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 30. marts 2010

The Perfect Guam Quote

There are a lot of quotes out there, and once in a while you come across one that sums up your life, your situation, or both. I usually don’t look for quotes, but I do wonder if I was meant to stumble upon this one:




“Do what you can,

With what you have,

Where you are”


To me, that is the perfect quote for Guam Living (and probably for living in a lot of other quiet places). Here you are left to your own devices in many respects, and it is up to you to get the best out of it. NJ is busy, busy, busy... On top of that we had NYC around the corner: entertainment and activity was (almost literally) thrown in our laps. The same was the case while living in Tacoma. Everything was at your fingertips, all you needed to do was to reach out and choose between the options and enjoy. Life on Guam takes more effort. You create your own life here, you look inside, and take a step back. This goes for life here in general, but also for art and painting. I no longer have NY’s Art Museums as my cornucopia of inspiration whenever I choose. And perhaps that is a healthy thing to try. It certainly affects the way I live, work and think. It is time for reflection...

onsdag den 24. marts 2010

On Guam you are surrounded by flowers year round. Exotic, colorful flowers. This photo is taken in our garden. Suddenly they have found their way into my mind and my work...

In the past I have never really been that interested in flowers in art! While still living in NJ I did make a couple of paintings before leaving that, contained flowers. I don’t know where they came from, but somehow they fitted in with the theme and feel of my work. I wonder if my mind was slowly trying to get used to the idea of living on Guam...? Here on this tropical island, you are surrounded by flowers year round: Easter, Christmas - midsummer. Makes very little different in the flower department! Nature is full of colors, often in the shape of flowers on the ground or bushes. Perhaps it is seeing all these stunning nuances and gentle shapes around me - maybe the view from my studio - or simply the heat? But whatever it is, I have gained an interest in the world of colorful exotic flowers in painting... And of course, when I realized this mind shift, the first artist I went to explore was Georgia O’keeffe. I now own a little art pocket book with one hundred of her flowers.


I was always aware my work changed with my surroundings. Never the less - I never really saw a flower chapter coming...


Georgia O’Keeffe has recently moved into my art library...


tirsdag den 16. marts 2010

How Long Does A Painting Take?

I am often asked “how long does it take you to make one of your paintings?” It is one of those questions that are absolutely impossible to answer! In the past - years ago - I tried to time the process, just for fun, and to (possibly) get a general idea. I quickly learned it was an impossible task, and there is no point. Every painting is a different journey, and the canvas size often has very little to do with it. The last two paintings I worked on, seemed to be working against me in different ways and different areas. But what they had in common: they both took me days, weeks, months...

Recently I wrote a blog about the process of the painting “Wannabe”. And although the piece took a disproportionate amount of time, and I was extremely frustrated, I refused to give up. And (luckily) it was worth it, I do like the result.


Seen in that light, today was very surprising, as I had the opposite experience. I went to my studio this morning, eager to start a new painting, after being stuck in there for so long, in front of the same canvas. By the end of the day, I am very surprised to find myself with a finished painting. I can’t think of the last time I finished a piece in one day... Must have been decades! With the exception of my small women studies, it has always been unthinkable to start a painting in the morning, and be done at night. It was fun and refreshing. And once again I am intrigued by the process, and how my work seems to have a life of its own. At some point the painting closes, and you can’t find your way back in. I try to listen to the piece, and I read it as a sign it must be done.

onsdag den 3. marts 2010

Cleaning out the Studio

Cleaning my studio was long overdue. It wasn’t dirty, nor messy really, just disorganized!

Ever since arriving in Guam, I have worked between my things, without having a true space for each item. We were so busy arranging the rest of the house that when I got to my studio, I just wanted to PAINT. But last week, I finally decided it was time to do just that: arrange my studio to make it work better on every level.


I took everything out and started over. I got rid of things I know I would never need again, and it felt good to see the get-rid-of pile growing, and all the extra space I didn’t even know I had.

Over time I have collected boxes and folders full of pictures, photos, cards etc. The hardest part was to sort through those. And actually, I must admit I gave up and kept most of them. I remember where and when I got most of them, and the story behind each card and image. And (my best excuse:) they don’t take up THAT much room!


Another nice addition to the studio is that I now finally have all my art books around me. That had been my plan all along, but until now they had lived on a shelf in the living room. I like them them upstairs, with everything else ART related!


By the end of the day I felt so good - the studio was clean and organized. And seemed much roomier. And best of all: I now actually know where everything is.