Back on track!

I've been absent from the blogg for some time now (almost a year!)  - but now I'm back! Blogging had lost some of its allure, but recently I've been feeling that I missed many things with it - documenting my process, regularly formulating myself about what I'm doing and where I'm heading...

I've not been idle though, among many things  I participated in artmadethis.

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Open Studios as part of GIBCA extended

Almost two weeks ago me and my studio neighbours opened up our studios as part of GICBA extended (GIBCA = Göteborg International Biennal for Contemporary Art). I managed to take photos of some of our studios (but mostly in those rare moments when there were fewer people) 

Beatrice Marklund

Eric Magassa

Marie Dahlstrand's palett 

Christin Eriksson Wahlström

Héloïse Delegue

Rira Nettlestad

and my studio of course ...

about my workplace

I'm sharing some things about my workplace at Ada Sweden: details about my studio set-up, my working day and what inspires me. (The interview is in Swedish) 

documenting

Last Friday I had a little photo session in the studio documenting everything I tufted last year and the screen prints I made in December.  This time I had properly prepared by filling all the holes on the wall and by re-painting it. Last minutes I got the impulse to paint a bit of the the floor too, something which turned out to be a good decision! I was also very happy about the the white but totally darkening blinders I nowadays have in all 4 windows in my studio - so easy to just pull them down for a photo session. 

Step by step I might be getting there; the perfect studio.

bye bye old studio

Time for new adventures for both of us.

moving to my new studio

new studio

.... versus old studio The moving is fairly easy - I'm moving to a new studio in the same building on the same floor. I've been having my studio here for 3,5 years, worked here for 6 separate exhibitions - and it was simply getting too small. ... but the big question is; will my new studio still seem big after all my stuff gets in there?

soon moving to a bigger studio

In the end of February I'm moving to a bigger studio - almost twice the size of what I have now! The studio is being constructed right now and I've also asked for having a special storage built. I will use one of the walls just for storage, but in order not to "loose" a wall I've asked to have sliding doors (actually sliding walls) at 1 meter's distance from the wall and behind that I will hide everything that might distract me. (I don't know if I managed to explain that properly ...anyway it's the wall on the right in the top photo) I'm super excited about my new studio and lay at night dreaming how great it will be with that storage and how nice my new studio will be ...

smaller work

"Shuffle" approx  36 x 41 cm I've managed to work in a bit smaller format these days (my trick is to paint on several at the same time - so it feels like a big one).

concentrated work in the studio

other artists' studios: Helsinki studios (link via Fine little Day)

more focus

Today in the studio I made myself this Focus-hat. It's great for concentration and stops all wandering thoughts and those wild creative impulses that could lure you to leave the set path. I also make this hat to order.

and when I turned left ...

... there was a girl with long dark hair and a camera. (I'm blond)

split

But I am not split. I'm just focus focus

focus focus focus

I'm focusing on finishing some art pieces these three weeks. Then it's time for photographing for my book ... I'm aiming for printing it in the beginning of October!
(not, not , not to think about anything else, not even the fun course "illustrated children books" I started taking last week)

back in the studio again

the sprout in my zink had died in my absence ...

painting painting

I might seem nuts just painting laughters over and over again. But I actually have a plan for them. To take over the world hahaha ...

back to work

Today I returned to my studio after 4 weeks of vacation. In my not very clean studio sink I discovered a sprout growing ... absolutely magic. This is the second time it happens in my studio - could it be a message?
I've barely even checked my mail on my time off, not touched the computer and not thought about the autumn at all. Just spend time with my family - and reading Murakami. Today I was very happy to be creative in my studio again, but feeling very reluctant to do anything administrative or any paper work ....

(I've gotten hooked on Instagram during vacation, though)

those little details

Some days it feels like you don't achieve much, even though you work all day ... but very often it is those important little details and preparations you need for a great result in the end. Like the day I painted the frame of my sign white (degrease, mask, paint, wait, paint, buy more spray paint, paint, wait - and ready) and prepared watercolor paper (measure, cut, wet, wait, tape).

Just white results, not a single line. And I did a lot of waiting

paint

wait

the results of a hard day's work: 4 white watercolor papers ready for painting and a white border on my sign

second trial (recorded)

... and it worked

sketches for testing

May 9, 2012

First step was to perform a test. So I made some simple drawings and cut them up. One of many questions to consider: should I just slice them and glue them (getting a broader image because of the distance in between the slices when mounted), or should I cut away a stripe in between?

could it be a sign?

Actually there were three signs in the big box - with light and that fantastic possibility of changing in between three images. I've always been fascinated by them - and now I was to make these babies mine ... To be continued ...