probably progress?

a character for the story - for the preschool - that will come with the portal

... 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.

my studio ambiance

In July photographer Annika Broman visited me in my new bright white studio. I also opened the doors to KKV for her  - now you can see some of the photos at her website.

not taking anything for granted

The Portal is to come with some theatre curtains. Right now, when just having a month to finish it all, I'm very thankful I was so very thorough when I sketched for this commission - I know what fabrics to use, where to buy them - and how they look in different light. It feels good not to have to worry about that. 

The only thing that freaks me out a bit now, is that I promised the portal would come with a story ... and being me everything I'm coming up with at this point is dark and not very suitable for small children. I thought it would be great to connect this art piece with the new knowledge I got through the course I took a year ago in Illustrated Children Books - especially as this very preschool works with the fairytale, the story, as a central theme in the pedagogic. This way I will be able to really work with the Story/fairy tale as a concept. 

Well, we'll see about that. I can of course always come up with something but I'ld rather not deliver something dull or worse: overly moralizing. 

... and with the surroundings

This is where my portal is to be placed - marked with a yellow X. They are right now finishing those last details of the preschool - I love those playful windows !

 a model of the portal seen from the other direction (preschool behind our back)

planting 1000 flower bulbs

A couple of days ago I planted 1000 flower bulbs to be part of the art piece I'm making for the preschool. On an earlier visit I discovered they had created a slope just behind where my portal is to be ... there was nothing to do but to see how it could be used creatively for my art piece. So I decided that in spring a flower path will magically appear. (Lets' hope we'll not get a winter liked the last one ... the bulbs might not survive that)

something new I'm working on - probably

.. and I've decided I get the nights off from administrative stuff for the rest of the week ...

feeling utterly unmotivated

The amount of time I have to spend on general administration but also applications for new commissions/pedagogical art projects/exhibitions - and meetings - is killing me. I spend like three times the time I spend on making my own art. I have actually come to a point right now when I have a very hard time motivating myself to continue like I have done before ... I have this long list of things I should do at nights this week - and something inside me is just refusing.

a little screen printing

Yesterday I finally got around to do some test printing at KKV (for my own work). I had planned working on this in summer, but other things got in the way all the time - like the two commissions, teaching the summer course - and summer vacation. Actually this year has been like that all the time - not much time for my personal work. But on the other hand I've been working on interesting projects generating incomes - so next year I'll be able to prioritize my own art and no worry much about money. 

"Except" (it's quite a lot to do!) for making the Portal (the commission for the preschool) with curtains and a fairytale, the rest of 2013 will mean material tests and research for some ideas I have for my own art. I think I can see the bigger picture now - I should not hurry.

time for my own work!

YES!

got the commission!

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

and the mini-version

I also made a mini-version of Snow White and Superman (from the art piece for Röselidsskolan). Last time - two years ago - I also made a mini-version. But it turned out not to be so mini - especially when I took it with me on trams and buses - so this time I went for even smaller! I spray painted the couple up on my studio roof, the white just being a base coat though. (but just white is nice too)

... 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!

I'm still around ...

continuing with the portal

This week and next I'm concentrating on the portal I'm sketching for the preschool. Having it in real in size - even though it is just in paper - helps me a lot. This art piece is not "just" to be a sculpture, but also something you can use and transform into a theatre. I've had my son (8 years old) interact with it (he loved it!) and next week I'll try it with smaller children. As it is to be outdoors on the playground, I have to take a lot into consideration when it come to safety restrictions and construction. I'm learning a lot ...

photos from my students' exhibition

by Frida Åström

by Anna Littorin

by Ellinor Eliasson Some photos from the exhibition "Grupptryck" presenting results from the summer course I've been teaching. I've had so hardworking and talented students. It was a pleasure to work with you!  want to see more from the course? Check out the course-blogg!

screen printing course and busy days

print by Lizz Sharr in the making

print on fabric by Karin Persson hanging to dry Friday was the last day of the screen printing course in big format that I've been teaching. We finished off with a two hour exhibition at Friday night. Unfortunately I've been too busy to be able to let you in on this in time - as I also had to finish some things for both my commissioned art piece and send some important applications last week.  But tomorrow I'll post some photos from my very talented students' exhibition!