Working desperately and furiously

Why did I build the studio? Despair. Pushing hard to find openings, things I can believe in, that I can enjoy working on… well, enjoy is a big word, it is always a hard struggle for me. I worked on the small landscape paintings and decided to make a little fun art project – I have sent several as post cards to friends. I call them Post Art. Will be interesting to see how they look when they arrive at their different destinations, some are overseas.

Today I also finished a piece I have been working on for a while. Untitled for now. Oil and varnish on plywood with concrete base, 50 x 10 x 10 cm.

The back looks like this.

Small landscape paintings

For some time I have wanted to practice landscape painting, which has not really been my cup of tea. So now I am doing it, in small format, almost postcard size – 12 x 20 cm. It is pretty frustrating, because I think they are boring. But I will press on and try a little harder.

Steel art in Arizona

Some really cool shots of my steel sculpture. This one is in Cave Creek, Arizona.

Christmas break is over

I am back in the studio after a very nice visit by my parents. We have fully concentrated on being tour guides in Santa Fe, up to the Canyon of the Ancients Guest Ranch in McElmo Canyon and back south through Monument Valley to Cave Creek just north of Phoenix, Arizona, where my brother and his family have a house. It has indeed been a good time, but now it is time to get really busy in the studio.

I am working on some small landscape studies. Not ready to show them, but a while ago I made a new sculpture-painting with a concrete base. Don’t really know what to call it yet. It is 50 x 10 x 10 cm.

Never done THIS before

Can’t exactly say what I haven’t done before, but it is something about this almost “fashion shoot” image. When I started I was wondering… but there is something magical about painting, adding layers of paint and see them blend and soften. It will be interesting to see where this goes. I do not think I am interested in doing it photo realistic, there is something that strongly appeals to me when the brush strokes are visible. This will dry overnight and I can most likely continue tomorrow. I am painting on birch, by the way.

Potsdam, 1909

I have finished my big painting (it is 36 x 59 inches). I made a small frame and gilded it and put it around the Stalin portrait. Then I took a decent photo of the painting with my studio lights. I hope the title will inspire some curiosity about the work. The photo I have worked from must have been taken around 1909. So Stalin was certainly not the dictator of the Soviet Union yet. The young family are luckily not aware of all they will experience in the future. I know some of what they had to go through, but I am hesitant to tell it all.

If it doesn’t work, do something radical

I have struggled with the indian and I have not been happy, so today I covered the entire painting with black and then started retrieving the picture, adding indian red and gold ochre and a little white. Well, it looks different anyways. I need to take another photo with less glare from the studio lights.

And the sea captain from Arild has a ring in his ear. And a hint of one in the other. I will let this rest and maybe take another look at it later. For some reason the colors came out a bit more true this time. I have been working very intensely on a commission the past few days, sorry, can’t show it now, it is probably supposed to be a surprise.

Some things are harder

Some things are easier. But it is never easy. The Cape Horn man is getting closer, I am actually quite pleased with the expression. The background color was very difficult to capture on camera, it is greener in reality. I used my Elinchrome studio lights, but still could not really get it. The ear-ring is still missing. The format of this painting is 32 x 25 cm.

Another little piece I have been struggling with for a very long time is this. 20 x 20 cm. Am slowly getting there. Will not give up quite yet.

A classic portrait with wide brush strokes

I have had fun today! Not working too exact, really spreading the paint thickly and adding, adding. Not too bad for a first day. Some adjusting and adding is needed. And the ring in the ear will be like icing on the cake.

Fastest around Cape Horn

I am starting on a small project. My friend Sverker in Arild sent me some info on a man who lived in Arild a hundred years ago. He was a captain who sailed the “seven seas” and at one time he and his crew sailed around Cape Horn faster than any other ship had ever done before. It became world news at that time. Some of his journeys were extremely tough and it is a wonder that he and his crew survived. He lived to be over 90 years old and for many years he wore a really cool gold ring in his ear. So I am going to try to make a cool painting of him, that will be donated to Arild next spring. A first sketch.