pedagogical mural project: more

whole suggestion (with the wolves) and details from what the school kids did today

pedagogical mural project - year 2

This spring I've been working with a mural project within Creative School again - same school and based on the same idea (we're continuing so to say).These are the suggestions  finished today with one of the classes (they've been working in groups). Tomorrow I'll have a long and (hopefully) concentrated day with the rest of the kids and then I'll show you some more results. The actual painting of the murals will happen next week (Friday). Here you can see photos from last year's pedagogical mural project.

good to check things

Today I went to check the facade for my public commission again. I needed to check some measurements (you can never count on things to be like on the architect drawing!) and I hoped they would have started painting the house so I would get that impression as well.

To my surprise it looked like there was to be a drainpipe in the middle of this wall - where the main part of my art piece is to be! I talked to the constructions site's project leader ... and it turned out to be their mistake. They will move it now, as I pointed it out. (the drainpipe is supposed to be next to the window.).  I wonder what would have happened if I hadn't noticed it now?

chocolate, not aluminium

Maybe I should use chocolate for my next public commission?

The last four weeks I've just had one single day off - I'm so looking forward to four days of leisure during Easter... Happy Easter!

the figure group

water cut aluminium parts for my small model (of the real figure group for my commission)

... or at least I consider it pretty small

Here you can get an idea of the actual size of the figure group.

more aluminium

basket with apples

small tree

the wolf (water cut aluminium) Today we worked on adjusting some fitting between parts and making some lines more perfect. Arta showed me how to use his plasma cutter and some other machines in the metal workshop. I just have to take his welding/metal course in autumn - I really love being able to handle these kind of machines!

No Murphy's law so far

Today when I biked home from KKV I felt so happy - all the water cut aluminium parts for my commission were just as they should and what Arta (my metal expert and helper) had cut out looked fine too.

The four large trees are between 6 and 7 meters tall (made in three parts). To be able to see them properly I looked from a ladder with platform.

Arta adjusts the fitting of two parts.

The orange colour on the top part of this tree is a reflection from a door. It looks totally right though - the tree will later be painted orange!

Arta commented that we sure have a lot of time - four months - until the commission should be ready and mounted. He's not used to working with artists with these kind of generous time marginals. But I'm always planning taking Murphy's law into consideration (Everything that can possibly go wrong will go wrong). So far everything seems fine though - touch wood.

colour basics

I've been teaching about colours all weekend; how to work with contrasts, related and complementary colours.

I recently listened to an artist talk (Tate Britain pod cast) with David Batchelor who is a true colour artist. I will soon order his book Cromophobia. Now and then I listen to artist talks through iTunesU - I can really recommend it! [You'll access the free pod casts through iTunes - iTunesU - and search for artist talks + Moma/Tate. For example)

water cut aluminium

the outlines for one of the aluminium plates ( 3 m x 1,5 m) Next week I'll be working full time on my commission again; my helper has finished cutting out the bigger shapes and today the more complex water cut shapes were delivered to KKV (artist run collective workshops).  The maximum length of what you can get into the elevator at KKV is 2,5 meter, which I'm very much aware of (I've been on the board at KKV for some years) - so I had checked that the package with my water cut aluminium shapes shouldn't be bigger. But it was (2,58 cm)! At 15:15 Ingmar, the handy man at KKV, called me (in my studio on the other side of town) and told me that my package had arrived and that it didn't fit into the elevator... Ingmar then spend half an hour unpacking all the bits and to get them into the elevator (it's not his job to do this. He's a wonderful man. He said he wanted a trip to Goa for this) - and I could go to preschool and pick up my son.  I didn't just ordered what I needed for the commission, but also all the bits for the figure group with Snow White in smaller format. I'm very curious to see all the bits (and hoping nothing is wrong). But I will have to wait until Monday as I am teaching all weekend.

last one for now

105 x 65 cm, watercolour and acrylics. I let her mouth become like a dark hole.

another one

145 x 84 cm, watercolour and acrylics ...not many words from me these days, but you know what they say: "A picture says more than a thousand words"

light headed?

68 x 96 cm (watercolour and acrylics)

it will do

... even though the photo is just in jpg.  75 x 55 cm (watercolour, ink, gouache and acrylics) Tomorrow: the official book release for Bortom Orden at Galleri Box, Kastellgatan 10, Göteborg. Come join us and get your free copy, a drink and mingle!

photosession: new paintings

(Monday) - I had checked the weather forecast: sunny afternoon - I had brought the camera and tripod to the studio - I had emptied the memory card - I had moved everything in the studio to get the optimal light and angel - I set the mode to RAW (not jpg)  - I took all the photos  - I wrote down all the measurements - Very pleased with myself I went home  Today I discovered that I never set the mode to RAW (I was so sure I did) ... Shit, I will have to do it all over next week!! (my paintings are very often so subtle in tones and nuances that jgp isn't doing them justice)

my painting process

Sometimes people ask me about my painting process; if I sketch, how much I plan, how long it takes (very hard to estimate!) etc. So I thought I could share part of my process, how I started working on three paintings in February.  My main "problem" is always that I tend to be a little bit too skilful. Therefore I try different approaches to make painting harder, less comfortable, in order to concentrate on my first passionate outburst. This time I decided I shouldn't mount the paper at first and that I should work on three different paintings on the same paper ... so I would have to walk around on it.

Here the paper is still very wet and I take my first pause to have a look at what I've achieved. I never sketch beforehand, but I've normally decided on a certain colour scheme and of course what expression I'm after. (Notice my dirty footsteps on the paper)

Taking a closer look and adding some lines.

The colours start fading when the painting dries... Then I cut the paper into smaller pieces and mounted the papers on boards in order to continue. This part of the process involves a lot of looking and thinking - and might take some time.

I've had major difficulties finishing this painting. At a certain point it gave me the the finger (literally), but I think I've finally figured out how I'll get it to work. I'll give it a try next week - if it doesn't work then it could be one of those painting that need like half a year. Or one that will never become good enough (I think it has some potential though)

In some days I'll post photos of paintings I've finished lately (two of these).

... and there was sun

my studio today

out of focus?

Spring feels non-existent after a weekend of rain and fog. Or could it just be me being tired and not able to focus ... seeing if all without clarity?  Could I have some sun, please?

studio lunch

Yesterday my studio lunch wasn't the normal one - goat cheese and wine isn't my everyday lunch food, especially not the wine. Very good combination when it comes to taste, but I confirmed to myself again that the bohemian myth about the artist and red wine isn't working for me. The wine was so good I had two glasses and suddenly I sat there smiling thinking every painting I was working on was the work of a genius, but I couldn't bring myself to continue painting...

Black coffee, two hours and some slaps in the face later and I was finally back to my normal self critical me - with a clear mind.  It will probably be some years before I try that wine-lunch in the studio again.

Information about the summer course in big format screenprinting at HDK (where I will teach) is now posted on their website (in Swedish only).