AricJorn

An exciting journey is underway!

Heading Back Home: Draken's New Chapter Begins — Draken Harald Hårfagre After more than seven years in US waters, it is today announced that the Draken Harald Hårfagre is set to return to Norway for new challenges and adventures. Known as the world's largest Viking ship currently sailing, Draken has not just traversed oceans but has bridged cultures, educated thousands...

Today is Earth Day, and while the Vikings did not practice environmental protection in the ways we do in modern times, nature was nevertheless extremely important to them. Evidence of this is woven throughout their mythology from Yggdrasil (the giant ash tree that is home to the nine worlds) to the way they revered animals to Thor’s own mother, Jörð, who is the personification of Earth.

We are excited to announce two new payment options now available in the studio store: PayPal and Affirm. Both options enable you to buy now and pay later, so you can get that perfect gift or something for yourself. To check out these pay over time options, simply view any item in the studio store (www.jorn.com/shop). Available payment plans will be listed next to the item’s price.

For all of our followers who like to shop on Etsy, now through Wednesday (Oct. 11), Etsy is offering $10 off on orders of $40+. This applies to the Aric Jorn Studios store (www.etsy.com/shop/AricJorn). Simply apply Etsy code YES10 to your cart before checking out.

Announcing the third annual Virtual Voyage…

In 2021 we took a Journey to the Bifrost.
In 2022 we went Viking Across England.
This year, we embark on an Eddic Odyssey.

Learn more and register here: www.jorn.com/eddic-odyssey

The Vikings loved a good Saga and I've no doubt they would have been fans of the hero stories found in the Star Wars saga. So, as a fan of both worlds, all of us here at Aric Jorn Studios wish you happy Star Wars Day. May the 4th be with you!

The second half of WAVE17 is shipping out to subscribers tomorrow morning. So exciting to see them headed off to their new homes. Learn more about the Mini Myth Collection at jorn.com

Incredible new video from Jackson Crawford suggests that the Vikings may have known about gunpowder and been the first in Europe to weaponize it...

"With Surtr's Dust": The Viking Discovery of Gunpowder A newly-discovered manuscript reveals that the Vikings discovered gunpowder and used it to make elementary small arms. See also the companion documentary at ...

Thanks to those who backed the recent Kickstarter launch, the Viking Artifact Series is officially a go, but it's not yet set in stone. The opportunity remains to upgrade the design of the first two pieces in this series – a sword and a spearhead – for everyone. And so the Viking Artifact Challenge begins! Check it out at https://www.jorn.com/viking-artifact-challenge

Viking Artifact Challenge | Aric Jorn Studios A challenge to upgrade and augment the first two pieces in Aric Jorn Studio's Viking Artifact Series. Challenge cutoff: July 15, 2023.

It is so refreshing to see historically accurate depictions of the Old Norse Völva.

This is a reminder that it's the final two days of my Ancient Viking Sword Kickstarter campaign. I'm so excited to get to work on these and, while they will likely be available on the studio site throughout the coming year, those who back the Kickstarter will receive several additional perks (like the chance to name the sword and being listed in the accompanying booklet as a project supporter/patron). The campaign ends just after midnight this coming Sunday (February 26). https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/aricjorn/make-100-ancient-viking-sword-sculptural-wall-art

It alarms me to know how many historic sites/objects are being destroyed on a regular basis - even now in the 21st century. One of my missions as an artist is to help support efforts to preserve, interpret, and share information about these things in the hopes that increased awareness might bring about a surge in support of historical conservation.

One of our aims is to let the general public know that thousands upon thousands of monuments have been destroyed by modern farmers, in many cases the current generation farming the land or their parents.

The image from Google Earth shows some of the monuments missing or destroyed in a small area of County Wexford. One of the reasons we produce maps like these along with raising awareness that heritage damage is ongoing, is to make the general public aware that many of our monuments have gone missing, been destroyed or damaged in the relatively recent past.

All of the monuments portrayed as destroyed or missing were recorded in earlier surveys, mostly from the mid 20th century. The cupmarked stone was recorded in the late 1800’s as a large flat rock with seven cup marks on the surface.

There are many more monuments destroyed or missing in this area including Ringforts, and at least one recorded Megalithic Tomb that cannot be located. However, we chose this sample, partly to avoid cluttering up the map with text, and because it shows that quite a lot of Standing Stones have gone missing in this area.

Joseph Campbell had just passed when I first became aware of him. Yet, as an artist who focuses my work on mythology, he has proved to be a lifelong inspiration to me and my own creative journey.

"What is it we are questing for? It is the fulfillment of that which is potential in each of us. Questing for it is not an ego trip; it is an adventure to bring into fulfillment your gift to the world, which is yourself. There is nothing you can do that’s more important than being fulfilled. You become a sign, you become a signal, transparent to transcendence; in this way you will find, live, become a realization of your own personal myth."
-Joseph Campbell

From Pathways to Bliss

With my Ancient Viking Sword project funded, I’m focused on making it even better with several "stretch goals" that include the addition of pure/sterling silver details. Discover this project on Kickstarter and pass it on to anyone else who might want to add a touch of the Medieval to their walls. https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/aricjorn/make-100-ancient-viking-sword-sculptural-wall-art

Well, THAT was fast!

Yesterday I launched the first piece in my new “Viking Artifact” series through Kickstarter's Make100 program and by the end of the first day of this 30-day launch, it has already received 237% FUNDING! This means that the project is officially a go and I want to thank all of you who backed it on opening day!

MAKE100-2023-Sword_FUNDED.jpg
I'll be adding some exciting stretch goals to the project this week. If backing for the project continues to grow, these stretch goals will enable us to add things like pure silver leaf and twisted silver wire to the hilt/pommel and/or expand the accompanying booklet to include substantially more photos/information.

There is still time to support this project (it ends February 27 or whenever all swords have been claimed) You can access BOTH the sword Kickstarter and the companion spear piece on our main site www.jorn.com

It's LAUNCH DAY for the first two pieces in my VIking Artifacts Series of wall reliefs. Our Kickstarter for the Viking Sword is off to a great start - we're only a few hours in and already 96% funded! You can find out all about it at: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/aricjorn/make-100-ancient-viking-sword-sculptural-wall-art/

The companion piece (a large Viking Spearhead) is also available to pre-order today on our studio store. You can learn about that at: https://www.jorn.com/product-page/viking-spearhead

Thanks to all our early backers! This is going to be a great series and I can't wait to make it happen!
~Aric

I'm making 100 Viking swords !!

This Saturday, Jan 28, I'm launching a new Viking Artifacts series of sculptural wall reliefs.

As a kid, I would spend hours looking at the impressive collection of ancient arms and armor at the Detroit Institute of Arts and dreamed of having a wall full of ancient artifacts of my own. But I didn’t want the shiny new factory-stamped replicas - I wanted something that looked like it was unearthed at an archeological dig site.

On January 28, I hope to make that childhood dream of mine come true (and share it with a hundred like-minded people) a Kickstarter for the first piece in my Viking Artifacts series - a sword similar to the one featured in this post. I'll sculpt, mold, cast, and finish it until it's ready to hang on your wall and make your room look like it's part of a gallery of early Medieval antiquities.

If this project interests you, I ask that you support it on opening day (Saturday, January 28). If I get enough support on launch day, Kickstarter’s algorithm will show my project to a much larger field of potential supporters and it will be more likely to be produced.

Use the link below to be notified/reminded on Saturday when the project is live.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/aricjorn/make-100-ancient-viking-sword-sculptural-wall-art/

For those who are new to Kickstarter, here’s how it works - my project will be open for 30 days (January 28 through February 27). If you choose to support it, you select one of the “rewards” and give them your payment information. However, you won’t be charged until the end of February when the project's 30-day support period is over - and then only if the project is fully funded.

If you've read this far, thank you for your time and I hope you will join me on this crazy and slightly eccentric journey into the VIking Age.
~Aric

For those who may not have heard, there has been a significant discovery in Norway - the oldest datable rune stone yet found. It's a small sandstone about one square foot in size and the writing dates to between 1-250 CE. There is a great Twitter thread on this find:

https://twitter.com/Kristel_Zilmer/status/1615462182606540800

So this happened today… I am a sculptor who primarily makes work based on Norse mythology and culture from the very small (2 inches) to the very tall (12 feet). So when Tweeterhead announced a contest to make a throne that represented “me” I knew at once what it would be. I assembled a bunch of my sculptures and turned my art into my throne. As a nod to the contest prize (Tweeterhead’s amazing 1:6 Joker on Throne statue), I wore my purple striped Viking pants. My thanks to for having this contest - making this throne was a fun and satisfying way to spend the weekend!

This year's Virtual Voyage (Viking Across England) completion medals and contest prizes are shipping out tomorrow! Congratulations to everyone who finished one or both parts of this epic 400-mile journey with us. We're already planning out next year's event where we will adventure through the heart of Norse myths (the Eddas) while exploring the breathtaking beauty of Iceland. Look for announcements in Spring 2023 - we hope you'll join us!

Here is the full set of four layered reliefs from my Mythic Pairs series. Although the first in this series (Odin's Ravens: Huginn and Muninn) has been sold out for a couple years now, we put aside nine artist proofs of each piece so we could make an extremely limited number of full sets available when the series concluded. Now that the final piece in the series (Thor's Goats) is finished, we are making these nine sets available on our main online store (www.jorn.com).

The set includes one of each of the Mythic Pairs pieces (matching, signed, and numbered artist proofs), your choice of frame (black or walnut), and a story card for each piece.

Odin's Ravens ©2014 Aric Jorn
Wolves of Ragnarok ©2016 Aric Jorn
Freyja's Cats ©2018 Aric Jorn
Thor's Goats © 2022 Aric Jorn

Just released: The fourth and final piece in my "Mythic Pairs" series of limited edition, layered reliefs, "Thor’s Goats: Tanngrisnir & Tanngnjóstr.”

Thor’s goats, Tanngrisnir (“Teeth Gnasher”) and Tanngnjóstr (“Teeth Grinder”), pull Thor’s flying chariot whenever he leaves Asgard to travel the nine realms. The goats also sustain Thor when no other food source is readily available. He can eat his goats in the evening and then resurrect them the next morning good as new by waving his hammer, Mjolnir, over the bones and commanding them to be whole again.

The Mythic Pairs Series includes four distinct pieces (Odin's Ravens, Wolves of Ragnarok, Freyja's Cats, and Thor's Goats). On my main studio site (jorn.com) there is an extremely rare opportunity to obtain one of only Nine (9) complete sets of signed and numbered artist proofs.

Thor's Goats: Tanngrisnir & Tanngnjóstr
©2022 Aric Jorn

Working on the latest figure in my "Mini Myth Collection" depicting Norse mythology's infamous psychopathic murderers, Fjalar and Galar. They did horrible things in the stories (like causing a giant to drown for no apparent reason and then dropping a boulder on his wife's head because she cried too loudly for their liking over her husband's death) - still, they crafted the Mead of Poetry which accounts for all those who are able to write in a poetic way. Of course the mead was also the result of a murder they committed, so... This gruesome twosome was a lot of fun to sculpt even though they always seemed to be staring at me which made me a little uncomfortable 🤣

You can find Fjalar and Galar along with over 50 other characters in the ever-expanding Mini Myth Collection at www.jorn.com

I'm glad to be back at the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts and ready for day 2 of this four-day fair. If you're in the State College area I hope you'll stop by and see me in booth B41 (Burrowes just north of College Ave.)

Aric Jorn Studios is hosting our annual virtual walk-run-bike event. https://www.jorn.com/viking-across-england Registration is open and the event will run from April 14 through October 14 (start and end at your own pace within this time period). Explore the Viking Age as you meet your fitness goals. Contests, hand-crafted medals, lively chat rooms, and a virtual mead hall make this an event not to miss.

My freestanding sculpture, Huginn, is currently on exhibit as part of The Crow Show at the Arts Illiana Gallery, in Terre Haute, IN. The show runs through March 18, 2022, and features nearly a hundred works of crow-themed art. Visit their Web site for hours and directions at http://artsilliana.com.

Huginn is my tribute to one of Odin's Ravens from Norse mythology. His name means "thought" and Odin sends him off each morning to collect the news of the day and report it back to him. His twin (Muninn, whose name means "memory") will be coming out this summer to complete this two-part series. As always, you can check out all my current work at www.jorn.com

Exciting start to 2022!
https://www.scotsman.com/heritage-and-retro/heritage/travel-routes-and-landing-places-of-vikings-in-scotland-to-be-mapped-like-never-before-3501820

Travel routes and landing places of Vikings in Scotland to be mapped like never before The harbours, landing places and travel routes used by Vikings in Scotland are to be investigated in a major new research project.

God Yul to one and all, and Merry Christmas too. Our sincere wishes to you for a bright, prosperous, and joyful 2022.