Summing up 2013

Summing up last year is for me the best way of starting the new year.  I'm very self critical and can often be hard on myself feeling I haven't achieved as much as I wished I had. Looking back at 2013 I can't deny I've been seeing some results (worked harder than ever!). But I must say I keep giving a very split impression, at least in my own eyes... (my constant problem)

I exhibited my laughters on paper on white walls in a separate exhibition in a gallery and my sticky smiles in a group exhibition outdoors.

I started the year by finishing my children's book for the illustrated children's book course at HDK - then exhibited it twice with my fellow students and read it for children - and finished the year by completing (another) book for Stensjön's preschool as part of a commissioned art piece (the Portal)

I also moved in to a bigger, brighter and better studio and received the Cultural Grant from the City.

Pedagogically I worked with everything from teaching big format screen printing at HDK to leading a wall painting project with teenagers - and engaging preschool children in visual play in the forrest.

In  autumn/winter I concentrated on completing two public commissions.

waiting for the test print

Last week I finished the final details for the book for the preschool and now I am just waiting to get the test print. The drawing above is a little extra something I put on the last page, as a surprise, to suggest another possible adventure for the main character.  By the way - do you see the child as a boy or a girl?

and the Portal is ready!

Monday was cold and a bit snowy, but the mounting was easy. I tried it out with a curtain right away. The base plate (also yellow) is going to be covered with stone plates, so the little door will come on ground level.

I'm still working every day, but I am finishing things up these days - so I will be able to take the weekend off!

almost there ...

saying goodbye

I've been working every single day (and night) since the 17th of November. Mostly on the children's book for the commission, but also on the portal and teaching screen printing. I don't think I have ever worked this hard and so long days... but now I am almost almost there

Tomorrow we are mounting the portal and I seem to have finished all the illustrations 10 minutes ago. Now I just have to adapt the text, put image and text together in InDesign - and order a test print of the book. And then sew the curtains, of course.

the portal in the book

I'm advancing ...

sandblasted - and putting it together

Today we picked up the sandblasted aluminum parts and started putting the layers together. 

probably progress?

a character for the story - for the preschool - that will come with the portal

... and then aluminum

We are now busy with my portal at the metal workshop at KKV. Everything is proceeding as planned - and I'm so happy having Arta helping me for the third time with one of my commissions.

from paper to plywood ...

the portal is first transferred to plywood so I can test it in more stable material than paper - before cutting it out in aluminum.

my studio ambiance

In July photographer Annika Broman visited me in my new bright white studio. I also opened the doors to KKV for her  - now you can see some of the photos at her website.

not taking anything for granted

The Portal is to come with some theatre curtains. Right now, when just having a month to finish it all, I'm very thankful I was so very thorough when I sketched for this commission - I know what fabrics to use, where to buy them - and how they look in different light. It feels good not to have to worry about that. 

The only thing that freaks me out a bit now, is that I promised the portal would come with a story ... and being me everything I'm coming up with at this point is dark and not very suitable for small children. I thought it would be great to connect this art piece with the new knowledge I got through the course I took a year ago in Illustrated Children Books - especially as this very preschool works with the fairytale, the story, as a central theme in the pedagogic. This way I will be able to really work with the Story/fairy tale as a concept. 

Well, we'll see about that. I can of course always come up with something but I'ld rather not deliver something dull or worse: overly moralizing. 

... and with the surroundings

This is where my portal is to be placed - marked with a yellow X. They are right now finishing those last details of the preschool - I love those playful windows !

 a model of the portal seen from the other direction (preschool behind our back)

planting 1000 flower bulbs

A couple of days ago I planted 1000 flower bulbs to be part of the art piece I'm making for the preschool. On an earlier visit I discovered they had created a slope just behind where my portal is to be ... there was nothing to do but to see how it could be used creatively for my art piece. So I decided that in spring a flower path will magically appear. (Lets' hope we'll not get a winter liked the last one ... the bulbs might not survive that)

something new I'm working on - probably

.. and I've decided I get the nights off from administrative stuff for the rest of the week ...

feeling utterly unmotivated

The amount of time I have to spend on general administration but also applications for new commissions/pedagogical art projects/exhibitions - and meetings - is killing me. I spend like three times the time I spend on making my own art. I have actually come to a point right now when I have a very hard time motivating myself to continue like I have done before ... I have this long list of things I should do at nights this week - and something inside me is just refusing.

a little screen printing

Yesterday I finally got around to do some test printing at KKV (for my own work). I had planned working on this in summer, but other things got in the way all the time - like the two commissions, teaching the summer course - and summer vacation. Actually this year has been like that all the time - not much time for my personal work. But on the other hand I've been working on interesting projects generating incomes - so next year I'll be able to prioritize my own art and no worry much about money. 

"Except" (it's quite a lot to do!) for making the Portal (the commission for the preschool) with curtains and a fairytale, the rest of 2013 will mean material tests and research for some ideas I have for my own art. I think I can see the bigger picture now - I should not hurry.

time for my own work!

YES!

got the commission!

The other week I got approved my sketch for the preschool!

and the mini-version

I also made a mini-version of Snow White and Superman (from the art piece for Röselidsskolan). Last time - two years ago - I also made a mini-version. But it turned out not to be so mini - especially when I took it with me on trams and buses - so this time I went for even smaller! I spray painted the couple up on my studio roof, the white just being a base coat though. (but just white is nice too)

... et voilà!

I just have to get back another day to take some photos with kids in the stairs. Because they were having a day off yesterday, which was the reason we chose that day for mounting the art pieces (two other artists also installed their art in other parts of the school the same day). I wonder how the kids reacted today?

mounting!

Today it finally happened. I'm super exhausted right now, but pleased.

at the industrial powder painter

Today I visited Guson, the industrial powder paint company that I use for my public commissions. There's a layer of grey dust over everything there and the place is probably a location trendy interior stylists would die for. I inspected all the parts for my commission - perfectly bright coloured looking kind of out of place - and packed them for tomorrow. Because tomorrow it is finally Mounting Day!

I'm still around ...

continuing with the portal

This week and next I'm concentrating on the portal I'm sketching for the preschool. Having it in real in size - even though it is just in paper - helps me a lot. This art piece is not "just" to be a sculpture, but also something you can use and transform into a theatre. I've had my son (8 years old) interact with it (he loved it!) and next week I'll try it with smaller children. As it is to be outdoors on the playground, I have to take a lot into consideration when it come to safety restrictions and construction. I'm learning a lot ...

photos from my students' exhibition

by Frida Åström

by Anna Littorin

by Ellinor Eliasson Some photos from the exhibition "Grupptryck" presenting results from the summer course I've been teaching. I've had so hardworking and talented students. It was a pleasure to work with you!  want to see more from the course? Check out the course-blogg!

screen printing course and busy days

print by Lizz Sharr in the making

print on fabric by Karin Persson hanging to dry Friday was the last day of the screen printing course in big format that I've been teaching. We finished off with a two hour exhibition at Friday night. Unfortunately I've been too busy to be able to let you in on this in time - as I also had to finish some things for both my commissioned art piece and send some important applications last week.  But tomorrow I'll post some photos from my very talented students' exhibition!

Outside Inside

biking home from KKV one day: total contrasts. Sunny and dark clouds

full action in the screen printing workshops At KKV all these days teaching the summer course in big format screen printing.

teaching the summer course again

The summer course in big format screen printing began it's second printing period this week. I so enjoy seeing what my students are coming up with and how they start mastering the technique - but I sure am wasted after these long days ...  Friday next week they'll exhibit their work. I'll be back with more info about it later

sketching in real size

Normally I sketch in scale - like 1:10 - for big size commissions, but for this suggestion I've been feeling I need to see it all in real size as well. This is to be my art piece for the preschool I made the visual play with in spring (another commission than the one with Superman/Snowwhite) I'm very happy having a bigger studio these days!