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).

should be ready by Friday

I'm finishing up a series of paintings this week in order to have some fresh material for a grant application. Sometimes it's good to just put that pressure on yourself: by Friday it should be ready and by next week I will start something new.

Today you can read the article about my exhibition in the small paper Härryda Posten, but I would rather not link to the article... I've never ever gotten an article in a local paper that I would like someone to read ... Last time (my exhibition at Lysekil Konsthall) an artist came to my opening and told me, "but this is really good and interesting, not at all like the impression I got through the local paper"

At the online Magzine Art Interview you can read art interviews (with artist a tiny tiny bit more established than me)

trying to formulate myself

Instead of enjoying painting with my new big brush I've spend the last two days reflecting on how to best formulate what my art is about. At a point I know of course, but to put it into words in order to really pinpoint concepts and to be clear enough to avoid misunderstandings, is harder. Yesterday I was interviewed by the local paper Härryda Posten about my ongoing exhibition. Small local papers like that have journalists covering a wide range of topics - so it will be interesting to see how the journalist interpreted me...

We will finally have a official release (party?) of the book "Bortom Orden" within the Art Project with the same name! Come and joing us at Galleri Box, Kastellgatan 10, Göteborg, on Friday April 8 at 18:00. The event on Facebook

change of plans

I was only supposed to spend very few days in the studio in March/April - as I according to plans was to work on my commission elsewhere, give workshops etc. But then I decided that delegating more of the execution of the art piece was better - to get more studio time. I will also cancel a workshop. At this point I value time more than money! (and I actually don't really need that income)

I bought the big ink brush in Paris. I haven't tried it yet... this week I will.

[anyone wondering about the lego-painting? It was a big success! I'll soon take a photo of it in day light in the kid's room]

lego-painting: details

I have been so totally wasted the last nights that I've barely managed to check my e-mail. Same thing tonight ...so I better go to bed early and hope I'll regain my super powers for tomorrow to be able to finish the lego-painting for my son's birthday. I'm almost there.

giving workshops

the course room at KKV (artist run collective workshops) Göteborg Today I started the 2,5 days "screenprinting on paper workshop" for master students from HDK (the school of design and crafts) at KKV. I've been giving a lot of short workshops the last years and it's always interesting to see the different types of participants. Mostly I give screenprinting workshops at art schools or to professional artists/designers. The most attentive participants and best listeners are actually very often the most experienced and established - or the total beginners. These two types believe they can learn from me. Then we have the opposite: the participants who think they already master the technique - because they've done it a bit before - and won't listen and don't need any demonstrations and very often fuck up. (there are of course also those who have a clue and know they still might learn new ways of doing things). Will be interesting to see what types I'm having from HDK. (I won't tell you though, because you never know who reads this blog) Every summer HDK offers an independent course program (which means not just for their own students) and this summer I will teach big format screenprinting. We're still in the planning phase, but by the 1st of April it should all be official - and I'll let you in on the details. Debu Barve writes about art on his blog.

Nemeshallen: Bloody Serious

Today was the opening of my exhibition at Nemeshallen, Mölnlycke. It was a sunny day with the smell of early spring in the air and the light was wonderful. Thank you all who came to the opening!

exhibition hanged

I'm not very present here at my blog these days - it's just too much at the moment and very little time off. Last weekend I gave a screenprinting workshop and this week I'm preparing another one for HDK master students (to take place next week). Yesterday I had half a day of Creative School (mural project) and today I hanged my exhibition.

As my father used to say "Rest? You will have plenty of time for that once you are dead"

Welcome to my Opening on Saturday 12:00 - 15:00 at Nemeshallen, Mölnlycke!

Tuesday

This morning I went to my frame-maker, just to learn he had used black frame instead of white... But as I have taken the decision to see everything in more a positive way, I was very happy I hadn't postponed the picking up until the very day I was to hang the exhibition! (now he has got the time to make it right) I then spend most of the day packing the paintings/prints I already had framed and decided what works together. (I hope I'll get it all into the car.) Yesterday I started a birthday-painting for my son. He will soon turn 6 and he wants a lego-painting (which also means lego-videogame-painting). Today I continued. I have just one more day, next week, to finish it. It's not supposed to be a "proper art piece", but being familiar with Petri Hytönens lego paintings it's very hard for me not getting more ambitious than I should... (my son has also seen Hytönen's paintings ...) I enjoy painting the little lego figures, but the lego pieces themselves .. Nay...

exhibition coming up!

Today I posted the invitations to my upcoming exhibition (19 March) at Nemeshallen. This is my fourth separate exhibition within 6 months - so after this one I'll take a break from exhibiting until 2012 (unless I get an offer I can't refuse).

cabinet de curiosités

Last photos from Paris: the Brocante & Antiquités market held by the Seine during the weekend was a veritable cabinet de curiosités (or a Damien Hirst exhibition?).

Brian Dettmer's cut outs got a vintage feeling. Found via Nathalie et cetera

visit to Palais de Tokyo

I didn't just wander the streets of Paris feeling romantic (even though that was the puspose of the trip). I couldn't resist seeing some art, of course.

João Onofre
I very much enjoyed João Onofre's "Catriona Shaw sings Baldessari sings LeWitt re-edit Like a Virgin extended version" - which is what it sounds like. Read more here (in French)

Sandra Lorenzi

Sandra Lorenzi's La Nébuleuse de l’homoncule worked perfectly in the room - white cube! - with concrete floor. But I was a bit disappointed that the lamp in the ceiling wasn't part of her installation.

Amos Gitai

Palais de Tokyo is undergoing a renovation and has taken advantage of the process by creating a totally different exhibition space downstairs - in the construction site. The film-maker Amos Gitai "presents a vast installation that replicates the emotional and intimate experience at the core of collective memory. Using images taken from a dozen of his films, he imbues the basement with a visual and sonar experience of an exceptional richness." to quote Palais de Tokyo's description of the installation. Amo's Gitai is telling the story of his father, a socialist jew who studied architecture at Bauhaus, was expelled by the Nazis, migrated to Israel, became a leading architect there and realized that revolutionary ideas didn't mean that people appreciated modern architecture - to make a complex, touching story short and simple. And of course the installation was impressive, but I can't help asking myself if not any other film about war, oppression and injustice could have made the same impression in this site. It could have worked with news clips from Egypt. You couldn't get much out of the images and clips from Gitai's films. But, anyway it made an impression ... and I love that Palais de Tokyo did this. I wonder who came up with the idea to use the construction site as part of an installation? If it was Amos Gitai - forget my critique.

Paris pictures

I've had some wonderful days off in Paris. Now I have no more excuses not to work intensely ...

[top photo: Hector Mora, the rest: me]

too easy?

No, life isn't too easy. Instead I wonder if I took it too easy the last two months when concentrating on painting ...

suddenly I have like tons of things I should have done - or should do really soon. And long lists of tasks for every night when the kid has fallen asleep ... and absolutely not the desire to do it. I just move the tasks to tomorrow and then to tomorrow and then ...

And tomorrow I'm off to Paris for some days - and I won't work at all! YES!

like cutting out cookies

Today I've been making some templates for cutting out the simpler big shapes for my commission. The shapes are fitted into rectangles which will be magnified onto aluminium plates (size 2500 mm x 1250 mm) with the help of an overhead projector - to make sure the shapes will be the right size and fit together - and that we will waste as little material as possible. [that description didn't sound very clear ... anyhow: I know what I'm doing] ...the basic aesthetic idea in my commissioned art piece is based on the cut out, but now it makes me think more of when you try to get as many cookies as possible out of the gingerbread dough ...

I realized that I actually never posted an image of my finished sketch for the commission - here it is! (the builing will be painted green and the doors orange)

and this is the wall right now.

So much last month

Ferbruary painting, detail Can you feel the difference? It's no longer February ... it's March. Life seems so much more promising and brighter!

back to the commission

Starting this week I'm working on the huge commissioned art piece again. Today me and my helper took a look at the wooden planks that cover the façade (last times it was still just concrete) to figure out what screws and montage will be best for securing the big aluminium shapes.

For me March and April will mostly be working on this commission, another minor commission, a wall painting project within Creative School starting tomorrow (like last year) and several screen printing workshops. It feels a bit wrong to take a big break from painting right now, but that's just the way it has to be. (Let's hope I'll continue working on my paintings in the back of my head)

still a struggle

I must say I haven't had this much resistance in my painting for ... I don't know how long. It feels good to let it show in a subtle way in a painting.