my Neighbour sluzy mugaska feature

Sluzy – the cute local Sluseholmen Seal brightening up our day.

A quick stroll with my faithful dog through the urban landscape of Sluseholmen, a district south of Copenhagen, unexpectedly brightened an otherwise dreary November morning. A classic gloomy November morning, and the city seemed to be shrouded in a haze. 

As we walked along the waterfront, our eyes were suddenly drawn to an extraordinary sight: a Sluseholmen Seal!  Sleek and serene, had chosen a city pier as (what I thought was) an unlikely resting spot.

The seal’s presence was a delightful reminder of the surprising ways nature can intertwine with urban life. She made my day

Sluzy the Seal from Sluseholmen
Slusy from Sluseholmen1

A bit about “Sluzy” the Sluseholmen Seal

The following days, I started to wonder if she was lost. The thought of her being lost or stranded weighed heavily on my mind, and I seriously contemplated reaching out to animal services for assistance. Fortunately, my worries were quickly put to rest thanks to the knowledge of my friendly neighbours. 

They informed me that the seal was, in fact, a beloved local seal known as “Sluzy”. To my surprise, I learned that Sluzy’s presence was a regular occurrence in our area during the winter months, typically staying for an extended period before moving on. 

 

A little about Sluseholmen

Sluseholmen was inspired by Amsterdam. It’s basically a city with a lot of canals. As much as the idea is awesome, Sluseholmen hugely lacks the colour green. Especially in winter it can be dark and gloomy here. 

Don’t get me wrong, it’s a great place, where you can swim or kayak only few steps away from your apartment. However it looks like someone forgot to plant more trees 😉 Hopefully it will all come with time, as it’s still a very young neighborhood.

concreteCity comic mugaska 1
concreteCity comic mugaska 2
concreteCity comic mugaska 3
concreteCity comic mugaska 4

Helping me find inspiration

Since I met Sluzy a bunch of times, I warmed up to Sluseholmen and started to appreciate it’s character. Living next to a wild seal is a rare treat and I guess it helped me to open my eyes to other qualities of my new surroundings.

Sluseholmen3
Sluseholmen1
Sluseholmen at night

This is when I found myself increasingly drawn to capturing the essence of Sluseholmen through photography and sketching. As I spent more time exploring the area, my interest grew, and I began to document its unique architectural features and urban landscapes. 

Before I fully realised it, I had started amassing a collection of Sluzy-themed postcards and illustrations, each piece reflecting a different aspect or perspective of this neighborhood. This unintentional hobby soon became a cherished pastime, allowing me to appreciate Sluseholmen a little more.

Slusy cards mugaska 8
first Sluzy sketches
Slusy cards mugaska 9
getting to know Sluzy's character
Sluzy from sluseholmen joanna mugford watercolour
Here she is! 🙂
Sluzy in Riccos
first Sluzy's box at the local caffe
Sluzy in Riccos almost gone!
few days after...
Sluzy from sluseholmen joanna mugford watercolour2
new batch upgraded with sketches of Sluseholmen
PXL 20240318 063642142
new Sluzy's box 🙂
Slusy cards mugaska 1
paint, draw, cut
Slusy cards mugaska 13
messy studio
Slusy cards mugaska 16
first A5 illustrations
Slusy cards mugaska 17
local caffe Ricco's
Slusy cards mugaska 18
Sluzy collection

A little thanks to the locals and especially Ricco’s!

Thank you to all who have shown appreciation for Sluzy and supported my project. Your enthusiasm has provided me with an abundance of positive energy and ignited my creativity to new heights! I’m incredibly grateful for the overwhelming response and encouragement.

And of course, I can’t talk about support without adding a special note of gratitude goes out to Ricco’s for their generosity in providing space to showcase my Sluzy collection. Their support has been instrumental in bringing this project to a wider audience.  Thanks a lot Casper!

The journey of creating and sharing Sluzy has been an incredible experience, and I’m excited to continue developing and expanding this project with your continued support and feedback. 

Subscribe to my newsletter and be the first one to hear about what’s coming next!

Shopping Cart
Scroll to Top