summing up 2010

I had 3 separate exhibitions

I participated in several group exhibitions with of Fishes and Birds (new exhibition opens on Monday in Utrecht!)

I sketched for a big commission and got the contract

I gave screen printing workshops for artists and at art schools

I worked with school kids under creative school (painted murals in 3 schools) and gave workshops in connection to my exhibition.

I designed a family for Esti's "We are a happy Family" card game

I draw Nurse Ratched for Postcards to Alphaville  - and designed a coffin for Happy Journey Collective

I coordinated seminars and was editor for a booklet within the projects Beyond Words (about quality concept within fine arts)  I got listed as number One on "Great Blogs from Artists Entrepreneurs" and started a series of Art as Business Interviews here on my blog.

photo session

A month ago my nephew turned one year old. Among other things he got a photo session as a birthday gift - with me as the photographer. We had really fun taking the photos ... it was just later I realized he must be a vampire; there's no one on the photos!

(just kidding)

ginger bread castle

It has got four towers and is made out of 41 pieces. We let the son do most of the decorating. ahhh vacation ....[not like I normally spend hours fiddling with projects just for the fun of it]

Christmas Vacation

I'm going to take two weeks off for Christmas, but I might drop in here now and then anyway.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

slippery day

Suddenly it got warmer and it rained this morning creating water puddles on the ice and snow. Super slippery (running this morning was very tricky). I was supposed to go by bus to the nearby town Borås to discuss dates for a future exhibition ... but all the buses were late because of the weather and road accidents, so after 1,5 hours I gave up. Instead I spent a lot of money on huge rolls of paper and other art supplies.

I tried to keep my balance carrying two 1,5 meter paper rolls, a huge cardboard parcel and 4 bags ... when a woman offered to help me carry, as she thought it looked impossible. I said "thanks, but no thanks" - but I thought it was very sweet of her. (why is it always women who offer to help me?) I twice moved in between studios with a shopping cart - took me several trips ... You have to do these things on your own now and then or you will become too comfortable.

3 things in the mail

Today the postman brought me:

• invitation cards for my exhibition in January
• a press clip about my workshop the other week
• a contract for the public commission

normally I don't get that much interesting. And especially not in a day. How about you? 

lucia

Today for show and tell I brought a photo from this morning: our Lucia celebration!

(otherwise I'm still just working with text for the book project Beyond Words - and haven't got much visually interesting to post from that process. When it comes to content there are some interesting things - but not enough time to translate and explain it right now)

sometimes I'm not working ...

Ok, I am working right now. And this autumn/winter very often too much. Then I forget too see things, to notice.I feel a second new year promise taking shape (the best ones you're not making up the last day of the year): take the time to see what's around me, to do something else.

If you are in Göteborg don't forget to visit the Christmas Market Julform this weekend! Cecilia and friends are arranging it so it' s going to be really good.

For more winter inspiration see Thereza's Christmas' calender of winter drawings

about making books

Yesterday I received a book I had ordered; Books, Boxes and Portfolios - Binding, Construction and Design Step-by-Step by Franz Zeier. It seems even better than I had hoped (very instructional and pedagogic) and is going to be my reward during Christmas. For some time now I've been dreaming about binding books and I've always been crazy about boxes,

This week I'm working 100% on a totally different kind of book and here it is all about content: a 32 pages book for the project Beyond Words [Bortom Orden] - about the quality concept within art. It's my responsibility to put everything together, polish the language and write the introduction. I quite enjoy it (I love writing) - which makes me realize even more how much I have hated all the coordinating and administration I've done for the project. So I've promised myself to not do any coordinating or administration at all in 2011 unless it is for my own art practice. After I made myself that promise I got so happy...

green apples next time?

I don't know what happens with  time - either it flies or I've just managed to get exhibitions kind of close to each other?

Last week I already had to chose image for the invitation card for my next exhibition - and decide the title. I decided to call the exhibition "Under the Surface" (Under Ytan) and picked the painting above for the invitation card. When I took this kitschy photo I didn't think about all the red apples I had on my last opening... But now I saw it - so it will be green ones the next time (not many people will understand why, but I will laugh)

Public Commission Brottkärr - approved

colour samples on aluminium from two different firms working with industrial exterior painting (bridges, vehicles etc)

This morning I presented my sketch for the Public Art Piece (the school in Brottkärr). The group (architects, art consultants, project leaders in construction, school-administration, politicians, the culture department and building maintenance) had no questions - not even the man from maintenance - were very happy with my suggestion and approved it. My colleagues Eric Magassa and Cecilia Pettersson also got their sketches approved today. Yeah! This calls for celebration together ... in one and a half week when all of us have got the time and are not ill (I'm still not well).

Where they spray-paint at one of the firms where I got my colour samples.

the workshop

the text says: "she could do more things than just sleep"

some of the images they made today at my workshop... (I'm feeling so much worse today; fever, pain in my whole body, almost lost my voice etc. Better turn off the computer and go to bed. And - Yes, I'm feeling sorry for myself!)

preparing workshop

Tomorrow I will give a workshop at Mimers Hus where I'm having my present exhibition. It's going to be about stereotypes and the unexpected. The kids (16-17 years old) will get the task to remake male Superheroes and Disney Princesses based on imagery from fashion magazines, lifestyle magazines and the sports pages. We are going to turn it around; the male characters are going to try the female poses and situations - and vice versa. Or it could just be everyday situations that you are not expecting to see them in (has to be unexpected though - Snow White shouldn't set the table!). And it's going to be cut outs and they will be allowed to traces the figures from the magazines (it's about ideas, not technical skills)

I've prepared some example of how to you can think (above): two superheroes having dinner and Batman posing after an add for perfume. The female examples we'll see in my exhibition.

I'm still a bit feverish, snotty and with a very soar throat ... but being self employed means I'll have to work anyway. Good thing it's going to be fun!

lecture and networking day

Lisa Lindén is lecturing

Last night I suddenly got this pain in my throat; and all night I was sweating and couldn't sleep properly. Nervous/stressed? No; some bug from the kid's preschool.

I drank a lot of coffee this morning and ate some pills - and managed to get going today anyway. Today we at KRO Väst (the Swedish Artists' National organisation) arranged at lecture and networking day about equality and I had to be there. I've been responsible for it (project leading, getting it financed etc) and have had great assistance from my intern Holger (thanks Holger!). The lecturers Lisa Lindén and Annika Hellström from Doris Film have had many years of experience from working with equality within film/theatre and the idea was to learn from other cultural sectors than Fine Art. And I think we did!

You can read more (in Swedish) about equality on our blog Aktivering Jämställdhet.  For example our Interview with Annika Hellström from Doris Film.

Art as Business: Progress Report VII

This autumn has been so totally overfilled with projects, exhibitions, workshops and sketching for a commission that I’ve barely been able to blog about it properly – and I must say that especially my Art as Business Series has suffered from lack of attention. I keep telling myself that soon, soon, I’ll have more time – but soon seems to linger just at the horizon all the time - it's like trying to get to the end of the rainbow…  I’m just not managing to get any closer.

But I thought that I should at least manage a little Progress Report today!

Commissions/Public Art
In August last year I gave myself the task to get more commissions for Public Art on a regular basis to secure some incomes (while working on getting somewhere with “my own art” without compromising). A year later - in August 2010 - I thought that maybe this shouldn’t be the way to go for me – but I was drawing conclusions too early. Some things need time in order to show results:

happening
- On December 3rd I’ll present my sketch for a Public Art Piece for a school (I’ve been posting a lot here at my blog about my work in progress).
- I’ve been asked to make another mural project in spring 2011 with new school children, but at the same school as before. Here you can see what we did in spring.
- I’ve been asked to make a minor mural for a private client

might happen
- Just a few days ago I got a question from an art consultant about the mural I painted in 2006; there could be a similar project for me coming up.
- While following up a contact I got a hint that I might be up for a public commission in another municipal. I can’t count on it, but it could very well happen..


…honestly I can’t do it all in 2011 and I don't want to do it all in 2011 … maybe save some for 2012?

Galleries
I’ve not had the time to work on this properly, and have therefore set this as a priority task for spring 2011 - but some things are happening:
- 2 Separate exhibitions in spring (minor public art galleries/Konsthallar)
- Booked a meeting in December to set the date for upcoming separate exhibition (2012) in a gallery where I’ve exhibited before.


Teaching/Workshops
Since January I’ve only agreed to teach art when offered a good salary (no more night classes!). I want to limit the teaching to shorter periods of guestteaching/ a few days workshops now and then - and I've therefore worked to make this come true. I’m focusing on screen printing or public art and would also in a longer perspective like to teach art at university level. I really like teaching - in smaller doses - and would like to keep doing even if it wasn't to make money.

- Last week I was guest teaching 5 days (instead of 2-3 days) at Formakademin (screen printing)
- Next term I might be teaching a full week at KKV (instead of 2 days) if a course is coming true
- My screen printing workshops at KKV (2/term) fills up immediately and without much effort.
- I’m negotiating with a school to teach big format – poster – screen printing for 3 weeks

Time management
I’m managing (barely) to juggle all my projects. I am being super organized and structured but I can’t say at all that I’ve been successful in the task “liberate some time”. Au contraire! But in spring maybe? Soon, soon…

In January I’ll be back with my goals for 2011 and the tasks for spring. But there should be Art as Business posts before that!

tea party in Wonderland

Last week's students were at the pattern design program at Formakademin. Yesterday I managed to get a sneak peak of the first year student's (pattern design/ceramic) exhibition inspired by Alice In Wonderland at Galleri Pannrummet in Lidköping; I interpreted it as the mad hatter's tea party (what else?). The exhibition opened today and goes on until the 8th of December.

Back from Lidköping

This afternoon I came home after guest-teaching for a week at Formakademin in Lidköping. It's a beautiful little town. On my way there Monday morning it was snowing and it didn't stop until today... Suddenly my autumn turned into winter.

I also wanted to share some photos from the hostel (Lidköping Vandrarhem) where I always stay. It's so very much un-styled, but grandma-style (or maybe great-grandma-style is more accurate). I was told that they just kept the furniture from the former owner when they turned it into a hostel. Unfortunately the bedrooms don't run in the same style...

ambience

I'm off to guest teach a week (screen printing on paper) and will be back on Friday. Have a nice week!

Of Fishes and Birds in Meppel

Now the Of Fishes and Birds exhibition (where I participate) has opened in Meppel, the Netherlands. The exhibition is on until the 31th of December. You can read more about the exhibition and project here.

model building

this "little model" can be divided into three pieces to make it easier to carry. Silver tape is awesome, by the way.

two children and a small tree to be placed in front of the model

The other week I had a meeting with the art consultants (artists) who had picked me for making a suggestion for a public art piece for a school. [I've had so much to do since then that I haven't blogged about it - but it did happen and they had no objections!]

These days I'm fixing the last details for my presentation in two weeks. I'm making a "model" - if you can call it that. It's BIG - because I consider it important with size to get the idea (after all the wall is approx 24 meters long)  And basically I'm just making it 2 dimensional. It's got s feeling of theatre set over it, doesn't it?

if you didn't blog about it - it didn't happen

Today I mentioned the screen printing workshop I gave last week to my studio neighbour.
"...So you are giving the workshop next week", he said. (I suspect he's often not really listening to what I say)
"No, I gave it Wednesday-Friday last week" I answered
"But you didn't blog about it ..." he said.

ERGO: it didn't happen.

more photos from my exhibition

Before the opening I managed to take some photos of my exhibition - and with a tripod even (though now I realized I should have used a level as well). Normally I'm too busy before an opening - and afterwards too tired. But yesterday the journalist from the local paper was a bit late - so I got the time to take all the photos I needed. Everyone who came to my opening: Thank you! And the rest of you: You can see the exhibition until the 8th of January 2011. [And for you who can't make it at all; get a closer look at the art pieces at my website]

the only one who dared to taste the apples I offered was my nephew Henry - he tasted five ... and just kept smiling.