enthusiastic about beautiful art but also understands the artist and their work.

This is what has happened to me because today I have embellished and enriched the small elegant ESTIME store in the heart of Solothurn with nine works of art. It is a real pleasure to spend time in the store and linger to discover how products and works of art compliment each other.

It happens from time to time that I am able to send works abroad. Another one is going to Bratislava in Slovakia. This, of course, makes me happy.

There is much to do in my art studio. My hands enjoy working and beautiful things are created with steady hands.

April 30, 2024

131st Entry, Brienzwiler

The children have left home and will not return. This is completely natural and normal. Still, this is difficult for me. There is always a feeling of sadness and melancholy. My process for letting go of the children takes years.

Why am I writing this? Well, I am in the studio at 17:30 on the last day of the month. It is time for the monthly artist’s diary entry.

As always before I write, I pause for a moment and listen to what is at the top of my heart right now and wants to be put on paper. It should be spontaneous and honest.

One moment of stillness for me to remember what is really important in my life. This can be described in one word: love.

March 31, 2024

130th Entry, Brienzwiler, Easter

Vienna is always worth the trip, and this month my son David and I took a five-day trip there.
Of all the museums, I was particularly fascinated with the Natural History Museum. We stood at the doors at 9 o’clock sharp on the first day. There is also a store where you can buy petrified bones and fossils. I bought a fossilized Megalodon tooth (an extinct type of shark that grew up to 18 meters long) and a Mammoth rib bone. I also bought two fossilized ammonites with embedded pyrite, which I had not budgeted.

As soon as I arrived home, I took these treasures into my studio. It is so wonderful and delightful working with these materials. Two incense holders are in the making and the two precious ammonites will become natural works of art.

Next weekend from the 4th-7th of April 2024 there will be, as every year, the “Self-Awareness Days” in Solothurn, and I want to show these new works of art there.

The days are filled with work, lovely encounters, and moments of joy and happiness.

About the rest – the challenges of everyday life – I won’t write about now…😊

February 29,  2024

129th Entry,  Brienzwiler

6:00 AM.  I am in the studio early today and am enjoying the peaceful atmosphere accompanied by classical music. I look around and see the work that awaits me. These are mainly crystal suns in various sizes.

I never have enough crystal suns in all of the sizes that I need to choose from. So, I work at a tempo that is good for me without constantly working at my highest performance level as in the past. Probably because I am a grandfather now. 😊

The crystal suns have developed, especially in the structure of the rays. I enjoy going forward and creating new designs. Recently I have been working with a pastry bag, as I once learned to do as a baker/pastry chef. The skills I learned back then are still the same and the result is beautiful, smooth designs.

Over the years 900 crystal suns have been created. I think that there will be one thousand in two or three years. It’s nice. I like my work. It always goes on.

And the sun rises everywhere. 😊

January 31, 2023

128th Entry, Brienzwiler

Franziska and I planned a week away in Lapland (Jokkmokk) at the end of January, I was sick and weak. Nonetheless, we started our trip toward Stockholm and continued toward Lulea and Jokkmokk at the Arctic Circle. Together with a group of people, we wanted to marvel at the Northern Lights and let nature and the natural spirit work their magic in us; immersing ourselves into the cold, dark silence of the far north.

As soon as we arrived, I holed up in our hotel room and surrendered to the flu. I hardly had the strength for anything. On the third night, when I could barely sleep, I looked up at the night sky from my hotel bed. It was around 2:15 in the morning. It suddenly started to glow greenish and neon-like in the sky. The Northern Lights were there! I woke Franziska up. She was quickly wide awake and hurriedly dressed warmly to go outside. I did the same and dragged myself to the frozen snow-covered lake behind the hotel in minus 25º Celsius temperature! And then, somewhat tentatively, they began to glow. They appeared as if from another world, only to disappear into nothingness again. We enjoyed the play of light in the night sky. Just the two of us, totally alone, here in the middle of the night on a snow-covered lake near the Arctic Circle.

We are back home now, but I am still not completely healthy. I work a little in the studio in preparation for the upcoming exhibition next weekend in Cham.

December 31, 2023

127th Entry, Brienzwiler

It is the last day of the year 2023, which was an eventful year personally and globally.

Every now and then I get overwhelmed and worry about my livelihood. After so many years of being self-employed – 25 of them – I should be able to look past it, as so many small and big miracles have happened in my artwork and life. Yes, yes, the mind can drive you pretty crazy at times. They are small worries and they pass. Just like everything else in this world.

I am in the studio and am currently working on eight different pieces. I have so many ideas and two healthy hands that want to work. The holidays are what slow me…

The last artwork of the year was completed on December 29, 2023. I have named it ‘Blue Star’. It is a sun-shaped structure carved in wood, measuring 70 x 70 cm, with a shimmering blue glass sphere in the center, painted with oil paints in various shades of blue. The colors appear slightly muted, mystical, and calm.

The inspiration came from little Moritz, brought into the world on December 27, 2023, by our second daughter Noëmi.
We are happy and enchanted.

December 11, 2023

126th Entry, Brienzwiler

People die and people are born. There is a great deal of coming and going here on earth.

It is the same at an airport. When I am there, I take the time to watch people as they hustle and bustle around. Each one looks a little different, and they all live their individual lives with all of the challenges, unique and beautiful.

I imagine that the airport is the crossroad between heaven and earth. The people in the planes that are landing are the ones who are now arriving on Earth and just being born. Those who are in a plane just starting to take off are the ones who are saying goodbye to Earth and are ready for their new adventure.

Also recently we have said goodbye to Franziska’s mother. Her kindness and helpfulness will always stay in my memories. She often cared for our children so that Franziska and I could go to exhibitions.

A girl has just landed–Elysa Giulia. On the 6th of December, 2023, our oldest daughter, Livia, made us grandparents.
What a gift!

November 29, 2023

125th Entry, Brienzwiler

Life – how it continues to surprise me.
Two large works were purchased today. Here is a little story about them, but where does it start?

• They were created in February/March 2020
• Contact with the customer takes place at the SwissArtExpo at the beginning of September 2023
• Three weeks beforehand, Franziska and I reorganized the exhibition in our gallery in Breinz. These two pieces were integrated into the exhibition and now they are sold. They are named Dimensions and Lux Aurea. Both are painted on wood that has fine, milled grooves. Their dimensions are 120 x 95 cm and they are framed in steel.

What I want to say is that all the inspiring daily impulses are correct. It is important to listen to them, recognize them, and implement them. Ultimately, all of these various actions will lead to success. To summarize: Take inspiration and put it into practice. The rest will fall into place.

A tremendous feeling of thankfulness flows through me. All of the years were so exciting and beneficial. Very early on I resolved to take the path of freedom and financial insecurity. I feel alive and wild. Life with all of its challenges is full of wonder and marvelous.

October 27, 2023

124th Entry, Brienzwiler

I dream of peace between nations.
I dream of peace between people.
I dream of people who are healthy and happy.
I dream of children who play and dance under the starry sky.
I dream of children playing happily in the streets.
I dream of colorful houses.
I dream of old people whose wisdom and experience inspire and guide.
I dream of healthy people.
I dream of animals and plants that are free to live their destiny.
I dream of an earth that is home to all living beings.
And I dream of the great light that radiates from everything.

September 6, 2023

123rd Entry, Zürich Main Station

Now, it’s debut time, because exactly one year ago I had the inspiration for these 22 works, which I call Homage to Earth. There are twenty-one works in the dimensions 40 x 13 cm, composed of various natural materials, along with a large crystal sun of 134 cm in diameter, all with a background of oxidized iron (rust effect).

Almost a year passed between the initial idea and its realization. In order to find the right materials, the journey went as far as Jericho in Palestine (artworks 17, 18, 19). For artwork 16, a feather from the red-tailed cockatoo had to navigate all the way from Australia to find me in Brienzwiler. In this way, each work has its own story.

I don’t want to highlight individual works here, rather I want to illustrate how an inspiration that you know in your heart is absolutely right and harmonious can take shape if you give it the space and time it needs.

And yes, it takes courage to show the intimate moments of my soul to other people in the form of delicate artistry, as I am doing right now at the main station in Zurich at the SwissArtExpo from 6-10.9.2023. The whole time I am present here. The days are exhausting because there is no seating for the artists in front of their works. I seek and enjoy contact with the visitors, meet interesting people, and enjoy being here. Whether I sell anything, I don’t know. But this is the adventure of my life as an artist.

Meanwhile, it’s Monday, September 11, 2023. The exhibition is over, and I’ve already cleaned up everything. Nine works were bought, which makes me very happy.

Conclusion: Trust your inner perceptions and have the courage to realize them. The rest will fall into place.

August 24, 2023

122nd Entry, Brienzwiler

The wind is once again sweeping through the fully ripe cornfields in the golden yellow summer. Like every year, I am especially fascinated by the waving ears of corn. My fingers were itching to take up oil paint and capture these impressions in painting.

That’s how the three cornfield pictures came into being. The first one was created on 17.6.2023. It is called Summer Dream and is my smallest cornfield picture so far. It measures 24 x 18 cm. The technique is oil on wood and, as usual with me, I paint wet-on-wet, which means the picture is finished in one stretch. Now I look at it and become quite reverent. I am very pleased with this little treasure. Although it is small, the aura and effect of it is tremendous.

I painted two other works on 29.07.2023. This time the medium is oil on canvas and measures 50 x 60 cm. I titled them Cornfield I and II. What makes these special is the technique. Rarely do I rework the paintings after the oil has dried; however, this was the case with these two. The sky is especially softer now, evocative, in short, almost romantic, and matches with the yellow-orange cornfield. Today I framed the pictures to match.

This also happened: a person who bought some works of art from me was burgled. Among other things, two large crystal suns 1.6 m in diameter were stolen. Not exactly a small thing, as it takes two people to carry the pieces and a suitably large car to transport them. Well, what’s done is done. I will be watching…

July 30, 2023

121st Entry, Brienzwiler

A spur-of-the-moment excursion with my son David and our dog Bobby to the Flüeli-Ranft near Sachseln makes my artist’s heart beat faster because of the noticeably peaceful spirit there.

We linger by the Melchaa, take off our shoes and bathe our feet in the stream, build stone figures, and are completely absorbed in the moment with the silence and the power of this ideal spot in the middle of nature. As always, I look for specially shaped woods and find what I’m looking for along with two matching pieces of limestone.

As soon as I get home, I go into the studio and these two sacred works of art are created “Connected with God” I and II:

P.S. And by the way, in a marriage, you need a lot of humor – a lot of humor.

June 30, 2023

120th Entry, Morcote

Franziska, our dog Bobby, and I are on a four-day holiday here in Morcote, in the southern part of Switzerland on Lake Lugano.

I am fulfilling my childhood dream because the village of Morcote, with its picturesque houses and the time-honored church of Santa Maria del Sasso, existed as a puzzle in our home. As a family, we put this puzzle together many times, and I always liked the Romanesque church tower from the 15th century surrounded by cypress trees that flanked the church like large green candles.

Exploring this area with Franziska and Bobby gives me great pleasure. Everything here is inspiring: the silver glittering lake, the dancing and contentedly chirping barn swallows, the colorful stone houses with the narrow and cobbled streets, the chirping of the cicadas, the wailing call of the herring gulls, the blooming oleander trees and wildly-growing passion flowers. And last but not least, the fine Ticinese food.

Oh, it is quite wonderful here.

May 30, 2023

119th Entry, Brienzwiler

It is a rare occurrence when at the end of an exhibition I take a purchased piece of artwork off the wall and want to wrap it up, but this is exactly what happened.

This specific situation happened in the Volkshaus in Zürich over the Pentecost weekend on the 27th and 28th of May, 2023. The two-day exhibition that took place with the theme “The Vision of Good” was a time of joy, interactions, love, and clear messages. There were so many people there who bring positive changes into the world with energy and great commitment!

Franziska and I also belong to this group. Through the art and the work together in the natural garden we give our contribution to a future sustained by love and full of light and good.

For it is for those people who hear this voice calling out, “Live the truth that comes from your heart!”

April 18, 2023

118th Entry, Brienzwiler

Very early in the morning I am already on the way to Germany delivering a well-packed “crystal sun”, which is 69 cm in diameter, to the German Post office near the Swiss border. But the package will continue on, specifically, to Sweden. It s the second piece of artwork that is heading for Sweden, and this pleases me very much.

This crystal sun was purchased at the Health Fair, which took place on the 13th-16th in Solothurn. The exhibition cost energy, most of all with the setting up and cleanup. The purchases, though, in total eight pieces, helped to quickly forget all of the exertion. Life is good.

The last three months were quite a challenge for me. The sales were down and this situation caused me to be unsettled. Franziska took this more easily and stayed in good spirits. This is a character trait that I can still work on.

It is already time for the next exhibition. I am looking forward to the fulfilling days from the 21st-23rd of April in Cham.

February 24, 2023

117th Entry, Brienzwiler

There were so many impressions. Many of which saddened me. Above all, the treatment of nature. So much trash. Now after ten days in Jericho, I am back home lying in bed with a fever of over 100℉ and processing this intense time.

On short notice and with a small group of seven other people and a local guide who knew the area well, we ventured to visit the historic land of Palestine. This was our first vacation without the children in thirty years, although, vacation is probably the wrong word to use here.

It seems to me that the once-great spirit of this land has long since blown away in the vast stretches of the desert sand.

I still do not know how this experiences will come to life in my art, but I was lucky enough to pick up pieces of bark from under the tree of Zacheaus, which is over 2’000 years old. Zacheaus was small man and a tax collector by trade. When Jesus entered Jerricho, he climbed this very tree, a sycamore tree (mulberry fig tree). This is what it says in the Bible. I already have some good ideas about what I will make from these precious pieces of bark.

Summary: I believe in the good of people; so that the planet will be healthy and people can live together in peace, regardless of religion, language or cultural conditioning. In Palestine. In Israel. In Afghanistan. In the Ukraine. Everywhere.

January 3, 2023

116th Entry, Brienzwiler

I have just completed the gold leafing on the ‘Aurum’ creation. The date on the back, however, is February 2, 2022. For almost one year, I thought the piece was finished. During this time, it has been hanging here in the studio and caused me doubts when I looked at it. Now with the application of the gold leaf, which is not opaque, there is a play of light with the underlying texture and gold color. Now it is complete and I am quite pleased. This is my first completed piece in the new year.

Which and how many new works are in store for this year or which people will purchase them, neither I nor you know. I am sure, however, that they already exist in the invisible realm. This thought crossed my mind this morning. In doing so, I feel adventure, departure, joy…

December 31, 2022

115th Entry, Brienzwiler

To buy back pieces of artwork is presumably uncomfortable for every artist. This is also true for me. Nevertheless, in this case I made an exception.

Once made quite wealthy because of an inheritance, a man generously purchased pieces of art from me and other artists of the Bernese Oberland. Now he is in financial distress. The sincere telephone conversation asking if I would consider buying back one or more pieces at half price prompted me to make a quick and spontaneous decision. On the following day, I drove to him and bought back the following pieces: the sculpture “Ancient” as well as two crystal suns “Fire Vortex” and “Little Sunflower”. With the crystal suns, I am always happy to have a large selection to choose from.

This man came into my life as a patron. To give something back to him to lessen his hardship comes naturally to me. May this act give him confidence and trust in the goodness of life.

November 30, 2022

114th Entry, Brienzwiler

It is Advent, a wonderful time for me. There is immense peace within me. My energy is collected. With great joy, I work under the motto, “Do your work, do not worry about the fruits of it.”

It is quite unorganized here in the shop, which often happens when I create many pieces in parallel. At the moment there are five. The space here has always been limited, but I just accept it and work with the possibilities that are there.

Well, it’s been 24 years now that I’ve given my life here in these rooms. It was an adventure that brought me exactly to where I am right now. If I have twenty-four more years, I do not know; therefore, I take it day by day and am quite satisfied with what I encounter and what inspires me in this little workshop in Brienzwiler, which during this time 2,400 pieces of artwork have now been created.

November 4, 2022

113th Entry, Brienzwiler

Rarely has a creation of mine engaged and captivated me as much as the artwork shown here entitled Jesus.

It is a simple piece of spruce wood, modeled from nature. Only the branch, which protruded to the right, was cut to the appropriate length. In the middle one finds a small gold-leafed sunflower cast in plaster and sunken into the wood. This symbolically represents the divine spark within each of us. The transparent white-glazed background that measures 52 x 20 cm completes the work as a whole, giving it the necessary calm and sacredness.

It is a work with great presence and expression. I am extremely pleased and enjoy the quiet conversation between us.

October 20, 2022

112th Entry, Sarnen

Well, it is time to write a little. For the last two weeks I have exhibited my work here at the Lindenhof here in Sarnen, which is customary at the beginning of October. Not much to nothing at all is going on. I ask myself how it was possible for me to live as an artist for all these years. Actually, it is almost impossible. Nonetheless, it has worked–and for almost 25 years.

Franziska, my modest and clever wife will be 58 years old tomorrow. And she will be in charge of the exhibition–on her birthday. A small surprise awaits her. A little letter and a small bag of pralines covered with dark chocolate, which she really likes. We will certainly find two days in November to rejuvenate and relax in a wellness hotel. The last two months have been very work-intensive.

Life is moving and is sometimes chaotic and very stressful, and yet everything somehow works in harmony.

Happy birthday dear Franziska and thank you for everything!

August 31, 2022

111th Entry, Brienzwiler

There are five events that I want to briefly describe.

• The Sun Series 1-4 from last month is sold. A collector tnow calls them his own. A fifth has been added, which at the moment is on exhibition in the Quelle in Bern: Sun Series V.
• I created 15 new works this month, an exceptional amount, especially during the heat of the summer. It feels like electricity in my body.
• Three times hiking on the Eiger trail at the foot of the Eiger north wall. This force and the power of the mountains does not leave me. The work At the Mountain was created.
• The Swiss Art Expo with 125 International artists that took place in the main hall of the train station in Zürich was exhausting, most of all because of the long hours standing. I especially treasure the conversations with people who were very interested in art as well as the exchanges with other artists over philosophies, techniques, and materials. The exhibition was successful.
• And last but not least–about my injured finger.  It is a deep flesh wound with a cut tendon. Tea Tree oil and propolis ointment works wonders.

The days are short, wonderful, and intensive. The next exhibition is already on the horizon.

Juli 27, 2022

110th Entry, Brienzwiler

Sometimes a frame can be a great inspiration – just like the one pictured here.
About once a month I go to Boesner, which is a specialty artists’ supply store. In a box filled with custom-made frames that were not correctly sized as ordered, I found a small baroque frame measuring 24 x 30 cm.

For this particular dimension, I use a wooden base as a painting surface and start working with it that very afternoon. I have always liked baroque frames: they electrify me and make my artist’s heart beat faster.  I create a golden background, pasty textures with a steel ball as a resting pole, and a clear, straight rock crystal as a connection to the sky that makes the work simple yet perfect. Once the first piece was finished, it was followed by three more. Without having planned that a small series will be created, I just let it happen: The Sun Series I-IV.

June 16, 2022

109th Entry, Burger Gallery Brienz

For the third time I am exhibiting my works here in the Burger Gallery in Brienz. A successful, harmonious exhibition. “Golden wood” is the theme. It shines, and how! The gold on the different types of wood sets off wonderfully.

At the vernissage on June 4, fourteen people interested in art were present. Most of them came from the Bern area, about an hour’s drive. That impressed me very much. Well, I can do some things, but mobilizing people for my vernissage is certainly not one of them. In the meantime, four pieces have been bought, which I am happy about. The exhibition will continue until June 26.

David, my son, is taking his final apprenticeship exam today. The last of three days of exams. He had to do his best in the practical part today. Along the way, we created a short film together about my exhibition here. He edited almost 40 minutes of footage into a 6-minute video. I think the result is very successful: Works of an exhibition: Golden Wood. In any case, he passed this test with aplomb.

May 8, 2022

108th Entry, Brienzwiler

Yesterday I was in Zurich. At 1 pm I stepped over the threshold of the WBB GALLERY to attend the vernissage. Thirty different artists present a total of over fifty works in this temporary exhibition. I personally am featured with five works of natural art, which the gallery owner selected at my residence in Brienzwiler.

The gallery WBB is attractive and cozy. It invites you to linger and to enjoy art. All works of art are well displayed and complement each other all around, so that the exhibition results in a harmonious ensemble. The interaction with the gallery owner is pleasant and enjoyable for me. I am happy to be able to show some works here.

It has been a long artist’s journey, since I began my art career here in Zurich 35 years ago with tentative steps. At that time, I lived at Universitätsstrasse 15 in a small room and worked as a night baker from midnight until 9 in the morning. In my spare time I began to experiment with acrylic and oil paints and discovered my passion for art…

March 31, 2022

107th Entry, Brienzwiler

Now I am in my studio and gaze upon the eighteen pieces of art that I have completed this month. I contemplate them and I am very pleased. I am particularly fond of two of these: Love Light and Sun Light, both of which are 58 x 36 cm natural works of art on wood, simple and yet with a great presence and charisma. Art, as I love it.

Sometimes everything is just fine, and the small world here in the studio has a special peace. It is good that there are colors; it is good that there are artists who gift the world with beauty and inspiration in times like these.

February 28, 2022

106th Entry, Brienzwiler

This February was a quiet month since I needed to take a three-week break after a brief hospital stay (minor prostate surgery.) During this time I was not allowed to do any strenuous work that involved heavy lifting.

These few days in the hospital proved to be an interesting experience. Letting go and surrendering to the unknown was easy for me. I read a great deal from Osho and dozed a lot. This is probably the reason why nights in hospitals are so restless. There are different noises coming from various machines, lights that burn somewhere continuously, and the night nurse is always coming by to check that everything is ok.

So this month I created only a few works. There are four of them.

I am doing well and I am pleased to welcome the first snowdrops and crocuses in the garden. Now my time in the art studio is increasing, and the ideas for the upcoming works are there. My hands are happy to bring them into shape.

January 29, 2022

105th Entry, Brienzwiler

Here is the finished nature artwork, which was created over December/January. I call it “Abundance”. The piece of driftwood is 121 cm long and has in its center a natural depression that I have filled with large and small rok crystals, golden sand, and pyrite gemstones. In addition, a gold ribbon flows on both sides like a river from the inside to the outside. Here to Abundance

The rock crystals are symbolic of the light that radiates from itself and whose source is inexhaustible. It flows out and pours over and over with blessings on the whole creation.

I am touched by the work, and I see it as a good omen for this year, which is so ready for change.

P.S. The artwork “Golden Wing” was chosen among the eight finalists in the Artbox.Project call for entries and will be on original display at Urbanside Gallery in Zurich from February 1 to March 4, 2022. I am very happy about this. See Golden Wing

December 31, 2021

104th Entry, Brienzwiler

Normally I do not work in my studio between Christmas and New Year. This year I can’t help but go there daily. Luckily for my wife, the studio is not very big, otherwise, I would only be found here.

In numerical terms, there are on average 125 new artworks completed in one year, all wonderfully photographed and chronologically entered into a notebook. For every year there is a new notebook. At this time, there are 25.

I never look back at works that have been created when I am working on a new piece. The inspiration is always there, unique and new for each work. I like to work with diverse materials and techniques. It’s something that never exhausts me, on the contrary; it invigorates and inspires me so much. It enlivens and excites me so much that it makes me forget the outer world with its present form of control and deprivation of freedom. I hope very much that it may also be the case for the art-interested viewer of my works.

In this sense, a wholehearted, beautiful, free, healthy, new year to everyone.

November 30, 2021

103rd Entry, Brienzwiler

Snow has fallen and silence returns to the forest. Our dog romps around looking for mice. What a zest for life there is in him! I get inspired and laugh and dance with the little white stars falling from the sky. Everything is good.

There is so much that is wonderful and beautiful in this world, and every day it becomes that much more. I see humanity in liberty and peace, singing and dancing, and living the future on a healthy earth.

Our thoughts and feelings are our own and no one can control or manipulate them unless we allow this.

October 29, 2021

102nd Entry, Brienzwiler

The golden October is coming to an end. I enjoy the last warm days. For the last three weeks, I supervised my exhibition in the Zyt-Lade in Sarnen. It was very quiet, I read a lot, and I often went across the street to the restaurant Krone to enjoy lunch. Because I do not have a Covid certificate, naturally I ate outside. So only three works were created in October; two of them orders. The decision for the “Work of the Month” is therefore quite easy. It is the crystal sun named Golden Sun.

Being unable to work in the studio for such a long time has never happened in the last 25 years. An experience that I simply accept. Now to get back into the works and ideas that lay dormant and now want to be implemented is easy for me. I’m working on nine different pieces and can’t wait to see them finished. I am particularly taken with the nature artworks at the moment. The combination of crystals, wood, and gold is just gorgeous. Showing the beauty of nature in art is a never-ending feast for the eyes and a show of thanksgiving and appreciation to the great creative power…

By the way, our dog Bobby – now four months old – is thriving and enriching our daily lives. A bright little fellow. We are happy with him.

October 3, 2021

101st Entry, Gruyères

I have no need to be vaccinated. Even if that means having to do without many things.

I feel free, and this freedom has nothing to do with the external world, which is in such a state of flux. Granted, it has been a difficult process to come to this point. I met myself with all my fears and conditioning, which I have now brought into the light with love and devotion to the great unseen. Instead of fear, anger, insecurity, and restlessness, there is peace within me. I am at peace with people and all their choices. I am no longer fighting for anything, but I know where I stand and where my place is.

In the studio, I am currently creating some works with wood, rock crystals, and gold–all earth energies that speak to me so soothingly. Ancient energies that change and connect with the higher cosmic forces. A matter that surrenders and lightens.

A gift for all of us.

August 28, 2021

100th Entry, Zürich

A remarkable exhibition here in the Zürich main station. I displayed four artworks: Two crystal sons with old wood as the background, a natural artwork, and a sculpture. The Swiss Art Expo did a great job organizing the exhibition and staged it very atmospherically and professionally. Each artist has been allocated an exhibition space. My stand is exactly where a golden ball has been embedded in the floor, the “Boule d’Or Centenaire”, the century ball. How appropriate for my golden works and the hundredth diary entry!

Unfortunately, I cannot enter the exhibition because I do not have a Covid certificate. This saddens me greatly because I miss the conversations with people interested in art as well as the exchange among artists. Now I am present this Saturday outside the exhibition and available via cell phone for visitors who seek to speak with me.

May the gold of the sun pour down on earth, so that the small suns in the hearts of people begin to shine so brightly that untruth, fear, and control become meaningless and disappear in the light of the sun.

July 31, 2021

99th entry, Brienzwiler

Since the death of our Sheltie Jenny on 1/1/2018, I have wanted to have a new dog. Only a few weeks ago Franziska agreed. I promised her that I would not actively look for a dog because I feel that THE DOG needed to find ME.

This week we went with our adult children David and Livia and their dog Lucy for a few days in the Jura. David wanted to show us some beautiful places from his bike tour from Basel to Nyon. On the way over the high plateau of the Jura Franches-Montagnes towards Saignelégier we were diverted because of construction. The navi sent us on a road that Franziska assumed was wrong, but she kept quiet as I was so happily chatting with David. The navigation route ended at a farm where a truck also blocked the road. David shouted, “Sharp left!” and I turned and parked. A border collie came running toward us, and Livia shouted, “That’s a nursing mother!” I want to see the puppies!” We all wanted to see them.

The farmer was friendly and showed us the six seven-week-old puppies, five of them males. Livia was blissful and said that among these would surely be the future father of Lucy’s pups. Our hearts melted.

During dinner at the hostel at Étang de la Gruère, I thought about dog names. Spontaneously, “Bobby” crossed my lips. Franziska found it suitable, but first we had to sleep on it!

The next morning we drove back to look at the puppies again. Franziska and I entered the horse box together and knelt down. A small, black and white ball of wool walked straight towards me, put his paws on my knee, laid down, let me scratch his belly and looked up at me. I moved away, and again he trotted up to me, looked into my eyes, and charmed my heart. I heard myself say, “That’s him! This is the one we’ll take.”

Now a little dog soul will soon enrich our lives. Bobby.

June 30, 2021

98th entry, Brienzwiler

Without having an exact idea, I go to my studio as I do every day to see how many and what size canvases are there. There are three that I Iike: One is 130x80cm and two are 160x100cm.

I lay the smaller one on the work table and am immediately inspired. I see a background painted with two different shades of blue, which I inscribe with various numbers and symbols in silver gold. The canvas will be framed with molding that is rolled in black-brown along with some red.

I prime the second image with a dark, warm red and “script” it with copper-gold paint.

The third of this series, which I call “The Never-Ending Story,” consists of an ocher yellow background with characters, which I painted with rich pale gold.

Now I have these placed side by side in the studio to view and let them have an effect on me. I find them extremely fascinating. Mentally I do not understand them, but something in their charisma is great and captivating. It never becomes monotonous or boring to look at them. I always see something new and become calm and almost devout, as if I were leafing through the pages of an old book that has much to tell.

These are artistic pieces that a person either loves or not.

Here is the link to
The never ending Story I
The never ending Story II
The never ending Story III

May 31, 2021

97th entry, Brienzwiler

My son David gave me the idea that I should paint a tree, and I began on this very day. The old oak in our forest garden served as my inspiration and subject. Within three days the 80 x 60 cm acrylic on canvas piece “The Old Oak Tree” came into being.

It has a massive trunk with a wide crown and soft green spring leaves. I outlined the trunk and branches with gold paint and let it flow through the tree as if it would absorb cosmic energies and conduct them through its roots into the earth. The background suggests an evening sun, which soon disappears behind the horizon, but its glow still gives the tree something sublime and majestic.

When I look at this painting, I see the powerful oak with a hopeful sky. A tree, deeply rooted and bound to everything. Here is the link: The Old Oak Tree.

April 30, 2021

96th entry, Brienzwiler

I wish for a humanity that believes more in itself and is connected to the godliness in their hearts. Critically questioning the mass media and expressing their own thoughts.

I wish for people who have the courage to live as individuals and who are connected with nature, the sun, and the stars. People who have no fear to express their own values and thoughts and live confidently despite adversities.

It is those indomitable light warriors of God who are able to distinguish truth from untruth and see through Corona and the control game connected with it. It is in the nature of man to be free, peaceful, and loving. Free will is an inalienable right throughout the universe. Being aware of it is the first step to freedom.

Corona helps mankind to wake up.

March 31, 2021

95th entry, Brienzwiler

Finally, spring is here. Joy and light flow through the woods. The first migratory birds, such as the Blackcap, Iberian Chiffchaff, and Black Redstart, have returned. In our garden forest, a female Red Kite sits on her eggs in the nest two weeks earlier than in the last few years. I watch with binoculars daily and look forward to the young birds hatching in around 30 days. This female and her mate successfully raised nine young in the last three years. Since Red Kites can live up to 25 years, I hope that this pair will keep this same breeding place and their territory for many years to come.

I write about nature because it is so wonderfully inspiring for the creation of my artwork and because a piece has emerged, is designed by nature, and is developed in a way that only nature can. It is appropriately called “The Nest.” Currently, I am displaying this piece in my gallery in Brienz. From August 25-29 it will be available to view as part of the SwissArtExpo in Zürich main station.
Here is the link to the artwork The Nest, which is also my “Artwork of the Month”.

February 28, 2021

94th entry, Brienzwiler

Franziska and I spent two days this week at the Parkhotel Gunten on Lake Thun. A small, spontaneous time-out, which Franziska especially enjoyed. She loves the element water, so the wellness area was particularly appealing to her.

We also use the time to continue writing a book. This project lies very close to Franziska’s heart. This will be an artist biography. She has been working on it for a few years and it is coming along well. I now narrate and then write my take on the chapters she has given me. We often work together when we are on the road, for example, while driving. Franziska transcribes in shorthand while I dictate in Swiss dialect and High German. She is keen to write a biography of the artist herself because she thinks that no one knows me better and knows more about what happened than she does. She is right, of course.

We take our time with this joint project, as there are also times when writing is difficult, simply because, as in every relationship, there are ups and downs. Plus, the husband becomes headstrong and difficult.

Taking life as it is is a challenge.

Finding peace within myself is my daily prayer.

January 31, 2021

93rd entry, Brienzwiler

A good friend and patron, who bought some exquisite works of art about a year ago, sent me a package filled with sweets and fine treats about a week ago. What especially pleased me, however, were the very fitting words, as if heaven had its hand in the game. The words were something like this: Seylech, do not give up, even in this very uncertain and challenging time of transition. The words hit me right in the heart. I was so touched that I needed to pause for a moment while reading. I silently thanked the creator. This gift came so suddenly at a moment that could not have been more fitting. Bruno, thank you very much!

There will soon be a new link called “New Line” added on my homepage where I will show works that require a bit of courage from me. I will now show a side of my artwork, which until now I made only vaguely public. There are abstract, modern, and austere compositions that afford me a lot of space and freedom. Some are created in fast, sure movements. Others need a lot of time and are multi-layered and dimensional in themselves. And as so often – how could it be otherwise – there is also some gold. Gold, which refines everything so wonderfully, makes the image glow and creates warmth.

December 31, 2020

92nd entry, Brienzwiler

Another year, full of changes and challenges, comes to an end.

Artistically it was relaxing and unwinding for me. I could create fine pieces that are very time-consuming. In particular, these were natural works of art made with pyrite and mountain crystals.

As always, I enjoy working in my studio, and the ideas and inspirations are always present. I am never bored. It is a good sign that shows me that my art continues. When the inspiration is there, all is well.

I think about the world and find it crazy. I am often out in nature and find peace there. It continues to give me meaning and joy in life. I gain clarity and take things one day at a time.

Thank you for all the good things that have come my way in the past year.

November 30, 2020

91st entry, Brienzwiler

The happy Advent message:

The causative agent of a previously isolated disease now appears to have mutated. It spreads worldwide and faster than Ebola. The new virus AHA is extremely contagious and abruptly leads to a clear mind in the here and now.

It starts harmlessly with the consumption of organic food and the need to protect nature. This is often followed by a rather pronounced aversion to mass media. Eventually, the symptoms turn into an increased sense of being unified, a complete connection to one’s own soul, and a previously unknown freedom from fear. Finally, the course ends in unconditional love and gratitude towards the Creator and Creation.

The establishment is completely at a loss. All the tried-and-true means such as chemtrails, radio waves, sports events, mass vaccinations, stock market crashes, and threats of global war scenarios seem to be completely ineffective.

The virus is called the “truth virus” by experts and is to the most severe degree virulent. By all means, avoid contact with independently-thinking and responsibly-acting people, otherwise:

Welcome to freedom!

October 27, 2020

90th entry, Brienz

It saddens me to witness how fearful and obedient people are. New cases of Covid-19 infections are increasing each day, and almost daily the government announces new measures to combat the virus.

Fear has always been a terrible counselor because fearful people can very easily be controlled and manipulated. Such a person believes the state, the politician, the police, the doctor, the preacher, the teacher, and so on.

Perhaps I am wrong, but I would rather make mistakes and follow a difficult individual path where truth, freedom, and intuition are always safe companions.

A related story:
Death sits before the old city walls and waits. A scholar comes by, sits down with him, and asks, “What are you doing here?” Death answers, “I am going into the city to collect 100 men.” The scholar runs into the city and excitedly calls out, “ Death is coming and will take 100 people!” Subsequently, all the people panic, run into their houses, and lock themselves away for many weeks. 5000 people die. As the scholar leaves the city, death is still waiting there and he angrily says, “You wanted to take 100 people, but it was 5000!” Death answered, “I took 100 sick and old, just like every week. The rest were taken with fear, for which you were responsible.”

May the good unfold!

P.S. The three works, which were created in August, have now been completed. Here are the links: Silence, Source I, Source II

September 29, 2020

89th entry, Brienzwiler

I left for Munich at two o’clock in the morning. I urgently need rock crystals, single pieces and groups of medium to very good quality. Pedro is a geologist and Brazilian and has lived in Germany for over thirty years. He has a large stock of various minerals and is a dealer for mineral stores. I have known him for twenty years and appreciate his pleasant and sunny demeanor.

The drive is always a challenge and this time was no different. After the Glarnerland rest area along the Kerenzerberg, I had to make a detour in the darkness and in rain and fog, which took an extra forty minutes. In addition, there were repeated construction sites with reduced speed and traffic jams, which made the trip even longer.

At 9.15 AM. I was finally in Pedro’s magnificent stone and mineral store. I lingered for about 1¼ hours and purchased 2500 Euro worth of mainly rock crystals in different sizes. Afterward, I drove home making only a small stop at the border for custom’s clearance and a light meal.

Tired but satisfied, I arrived home at 5:30 PM. I just unpacked all the minerals and put them on my work table. Let this splendor have its effect on me, and I can hardly wait to get creative with it.

At the moment I am able to work day and night, so many possibilities are waiting for their design. However, I dedicate myself first to the commissions and put my strength into them.

Everything is going well.

August 26, 2020

88th entry, Brienzwiler

With much energy and inspiration, I have just now primed and spackled the basic form on canvas panels for three works with the dimensions of 65 x 50 cm.  I would like to keep working to breathe life into the painting with pencil and pastel shades of color to make the whole thing blossom, but I must be patient until the spackle is dry. A few days ago I dreamed about these works and now I am uncompromisingly urged to make these come to fruition. This means that today I will probably work a little longer than I planned.

This is the first time that I will wait to show the works to Franziska only after I have finished and framed them. It is difficult to say why this is so, but perhaps it is because my energy is still bundled up.

When they are finished, a link will be added here in this diary. You must also have patience!

July 28, 2020

87th entry, Brienzwiler

Each year I have the desire to drive on a hot summer day through the countryside to the cornfields in order to observe, be still, listen to the summer and glide my hands over the ears of grain gently swaying in the wind and feel the earth. These moments when the earth shines golden like the sun itself are magical for me.

I cannot help but paint these impressions, so the following day I created four small-format oil paintings with cornfields. Two are on wood (33 x 29 cm) and two are on canvas (50 x 40 cm). I was especially struck by the fourth one.

Here the sun and the cornfield take up the same amount of space on the canvas. The sun is already low over the ears of corn, but the heat of the day and the power of the sun are still noticeable. A timeless moment. A great peace spreads out.

Here the sun and the cornfield occupy equal space on the canvas. The sun has already set low over the ears of corn, but the heat of the day and the strength of the sun are still felt. A timeless moment. A tremendous peace spreads over all. I named it “A Golden Day”.

June 30, 2020

86th entry, Brienzwiler

For the last three days, I have been on crutches. My left knee is swollen and painful. While I was out for a walk in the woods, I clumsily tripped and fell hitting my knee directly on a rock. The doctor thinks that the inflamed bursa requires a cool compress along with rest. In this case, antibiotics are the best medicine for recovery.

I am taking it easy but do not let it deprive me of the opportunity to do smaller works in my studio, which is something that is good for my soul.

Today I was able to sell two commissioned pieces that I agreed to create over a year ago. The couple and I, as well, are happy and satisfied. Commissioned pieces are always a challenge, but I like this and believe that everything will turn out well.

Good fortune is with me, and understand that if I use my abilities and have the courage to live my dreams, the positive forces of the universe that are in the background will accompany everything favorably and supportively.

June 4, 2020

85th entry, Brienzwiler

A fire is burning!
On Whit Saturday at 10.15 p.m. the police are at our front door to inform us that there is a fire in our forest garden. Our small tool shed is burning and the firemen are already extinguishing it. We all go out to check the situation. After the initial shock, we realize that the damage is manageable.

As we have so many times before, we had dinner surrounding a fire here. On site the following morning, a fire expert explained that a spark probably nested somewhere in the old wood of the shelter and glowed in front of it until the wind did its part and it grew into flames.

A Pentecost fire! Symbolic of lightning and transformation.

We are all–including me– subject to this natural process of life. We take in more and more light and let go of the old.

April 30, 2020

84th entry, Brienzwiler

The corona virus is on everyone’s lips, and the topic reaches us daily through the various media channels. Personally, I like the way Sweden deals with it. They appeal to the self-responsibility of citizens and thus respect the sovereignty of the individual, which is a wise decision by the government and a good basis for peace.

The atmosphere in the studio is totally relaxed. I am working at an unusually slow pace, but I can definitely see something positive in it. Normally, my hands work quickly and agilely, which is more in keeping with my nature and also gives me good work time and again.

Our oldest daughter Livia moved back in with us at the age of 26, which we are very happy about. She will be able to reorient herself from here, not only with her living situation but especially in her professional environment.

Life is full of surprises. I gratefully accept them.

March 31, 2020

83rd entry, Brienzwiler

The Corona Virus no longer permits what is customary to continue. All people are affected and must make adjustments. It’s about time. We find ourselves in a situation that our inner wisdom should now guide us.

May we now act for the good of nature, animals and people.

May peace on earth unfold and brotherhood be established.

May prosperity and health be available to all.

May a healthy, life-friendly technique be introduced in all areas.

I call upon the leaders of the earth to let light flow in all areas and for decisions to be met with love and harmony.

May humanity together with this wonderful planet, our Mother Earth, now take this good path with courage and happiness.

February 29, 2020

82nd entry, Brienzwiler

Despite my three weeks of flu, I produced nineteen works in February. The last one finished today is called Dimensions, which is created partly in a new style that has kept me busy for several weeks: simple forms milled into wooden panels with subtle colours, harmonious and modern at the same time.

Business continued as usual and interested visitors came during the whole month. Someone asked if I would have trouble exhibiting this new style and confronting visitors with something different. Certainly not. I love to show my new creations, which are created with the impulse of joy in my heart. I have always followed this path in my artistic work and the side effect of this was success.

Furthermore, I am very happy about the newly-created short film entitled How is a Crystal Sun Created? that can now be seen on YouTube. What a successful father and son project!

29 January 2020

81st entry, Brienzwiler

Now I hold it in my hands, this little art booklet with selected pieces of my work, which is a successful mixture of oil paintings, sculptures and also a new, more modern realization on the subject of the sun. I also like the short description at the very beginning, which is a successful summary of the direction and perception of my work. Franziska has designed and implemented this wonderfully.

I still work a lot and with great energy as if I were electrified to tackle what needs to be done. I feel the power to do it and the inspiration is there, as always.

My goodness, what an intense life…

December 31, 2019

80th entry, Brienzwiler

The year 2019 has come to an end. I look back and see the number of works of art created, 171 of them, more than ever before and far more than I ever thought possible. It is good not to know what is possible in a day, in a week, in a month, in a year. I am not exhausted, I am simply happy with what my hands can create.

I like to be in my studio and I am inspired and use all possibilities. For example, at the moment I create various works in sand, which I use as a background and expand with different materials such as glass, gold and metals and implement the sun theme. I am now 53 years old and it is the first year in which the children only come home on weekends. My daily flow of work is no longer interrupted and I draw with a strength that now unfolds unrestrained.

May the good on planet earth also unfold and succeed in the coming year.

November 28, 2019

79th entry, Brienzwiler

The second ARTFUL, ART FULL ZUG exhibition in the Altstadthalle from the 22nd to 24th November was very lovely and included encounters and conversations that were inspiring. I was able to sell three works.

Thomas, our host and initiator of ARTFUL, ART FULL ZUG, will most likely, as it appears, help the city of Zug by continuing to organize this art event twice a year. I think that this will attract much more attention and be made known to a wider audience so that visitors from near and far will not want to miss these art days.

We four artists now contribute ideas and see what we can implement.

My artist’s heart is heavy, and I can only shake my head while I am preparing my artwork for transport, when I see other artists not packing and protecting their work, but carrying it stacked in front of their chest and clamped down and depositing it on the street next to their cars. These works, which were hanging on the wall for quite a bit of money, are now simply lying here ready for loading, without any protection. For me this is not possible. For me it seems disrespectful and devaluing. The difference is probably whether or not the artist lives off it or not. It is the small things that make the difference. Of course, everyone decides for himself how he treats his works, but it hurts me.

October 31, 2019

78th entry, Brienzwiler

As already mentioned last month, the days have become quieter. From time to time, the children come home on weekends and fill the house with life, lightness and great ideas and visions about nutrition, alternative places to live, clean energy, relationship possibilities, spirituality and art.

I love these moments of intense togetherness, even if they are often short.
I love the silence in the studio during the week.
I love my work and classical music.
I love nature and the finches at the birdfeeders.
I love my life.
Above all else, I love my wife Franziska.

September 29, 2019

77th entry, Brienzwiler

I have never worked so quietly in my studio as during the past few weeks. There is an unfamiliar silence in and around the house.

David, our youngest, has begun his apprenticeship at the horticultural school in Hünibach at Lake Thun. He is very happy and stays there during the week.

This is a new chapter in Franziska’s and my life. To experience daily life without the children. It is a process in which we always rediscover ourselves.

The weight of the huge responsibility a father has is lessening. It is impacting my work because I start my work day much more relaxed and patient. Sometimes it feels as if time has slowed down.

It is quite a new experience for me that life can also be this way.

August 31, 2019

76th entry, Biberist

I am exhibiting my work at the art exhibition “Inspiration through Transparency” at the former paper factory in Biberist. 65 artists from far and wide are participating. I am here for the ninth day and the exhibition will end tomorrow.

I am opening myself to it all and express my impressions in a poem.

Some people come and go.

Some people come and linger.

Some people came
And I never saw them.
But they were here. How wonderful.

Some people were so quiet
But I heard their music…

July 28, 2019

75th entry, Brienzwiler

A father-son-project has come into being. It is called, “A man and his faces.”

The hair was falling and with each new cut I expressed various emotions. Some props like hat, glasses, cigar among others completed my facial expressions.

Everything happened spontaneously and on the spur of the moment. An invisible string of joy and coherence oscillated between David and me. He always knew when the right moment had come to take a photo. We both felt that something extraordinary was about to be born.

The photo session came to an unexpected colorful end. Some of the photos David took will probably go down in history.

This is the link to the video that David produced afterwards on his own: A Man and his Faces.

I also would like to mention that I was so happy that two oil paintings – one sun and one universal painting – made their way safely to Sweden.

June 30, 2019

74th entry, Brienzwiler

The days are hot and in the morning I really don’t know what to do because of all the beautiful possibilities that lie ahead of me.

For weeks I have been watching and photographing the red kites and their three young in their aery. The first of the young birds is already fully-fledged. I was able to approach it through the scrub to a distance of three meters and take some extraordinary photos.

In the nest boxes in the apple tree in front of our house young wrynecks are being fed by their parents and make crackling noises. I love to watch them and the four pairs of house martins that breed underneath the roof and fly in and out.

And my studio is calling me of course. Especially the oil colors want to be put on canvas once again.

A heavy motor bike is standing in front of our house for a week now and is waiting for me to ride it. I have to practice because I have to pass the test in August. Therefore a tour around the lake is a pleasant way to end the day.

My beard and hair will be cut tomorrow. David and I are about to start an art project called “A Man and his Faces”. I am looking forward to the adventure of letting go of all hair and meeting a new face.

May 19, 2019

73rd entry, Brienzwiler

Business is going well with lots of sales and new orders.

But in daily life I am often moody and for my family difficult to deal with. I want more freedom and more time on the road. Franziska has encouraged me to realize my dream. It’s pretty typical for middle-aged men, I want to ride a motorbike to the North Cape.

I am torn between the desires of my heart and my responsibilities. I am still responsible for the financial welfare of my younger children. Noëmi finishes her apprenticeship as medical specialist for surgical technique in the fall. And David starts a new apprenticeship as ornamental plant gardener on August 1st at the horticultural school in Hünibach. This will be a good start into a new career.

The thought of being at the North Cape at summer’s solstice next year is very inspiring to me.

April 7, 2019

72nd entry, Brienzwiler

I am in a state of constant exhaustion. The slave driver in me is merciless and allows me no break. He is constantly pushing. I observe myself and think, let’s see how long he will be able to keep it up. For goodness sake during the past three months I have created 64 works of art and sold 17 of them already. Is this not enough?

Of course it is. But the monetary system forces me to keep on going like this. The unconditional basic income would be a blessing for me as well as for humanity as a whole. Creative potential, now lying dormant, would blossom. I would rent a large studio and finally start to create large-scale works. And I would treat myself and my wife to four to six weeks of vacation.

I have managed to support my family as an artist for the past 20 years. But at what cost!

February 9, 2019

71st entry, Meiringen

Today I crawled out of bed on all fours. I had incredible pain in my sacrum. I managed to stand up with a help of a cane and made it into the bathroom. It was 4.30 am and it took me half an hour to get dressed. It seems I somehow pinched a nerve while doing woodwork in the forest. Through moving and walking it improved somewhat.

I always work early in the morning. Right now crystal suns and natural works of art are emerging in my studio.

A little while ago Franziska mentioned that over the course of the past two months almost 30 works of art had come into being. She wondered if I could not approach my work in a more relaxed manner. I guess I could but part of me is always inspired and highly charged. I constantly think about art, from dawn to dusk. I see possibilities everywhere that want to be implemented.

If it goes on like this I might even become somewhat peculiar.

January 9, 2019

70th entry, Brienz

I really enjoy the days between Christmas and the beginning of the New Year. Time seems to slow down and appears to be very meditative.

When I enter my studio now I don’t work. I am just creative in a relaxed and quiet manner. I want to try to apply this attitude as long as possible in the new year also. But often I catch myself listening to my inner slave driver that demands more of me than is healthy.

I have plans and ideas that I would like to implement. For one I would like to write down the story of my life – inspired by Bert Hellinger’s book “Mein Leben. Mein Werk.” On the other hand I want to write down the stories of Giaberuso that I would like to tell in an illustrated children’s book. And of course there is my art that still thrills and transfixes me.

Oh well, each day has 24 hours, and untold days lie ahead of me. And I have two hands that are well skilled and eager to work…

December 14, 2018

69th entry, Brienzwiler

A little advent story

The other night my son David came into my studio. We discussed the emerging works of art as we often do. Suddenly and unexpectedly I saw someone sitting in the upper left corner of the studio. It was a tiny dwarf smiling contently: Giaberuso.

He was surprised and a little startled that he had been seen and called by his name. Puzzled we looked at each other for a few seconds. Then he told us that he came from Northern Italy and had passed our house on his way over the Grimsel Pass.

In regards to choosing a place to stay dwarfs are very picky. He informed me that he already lingered in the studio since late last summer and had watched me often while I was working. He had noticed our love for nature. He was especially fond of the breeding swallows underneath the roof. The nature garden was very much to his liking too.

Dwarfs are never idle. Just like humans they have a mission in life. Giaberuso told me that a dwarf has to serve humans for a certain period of time. He had decided to fulfill this service with us and to stay for twenty years. He was 285 years of age and in his prime.

Meanwhile he has changed his abode and sits on a natural work of art on the wall. Right at the end of a branch. I noticed that he was wearing a green pointed hat instead of the usual red one. When I mentioned this to him he communicated somewhat embarrassed that he did not want to talk about it. It had to do with something unpleasant in his past…

November 30, 2018

68th entry, Lucerne

David has terminated his apprenticeship after four months consensually. I am a little sad. My fine son, a gentle soul full of openness and sincerity, is trying to find his place in life.

During the past month I have worked very little in my studio. On one hand the roof of our house needed to be repaired causing a lot of turmoil. On the other hand various deliveries and smaller weekend exhibitions took up a lot of my time. Actually it was quite pleasant to be able to get away from the studio for a little while.

I was also able to contemplate upcoming works that I would like to implement soon, i.e. golden tablets and universal paintings. I collect ideas until I am all fired up and I cannot contain myself any longer. Then I retreat for a few days into my own world. I am extremely grateful that Franziska takes care of all the domestic stuff, especially now that we are trying to find a good solution for David.

October 28, 2018

67th entry, Brienzwiler

Just a regular work week.

Monday, 22nd October:
I start to work at 5.30 am and work until 12 noon. I do various types of work and finish crystal suns and frames.
Afternoon from 1 pm to 6 pm: Work on sculptures and natural works of art.

Tuesday, 23rd October:
7 am: Departing with Franziska for Château-d’Oex. We have to pick up a painting that we had on exhibit to show it to a client in Graubünden. The round trip takes three hours.
In the afternoon I work at my studio: Gold-plating and spackling of crystal suns.

Wednesday, 24th October:
I start work at 5 am. At the moment I do not need more than six hours of sleep and I awake refreshed and feeling fit. I enjoy the quiet morning hours in my studio when I feel especially inspired. I do various types of work like cutting, fitting, and mounting.
Preparing for Thursday: Packing five works of art and preparing tools and a power drill.

Thursday, 25th October:
7 am: Departing with Franziska for Surselva via Susten, Andermatt, and Oberalp Pass. Beautiful weather, mild, and the sky electric blue.
11 am: Meeting the client. Showing the paintings, discussing, and mounting.
12 noon: Return trip. Lunch at the monastery in Disentis. Continuing via Andermatt, and the Furka Pass. A visit to the Rhone glacier. The ice is melting at a breathtaking speed.
5 pm: Arriving home. Unloading, tidying up. Franziska is doing office work.
6 pm: Work is done!

Friday, 26th October:
Start of work at 4.30 am. Since I am not allowed to make noise before 7 am I work on a new golden tablet. I contemplate make-up, structure, focal points, and consider various possibilities.
7 am: Shaping work for crystal suns and golden tablets in front of the house.
12 noon: Lunch with Franziska outside the house.
In the afternoon working in the garden with Franziska and tidying up the studio.

Saturday, 27th October:
7 am: Working in my studio, gold-plating.
10 am: Departing for a meeting with a client at the highest building in Luzern. Spectacular view. I feel disconnected from my worldly worries and challenges. Discussion and placing of order.
12.15 pm: Lunch at an Indian restaurant.
In the afternoon I stroll through the old city and enjoy the first Christmas decorations.

Sunday, 28th October:
8 am: Leaving the house for a visit with our daughter for brunch. Because the weather is cold and clammy we stay inside. We play, engage in discussions, and enjoy our get-together. I even have time for a noontime nap.
At 5 pm we have an appointment in Luzern to deliver and mount a work of art. We are invited to stay for dinner and enjoy an animated discussion from the heart.