A blog about my work and the way it happens. Things I see, hear, feel and find interesting, funny, odd or just plain curious. News about Everything and Anything Art wise, Expected or Unexpected. This blog is an open work diary for myself, and you are very welcome to follow me on my journey...

tirsdag den 23. februar 2010

The Stubborn Painting

Recently I finished this painting, titled “Wannabe”. It has been a very long time in the making, and there were points in the process, I thought I may never be able (or have the patience) to actually finish it.


I started the painting this past fall, in September or October. As (basically) always, I had mentally planned ahead, and knew exactly how I wanted the piece to turn out. At least I had a very good idea... But along the way, I came across one obstacle after another. Mainly they had to do with the face of the woman. I am not sure of the number of faces - I gave up counting, but this may be the fifth one, which ended up working for me. The other faces just weren’t right, they didn’t work with the whole feeling and expression of the piece. For a long period I left the painting in a corner, looked at it out the corner of my eye, as I worked on other things. Although it annoyed me, sitting there in the corner, I could never entirely desert it. I am not sure why this painting worked against me to this extend, I can’t remember it ever being such a long and continuously changing process before.


A few times I was very close to give up, break down the canvas and start over on the perfectly good stretchers: new motif, new story, fresh air! But I just couldn’t let the painting win. I kept going, changing, starting over, and although the painting was almost more stubborn than me, I kept going. When I finally decided that this is it - it is done, I had a mishap in my use of the final varnish, which meant that I had to make even more - unplanned - changes.

I am happy I stuck with it - I like it, and having the (numerous) half finished attempts in my mind, I know this IS it, it was the right direction to take this - indeed - very stubborn image.

torsdag den 18. februar 2010

The Arrival of a new Art Book

”Painting People - figure painting today” by Charlotte Mullins

When I went to the base this morning, and checked my PO Box, I got a pleasant and very anticipated surprise: the ART BOOK I ordered on Amazon months ago (”Painting People - figure painting today” by Charlotte Mullins) had finally arrived!


Guam is in many ways a different world, so isolated and remote, and somehow it takes the mail months to get onto this island, and into my PO Box... But anyway - I got my book, and couldn’t wait to get home, make a cup of tea, put some great music on and open it... I still haven’t, I am trying to hold on to the excitement just a little bit longer...


A new art book on Guam is my closest substitute for an Art Museum. Since here’s no MoMA, Guggenheim, commercial galleries, or anything remotely close, this book will be my next art experience. The Internet is also invaluable, for inspiration, art news, brand new pieces of works, shows, etc., But there’s something extra special about a book. Better go make the tea, and put on the right kind of music...

onsdag den 10. februar 2010

The intimidating White Canvas

Starting a new painting - for some reason - can be quite intimidating. Personally I never liked the white canvas, starring at you, waiting to be covered with your ideas, thoughts and paint...

Only within the past few years I’ve come up with a way of making this start to a painting a little smoother - now I first layer a thin collage and paint it blue before I begin my work. To me, this subtle change makes a big difference. The fact that you spend time preparing the canvas before starting the actual piece makes it a lot easier. And personally I think blue is a better (softer) start than white.


In Dec 08, my husband gave me a HUGE canvas as a Christmas gift. I was both excited and a bit scared to get started. Then there was the move to Guam, I got busy with other things, and it wasn’t until this past fall I actually began the painting. The canvas is measuring 4 ft by 6 ft. This is a very new size to me - I am not used to paint on such a large scale, and it is a very different way of working. You have to get far back with almost every stroke of paint, as you can’t overlook the painting as a whole.


The image I first started I got stocked on for a few months, and I decided to leave this idea, and instead start over. Right now, as I am writing this, the canvas is (once again) covered in blue, and soon I’ll sketch a new drawing in charcoal, as a beginning to a new image.

tirsdag den 2. februar 2010

Reworking an old painting

Once I was being asked if I ever continued to work on painting after I considered it done, after showing it, perhaps even years later. I remember thinking that was a strange question - only because I had never even considered it. I feel that at some point the painting ‘closes’ and it is almost as if you can’t get into it again, even if you want to. But I also like the feeling of being done, and moving on, to new projects.

I made this painting ‘Diva’ a few years ago - about three, I think. I have showed it in a couple of exhibitions, and also used it in promotional material.


When we moved to Guam it was soon after hung over our bed, and I would look at it every night, before going to sleep. Suddenly I started seeing things in it that wasn’t right. The texture of the skin looked strangely see through, and the eyes were too wide open - all in all, I took it down and it went back into my studio.


I was not sure if this was a good idea or not, but a bit intrigued to get started. It took me only one afternoon - between other paintings - to come to a new result. A result I am very happy with. Maybe because it had been so long, it felt like a new face, a new painting.

And because I felt the painting was a different one all together, I decided to add it to the (generally) newer paintings I am showing at SUGAR & SPICE, here on Guam...