exhibition: Eric Magassa

Yesterday I went and saw my studio neighbor and friend Eric Magassa's exhibition at Göteborgs Konstförening. I have been very curious to see his latest work as he's not even let me through the door to his studio lately. As always when it comes to Eric's art I was delighted. I love Eric's colour palette and the way he manages to be both playful and serious at the same time.

You have until December 4 to see Eric's exhibition.

workshop details

Paid KKV (artists' collective workshops) a visit today. I booked myself a glass kiln for next week. So I can make some experiments ...

challenging myself

watercolour on canvas

As an artist you will now and then feel the urge to challenge yourself more, to move on, to find new ways of working or new angles to your themes. Or that unique expression that is just yours? But how do you achieve that?

Jarl Ingvarsson, a Swedish artist, said in an interview I read years ago that his best impulses or ideas come when he has spent sufficient time in the studio to start feeling a bit bored. If I remember it right he said he then would be more free as he wouldn't care so much. He could do whatever. (this could very much be me making it up - in that case: Sorry)

Last year I listened to a great artist talk with David Batchelor (an artist I admire very much) and among other things he talked about how he got his ideas in his studio. His art might seem very conceptual, but studio work - or real life experience of materials - is essential to him. By seeing things in his studio piled up on a shelf, or a brightly colored canvas lying temporarily in a certain way, he got his ideas. Just by seeing things that might be by coincident, or seeing things with new eyes. (It's not "just" though. It takes a certain talent.)

I've lately been getting really frustrated in my studio because I felt like I'm not advancing, I need something more to my art to make it better and in order to get more interested in what I'm working with. In some ways I felt bored with it, even though I have had occasional moments of flow. A bit like; "yes, sure a nice painting ... but shouldn't it be more to it? The same thing again... Am I in the 19th century?"  For me frustration is good - if I have the time to explore it. I will go a bit wild then, more courageous.

Cutting things up can be a way - I tried it and laughed a bit, but felt like there should be more to it than that. Changing materials a bit can be a way. So I tried painting watercolor on canvas instead. And bigger. Didn't really do it, but I felt a bit better. Then I tried something else and got a fantastic surprise side effect. I'm very hopeful now. Could this be it? Tomorrow I'll get some advice from an artist working with glass - and then I'll hopefully know if I can recreate what I'm after. Anyway I'm on a new track now. I can feel it

I need that light

After several days of november darkness the sun flooded my studio with light today. I always store my geraniums in my studio over winter - and seeing them through the thin curtain fabric made me believe I must have been confused believing it was autumn ...

yes yes, it's spring...

Have a nice weekend!

shadowplay

... these arrangements of his very often have extra dimensions.  It can not just be a coincidence ...

why I blog

when I get stuck with my art cutting it up and combining bits in new ways is a great way to reflect  and get some self distance. I analyze what I do - and why.

Sometimes it feels harder to blog. It can be because of lack of "inspiration", because you're into something else in the real world, there might simply not be enough time, because you are too tired (me right now). It can be because you don't see the point spending all that time ...

Those days I remind myself of all the good things I've gotten through blogging; 

• friends 
• inspiration and encouragement 
• job opportunities 
• the habit of documenting my work and process
• the habit of reflecting over what I do and the courage to do it aloud
• several years overview of what I do (like a diary)

... and much more. 

when biking home ...

I had planned to work a little longer in the studio today, but suddenly I realized I couldn't because it was getting darker earlier than I had thought (just after four). I had no lamps for my bike and had to hurry up. This is what it looked like when crossing the bridge. The view is always spectacular here.

I'm working on some things in my studio now that I feel I can not show in progress - until later. Normally I don't have a problem sharing my process, but now it's different. All year I've been wrestling with where I'm heading with my art - feeling I need some change, some development. 

exhibition: Marta Runemark

the ostrich (life-size) is a reflection

Yesterday I visited Marta Runemark's exhibition at Galleri Jeanette Ölund in Borås. Marta Runemark makes sculptures out of papier machée and recycled materials (burned pieces of wood, old fabrics, nails, small animal skulls, metal parts etc). It was like going back to Hieronymus Bosch's detailed medieval world (though the horses wings are inspired by Leonardo da Vinci), but with a more accurate knowledge of exotic animal's physiognomy. And I would say with less sin than Bosch and milder humor. Marta's exhibition made me smile and I was intrigued by her attention to detail and love for the materials. 

The exhibition will be on until the 17th of November.

close up horse

close up ostrich (burned wood)

golden side effects

I got this very interesting side effect when working in my studio yesterday. Actually it was much better than what I was trying to achieve. Now I'm trying hard to figure out how to keep that effect in a permanent way. But I'm just in the beginning of this process and feeling insecure and vulnerable about it ... so I can not share yet.

I've been awfully quiet here on my blog lately (posting photos though). According to plans my days are all spent in the studio where I do only creative work - and all that administrative stuff (and blogging) is being done at night during 2-3 hours. I've had a long lists of tasks that finally is getting shorter (I've even done my bookkeeping for October).

happy halloween

(evil pumpkins drawn by my son Max)

for the love of cupcakes

final version

doing some bookkeeping

Being a good girl doing my bookkeeping, not lagging behind too much. (but inside I'm screaming)

pointless

trying different faces

more Morran

using anything I could find on the studio floor

spray paint and simplicity (boring!)

a combination of Stephen King feeling, a pig and I don't know what .... As I'm very repetitive when it comes to my paintings right now (yes - you guessed right: laughters) and kind of risk to bore you if I post more from that process - I thought I should instead share some other "Morran attempts". (I kind of like the first one though)

Morran in my studio

These days when waiting for my watercolours to dry I'm attempting to make an image of Morran for Camilla's book. It's like Morran is in my studio, sitting on the floor watching me paint (she has been sitting here on my studio floor in real life, but never watched me paint).

laughing at myself

I was lifting the jar of gesso (a primer with the consistency of yoghurt, but more sticky and fast drying) by the lid - but it wasn't fastened properly... I dropped it, but kind of caught it again in a juggling kind of way and managed to get the content to fly up the ceiling, and then down all over me: in my hair, covered my face (really covered) and all over my clothes. A good amount hit the walls as well. After checking I hadn't destroyed any art piece I just laughed and laughed. Luckily I was wearing my studio clothes. But my hair will stay whitish for a while. today Cissi mounted her commission

exhibition: Daniel Milton

Last week (Thursday night) I went to the opening of Daniel Milton's exhibition "La la land" at Galleri Thomassen here in Gothenburg. I've known him "web-wise" for 2-3 years now, but never seen him or his art in real life before. As it should be his art is to been seen in reality; his play with depiction/representation and digital imagery loses something when only seen on photos or screen. Daniel turned out to be very simpatico, which didn't surprise me either. The exhibition will be on until October 30th read my interview with Daniel Milton from last year

Night of 1000 drawings

Cultural Night on Friday night;  night of 1000 drawings - exhibition selling art donated by 100 artists from Göteborg to support Faktum, a magazine for the homeless. The exhibition was arranged by DIY.

drawings by Christin Wahlström Eriksson

the screen print I donated is the one with the fish I think it was very successful; when I came there half an hour after opening a third of the art was sold. Great initiative! It was crowded and a lot of good art to see, but I must admit I got most interested in watching people looking at the art ...

kulturnatta (culture night)

Tomorrow Friday it's cultural night here in Göteborg. This means a lot of art, performing arts and music all night long (or at least past midnight).

DIY is arranging night of 1000 drawings - an exhibition selling art donated by 100 artists from Göteborg to support Faktum, a magazine for the homeless. (I've donated a screenprint)

KKV - the artist run collective workshops (where I am a member) - will open up it's workshops to the public. You will be able to see everything from printing in process and enamels coming out of the kiln to bronze casting. Art made in the premises will also be exhibited (I'll show some screenprints and my small version of the figure group for my latest commission) and there will be live music and food. Read the program

Find more things to see and do at kulturnatta's website

But that's not until tomorrow - tonight I'm going to the opening of Daniel Milton's exhibition at Galleri Thomassen.

spray-paint haze

I love the way it can look in process sometimes, those involuntary magic results ... like after spray painting today.  I'm finally painting my small version of Snow white, Batman and the Phantom. It is to be exhibited on Friday at Kulturnatta ("culture night", which means a lot is going on all night; exhibitions, theatre plays, music etc) Unfortunately spray-painting isn't for me at all as I'm too sensitive; I got so dizzy in spite of open windows, wearing a mask and immediately leaving the room afterwards - that I couldn't cut with my scissors with precision the 3 following hours. And that was just after spray painting the base coat!

I just had to

... not that it has anything to do with the simplicity I've been trying to achieve in my painting lately, But it made me laugh.

laughter

I felt I needed some more laughter.

Not many words in my posts lately, but as it is now I don't really feel I have anything to write. I'm so into my work in my studio, into images. But the words should hopefully return to me.

outside - inside

It's October