Alexandra Hedberg

snow and more sunshine

2012-01-30T21:02:00.000+01:00

No much to report about here; but I can share some links ...

oh, morning sun

2012-01-27T20:07:00.000+01:00

Even though summer might feel very far away right now, it will come sooner than you think. And I'm happy to again teach a summer course in big-format screen print at the design school (HDK). I'll be back with more information about the course when it's made public (don't tell anyone I told you ...).

on request: more sketchbook pages

2012-01-24T18:29:00.000+01:00

just checking that my studio is still there ...

2012-01-23T20:42:00.000+01:00

Today I biked to the studio to water my plants and check that my studio is still there. And of course it was! I also checked my ongoing project that I just left in the middle when I travelled to Colombia - and it actually looked as promising as I remembered. Sometimes you return to see it wasn't as good as you thought - but not this time!

But art will have to wait for now - I'm still spending my days at home planning the year, but above all preparing my Art as Business Course for Camp Pikaland. I'm aiming to make this course into something that can help artists or illustrators getting an overall structure to everything that has to be done, to help them prioritize, evaluate and plan. And really see it through and reach their goals... I don't want to make a course that is just a list of everything you could and should do.

The class starts the 7th of February, but you can also sign up later as it is a self-study class.

a visit to Camilla's studio

2012-01-22T21:01:00.001+01:00

Friday I paid a visit to Camilla's studio and had a coffee. She's renting this studio from artist Pecka Söderberg for a year while he's away traveling. There's a very special light and the colours of the surroundings - inside and outside - are like from one of Camilla's paintings. Like the one in the second photo; the chair has the same colour as the shadow on Camilla's hand, the background in the painting is like the yellow brick wall and the woman's dress is like the concrete floor.

sketchbook pages

2012-01-18T20:22:00.002+01:00

and Ace Camp is offering a workshops with Camilla Engman again.

more grey: sketchbook material

2012-01-17T20:31:00.001+01:00

Before going to Colombia I managed to finish my sketchbook for the sketchbook project. This was a fun little creative exercise for me, a playful intimate game on the theme "Grey side of Life". (and a healthy contrast for me who is nowadays just aiming for monumental).

I decided on some basic limitations to sparkle my fantasy (as this always is a good way for me to get playful):
- to just use (mostly) grey left overs and materials from my studio (ink and colour tests, small parts of discarded big drawings) ...
- use whatever I could distinguish on the paper, what I could see with my fantasy (hey, that looks like an elephant), cut it out and just add as little as possible. And no censoring - what showed up showed up.

(I'll share some more sketches tomorrow)

There's an interview with me over at Pikaland. Soon my Art as Business e-course will be starting at Camp Pikaland!

grey Gothenburg

2012-01-16T21:51:00.000+01:00

It's nice to be home, but it sure feels kind of grey. I've missed my studio, but creative time will have to wait yet some time. Paperwork and planning ...

summing up 2011

2012-01-15T22:13:00.002+01:00

Now when I'm back home I fell ready to start the new year!
But what is starting afresh without summing up 2011?

separate exhibition in Lysekil Konsthall

... and separate exhibition in Nemeshallen

I worked on a mural project together with schoolchildren. See the results here and here

in addition to my normal screen printing workshops for artists and my guest teaching for pattern design students I taught a summer course in big format screen printing and it's spatial possibilities at the School of Design and Crafts, (Here you can see the results in the exhibition)

I worked hard in spring on my public commission (in form cut aluminum)

In August I mounted it. The schoolchildren named the 7,5 x 22 m art piece "Snow white talks to the Phantom while Batman is disturbing and the Wolf is howling"

In May I spent a week painting in the Watercolour Museum's guest studio and got some peace and quite.

In August I went to Gerlesborg and spent a week taking a concrete casting course

in 2011 I managed to get more studio time just working on my own art than any other year!

[wonder what I achieved in 2010? - read summing up 2010]

Bye Bye Bogotà

2012-01-11T08:00:00.005+01:00

Right now we are on our way back home to Sweden (this is a scheduled post). Visiting Colombia for the first time and meeting almost everyone in the big Colombian family has been something special. Counting Colombia I've been to 23 countries, but it's a big difference between just seeing a country as a tourist (from the outside) and seeing it (from the inside) with the help of those living there.

This last month here in Colombia I've been thinking a lot about how I want to live my life, what I value most - and what I want with my art. Now I'm ready to start 2012!

more Oscar Muños

2012-01-10T17:02:00.002+01:00

video; portrait (self portrait) drawing changing and disappearing as the water disappears from the sink. (I believe the drawing was made out of carbon powder)

Oscar Muños

2012-01-10T05:01:00.002+01:00

It's not that often when visiting an exhibition that I feel happy, excited and "this is so good" - and all at the same time. But that's how I felt when I saw Oscar Muños' retrospective exhibition at Museo del Arte del Banco de la republica here in Bogotà! Oscar Muños is one of Colomia's most important contemporary artists and I felt an immediate connection with his art. Muños works with photography, video/video installations and objects with a strong tie to art history's long tradition of depicting as well as with the process of transformation, destruction and reconfiguration. His imagery is mostly based on portraiture (photography and drawing).

There is both something elusive and something everlasting in his art. The concept of time seems to be essential. And the act of depicting and the concept of representing.

carbon in water

here you can see the border of the image above; the carbon is floating on water in a box. It's very elusive.

video; Muños is painting a portrait (self portrait I belive) over and over again. But as it is painted only with water on concrete it disappears as the water dries ... and he paints it again and again.

videoinstallation. can't really explain it. it has to been seen in real life. Great though!

Bogotà from the car

2012-01-09T16:05:00.000+01:00

the outskirts of Bogotà; a typical roadside restaurant

another place for eating; they are barbecuing big pieces of meat and corn

I grew up without a car and I don't have a car in Sweden nowadays either. I've never in my life spent as much time in a car as now in Bogotà. According to my Colombian family it's not safe to take photos on the street ... so I've been documenting the street life through the car window. (But you have to hide the camera when stopping for a red light or they might smash the window and steal your camera. They stole my mother in law's handbag that way...)

gold and ceramics

2012-01-07T04:03:00.001+01:00

Museo del Oro, Bogotà; fantastic pre-colonial Indian art.

It's like I'm on "pause" - when the rest of the worlds is still turning. But I think my brain is secretly working on something.

death, torture and art

2012-01-04T22:37:00.003+01:00

In Cartagena we paid a visit to el MUSEO HISTÓRICO DE CARTAGENA CASA DE LA INQUISICIÓN. It was the first time my six year old son became aware of human cruelty --... as we had to explain him the instruments of torture and what an execution was. And why (can it be explained?). The museum also exhibited some emerging artists who used the possibilities of the building in a great way.

Violeta Ospina, videoinstallation

Didn't get the name here unfortunately

Juan Raúl Hoyos

Liliana Sanchèz

Happy new year - and tamale

2012-01-03T04:39:00.001+01:00

A little late, but: Happy New Year!
2011 was great and I know 2012 will be even better! But I'm postponing the start of my new year two weeks until my return to Sweden... Mañana, you know.

Above a very Colombian dish; tamale (tamal in Colombia). (didn't like it very much though - too heavy for me)

further up in the mountains

2011-12-31T02:45:00.000+01:00

(here everyone thinks he's a girl because of his long hair)

Still in Colombia. The other day we went further up the mountains outside Bogotà. The landscape looked very much like Switzerland and the weather was like a mild Swedish summer day in June. We are here a full month (two more weeks to go) and I had thought I would be able to work at least two hours a day - I brought the computer.

But, No.

I'm enjoying the time here and I'm telling myself there will be time for work in 2012. This also means that for now I will be posting mostly about Colombia and not that much about my art. I hope you find it as interesting as I do!

the village architecture didn't look much like Switzerland though.

grey side of life: more

2011-12-29T15:02:00.000+01:00

"Ok, someone probably got sad, but it made his day!"

[another page from my sketchbook on the theme "grey side of life"]

Christmas eve: Salt Cathedral of Zipaquirá

2011-12-27T04:08:00.001+01:00

waterfall of crystalized salt representing the lake of Gennesaret (if I understood the guide right - I don't really speak Spanish)

On Christmas eve we visited the Salt Cathedral of Zipaquirá. It is built in a salt mine 200 m under ground and supposed to be the world's biggest church under ground. Long tunnels and huge excavated church rooms were lit with strong changing colored lights - and a very different experience for me.

e-course Art as Business

2011-12-21T18:50:00.000+01:00

Ever felt like you have this great talent and persistency but it’s like you’re not getting anywhere? Or perhaps you suspect that you might be spending time on the wrong tasks?

Or perhaps you have this dream you would love to make true, but in some weird way you are not able to liberate the time to get started? Or that no matter what you seem to do you just manage to keep the immediate future in view and never shape any long lasting plans as you just react to urgencies? Roll up your sleeves, put on your boxing gloves and join the e-course Art as Business at Camp Pikaland to get in control, make the right choices and beat procrastination!

Proper goal setting, research, planning and time management are crucial in order to get somewhere. Art as Business is an e-course about defining your Master Plan to reach your goals as an artist or illustrator and getting the tools to do do. This e-course will help you put together a master plan and structure yourself to follow it through. And I will guide you.

Cartagena, Colombia

2011-12-20T23:49:00.003+01:00

Sunday night we returned to Bogotà from Cartagena after enjoying five days of leisure in tropical temperatures with both rain and sun. I didn't do much sketching ... but I sat on the beach summing up 2011 and planning next year. Among other things I'll teach an e-course in Art as Business - about defining your Master Plan to reach your goals as an artist or illustrator and getting the tools to do do. A Christmas gift for someone you know - or yourself, maybe? (Soon I'll post all the information about it.)

Bogotà, Colombia

2011-12-14T04:01:00.002+01:00

After two days in Bogotà adjusting to the hight (Bogotà is situated at 2 600 m above sea level) and not being online I'm starting to feel like myself again. Tomorrow we are going to Cartagena and I'm not bringing the computer .... so no blogging until next week, but then I hope to be back with some interesting sketches and photos.

sketchbook project in the post

2011-12-10T21:48:00.001+01:00

Early tomorrow morning we're taking the flight to Bogotà via Frankfurt. I've actually managed to do almost everything on my to do list! YES. We've even cleaned the apartment so my mother won't have to house-sit a dirty place. One of the other things I finished was my contribution for the sketchbook project on the Theme Grey side of life, and posted it. This little creature is one of my sketches. I'll share my whole sketchbook later on.

And now back to packing those last things. I'll be back here in a couple of days, but then blogging from Colombia.

lagging behind

2011-12-07T21:41:00.004+01:00

I already knew I would have a lot to do this week, but then I got slowed down by that cold and fever ... We are leaving for Colombia on Sunday (to see the that side of the family for Christmas - I'm very excited about it!) so it's not just my art business stuff that need to be taken care before that...

On the business side I'm fixing some stuff for the Christmas Market Julform that Cissi is arranging (not just her); one of my Snowwhites will be there. Then I have to put together some materials and chose art for a work place exhibition, make two applications for public commissions, send some invoices etc ... I'm having a hard time managing to finish the tasks on my list. - so blogging will have low priority this week...

my Morran interpretation

2011-12-05T19:23:00.003+01:00

my Morran Interpretation.

I met Camilla for a coffee today and got the chance to see the book with images of Morran and flip through the pages. Illustrators/artists from all around the world have contributed with their interpretation and it's looking darn good!

Here you can get a preview and order the book.

Something else: Many Hands - a collective | online store, offering an eclectic range of prints and gifts created by a select group of leading illustrators and artists, among others my talented friend Thereza Rowe.

guest teaching in Lidköping

2011-12-03T20:57:00.000+01:00

Christmas feeling in Lidköping

work in progress

presentation

I'm home from Lidköping, but unfortunately I brought a cold back with me. So snotty and feverish right now. Sleeping might cure it, don't you think?

glass experiment

2011-11-27T21:12:00.003+01:00

Oh - and about the glass test: It turned out just as I had hoped. I'll give you a sneak peak later, but without revealing what I might be up to ...

going away guest teaching

2011-11-27T21:11:00.002+01:00

Early tomorrow morning I'm taking the train to Lidköping and Formakademin to guest teach screen printing on paper. Last year when I was there we had so much snow - but now it's just raining.

I'll be on a blog break until I return on Friday night!

mural project in book

2011-11-24T20:12:00.001+01:00

As a little project to learn how to use some basic InDesign and to practice some book binding I've put together a simple book about the mural projects I made with the school kids at Sandeklevsskolan in spring 2010 and 2011. Today I did those last things like binding it. I thought it was fun to use the same kind paper for the cover as we had used for cutting shapes when sketching for the murals. The art teacher will probably make the connection.

The glass kiln was ready to open today in the afternoon, but I didn't have the time to go and check the results. Tomorrow I will ... Cross your fingers!

exhibition: Love Lundell

2011-11-23T21:11:00.001+01:00

Love Lundell is right now exhibiting at Göteborgs Konstförening in their Big Gallery. You can roughly say he is exhibiting two slightly different types of works. Both are good, but I think his more collage-like works (above) stand out. They have something that makes me think of them again. And again. What especially appealed to me is the way he works the surface and his feeling for the material, the colour planes and shapes. There's a rhythm. I got inspired by this exhibition.

Love Lundell also works with illustration. The exhibition ends on the 4th of December.

this line of work I didn't like as much. This painting was the best of them. Not that they weren't good. It's just that "I've seen it before" ...

today: glass

2011-11-22T19:32:00.001+01:00

The container with discarded glass pieces at the glass firm where I got some bits for free for my experiments when saying I was an artist (helps most of the time). I smiled and was as nice as I could - but the man didn't smile back and just kept saying "Don't cut yourself" "Don't cut yourself" . (Did I look that careless?) I found a big piece, even better than I could have hoped for - 6 mm thick and everything. Just what I needed.

Mia Frankedal and Mia Branzell had just opened the big glass kiln when I arrived at KKV

They make glass angels together every year for Christmas. Their angels are inspired by a new artists every year. This year it was Sonia Delaunay, last year it was Louise Bourgeois.

My glass piece. Tomorrow I'll cut the piece and prepare a kind of form for it before putting it into the kiln. I'll then slump the glass. I took a glass course in 2004 and then I made a lot of test and experiments, but I never really found a way for me to use glass in my art. But now I think I know how I could use it. But I won't know for sure until I've made my tests... It could very well just be a dead end!

big canvas

2011-11-21T21:50:00.000+01:00

exhibition: Eric Magassa

2011-11-18T07:51:00.001+01:00

Yesterday I went and saw my studio neighbor and friend Eric Magassa's exhibition at Göteborgs Konstförening. I have been very curious to see his latest work as he's not even let me through the door to his studio lately. As always when it comes to Eric's art I was delighted. I love Eric's colour palette and the way he manages to be both playful and serious at the same time.

You have until December 4 to see Eric's exhibition.

workshop details

2011-11-16T18:13:00.000+01:00

Paid KKV (artists' collective workshops) a visit today. I booked myself a glass kiln for next week. So I can make some experiments ...

challenging myself

2011-11-15T20:52:00.004+01:00

watercolour on canvas

As an artist you will now and then feel the urge to challenge yourself more, to move on, to find new ways of working or new angles to your themes. Or that unique expression that is just yours? But how do you achieve that?

Jarl Ingvarsson, a Swedish artist, said in an interview I read years ago that his best impulses or ideas come when he has spent sufficient time in the studio to start feeling a bit bored. If I remember it right he said he then would be more free as he wouldn't care so much. He could do whatever. (this could very much be me making it up - in that case: Sorry)

Last year I listened to a great artist talk with David Batchelor (an artist I admire very much) and among other things he talked about how he got his ideas in his studio. His art might seem very conceptual, but studio work - or real life experience of materials - is essential to him. By seeing things in his studio piled up on a shelf, or a brightly colored canvas lying temporarily in a certain way, he got his ideas. Just by seeing things that might be by coincident, or seeing things with new eyes. (It's not "just" though. It takes a certain talent.)

I've lately been getting really frustrated in my studio because I felt like I'm not advancing, I need something more to my art to make it better and in order to get more interested in what I'm working with. In some ways I felt bored with it, even though I have had occasional moments of flow. A bit like; "yes, sure a nice painting ... but shouldn't it be more to it? The same thing again... Am I in the 19th century?" For me frustration is good - if I have the time to explore it. I will go a bit wild then, more courageous.

Cutting things up can be a way - I tried it and laughed a bit, but felt like there should be more to it than that. Changing materials a bit can be a way. So I tried painting watercolor on canvas instead. And bigger. Didn't really do it, but I felt a bit better. Then I tried something else and got a fantastic surprise side effect. I'm very hopeful now. Could this be it? Tomorrow I'll get some advice from an artist working with glass - and then I'll hopefully know if I can recreate what I'm after. Anyway I'm on a new track now. I can feel it

I need that light

2011-11-11T20:55:00.002+01:00

After several days of november darkness the sun flooded my studio with light today. I always store my geraniums in my studio over winter - and seeing them through the thin curtain fabric made me believe I must have been confused believing it was autumn ...

yes yes, it's spring...

Have a nice weekend!

shadowplay

2011-11-10T21:14:00.001+01:00

... these arrangements of his very often have extra dimensions. It can not just be a coincidence ...

why I blog

2011-11-09T21:33:00.002+01:00

when I get stuck with my art cutting it up and combining bits in new ways is a great way to reflect

and get some self distance. I analyze what I do - and why.

Sometimes it feels harder to blog. It can be because of lack of "inspiration", because you're into something else in the real world, there might simply not be enough time, because you are too tired (me right now). It can be because you don't see the point spending all that time ...

Those days I remind myself of all the good things I've gotten through blogging;

friends
inspiration and encouragement
job opportunities
the habit of documenting my work and process
the habit of reflecting over what I do and the courage to do it aloud
several years overview of what I do (like a diary)

... and much more.

when biking home ...

2011-11-07T21:29:00.000+01:00

I had planned to work a little longer in the studio today, but suddenly I realized I couldn't because it was getting darker earlier than I had thought (just after four). I had no lamps for my bike and had to hurry up. This is what it looked like when crossing the bridge. The view is always spectacular here.

I'm working on some things in my studio now that I feel I can not show in progress - until later. Normally I don't have a problem sharing my process, but now it's different. All year I've been wrestling with where I'm heading with my art - feeling I need some change, some development.

exhibition: Marta Runemark

2011-11-04T21:22:00.000+01:00

the ostrich (life-size) is a reflection

Yesterday I visited Marta Runemark's exhibition at Galleri Jeanette Ölund in Borås. Marta Runemark makes sculptures out of papier machée and recycled materials (burned pieces of wood, old fabrics, nails, small animal skulls, metal parts etc). It was like going back to Hieronymus Bosch's detailed medieval world (though the horses wings are inspired by Leonardo da Vinci), but with a more accurate knowledge of exotic animal's physiognomy. And I would say with less sin than Bosch and milder humor. Marta's exhibition made me smile and I was intrigued by her attention to detail and love for the materials.

The exhibition will be on until the 17th of November.

close up horse

close up ostrich (burned wood)

golden side effects

2011-11-02T21:55:00.001+01:00

I got this very interesting side effect when working in my studio yesterday. Actually it was much better than what I was trying to achieve. Now I'm trying hard to figure out how to keep that effect in a permanent way. But I'm just in the beginning of this process and feeling insecure and vulnerable about it ... so I can not share yet.

I've been awfully quiet here on my blog lately (posting photos though). According to plans my days are all spent in the studio where I do only creative work - and all that administrative stuff (and blogging) is being done at night during 2-3 hours. I've had a long lists of tasks that finally is getting shorter (I've even done my bookkeeping for October).

happy halloween

2011-10-31T21:16:00.001+01:00

(evil pumpkins drawn by my son Max)

for the love of cupcakes

2011-10-30T20:07:00.000+01:00

final version

doing some bookkeeping

2011-10-27T20:49:00.000+02:00

Being a good girl doing my bookkeeping, not lagging behind too much. (but inside I'm screaming)

pointless

2011-10-26T20:48:00.000+02:00

trying different faces

2011-10-24T19:04:00.000+02:00

more Morran

2011-10-20T20:33:00.000+02:00

using anything I could find on the studio floor

spray paint and simplicity (boring!)

a combination of Stephen King feeling, a pig and I don't know what ....

As I'm very repetitive when it comes to my paintings right now (yes - you guessed right: laughters) and kind of risk to bore you if I post more from that process - I thought I should instead share some other "Morran attempts". (I kind of like the first one though)

Morran in my studio

2011-10-19T21:22:00.000+02:00

These days when waiting for my watercolours to dry I'm attempting to make an image of Morran for Camilla's book. It's like Morran is in my studio, sitting on the floor watching me paint (she has been sitting here on my studio floor in real life, but never watched me paint).

laughing at myself

2011-10-18T19:32:00.002+02:00

I was lifting the jar of gesso (a primer with the consistency of yoghurt, but more sticky and fast drying) by the lid - but it wasn't fastened properly... I dropped it, but kind of caught it again in a juggling kind of way and managed to get the content to fly up the ceiling, and then down all over me: in my hair, covered my face (really covered) and all over my clothes. A good amount hit the walls as well. After checking I hadn't destroyed any art piece I just laughed and laughed. Luckily I was wearing my studio clothes. But my hair will stay whitish for a while.

today Cissi mounted her commission

exhibition: Daniel Milton

2011-10-17T21:24:00.001+02:00

Last week (Thursday night) I went to the opening of Daniel Milton's exhibition "La la land" at Galleri Thomassen here in Gothenburg. I've known him "web-wise" for 2-3 years now, but never seen him or his art in real life before. As it should be his art is to been seen in reality; his play with depiction/representation and digital imagery loses something when only seen on photos or screen. Daniel turned out to be very simpatico, which didn't surprise me either.

The exhibition will be on until October 30th

read my interview with Daniel Milton from last year

Night of 1000 drawings

2011-10-16T22:40:00.001+02:00

Cultural Night on Friday night; night of 1000 drawings - exhibition selling art donated by 100 artists from Göteborg to support Faktum, a magazine for the homeless. The exhibition was arranged by DIY.

drawings by Christin Wahlström Eriksson

the screen print I donated is the one with the fish

I think it was very successful; when I came there half an hour after opening a third of the art was sold. Great initiative! It was crowded and a lot of good art to see, but I must admit I got most interested in watching people looking at the art ...

kulturnatta (culture night)

2011-10-13T12:00:00.001+02:00

Tomorrow Friday it's cultural night here in Göteborg. This means a lot of art, performing arts and music all night long (or at least past midnight).

DIY is arranging night of 1000 drawings - an exhibition selling art donated by 100 artists from Göteborg to support Faktum, a magazine for the homeless. (I've donated a screenprint)

KKV - the artist run collective workshops (where I am a member) - will open up it's workshops to the public. You will be able to see everything from printing in process and enamels coming out of the kiln to bronze casting. Art made in the premises will also be exhibited (I'll show some screenprints and my small version of the figure group for my latest commission) and there will be live music and food. Read the program

Find more things to see and do at kulturnatta's website

But that's not until tomorrow - tonight I'm going to the opening of Daniel Milton's exhibition at Galleri Thomassen.

spray-paint haze

2011-10-12T19:40:00.002+02:00

I love the way it can look in process sometimes, those involuntary magic results ... like after spray painting today.

I'm finally painting my small version of Snow white, Batman and the Phantom. It is to be exhibited on Friday at Kulturnatta ("culture night", which means a lot is going on all night; exhibitions, theatre plays, music etc) Unfortunately spray-painting isn't for me at all as I'm too sensitive; I got so dizzy in spite of open windows, wearing a mask and immediately leaving the room afterwards - that I couldn't cut with my scissors with precision the 3 following hours. And that was just after spray painting the base coat!

I just had to

2011-10-11T21:46:00.001+02:00

... not that it has anything to do with the simplicity I've been trying to achieve in my painting lately, But it made me laugh.

laughter

2011-10-10T20:01:00.001+02:00

I felt I needed some more laughter.

Not many words in my posts lately, but as it is now I don't really feel I have anything to write. I'm so into my work in my studio, into images. But the words should hopefully return to me.

outside - inside

2011-10-09T22:44:00.000+02:00

It's October

more fun

2011-10-06T18:10:00.001+02:00

playing some more

slaughter and having fun

2011-10-05T22:05:00.001+02:00

Now I'm starting to loosen up. Scissors, knives and paintings that didn't really do (but still had something).

I felt a bit paralysed after finishing my polyptych the other day ... and almost forgot that I was supposed to do whatever and just have fun in my studio this autumn - to see where that would lead me. This morning when I went for a run I suddenly knew what to do. (I'm painting parallel to this as well)

4th week in the studio: some results

2011-10-04T20:25:00.003+02:00

my latest work; a polyptych - or to be more precise a hexaptych. (Which means I consider it to be one art piece that shouldn't be divided. Here I'm being absolutely non-commercial in my thinking ... )

Camilla is making a book full of Morran and you can contribute with your interpretation. It's an Open call!

studio

2011-10-02T22:06:00.001+02:00


I just realized I never properly showed you how how my studio became after I reorganized it and painted it white white and white. I more or less managed to get all my storage on one wall - and moved my table and four of my chairs to our lunch room. Ahhh - Space.

(this is what it looked like before)

pinkish

2011-09-30T21:30:00.000+02:00

Have a nice weekend!

orange

2011-09-29T19:49:00.000+02:00

Numbers

2011-09-27T20:44:00.001+02:00

20 - the anniversary Grafik i Väst (a printmaker's association) is celebrating. Here the catalogue to celebrate the occasion.

5 - the page where you will find my screenprint "POW!"

104 - how many other artists you will find in the catalogue. Check it out here
1 - where you will find me in the on-line catalogue (the link above)

910 - the number of this post ....
0 - minutes is actually the time I should spend blogging tonight (now I'm on borrowed time)

exhibition: Jan Lööf

2011-09-25T21:10:00.001+02:00

titthål = peep hole

Today we visited the Art Museum and saw the exhibition on Jan Lööf (illustrator, model-builder, writer, film-maker and more). They have made a playful little exhibition with fun solutions. The kiddo enjoyed it a lot and was especially fascinated with how the films were made; they showed black and white behind the scenes clips with the models and figures and then clips with the results. (My genius 6 year old son is already making stop motion movies with his lego and my old digital camera)

laughter

2011-09-22T21:05:00.000+02:00

detail

I'm working with laughter. To get the right feeling I smile like the Joker in Batman while painting. It has to be like a grin. And it should be effortless. (It's exhausting. I've washed away several painting that didn't do. The sponge is my most used tool)

Cissi's patterns on fabric

2011-09-21T19:00:00.002+02:00

My studio neighbour Cissi has been working on a public commission for a preschool at the same time as I have been working on my commissioned art piece (the one in my last post). So I've been following her work in progress for a year and I've been so curious to see the final results. Today I finally got to see Cissi's patterns printed on different fabrics. It might look good on the screen, but it is so so much better in real life!

Unfortunately Cissi is moving to another studio :(
I'll miss you, Cissi!

the title

2011-09-20T21:17:00.000+02:00

The school kids came with several suggestions for the title last week. There was one very obvious winner: Snow White talks to the Phantom while Batman is disturbing and the Wolf is howling.

These days (or actually nights) it's all about putting together materials applying for public commissions, creative school projects and grants. I try to limit this work to nights only - as my autumn was reserved to studio time only. This is the reason why I'm blogging less; I basically try to get rid of all that kind of work before the end of the month. It's part of my all present "cluster cluster" strategy. In October I'm planning to be more interesting here on my blog ...

drawing for fun

2011-09-16T21:46:00.000+02:00

Sometimes I feel it has all gotten so serious with my art - it's my livelihood and all my life. What about sometimes doing things just for fun and no other purpose?

So - when Pikaland announced you could win a participation in arthousecoop's sketchbook project I decided to take the chance and gamble. And I won. The other day I got my sketchbook with the theme Grey side of life (perfect for me). Anyone - from anywhere in the world - can be a part of the project - so what are you waiting for?

In 2008 I participated in another of Art House Co-op's projects: the scavenger project.

some flow

2011-09-14T19:33:00.000+02:00

painting.

concrete cake ready

2011-09-12T21:00:00.003+02:00

While waiting for the watercolour to dry I've been unwrapping and checking my little concrete samples in the studio. Now they've hardened enough and can be let to dry.

I was a bit worried when turning my "cake form" over to get the simplified Snow White out. But it went without any problem! I had made an experiment mixing concrete with different pigments for a painterly effect. It worked on one side only. So it was no big deal I got that crack... The good thing is that I can reuse my form as planned for trying out variations.

this is that horrible horrible concrete dog I wrote about earlier.
Good experiment though; I made a quick kind of relief drawing/shape in soft clay, put plastic wrap on top (so the clay wouldn't suck the water out of the concrete). then put concrete with brownish pigment as dots for nose and eyes, then added normal grey concrete on top. When the dog had hardened for a day I removed it from the form and painted it with yellow brown clay water which reacts in a way with the not yet dried concrete. (if you wanted to know how it was done)
It turned out my son liked it so much better than Snow White above ...

getting the floor dirty

2011-09-08T19:45:00.001+02:00

Yesterday I felt a bit lost, I didn't really know where to start. It's been 3 months without painting. I looked at the paintings I made in May in Skärhamn. Ok, but now what.? I felt blank, I feared a block.

This morning when I came to my studio it was bathing in light (good thing I painted the floor white) and I knew exactly what to do. I have a feeling this is going to be a great autumn.

white, white, white

2011-09-07T22:01:00.000+02:00

After spending a couple of days in the studio fixing those last things I didn't arrange in July (putting up shelves, sorting drawings and prints) I'm now ready to start a period of just studio time.

I've prepared some papers, my mind feels utterly blank
Tomorrow I'll start

the angry farmer's houses

2011-09-04T20:45:00.000+02:00

I don't want to let go of that summer feeling yet ...

Next to the school of Gerlesborg there's some very interesting looking worn down buildings. Perfect motives. But you shouldn't venture too close. The angry farmer - the owner - might come bursting out screaming it's private property and wave with a shotgun. Some people said they've seen dead cats lying outside the barns. Others said theres' a tragic family history behind his crazy behaviour and that the farmer hasn't always been like that. But first when I came there I didn't know this and went close to take photos to show you. Luckily the angry farmer didn't show up ...

The Tempest exhibited

2011-09-01T21:36:00.000+02:00

The installation/exhibit took place by the old Fortress Älvsborg (ruins). First we had been thinking about using the whole place, but decided on mostly being under the roof protecting what's left of the fortress wall. Great place for exhibiting pieces loosely based on the Tempest!

What I love the most about screenprinting is the possibility to mimic the expression of other techniques and the possibility to be applied to almost any kind of flat surface. You can do almost anything with screenprinting, a point proven by my students in this exhibition. I so enjoyed teaching this course - Thank you girls!

Moa Sundkvist

Maria Kultala

Elin Engström

Kerstin Färlin

Milena Karlsson

Tina Damgaard

Vicky Lagsten

Julia Brynielsson

installing the exhibit

2011-08-31T20:40:00.001+02:00

The sky was partly covered with dark clouds when my students installed their exhibition. Everything moved in the wind; spinning, banging - or flying away. But by 17:00 when we had the première/opening it was sunny and calm. They made a great exhibition!

Tomorrow I'll show you the results.

last day printing

2011-08-29T22:07:00.003+02:00

Today we printed the last frames on the summer course I've been teaching. On Wednesday 17:00-20:00 we'll present the results: Shakespeare's "the Tempest" as an outdoor installation. Here you can read about it on HDK's website. We'll put up posters [Stormen] everywhere around KKV so you'll find you way if you're interested in coming. Map

Cross your fingers we won't get rain.
Welcome!

printing with style

2011-08-27T21:08:00.001+02:00

Only use silver cutlery to mix your screenprinting inks. (Does it make any difference when it comes to the results? No - but you feel so much more elegant.)

big format, colour, black and white

2011-08-25T20:24:00.001+02:00

I've been in the past here on my blog lately, but that doesn't mean I'm not in the present...
Last week, the HDK (design school) summer course in screenprinting big format restarted after summer break. After several days of printing we start seeing more and more results! Next week on Wednesday, my students will present their interpretation of the Tempest at the ruins of Älvsborg's fortress. I'll be back with details!

concrete; my cake form

2011-08-23T23:13:00.000+02:00

My idea here was to make a form that I could reuse like a sand cake form; when you turn it over and bang it a bit with your plastic spade - you get your cake out. I wanted to have this form to make different tests and variations in concrete in my studio.

After making it I gave it all sorts of love, care and attention,
I waited three days for it to dry before using it.

But that wasn't enough ...
I knew I was pushing it...
... the plaster hadn't dried enough
... and because of that the shellac (lacquer) didn't stick properly
... and the plaster sucked all the water out of the concrete over night
... and I got a "nice crack".

(This might also mean that the concrete got stuck to the plaster and I can't reuse my form, but I won't know until I have the time to go to my studio in two weeks)

Shit.
Patience is a virtue.

Hopefully I'll not make the same mistake again ....

concrete: getting more ambitious

2011-08-22T23:01:00.000+02:00

baking a little cake

cutting away

Ready for the Owen

... and then some cream

[no - it wasn't cookie dough and cream]

concrete: one step further

2011-08-21T22:44:00.003+02:00

not anything ready-made this time. 100% Alexandra made.

When I teach screenprinting I always try to get my students to understand that experimenting and really learning the new material and techniques is the main thing on a course and that you should never hope to make something good when experimenting. And then I very often show them my first totally boring screenprint (when I learn a new technique or material I always at first make awful or boring stuff). So at the concrete course I tried to keep that open mind myself (but of course I secretly anyway always - deep inside - hope to make a master piece). I made a lot of tests and experiment (I won't show you a horrible horrible little dog I made - good experiment though).

As I got totally blank - not one single good idea - I just reused Snow white with accessories from my commission (she became a bit too sweet though). This piece isn't really finished yet - it should harden for 3 weeks and then I'll treat the surface in different ways and show you.

my first concrete casting

2011-08-19T21:56:00.003+02:00

a simple way of casting: a ready made form (old plastic cookie box) with my rubber shapes glued to the bottom. (if any one wonders: it's a basket with apples)

two days later

when the concrete is dry (and paler): colouring with copper sulphate

the right one (isn't mine) is coloured with iron sulphate

Gerlesborg

2011-08-18T22:07:00.002+02:00

the schoolbuilding where the restaurant is also located, and where I had my room as well.
Gerlesborg has an Art School (many of the students continue studying Fine Art a the schools that really count) with boarding. At summer and during school vacation - when the school is empty - they offer a program of art courses for people in general; mostly in watercolour. The concrete casting course is kind of an exception as it's more intended for professional artists/art teachers/architects.

Gerlesborg was the watercolour master Arne Isaksson's place.

there was a watercolour course going on at the same time. When I arrived they were painting sea creatures
Even though the landscape was stunning, the food superb and the accommodation good - that was not my reason to be here. I was here to learn how to cast in concrete. And tomorrow I'll let you in on what I learned.

Gerlesborg: landscape

2011-08-17T21:24:00.000+02:00

Yesterday I came back from Gerlesborg where I spend a wonderful six days learning about concrete. This part of Bohuslän has a very dramatic landscape and I enjoyed the scenery immensely. But the first night, just after dinner, I learned that my so had broken his leg in a bike accident and then I couldn't sleep all night ... the very next day I pulled myself together though; me not enjoying my stay and the course wouldn't make him feel any better, would it? (he's got a wonderful father being very capable of taking care of him)

I'll be back on Tuesday

2011-08-10T20:57:00.003+02:00

Tomorrow I'm going away for my concrete course and I won't be blogging. But I've packed my camera so I'll fill you in when I'm back.

still summer, but a new year

2011-08-09T22:21:00.000+02:00

For me the new year always starts after summer vacation - not in January.

Going back to work I'm always astonished by everything I have to do. It's never a slow start. This new year's start was mounting my public commission and every single day in August I have something booked. On Thursday I'll go away a week for a concrete casting course learning something new. I'm so looking forward to it (and it's actually work - as art is my business)! On coming back the roles will be the opposite and I'll continue teaching the screenprinting summer course to the design students.

But this is actually good planning - September and October will be only studio time!

... and it is completed

2011-08-06T21:05:00.001+02:00

I looked at it and I thought it was good.

(I will come back another day and take better photos though - the bright light today didn't do the colours justice. Cloudy weather, like yesterday, is the best)

putting it all together

2011-08-05T21:56:00.001+02:00

I'm a bit too tired right now to comment the process of mounting, it will have to wait until everything is finished. We'll continue tomorrow.

before mounting

2011-08-04T17:05:00.000+02:00

The façade looking very empty and all the pieces for my art piece inside the sports hall waiting to be mounted.

Camilla's wall piece

2011-08-01T21:37:00.000+02:00

The other day I got the opportunity to see Camilla's wall piece for a school (a public commission). It's very good and very Camilla (which is the same thing), but I won't show you more than this... you will have to wait until it's mounted and Camilla has posted about it.

summer sketchbook

2011-07-31T22:08:00.000+02:00

vacation

2011-07-26T22:13:00.000+02:00

commissioned colours

2011-07-23T12:05:00.001+02:00

yellow

Black

Orange

Green and the backside of blue

(there are also red and light grey)

black and white

2011-07-22T15:01:00.000+02:00

Today - even though I'm still on vacation - I checked out how the powder spray painted white worked together with what I masked out three weeks ago. I must say I'm pleased with the result! The other parts in colour looked fine as well (I'll show you tomorrow), the only thing left to do for the powder spray paint company Guson is to lacquer with a special anti-graffiti layer. In two weeks time I'll be in the middle of mounting the art piece.

But until that week: no work ...

studio

2011-07-19T22:24:00.001+02:00

Picasso's last home and studio, from the book "Goodbye Picasso"

I'm still on vacation, dreaming about a bigger studio...

I was Local Pigeon's Storify on July 18th

beach 2011

2011-07-17T20:03:00.000+02:00

on vacation

2011-07-12T21:59:00.002+02:00

we're on vacation now!

I might pop in here now and then anyway, but I won't be back working until first week in August.

white = light

2011-07-05T20:05:00.001+02:00

I've been thinking about painting my studio floor white since I moved in almost two years ago. As you can see it's making a big difference when it comes to the light in the room, but it will also help me with my concentration. I mostly use the floor as my working space and I've found it's darkness and colour spots distracting - even though I've liked that rough and industrial feeling.

going to fix that mess

2011-07-04T21:55:00.000+02:00

This is the last week of work before summer vacation and I've reserved this time for reorganizing and fixing my studio! I'll be painting the floor and some furniture white and finally think through my storage system - I'm a very chaotic person so I really need a better system or I will get back to this point again in no time.

those last details

2011-06-30T22:11:00.002+02:00

To get some faces and other details on my art piece (my public commission) I today masked out some of the black and handed the pieces back to the company Guson for being pulver spray painted white. They have until the beginning of August to finish the job of painting my approximately 60 pieces.

So far everything seems fine - touch on wood - and I hope I'll be able not to think about it at all when I'll be on vacation in July!