Easter report.

 

We've had the most beautiful weather

 

sun, sun, sun and clear blue skies. Well, and frost. Some guests the first days and Sandra now. Still I've found some time to make another cat. I made it rather fast, so it's not well planned. Very relaxing to make though, and it gives me time to practice patterns. 

 

 

I hope you have beautiful days too.

Back to normal

 

Today I felt for painting something new.  For awhile now I have been thinking of drawing quick faces, max 15. min. Today I did that, and did the painting very quick too, I want to make something that looks less overdone. And I could use the practice to loosen up a bit.

Today's painting is "good" when it's about loosing up, and I like the way it turned out. The background was another test, it could be worked alot more but I saw what I wanted to see.

 

 

Do you often feel the need to change the way you work? I have been collecting alot of different faces lately, to use as inspiration photos for these quick drawings. I also need to convince myself that less perfect can be just as interesting  as a more perfect work. Todays work is a page in my art journal.

In fact, I like this one better each time I see it. What's on your desk right now?

Still in photomode.

It's so amazing, all my old art are coming to new life these days.

I just know I have to take this further, so I'm going to meet with a professional printer, to hear about ways of doing things, what amount of prints it takes to keep the costs down and things like that. The last days I have done nothing else than working on old art in picasa, and it gives me a whole new world of possibillities. Below you see an old painting coming to new life.

 The originale can be seen here.

The next is a face cut out from a larger work. A tiny little square, becoming this beautiful piece, if I might say so myself.

The original can be seen here.

The last one I'll show you, represent my state of mind, when things won't work as planned. This last one is more a fun product, but I kind of like it.

The original can be seen  here.

Can you tell I'm having fun? I never thought of this as a way for me to work, but it sure is.

Weekend already here, have a NICE one!

The dreamer.

Awhile back

I sketched this face, it's done on a medium quality sketchbook paper. I left it and forgot about it till yesterday. I have been trying to work on faces in picasa, but find it difficult to get good results. All the faces I've tried to work on have become weird and nothing to use.

During my work with the coming series I've learnt alot about manupilating my pieces, also a bit about what it takes from the original piece to get what I call a good end result. That's what made me so happy when I found this one. I strongly believed this could be the one to give a good result.

 

 

 

 It sure did!

This is even more than what could be expected from that simple sketch. I love it, and from now on she is called: The Dreamer.

I simply have to print this one, she could easily be a front cover on a book, don't you think? I was so happy to find that deep blue color and the softer green in the background. The moment when the magic happens is indescribable. Instantly, you know it won't be better no matter how long you try. Small moments containing huge amounts of happyness. Give it a try, I say no more!

 

It's far from the best face I've drawn/painted, but it holds something special which the bright blue color underline in a good way, I think. 

Alot has been done.

 

I have made a deal with myself

 

to work on my series each weekend. This weekend was a good one, alot of work was done.This morning I felt for doing a little experiment, I took a photo from my spiral series and started working on it in picasa. Below is the actual photo, remember?

 

 

After an hour or two the result is nothing like the original photo except from the motif of course. I am becoming more and more greatful for taking the job to understand how things work on this computer. Why on earth didn't I do that earlier!

Now I plan to print this testing photo, to see how well it transfere onto different types of paper. I'm especially interested to see if it will work onto a 300 gr. uneven watercolor paper, because I like that surface. Would you say this is digital art? I do, but it's handmade to start with. That's the most pleasant thing, to feel the ownership of it all, to have done the whole process.

 

 

 

It's such a thrill to learn new things and especially when one learn something one has been searching for. There are still alot more to learn on how to manipulate my artpieces and I'm on my way.

What have you been up to lately?

Still here

 

We're still here, both I and king winter.

The frost has eased up a bit and the result is more snow. I wonder whether we'll ever have summer again. Right now I've had enough of winter and long for warmer days.
I have been  very busy this week making art for my coming series. Now I look forward to start publishing it all. First post will be on April 12th. That first post is an introduction, a bit background stuff.

 

 

 

I'm really pleased on how the art turns out. It's a mix of handmade and digital art. Since I took the time to figure out things in Picasa, I've found a new expression for my art. Perhaps you'll find it interesting too. It's not quite the same to do the research work, much more fun to make art.

That's all for now, I have more art to make. Enjoy your weekend!

Not quite sure I'm finished

 

The handstitching went well and quicker than expected.

When I first started this piece, I had a clear idea of what to make and how to make it. The idea is still there, but the way it's made changed. To make a decission what to express and then do it, is by far the hardest art to make. On the other hand, it's the most satisfying art to make too.

Even though I know what this is ment to be, I have been struggling to find a good title to my piece. I very much want it to be understandable and at the same time make the viewer think. Right now I've landed on the title : Under the same sky. 

If I should start this piece over again, I would not have given the girls headscarves. The headscarves are a pure shortcut instead of painting hair. As it is now, people might think it has something to do with religion which isn't the case. It's about humans, all of us. 

There are many questions to be asked, even for me. Where are the girls standing, is one. I have to put it aside for awhile, to see if I should add to it or not. It's always better to use fresh eyes before the final decission. Do you often go for a predetermined expression?
What would you say this is, is it a painting or an embroidery?  I know it's a mix, but in general what would you say?