a bit behind

I'm sketching.

The computer accident made me a bit behind with everything, but I'm catching up.

Collect is already over and I haven't looked at the exhibitors list yet.
Swedish galleries this year The Glassery, young ambitious glass gallery and Konsthantverkarna, reputable artist run craft gallery, both in Stockholm.

It's really late now, stormy weather outside, go to bed is a good idea. Sweet dreams!

not without my handbag

Tagged by Karin "Show me a special something, important or beautiful or meaningful or full of memories for you - or all of that - and tell me about it."

Had to think for a while until I saw it right in front of my nose.
The handbag.

My helpful friend, keeper of all things necessary. Big enough for files, calendar, camera, notebooks, books, phone and sometimes groceries. Sturdy enough for biking rainy days.

Full of memories from a fantastic week in Berlin the football World Cup summer of 2006. A rented apartment at Oranienstrasse and the bag shop nearby.

The design has a point, combining recycling with craft. The embroidery is a sari and the material is from used truck tarpaulins and tires. This bag is urbanity and craft.

It opens up for conversations with all kinds of people wherever I go. It must be something like what you dog owners experience all the time, very nice.

Pelle Mia website
Freitag is similar, more high tech (and I think they were first, but without the saris...)
Freitag Design a truck contest

And while I'm at Berlin shopping, here are my favourite shoes, Trippen. Some models are a bit heavy for me, but I have two absolute favourite pairs, same model in wine and black. And I would love a pair of boots.

Lylou handbags, softer bags but not less colourful.

I send the tag on to:
Alexandra, Katherine, Paul, Mansuetude and Camilla

all about blogs

I was given the You make my day-award by Andrea. I would like to award her back, her blog is great! but think it should be brought forward.

These bloggers, along with others, make my day:

Smosch, showing me the place I live (yesterday she asked a few questions and got 97 answers, so far. Readers suddenly visible, I was taken).

Masala Chai, I was so happy to discover the other day; contemporary Indian art, design and more. Lovely.

Bientot Demain for the always surprising and beautiful things I find there.

Karin's style blog celebrates three years, hooray! Karin was the first to lead me into blogging, and thus make my every day.

Heather who has sharp eyes and always ask a good question.



We are all so lucky who can meet. Happy blogging!

PS I see the nice neon signs on my walk home from work

clearing up

So unnecessary, the laptop fell to the floor and was injured. Oh dear.

Not to badly, but the internet connection is gone. It works with help of a memory stick and the old laptop that doesn't have any programs. Together they work well, but there are so many cables around.

More relaxed after last week's creative panic, fell in the usual traps: fear of failure and hope for success. Will try to be more present instead, this week.

I want to have tea here.
Nordljus.

Camilla's new shoes.

film festival

The 31st Göteborg Film Festival began yesterday, the winter season's cultural highlight. The festival is centered around Draken, one of the very few remaining old cinema theatres. Draken opened 1956 and still looks the same, interior photos here.

I saw Lust Caution by Ang Lee. It was late, the film started slow and I was friday night sleepy but it finally woke me up, stunningly beautiful images and a heart breaking story.

Even more I like the chance to see all the films that you never get to see at the cinemas. For several years I worked, selling tickets, at the festival. Great fun, and I could see all films for free. Now I don't have the time but still get in excited festival mood.

The festival cafe at Draken is this period the best place for "fika" in town. And there is a nice bar tent, for seminars, concerts, interviews or just to hang out for a while.

The all year round office for the festival used to be at Konstepidemin, but with time they grew to big and moved.

Thank you for encouraging words about finding peace in little creative crisis, they really help! I know, we've been there before and know deep inside we always manage in time.

I hope you have a nice weekend, too!

Vivienne Fleisher illustrations and photographs,
via Apifera Farm

maybe i know

Maybe I know what I'm working with. Wish I was more certain, have a solo show in April and try not to think of the short time.

Instead I tell myself: keep calm, have fun, try something new, look for what's there. And I had fun today. Maybe I have an idea.

Wire work by Marie Christophe
Found via Dear Ada who wrote kindly of my work yesterday. A happy coincidence, a neighbor ceramic post with the work by my real neighbor Karin Östberg.

peekaboo and music

Elvin enjoyed himself, and us, the other day at lunch in Blå Huset.

His multi talented mum Lotta Sjölin Cederblom is part of Markatta, along with Sanna Källman and Ingrid Brännström. They make poetic, funny and sometimes a little scary music theatre plays for children, enjoyable also for an adult. Accordion, cello, percussion; such a nice mix.

Listen here, you find them in the list under "Barnprogram" =music for children.

Simbi, African voodoo beat with Haitian influences, where Lotta is one of the singers, is also in that list, under "Folk and World".

There are so many great musicians at MCV, the artist run agency for West Swedish music. Click Radio MCV and listen all day!

Something to look at, too:
Mariana Monteagudo via Moco Loco

japanese visitor

Today was an office day, no studio but in my mind.

Mizue Ogiso from Japan stays in one of the guest studios at Konstepidemin. She has this small but full show in a window of Galleri 54 (an artist run gallery that opened, yes, 1954). Little sculptural buildings, light and precise.

Other artists that seem to enjoy their days:
Claydies, two Danish ceramic designers
Joo Youn Paek, pillowig
via Bientot Demain

full moon

Today was an almost magic walk home, around five o'clock and the full moon rising.

Good studio day, had a small creative break through. Hope your week started off well, too!

Monday night is for ER. I'm addicted, missed the first episode ever last season. It will never happen again. Understanding friends have taped for me when I've been away, so that I could watch 4 hours in a row when back again.

There is a lot to learn from ER, I've managed difficult medical situations with confidence gained from watching so many actors playing doctors. And last week there was a line of great wisdom, don't remember from which character:

"There is only one way forward and that is through"

Something to think about. Don't tell me what will happen, we are one season behind here in Sweden!

Åsa Herrgård updated her website, beautiful photos from her project in China and from installing a new commission outside Göteborg.

Feffakookan makes nice guns.

to hand build

This is what I do these days. As always after the long break for holidays and finished projects, I find it hard to get into clay work again. I did as usual:
A few days studio cleaning and organizing. Some sitting, looking (in interios magazines, ceramic books). Some radio and music listening too (without lyrics, soft and repetitive melodies works best for getting in the mood).

I've now come to the point where I work with the familiar. I hand build bowls, it's all about working myself into the mental state where ideas can develop. Some call it inspiration, some call it flow; for me that's always a period of uninterrupted time of work. Precious time.

Above is the building process ow the bowls, a variety of coiling. My fingers are getting quite strong from pinching the clay. I keep all fingermarks and tool tracks, hit the bowl's sides gently with a wooden stick when it's a little dryer, to find the right shape.



This it what might be the result, bowl from last summer.

Lawson Oyekan, hand built clay sculptures, click "artist" to see his portfolio
Nichi niche kore konichi, Jen and Janette replies an image with an image, new steps.
Jesh de Rox, should have been in yesterday's Anna Martinsson post, wedding photographer website that makes you feel special

Wish for you a weekend full of love and light!

lift your eyes to the sky

It wasn't raining today! I wanted to soak all light possible in, on my way to work. Lifted my eyes to the sky to find these. It was actually two pairs hanging high up there. Missed by someone.

Efficient but restless, haven't found out how to continue clay work just yet. Think the answer will come if I just work on an allow what will be to enter.

Outside the studio door the world was coloured my favourite blue when I left.

Lindsay Feuer, a ceramic artist who knows what she is doing
Yoshihito Sura, fills big spaces with small means.

Paula Lindblom, jewellery artist and blogger in Göteborg, finds link like this and many others.

shows at konstepidemin right now

Hnoss gallery shows jewellery artist Anna Martinsson. I've always liked her work, inspired by traditional ornaments, like the jewellery in national costumes. It's a lot about love, like wedding rings and crowns. This exhibition "Memento" moves around in the renaissance era.

Anna Martinsson web page here.
Article (Swedish) here.

(the main gallery shows Tore Ahnoff paintings, article here, Swedish, sorry)

Truike Verdegaal has something in common with Anna, also touched by another time, I like the Bird Collection.

Cally's blog is all about white this month. So many surprising and beautiful links to follow! Best thing is there is a lot of January left, more to look forward to.

green reaction

At lunch yesterday, Mona suddenly saw the coincidence:
Each and every person around our table wore something green: Ola and Malin from Big Wind, Anna, Amalia and a few others, Per was also there.

Not one person at the other tables.
See above proof of this little mystery.

1. Maybe we are all tired of red after christmas and unconsciously seek the opposite?
2. Maybe we sense a new trend?
3. It also happened so the light holder at our table was green. Maybe this first green at the empty table attracted next, and so on?

The candle holders are made by me for the restaurant.

Today was a full office day, my new glasses worked hard.

Barbro Raen Thomassen has made green grass sculptures, and much more. I stayed there for a long time.

100 + 1 + Korean ceramic

I missed the 100 post celebration on Friday (to busy celebrating new glasses or maybe I just can't count)! Instead, let's celebrate number one hundred and one today.

Being a new blogger I first thought "Where are all the interesting bloggers?". I started with the few I knew and Camilla was a great help. Now I have more subscriptions in the reader than time to read, it's like diving into the ocean, endless. You can imagine I'm happy over the new glasses.

Through blogging I've found so much inspiration, so many brilliant ideas, so many artists, so much art and craft, so many thoughts and ideas. I'm thankful to all of you who share so generously. There is also a lot of crap out there, which is also good knowledge.

The other question "What can I share?" was also there. I soon realized the blog as an important space for self reflection and to seek out the one thing every day worth telling. The blogging creates some healthy distance to look at what I do, where my mind goes and what I aspire for. It might picture reality as more harmonious and pretty than it really is, but in the end I find more truth.

A few times I've fallen in the trap of duty, sharing not from my heart but from what I "ought to". When I felt that happen I next felt my mind reel with the thought "But this is my space, I don't need to fulfill anything".

I don't think a revolution has happened, but I really do think the time spent looking and telling is rewarding. I feel more confident, my directions get more clear (in an unclear way).

And I get to look around at Konstepidemin, keep track of my artist neighbours' work.

And of course all the kind words you've poured over me matters. Not just the positive feedback, but the whole idea of communicating makes me happy.

And I get to practice my English. Sometimes I feel, just like Andrea, that my language is primitive. I envy your wit and playfulness, and hopefully I learn from you.

So there are many good reasons to go on.
Now, what happened this weekend?

Went to the opening of Korean ceramic artist Kim Youn Gon show at Sintra, Göteborg.
More photos here. Delicately slip decorated stoneware, all functional poetic perfection, rooted in Korean ceramic tradition.

He probably wouldn't be here if not for Jooeun Han, who came here as a student and later set up his studio here in Göteborg. I'm glad he is here, bring more friends!

And I started a new blog, so far more an info page, for the girl's football (soccer) team Football in my heart, in Swedish with lots of pictures. Plan is to take the team to Minneapolis for a major football cup this summer.

my new friends and shows

These are my new friends!
Like a miracle, it's all so sharp on the screen. Also think half the wrinkles will go away when I no longer squeeze my whole face to focus. So relaxed.

This week was hectic and I'm glad it's Friday. Seems like everybody got a lot of energy from having holidays. Gallery season has started, here are invitations from Konstepidemin artists this weekend.

Opens tonight, Friday 18-21, Japanese guest artist Mizue Ogiso at the artist run Galleri 54. Look at Mizues smile and understand it's nice to see her around. She shares one of the guest studios with Mitsuhiro Ikeda


Lena Rydén, photo from Lena

Tomorrow's openings:
Lena Rydén at Olsson & Uddenberg
Patrik Andiné at Galleri 1
Gunilla Hansson at Galerie Oijens



Carina Fihn at Göteborgs Konstförening
Helen Dahlman's The girl and the bear at Galleri Koch, Stenungsund



and finally Berit Jonsvik, at Konstnärshuset Kungsbacka, stories from the inner of Japan.

Maybe it will be a busy weekend, too :).
Hope you all have a lot of fun!

tamara and britta

Tamara Kuselman sent an invitation to an event in Barcelona.

We met the summer a year ago at Konstepidemin. Argentinian Tamara and German Britta Eppinger were art students in Barcelona and part of an university exchange program. They came like heaven sent to work with me for a couple of weeks. I had a deadline for a mosaic commission and as it happened, they were both experts: Tamara cut my small circle shaped mirrors perfectly as she had worked with glass cutting before. And Britta had spent time restoring Gaudi mosaics in Barcelona. Couldn't be better.

I don't have a single photo from our studio work, to stressed to think clear I guess. Here are some photos from the finished work Britta and Tamara was part of. More here.

I don't know Spanish but understand Tamara's invitation is for her art project where she uses images of her family. Happy Family opens tomorrow January 11, wish I was in Barcelona. All my best wishes for the opening, Tamara, and tell me what happens!

Yesterday Mansuetude shared the most beautiful link, to sculptor Cal Lane

studio visitors

Top photo is to show Heather how dark a gray morning in Göteborg is this time of year (9 o'clock, in Luleå the light comes around 11). Catch every ray of light!

I live on top of a hill (overheard a cell phone conversation today, a woman I could tell from her dialect is from the flat south Sweden said "I'm on some bloody alp here". That's an exaggeration) and have my studio on the next, by the arrow.

Today Camilla and Morran visited the studio. Camilla is guestblogging at Designsponge, she will tour her blogfriends in Göteborg (among other things) and I'm happy to be one of them, here. It was fun to see what photos she took, seeing with fresh eyes. I think the studio is rather grey and dusty; in her eyes it was much colourful than I thought.

She asked who my favourite ceramic artist is and I gave her the top name, since I heard him give a lecture some 15 years ago, Jun Kaneko. Not only his work but also the approach, how could I miss having him in my favourite list?

Read about Jun Kaneko here, from Mission Clay Project in Christa Assad's blog here, more photos here.

Rest of the day was filled with things that had nothing to do with ceramics, like a nice lunch meeting with the group of parents planning next summer's football trip. Hopefully 25 of our fourteenyearold girls in Azalea BK will play USA Cup in Minneapolis next summer. And hopefully I'll go with them. Will let you know what happens with this little side activity.

from the icy north

Still a little untold from our New Year trip to the north.

This is the city park in Luleå, my home town, where every winter a new snow animal is created. So far the rain made snow sculpting impossible. We all know why by now.

Here are the sculptures from earlier years.

This time of year there is only daylight for a couple of hours. The sunsets are long and intensely, incredibly blue. I get very sleepy and cannot believe it's only six o'clock when I think it's time to go to bed.

And when the the sun rises a clear day every ray is precious.

World beach project is growing, makes me long for summer.

Here you can find out what is your fairy name.

I'm Field Icewitch, suitable for a girl from a cold place:

She is a bone chilling bringer of justice for the vulnerable.

She lives in fields where wild flowers and poppies grow.

She is only seen in the enchanted moment between sleep and waking.

She likes to wear red petals in her skirt. She has icy blue butterfly wings.