still sketching

Last two weeks of sketching for the public commission now. I've arrived at the final modell building. These little trees are in scale 1:50 - and I must say my laser cutting skills are coming in handy!

sketching for public commissions

These are busy days, as always this time of the year. Right now I'm sketching for a double public commission - and preparing for two series of different workshops in the forrest. Both commissions and workshops are for preschools (my new focus group?)

My exhibition is still going on at Grafik i Väst Gallery, you have until the 1 of April to see it. 

she can take some shit

Museum of Public Art

Last month I went to Lund and visited the Museum of Public Art together with the students at the course in Public Art - Gestaltningsprocesser - at KKV (I'm teaching the screen printing part). I hadn't been there for like 15 years and it's so worth the visit. The museum has a fantastic collection of sketches and models for Public Art Pieces from both Sweden and the rest of the world. Right now they are constructing a section for Mexican murals! 

different ways of sketching, constructing models and parts of the work process - very interesting for artists to look at, of course.

Huge sketches by Matisse for the chapel in Vence-

Sketch for Mexican mural.

close up

paintings by Sonia Delaunay (sketches for murals), among others.

Plaster model for mould for sculpture by Henry Moore

Inauguration at Stensjön's Preschool

Today I attended the Official Inauguration of Stensjön's Preschool. It was a grey and chilly day - but the balloons, the children singing and the pedagogues' enthusiasm when acting totally distracted us.

... and then I got flowers. I so love getting flowers.

(the fence behind the Portal is just temporary - to protect the grass to give it a chance to get rooted)

art for the people

what to do with all those screen prints III

make discrete street art 

what to do with all those screen prints I

make roof art

playing with the Portal

Yesterday I visited the preschool -  now that the children have moved in - and showed them how to use the theater curtains and read them the book (photos of the book coming up very soon!). And of course I took some photos - but I haven't yet gotten the permission from the parents to use the photos - so therefore I've blurred the faces above . (If I don't get the permission I'll have to switch their faces for my son's face in different ages in photoshop ... so I still can use the photos for applications and such. Because I don't want the photos the blurred way!)

Update: I got the parents' permissions!

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.

sandblasted - and putting it together

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

... 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.

got the commission!

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

... 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!

sketching and project leading

Last week I got confirmed the actual place for the art piece I'll suggest for the preschool. I managed to get just the spot I wanted! This time I'll go for something more sculptural - which is something I've for some time hoped to get the chance to do. I have already the idea (I've been thinking about this since the end of April..) and I must say I'm very excited about this project!  The other commission I'm working on - this one - is now in the execution phase. Which doesn't just mean hands-on - today was just meetings and phone calls ... But tomorrow I'll be in my studio avoiding all what meetings and e-mails imply!