bottled music

On our fourth and last workshops (last week) we visited the little princesse's house again. By now the children knew how the the story went in the tiny book - or at least the start. What came after was different every time. Or as a girl said " we went on a new adventure"

This time we were led to glittering bottles in a tree

and filled them with water and magic drops that gave colour and ...

that extra beautiful sound when we made music on them ...

This was my last workshop with the preschool. It's the first time I make a series of workshops like this - so site specific and focused on experience - and I've been enjoying every second! And I'm happy to tell that I get to make a suggestion for a public art piece for this preschool's new premises (it's being constructed right now)! I've now got six weeks to come up with something.

a secret garden

On the third workshop rose petals led us to the little princesses house in a new tree - this time with a garden!

we knocked the door and learned that we had managed to catch spring with what we wove the last time - but in a different place. We followed the rose petals again...

... and this is what we found

We picked the flowers and made a magic garden in the forrest.

And it sure was magic - it was still standing there fresh two days later when I came back for the last workshop ! last workshop >>

flowers for outdoor play

I've been far too busy to blog these last days; both an important grant application and visual play (outdoor art workshop with preschool) this week. And Friday-Sunday I'm teaching screen printing - but after that I'll let you in on all the fun I've had with the preschool children! The flowers above? Donations from a flower store for one of the workshops.

follow that yarn!

Today, on my second workshop day, we followed a green yarn to the princesse's magic tree house (now in a new place). In another tiny book we got the task to follow an almost invisible thread to ...

... a bird's nest where we found yarn eggs - and then we got to work.

Two more workshops next week! see next >>

the magic stick road - part 2

... the magic road led us to another road that shrank and became a tiny path leading to a tiny tiny door

we knocked and opened the door

No one was at home, but we found a tiny tiny book and learned that a tiny princess lived in the house and then we read about ourselves!

..

... and got the task to build with the magic sticks

this girl built something very different from the others

next part of the workshop >>

the magic stick road

Today I had the first of four outdoor workshops with children at a preschool. Together we found at magic road in the forrest. By putting the last part first - over and over again - we made it move forward through passages towards a secret place ... continue >>

painted sticks

almost all set for the workshop on Tuesday!

Wall painting project with school-kids again

Yesterday was the last day of a wall painting project I've been leading at a school in Alingsås; giving the school toilets that special touch ... Above are some of the results. One of these paintings was made by the math teacher (who was also present at class as my support) - can you guess which one? my last similar project was two years ago (last year I concentrated on my own art making)

collecting sticks

Next week I'll start a series of outdoor workshops with children at a preschool (age 1-3 and 3-5).  I haven't seen the spot where we'll be yet - I'm planning to make it mostly site specific.  So far I have the ideas of sticks and threads, roads/passages and dwellings which can be adapted to most spaces. Tomorrow I have to get up very early to catch a train to Alingsås for the last day of another pedagogic project; a wallpainting project with teenagers. We've finally reached the part when we will do the actual painting!

preparing visual play

Today I went to the forrest to get some ideas and gather material for a workshop in visual play. More photos tomorrow ...

I will be thankful later

For what feels like uncountable days I've been cleaning, arranging, sorting, cutting old paintings into pieces, throwing stuff away etc. The amount of stuff I've collected! I'm keeping the old self portrait though (it must be more than 15 years old). I laughed when I realized I still use those working paints, but now for screen printing ... By Friday I should have arranged it all in my studio ...

my new studio; arranging it all

I'm going through everything I have and I plan thoroughly where everything should be - this time I'm going for a system that will work! (I need systems or I'm a total mess)  ... and I'm so happy about my sliding doors. I let them slide left and right - and everything goes so smoothly. Just some more white paint and they will be perfect!

photos from the opening (children's book exhibition)

cutting of the ribbon to inaugurate the exhibition

me reading (photo Angelica Olsson)

Reading my own book (photo Angelica Olsson)

children's books exhibit!

Saturday 16 March at 11:00 Bokskåpet Värmlandsgatan 20 / Tredje Långgatan 29, Göteborg Welcome!

(Me and my fellow students at the HDK course "Illustrated Children's Books" will exhibit spreads from our books and dummies. The exhibit will last until March 29)

spring and screen printing

This week we've had an amazing light and you can smell spring - even though it's still a bit cold. I'm teaching screen printing all week at a course in how to make art for public spaces/how to get public commissions at KKV. 

you still have a week left to apply for my summer course at HDK in big format screen printing >>

bye bye old studio

Time for new adventures for both of us.