Delivering time tomorrow!

Tomorrow my drawing project is due for delivery. I am looking forward to see it myself tomorrow, -have had the weekend off for myself, Oslo Open and friends.

Finished the drawing on Thursday. It has been a fun project, and I have learned a lot! I feel inspired, and think I have found several things about this that I want to keep working with. The scene, -as many of you might have noticed, is one I have used a lot of time developing. I will keep working with it, also in other ways of expressing the thoughts and feelings around this. Drawing on the wall is magical! Going big is really great, but also a great challenge.

"Tribute to the city"

My tribute to the city

My mother was very surprised to observe that I was drawing apartment buildings when asked to draw "a house" as a child. Her perception of a house was one with four windows, a door, a pitched roof and a pipe with smoke coming out of it.

My perception of a house, and further, of a place to live is complex. I love my Oslo, and I love cities in general. I hope to be able to see more great ones, and to visit some of the ones i know again. Cities often get criticized for being inhuman, -there might be something in that, but I am more interested in the good sides of the city. The fact that I can choose to be who I want to be and do what I like to do, and still be anonymous enough to be able to keep away from the energies that wants to hurt you, like jealousy, hate and fear.

Perspective is not only what I see, but is also influenced by my state of mind, the people I meet, my experiences and my personality. The perspective in my drawing is twisted and strange, -but not obviously wrong. With this I want to point out how different our perspectives can be, but that one is not necessarily more correct than the other.

There is some inspirations and references that should be mentioned:
David Hockney has done some great stuff. I am looking a bit into his work after my drawing teacher mentioned his polaroid pieces in reference to my drawing.
Pøbel and Dolk and steetart in general is a great inspiration.
Hundertwasser has been with me since I started last year.

First color

Getting better?

City taking shape - and other drawings

I think the pencil outline for my city drawing is close to finished. Still a bit difficult to get a good picture. There is probably a nice way of getting it better in Photoshop, but I haven't been able to find out how just jet.

I have started thinking about the coloring - but find it very difficult to decide. I think my way is with bright colors, but I cannot seem to make up my mind. I hope to get some guidance from my drawing teacher tomorrow, cause I feel kind of stuck. Color is difficult - and I find it a bit scary. Have done a couple of color exercises today - just to try to get friends..

"Blue" - oil pastels

"Curved lines" fiber tip pen

By the way - here is the mantra drawing from the first assignment.

And another one I kind of like...

Drawing classes

First up this year is three weeks of drawing classes. Luckily we have the same teacher as last year, and have started out with individual projects as to our own heart. Having this great premises I have been very happy to start drawing directly on one of the walls in the studio! It is really great to see one of my scenes go really big... And going bigger gives openings for new twists - it is so much fun I have trouble sleeping at night. Have started drawing out the outlines on the wall with a pencil - as you will see from the below. Unfortunately very bad pictures - not easy to take a picture of pencil lines on an uneven wall, but maybe you will get a small idea on where I am going.. -To be continued!

First assignment - Mantra

This years warming-up task was a visual of our own interpretation of mantra. Since the terrible attack in Oslo and Utøya in July I have been using a new affirmation - translating to something like this in English; Love and security are my leading stars. As I feel mantras and affirmations has some of the same purposes in life, I decided to use the words KJÆRLIGHET (eng: love) and TRYGGHET (security) written in the form of a smile as my mantra-assignment. (I'll take a picture of it or get it scanned later...)

I like working with words and forms to emphasize the meaning, and look forward to testing it more. Could maybe work as graffiti? I really do like street art... -Hopefully to be continued.....

My second year has started!

The weekend-break lasted all summer... Anyway, now I'm back and looking forward to share this year at Oslo and Akershus university collage of applied sciences (terribly long name...) with YOU!

We are 17 students in our class, and have the pleasure of having our own studio in the center of Oslo. The whole second floor and the attic is at our disposal, together with the third year students.

There is great light in the main room, due to the glass ceiling. The building was originally built for the Norwegian Mapping Authority, and has been in use from 1879. Oslo National Academy of the Arts have had the building from 1980 until HIOA took over over only last year. Look at the beautiful room and ceiling from the inside below.

Self-portrait - Body and Mind

Tuesday was due date for delivering the exam project. It feels very good to have finished the project, and I am satisfied with the result. I have learned a lot through the project, and believe I will continue working in 3D and drawings. I really like the combination of working with developing scenes for my drawings, and making things with my hands.

It was great to walk around at school on Tuesday to see all the wonderful pieces delivered for this exam. I will post pictures soon, they just need some editing, -and I need some time off this weekend!

Barbed Whire to Cherry Blossom

On the standing leg, the most unfinished surface of the sculpture, a barbed wire winds its way up the leg. Pieces of thin paper in pink and brown shows the slow transformation of the hard wire into a beautiful cherry blossom.

The symbolism of the cherry blossom is according to Buddhistic tradition the transient nature of life. In Japan the flowering is a great cultural event, and even the death of the flowers are celebrated, as it is seen as a promise of new flowering next spring rather than the end of this. Fallen flowers are associated with the souls of the dead warriors.

The barbed wire tattoo is a common symbol of having served time in prison. Often the number of barbs equals the number of years you have served.

My prison was never a physical prison, rather a psychological one. One created by my own fears and low self esteem. Slowly but surly the restrains fade and transform into a symbol of the transient nature of life, as I slowly start believing in myself and living in the moment. The fallen flowers on the pallet represent all the energy I have put into this transformation.