research

7 random facts - about me

1. 171 cm
2. shoe size 38
3. I break rules if I think they are stupid - or could be better.
4. I wanted to become an artist already at age 5
5. Favorite transport: biking
6. I’ve been to Singapore 4 times, Paris 10 times and Jordan once. (but not biking more than once to get there– to Paris)
7. I do not like to put photos of myself on my blog

(of course the facts can not be random when I chose them myself) I was tagged by Famapa. I tag Asphalt and Air and Veja Cecilia (I was supposed to tag 7 people)

busy now

Want to make your own magazine? check MagCloud
Give away alert at design for mankind

Hunt & Gather - contemporary art blog
Vinyl Killers - what to do with those old Vinyls?
Nelly Duff - gallery
smashingmagazine on moleskin sketches

saatchi online showdown

So - as I've taken the time to put some of my works on Saatchi online gallery I decided to submit one of my works to their "showdown" (the painting above from last year). I 've done it before, but without telling anyone. (Smart) But ... these showdowns are based on that you have a big network to vote for you. And that you tell them. So now I tell. To vote for me (preferably giving me the highest vote) click here. Feel free to let other people know. It will be interesting to see if it will make any difference.

I see Saatchi Online Gallery mostly as an interesting phenomena; there are "art works" of varying quality. So far I've gotten one person "interested in your work" - another similar online gallery in Germany! These online galleries are popping up everywhere. But do they help artists to sell their work? And what about quality? What are your experiences?

two layers

...when you see something through something else. It's like double exposure.

The last photo suddenly reminded me of a friend - Miska Knapek. He is a wonderful person and artist who now finally seems to start getting the acknowledgment he so much deserves; Galleri Lavignes-Bastille Paris arranged by NEW Magazine.

Miska makes (to simplify it) Time Sliced Images - Visualising time and space. You can see his work either as photos or as animations. This is really interesting work - but you need to take your time to be able to really appreciate it.

shiny hair

"stop sitting with your knees crossed" she laughs " it tightens the base of the spine and makes the shoulders tense, which reduces circulation to the scalp and affects the hair"

unidentified flying object

moo cards

The other day I got my new business cards from moo. I was actually really happy with the quality.

Something funny: Some week ago I got a mail asking me to promote a product on my blog. In return I could chose a free product from the company - or get cash. But that was not moo - it was reading glasses. (what does that say about my blog?) Anyhow - I just promote myself!

seeing faces

Today I visited two exhibits about portraiture in one way or the other: Annie Leibovitz at National Portrait Gallery and Dryden Goodwin at the Photographer's Gallery.

Annie Leibovitz is a good photographer and I had been looking forward to seeing the exhibit. But I must say I do not really see her as an artist - her photography is never about representation or being experimental. I was surprised to see that her photos from her private life were so much like everyone else's photos. Nothing extra there. She made herself, in some way, a comparison between herself and Richard Avedon - he was working with commissioned photography and still being respected as an artist. But Annie Leibovitz is never on the border to cruel or critical in her photography. Neither do I see poetry. I miss that extra layering.

Some years ago, in Paris, I saw an exhibit of Lartigue's work - I was really touched by it and his photos. I can close my eyes and I see them again. That's a photographer!

Dryden Goodwin's exhibit (both photos) was on the other hand all about representation, about depicting faces in photo and drawing. His faces were not portraiture of special or famous people, but of humans. Even before reading on his website about Giacometti's influence, I could see it. Several people were there drawing faces, like the girl sitting on the floor. I also felt the urge to draw, to create. Interesting.

let there be kitsch

If you can not fight it - embrace it
- and make it yours.

have a nice Friday and a wonderful weekend!

alphabet

:D

Today everything worked much better. Though I liked the way the painting looked with the dirty paper over its mouth on the photo yesterday (I'll explore that road later). Sometimes you need to reach the bottom to know which way is UP.

For you with iPods and and iPhones - now you can get tiny red's illustrations as wallpaper

trying hard

Painting was to be the reward today. But it just doesn't work.

stay in shape

"Never overfill your handbag, especially if it's expensive. You will destroy its shape" she advices

wild beasts

Another of my interpretations for the scavenger project: no 6. wild beasts.

...so what about the job interview?
It was my first real job interview in six years: so I babbled. I think I made quite a whimsical impression. Anyhow - I am still pleased with the art activities I designed and I know I would do an outstanding job if they hire me. (nothing wrong with the self-confidence)

Or maybe there is an even better job out there waiting for me - and this was my opportunity to learn by my mistakes?

Thank you all for crossing your fingers for me!

shadows of the past

Tomorrow I have a job interview. For the interview I got the task to design two Art Activities for children (age 5-11) - one using history and one the environment. The cut out is for the Art Activity Shadows of the Past. The other activity - using the environment - I call You be the Superhero - You save the World and it is a bit more contemporary in several aspects.

Cross your fingers for me!

Beatrice Allemagna is such a wonderful illustrator (found trough smosch). Konstepidemin in Gothenburg has started a blog (I suspect Bibi is involved)

why we do what we do

" I guess that's the difference between the literary world, and the world of art - most writers don't turn to writing because they want to become fabulously rich. They do what they do because they enjoy doing it - it just happens to be how they make their living as well"
Hanif Kureshi, award-winning writer, in an interview in [For Display Purposes]

Conor Harrington

childhood memories

Yesterday my funny eye had a post about how you can challenge yourself. You can challenge yourself to really see, to notice things - or to work in a more creative way with materials and ideas. I signed up for the Scavenger Project because I thought it was a fun idea - and then I realized I would have very little time to work on the list (surprise?). So I gave myself some limitations to challenge myself and solve the time-issue. My contributions should be:

• idea- based
• using simple "childish" materials or in art-context unusual materials
• be fast to create when the idea was once there
• not take time from my other work (ideas should be worked on when playing with my son, running or cooking etc)
• be childish (preferably not cynic)
  

The photos above show how I interpret "childhood memories". Only one of the photos should be used - which one do you prefer?

(by the way: the cats from the other day were also part of this project)

Frieze Art Fair

A long day at Frieze Art Fair is over.
Most people wore black clothes.
The amount of Galleries and different artists was tiring.
Or rather - I am surprised that they can not solve it in a better way.
To make it easier and funnier to see. I mean - can't they show some creativity there? (of course I am aware it's a fair - not a biennial. But anyway?)

I saw a lot that didn't impress me (I'm a hard one to impress). But some good stuff also. Or OK.

Jeremy Dickinson is quite fun
jon pylypchuk made me smile
galleryske had a great art piece by Sudarshan Shetty
Frances Stark

... unfortunately I do not find any websites for many other artists I thought worth mentioning.

lots of cats

this is what I do with left over papers.
Cats

the year in pictures
Silvia B

dilemma

"Can you combine a busy urban life with a 12-day green-juice and goji-berry detox? she asks herself

dots

what I WANT

... is to continue on this painting.

What I DO is to fill Application forms where they ask for Your FULL employment history (paid and voluntary) since ever (+ duty description) also accounting for time not employed (if longer than 2 weeks).
And addresses - and salaries.
When that is done: "Explain how you meet the requirements and person specifications. You must address ALL the items on the list." (the list is 2-3 pages) And the forms are locked and with different tables - so even if you can reuse some information ... you will have to cut and glue 4 words at a time. I have 15 jobs to list + description of my four years as a self-employed artist (more than 20 clients). Hahaha!

Does anyone enjoy doing these kind of things?
I need the perspective from yesterday.

Studio Violet has opened a shop - if anyone missed it!

different angles

same same but different
Change the angle and it doesn't seem the same,
but it is.
Perspective.

missing Gothenburg

... and KKV. This photo is the view from KKV (artist-run collective workshops) a cold day in February when I was working with my enamels. Tonight is Cultural night in Gothenburg and there is a lot to do - at KKV for example.

... but I'm in London and just hoping someone will be blogging about it - for me to read at least (Bibbi hopefully - Konstepidemin will always be up to something)

experience

"I've found that high-street brands fit me the best, particularly those from Oasis, while Jaeger produce great high-waisted trousers" she confides

details about me

The world of blogging has its own unspoken rules and customs. You should answer comments and pay a visit in return (I can be without manners here - but I do love your comments) and there are games to be played: you can get tagged. Someone wants to know more about me - and I will play the game:

Clothes - should just magically appear in my closet and drawers. Sometimes I dream that I discover a forgotten closet – or even extra rooms – full of wonderful clothes. They are either mine that I had forgotten about, either my mother’s or grandmother’s - or just fantastic old clothes from out of the blue. All of them are of course beautiful dresses (not sensible every day clothes).
Furniture - is good to have. I wish I had a sofa or an armchair.
Sweet – yes. I can be sweet.
City – Kota Bahru – where the rats are plenty, big and aggressive and where they sell no alcohol (I do not want to admit the truth: Paris)
Drink – anything with alcohol will do. I’m Swedish
Music - I’ve heard of that.
TV - I do not have.
Film –everything (almost) by Peter Greenway. Manga.
Workout – work outside? I’m a certified aerobic instructor
Pastries – no, thanks.
Coffee – will wake you up. You’ll get yellowish teeth. I got my first own coffee cup when I was 5 years old.

thanks Asphalt and Air for asking. When it comes to tagging someone else I say the same as sandra

(anyone who thought the two previous posts were my answers to no 1 were - obviously - wrong)

problems

"I love shopping, but I spend far too much time working. I don't have the time to go in stores as much as I want." she complains

revealing

"For work I can wear anything from Azzedine Alaïa to Topshop" she reveals

diagonal day

there is something special in the light on cloudy days.
They gray tones gain extra beauty.

Something totally different - and genius in idea and simplicity: lejo. Check the video clips!

crucifixion

Finally I have finished the triptych. (bigger? just click on the image) Seeing the Rothko exhibition at Tate helped me to remember two things:
- to just think of the colour fields
- working with layers in the fields (acrylics) to get a living surface. (Hard to see in photos though - just like with Rothko's paintings)

Studio Violet (Camilla and Elisabeth) has got a blog now! I will for sure be checking every day.

continuing painting

my first moleskines

autumn calls for starting new projects or at least starting with new notebooks and such. I just bought my very first two moleskine sketchbooks.

I use the small one for my children's book project. With moving and everything I haven't really managed to advance with this project - but I'm convinced the new sketchbook will solve this. I scanned all the characters I've made and printed them out small and cut and glued them into my small sketchbook...

... to further develop the story.

Everyone seem to be into moleskines - moleskine's project to see what other use theirs for. They travel as well.

House of Illustration is having a competition "What Are You Like?"

Rothko by night

I've just come home from a private night viewing of the Rothko exhibit at Tate Modern. Even though Francis Bacon was fantastic to see - this beats it somehow. I never did appreciate Rothko until the first time I saw one of his works in a museum. Rothko in a book compared to Rothko in real life... Reproduced images of Francis Bacon's paintings still work fine though.

And the fun thing is that I think I found the solution for my Bacon inspired triptych - in Rothkos paintings!