Trace the roots of this Scandinavian family - one that starts in the rural countryside of Oslo, Norway and winds up on the hills of Ashe County, North Carolina - and you will find a collection of oil paintings dating back to the 1800s through 2010. Each demonstrates a common thread found in this family tree of talent - a love of art.

It runs in the veins of this Norwegian family, from great grandfather to great grand daughter; the canvas tells a tale of the Dahlin clan. A primitive farm scene that could pass as an Ashe county overlook depicts a very young Oslo, Norway - today, a thriving metropolis. I.E. Dahlin left his mark in the 1800s by painting a self-portrait, his children, and his rural surroundings.

Skipping a generation, Arne Dahlin picked up his grandfather's brush as a young teenager and molded his old world technique into a much more colorful and free flowing approach. This self-portrait with his hunting dog was painted in the 1940s, as well as this nude (speculated to be the family maid).

Arne's younger brother, Finn, possessed the creative spirit, but it wasn't until his wife, Laura, started experimenting with oils that it stirred his genetic gene. Laura's favorite things to paint were turbulent ocean scenes and the family pets.

Finn could not stay idle; he took over Laura's palette and began to hone his natural ability. Later teaching his born passion, his skills as an artist only improved with each lesson. His students were taught to paint animals and landscapes, but it was portrait painting that later became his career. This self-portrait was painted shortly before his passing.

Inheriting his seasoned easel, Finn's daughter, Susan, today captures the sights of Ashe County and its surroundings using her father's original collection of Grumbacher oils. Instead of painting herself, Susan prefers to bring to life the furry friends she finds along the road in brilliant color.

Clear across the country, Susan's only sibling Ruth has surprised the clan with a talent no one knew she had, or for that matter enjoyed. Finn would have been flabbergasted to learn his oldest daughter was also artistic. Departing the world of oil, Ruth paints in acrylics, capturing the scenes outside her home on Padre Island, Texas.

Who now will carry on this Dahlin tradition? The great, great granddaughter, Susan's youngest, Sarah, took lessons from her grandfather, Finn, as a young child. Today she has been drawn to the world of oil pastels. Carrying on Grandpa's tradition, her self portrait has been recognized as winner in her high school competition.