by Dr. Iain
Corness
Down in Jomtien is the artist who painted the portrait
of King Harald of Norway for the Norwegian parliamentary building. His
name is Tore Juell (pronounced Too-ruh Youll). Norwegian bred and born, he
had to overcome some obstacles in becoming an artist, not the least of
which was parental antipathy.
Tore’s
father was a clothier, and a successful one. He was an artistic man, but
never considered that “art” could be a career. Selling clothes was a
better way to make money. However, his son, the young Tore, began lying on
the floor and drawing from 5 years of age. This continued all the way
through school. His only interest was art and he was lucky that some of
his teachers allowed him time to pursue this during school hours. He spent
many hours drawing his teachers, rather than studying what they were
trying to instil into him. Talent not withstanding, there were still
parental objections. “My father wanted me to be anything but a
painter!”
When he finished high school, Tore decided he wanted to
be the Walt Disney of Norway and he was enrolled in a commercial art
school, his father reasoning that at least with “commercial” art,
perhaps this son of his would have a chance of supporting himself in life.
Graduating from there, Tore spent 12 months doing cartoons and animated
commercial advertisements. Hardly great “art” but it paid bills.
However, in 1962 there was a painting exhibition held
in Oslo with works by all the top painters in Norway. Young Tore was
invited to the event, which changed his life entirely. “I saw a painting
that hit me like lightning. It was a landscape done in oils, borrowed from
the National Gallery. This was what I wanted to do! So I quit my job!”
King Harald of Norway stands by his portrait done by Tore Juell.
He
enrolled at the Art & Craft School of Norway (the equivalent of a
national academy) for 2 years. “I spent most of the time in restaurants
with artists and listened and looked. My father said he would give me any
education that I wanted - if I would quit painting. But I could not.”
His partner was a nurse, who in true selflessness
supported him during this initial phase. They bought an old car and they
began to go through Europe visiting all the famous galleries, such as the
Louvre in France, where Tore would spend hours looking at the works of the
masters, such as Rembrandt. He began to understand himself and to realise
his need to paint - and much of that was portraits.
Being an unknown, people were not flocking to his door
with orders for portraits, so he began by generating his own orders. “I
would tell people they had a fantastic face and I would do their portrait.
If they liked it, sometimes they bought it!”
They meandered on through Europe to Spain, a country
that has had much influence upon Tore. “I had a strange feeling in Spain
that I had been there before.” He also knew that the famous concert
pianist Arturo Rubenstein lived in Marbella (Costa del Sol) and he wanted
to do his portrait. He wrote with his request and was told that Arturo was
willing to sit for him - but in Paris! So they went back to France where
Tore painted the famous man. This was another turning point.
Rubenstein was giving a farewell concert in Marbella
and Tore was invited down to present the portrait at the event. Not only
did Rubenstein like his portrait, but a member of the audience liked it
too and requested that Tore do his portrait as well. That was the movie
star Mel Ferrer. The way to become rich and famous is to paint the rich
and famous. Well, to make enough to live off, at least!
His portraits have made him renowned in his native
Norway, and when he was asked if he would like to paint the Norwegian
King’s portrait for the parliamentary building he considered it a great
honour, especially as he only lives part of the year in his native
country.
In common with many talented people, he is never
satisfied with his own work. “I paint fast, but if I am not happy I
start again. I do not go over the canvas again and again to correct it. I
try to make a good painting, because I disappoint myself all the time.”
Art is not an easy field!
Tore’s contact with Thailand came about 10 years ago.
He was giving an exhibition in Oslo and his work caught the eye of another
Norwegian art enthusiast. That was Jan Olav Aamlid, the Pattaya
Mail’s own numismatist of world note, who invited Tore to come to
Thailand to paint Jan Olav’s wife.
This ended up as an annual visit to Pattaya and 7 years
ago he met a friend of the Aamlid family. This turned into a whirlwind
romance. “Nine days later we were on a plane to Norway,” and 7 years
later Tore is still very much in love with his Thai wife.
Tore’s advice to the budding artists was a reserved,
“Try if you can’t avoid it - but you have to work very hard. Sitting
waiting for inspiration is difficult.” Personally he remains in awe of
Rembrandt, whom he describes as the Johan Sebastian Bach of painters. He
did say that he was originally impressed with Dali’s technique - until
he found that many of the paintings were done by an employee, but that
Picasso would stand forever!
Success for this Norwegian portrait painter is his
current situation which he obviously enjoys. “Success is what I have
now. I live a good life. I work with something I love - painting. It is
part of me. I have a wife I love very much. We are together every day.”
To be able to express himself through painting was his
destiny - and he has assured himself of his own place in history too.
