February Diary 24

Truth be told, my initial plan of scheduling time for spontaneous creativity on a daily basis did not work out very well. But February was not all about heavy work loads at my day job. I also went to a few interesting exhibitions and chilled with some really nice people who made me feel happy and energized and inspired and ready to paint!

refueled, inspired and ready to paint!

The Year of the Dragon

The year of the dragon started on February 10. In Chinese culture, the Dragon holds a significant place as an auspicious and extraordinary creature. It symbolizes power, nobility, honor, luck, and success. 

2024 is forecasted to bring about opportunities, changes, and challenges. If you’re seeking a shift in your current lives, this year might offer a favorable chance.

opportunities, changes and challenges

Studio days

Last month I started experimenting with new color schemes, shapes and themes and to my surprise I really enjoyed it. Since my studio is my happy place where I nurture and celebrate some of the good things of this earth, I decided to bring these joyful experiments further by incorporating them into some already existing artworks.

My master plan for this year includes continuation of a few projects started during lockdown as well as playful testing of new artistic expressions.

This pic shows how I keep track of what’s going on in my studio:

what’s going on in my studio

Throwback to lockdown

A few days before Norway closed down on March 12, 2020 our class had started the initial discussions on how to pull off our graduate project. I remember discussing that a crucial part of artistic development is developing your personal style and that looking back on your history might give you some clues. 

During lockdown all students at my art school were left with one opportunity only; working from home. 

Long hours alone in my studio together with my cat was nice, but as days turned into weeks inspiration got scarce. I started to examine what I had collected over the years and pondered about what I liked and disliked about each object. I studied shapes, patterns, colours and textures on tablecloths, vases, urns, bottles, wine glasses, embroideries, flowers and plants.

Read more about my graduate project here

old sketchbooks, new challenge

Old stuff, new challenge

This month I pulled out my sketchbooks from Easter 2020 filled with sketches and notes about heirlooms such as furniture, textiles, handicrafts and photo albums. 

Once again I will simplify, stylize and abstract form elements and patterns, and bring my findings into new contexts.

In my art work I strive for progression, not perfection. I emphasize the process of abstracting. I prefer quirky and imperfect, incomplete aesthetics, perhaps a bit wabi sabi like. To me the most interesting part of creating lies somewhere between intuitive play and logical thinking. Here’s a sneak peek (work in progress):

sneak peek | work in progress

Transforming colours

Colour and energy is all around us. Colours have different energy, some you like and some you don’t. When you mix different colours with each other they transform. Two bright complementary colours next to each other will give the impression of an energy kick, but if you put a bright colour next to a neutral colour you get a different kind of energy, a different expression.

I love working with contrasts, and I love challenging myself. Colour mixing can be really fun, but also very time consuming and frustrating as daylight changes my studio light during the day. 

Studio time includes lots of fun and complex problem solving. If it’s not tricky, it’s no fun! So at the moment I try mixing colour values and presenting them in new ways to explore how this makes a difference to my expression. 

If things go as I hope, I might throw a spring art drop with some brand new works in a month or two. Fingers crossed and stay tuned for more news.

time will show

Celebration time

At the end of February the family gathered to celebrate my Hubby’s birthday at a really nice restaurant with a wonderful view over the Oslo fjord. The food was delicious and the wine bountiful. What a night!

What a night!

Prepping for Art Drop

It is nearly time for my art drop. This time I will release a series of new works on paper in various sizes at affordable prices. All subscribers of my newsletter will get access to my new artworks before everyone else.

But first, I have some decisions to make and some work to do.

Treasure hunting in my studio

The privilege of choosing 

People and artists are different, there are various ways of carrying out one’s art practice. Some of you know that I always work on parallel projects, both short term and long term projects. 

Lately I’ve been telling you about my multitude of half finished, or just started, works on paper and a pile of canvases in a seemingly never ending process. I cannot do it any other way. But that means I have to ponder a little when it comes to my upcoming art drop.

So, what to choose? Think I’ll have to get some help from my assistant Mr Cat.

Seeking advice from my art assistant Mr Cat

Finishing touches

After the privilege of choosing which paintings to include in this upcoming art drop, I need to get the paintings ready for their new homes. Some might need a finishing touch of colour, while others need to have their edges painted. 

I prefer to sign my abstract paintings on the backside. But if a buyer prefers to see my signature on the front that is also an option – just remember to give me a hint before I ship your artwork. 

Painting the edges

Photographing and presenting art

Way back I used to work as a freelance photographer, so I know a few things about photographing art. I have also worked professionally with web publishing and managing social media, so I prefer to do all the work myself, even if it’s a bit time consuming.

Sometimes I wonder if I should learn how to make frames… 

Framing or not framing, that’s the question…

Artistic text work

I truly believe that every artwork will reveal its hidden message to the right viewer. I also believe that buying art is a soulful decision in the sense that you will instinctively know when to buy a painting – because it “speaks” to you. 

They say pictures contain more than a thousand words, but I think that sometimes titles and an introductory text about the art might add some more insight to what messages the artist is trying to get across. 

When exhibiting my work in galleries I normally give a brief artist talk, or introduction to my work and when launching a new series on my website I like to do the same.

When working on a series, I always reflect on my process, take notes and think about ideas that come up during studio time. Reflection time is crucial and some days I spend more time looking at my paintings than painting. I reflect on titles, I ponder about why I want to express a specific theme and how to make that “visible” in an abstract way. 

The trick is to talk, or write, about my art series in ways that give the viewer a more fully understanding of my theme – or even better; how do I explain my thoughts and ideas in ways that makes the viewer curious?

I like writing and reading about art. Hope you get some nice ideas too! 

Home is where the art is…

How to grab one

It is soon time to launch my upcoming art drop. All subscribers of my newsletter will get access to my new artworks before everyone else. Here is what you can do:

Sign up for my mailing list /newsletter to be first in line to grab one!

Sign up for my mailing list to get early access to my new work

Busy Days in May

May was a busy month. Spring is definitely here with all its beautiful flowers and gardening duties, not to mention pollen allergy. 

Spring flowers in May
Spring flowers in May

So what’s up

Besides working on some new smaller abstract works on paper, I had a blast creating a large abstract work on canvas this month. The only trouble was I had an allergic reaction to the glue I used for the collage parts, so next time I’ll be wearing a protection mask and work in my outside studio.

new abstract work on canvas (WIP) left to dry on the balcony
new abstract work on canvas (WIP) left to dry on the balcony

Inspiration

This year we had swedish-french family visiting for the 17th of May to celebrate Norwegian Constitution day. We had a super nice day watching the children’s parade in front of the Royal Castle.

May 17th 2023
May 17th 2023

We also visited the MUNCH museum. I especially enjoyed revisiting the abstract expressionism/ art informel exhibition The Shape of Freedom dancing in front of my favourite artist Franz Kline wearing my traditional bunad from Setesdal. 

Dancing with Franz Kline in my Setesdal bunad
Dancing with Franz Kline in my Setesdal bunad

A few days later we left for Malmø to visit the family’s young artist and check out the Annual Exhibition at Malmø Art Academy

Malmø Art Academy
Malmø Art Academy

How to buy my artworks

So many of my followers have asked: How do we get to buy your artworks? 

Initially I was planning for an open studio, or a pop up exhibition, this month. I wanted to share some secrets from my studio, meet nice people, chat about life and art, and give you the opportunity to grab yourself a studio sale bargain. But as some of you might know, being a working girl means I had to downscale things. So I changed my mind due to a shortage of time and energy. 

Stack of paintings
Stack of paintings

Coming Soon

Instead you will “meet the artist” here at my blog this month. But please be patient, if everything goes my way you’ll get the opportunity to visit my open studio to see all the pieces available in real life next spring. And you’ll also find certain pieces available at ‘studio sale’ price – from small works on paper to larger canvas pieces, and everything in between. That will be so much fun!

But for now: Please be patient! Shopping will be available soon!

Work in Progress 

At the moment I have several series in progress. The past year and a half I have narrowed my work down to abstraction, because I really want to refine my expression and focus on the untold.

In order to simplify and abstract my work further I’ve started working with a set of limitations because it gives me freedom to experiment within the set frames. I also try to avoid overthinking what I’m up to as I like the freshness and raw expression I get when working fast and spontaneously. 

I have worked in all kinds of sizes and on different substrates to find what I like. The process has been so rewarding and I feel confident I’m on the right track!

Stay tuned for more news!

Work in progress
Work in progress

Creative Ebb and Flow

I read somewhere that being an artist is like having a permanent midlife crisis. Many artists experience that creativity is constantly fluctuating between ebb and flow. But don’t worry, the creative ocean is enormous!

Time to compost

Right now my creative energy is low due to other obligations (studies and preparing for upcoming exams). 

Also I need time to reflect on what’s important now and what will be my next move. Or as my farmer husband puts it: Honey, you need time to compost. I think that’s a good way to see things: I need to compost. Time to be still, time to collect energy before I start growing. Hopefully this period of composting will help bring my work to the next level. 

At school teachers kept talking about the spiral of creativity, meaning that students re-learn things on deeper levels. 

abstracted message from within (detail)
abstracted message from within (detail)

Puzzles from the subconscious

Lately I’ve been working on a series of paintings that really puzzles me. When working intuitively I open up to receiving messages from the subconscious. It’s actually quite exciting not knowing what the painting is trying to express. 

Working intuitively can of course be both frustrating and time consuming as the process stops when I’m unable to decipher the message, when I can’t find the story. 

Some days I spend more time looking at a painting than actually painting.

Feedback

Working alone in my studio I sometimes miss feedback. 

Of course I don’t expect family and friends to understand and give constructive feedback. Just like I don’t know shit about their job, they don’t know shit about my art! They’re just trying to be nice by telling me what they like and dislike. 

But what resonates with you or my uncle doesn’t necessarily give me the answers I’m searching for, because our preferences are like a compass and we all have different trails to walk.

My best feedback comes from within. And if I’m really stuck I ask an artist colleague.

New beginnings

Some of you might know that my life is about to change and that I will fulfill a longtime dream by starting a new day job soon. But first I have a few exams to pass. 

But right now it’s time to compost and spend some long overdue time with my family. Hope to go hiking with my best friend before the birch pollen season kicks in.

Let loose, feel free

My, my what a splendid way to spend the summer! I’ve had so much fun painting almost every day. I’ve already learned A LOT and I’m filled with positive energy, good vibes and hope for the future. I actually LOVE my artist life at the moment and can hardly wait to enter my studio. The drawback is, of course, my lack of suntan…

(C) copyright. All rights reserved Art by Rekkebo

Serendipity knocks

In my previous blog post I told you that serendipity knocked on my door as I was closing my studio for the summer, planning for lazy holidays with family and friends. This summer my intuition kicked ass and turned my summer plans upside down.

Intuition rocks

Today I feel like the luckiest artist in the world thanks to the wonderful teachings of Louise Fletcher, her team of coaches and my fellow artists taking the course. My energy is back, doubts are gone, and I’m ready to conquer the world! Good thing I listened to myself, even if my suntan this year will be minimal. Muahaha! 

(C) copyright. All rights reserved Art by Rekkebo

Transition ritual

Joining this course feels like a transition ritual where my inner artist is coming of age. As an anthropologist I’m well aware that rituals are symbolic passages from one stage to another – so my feeling of “coming of age” as an artist is, of course, on an emotional level, but hopefully it will show in my art practise and my body of work.

Let loose, feel free  

As you might remember, I’ve been struggling with my work for some time, feeling tense and frustrated. Now my studio has transformed back to My Happy Place thanks to the exercises, tips and tricks we learn and share with each other. 

Finding my joy

For me letting loose, feeling free, playing and experimenting is just what I need to find my joy and creative energy! There are so many ways to lose track of what’s the most important things in your life. When things get too serious, I tend to lose track of my path. For me, playing and having fun is vital. Especially in the studio.

(C) copyright. All rights reserved Art by Rekkebo

Relaxing in the hammock

Balance is another important aspect of human living. Our modern society is very busy and one is supposed to refuel and heal within hours or weeks. I simply LOVE canoeing with my family and I also like spending time in my hammock, reading books or staring up at the sky. That’s a nice way to recap my day and have a little chat with my cat.

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Abstractifying my work

Like many artists I dream of pushing my artwork forward so it looks more like the artwork I visualise and the artwork I make while asleep. For years I’ve had vivid dreams about filling really large canvases with abstract non-objective paintings. These paintings look amazing, but when I go painting in my studio my work looks very different. So in order to get a little closer, I’ve made a plan.

(c) Copyright. All rights reserved Art by Rekkebo

I heard that if you paint from your mind, it won’t work. You have to paint from your heart and soul. The tricky part is that you have to use your intuition to get there. And that might be a challenge, because my intuition has more or less been switched off since early childhood. So what to do? 

Recurring shapes, patterns and lines

Throughout my almost 10 year long art practise I have noticed that some shapes, patterns and lines are recurring over and over again. This especially happens when I’m in flow, when my (over)thinking left brain is taking a break and I just play and explore and completely forget about the rest of the world. When time is totally irrelevant, when I don’t need food, drink or rest. I love being in flow.

My studio is my happy place

Normally my studio is my happy place. But lately I have been feeling tense and restricted when in my studio. I feel stuck. My paintings suck. I don’t seem to get anything right. I’m sick and tired of this whole art project. All the fun is gone and it somehow feels wasteless to stay on my art path. I think I’ve lost my mojo. In times like this one sure needs a change: there is no point in continuing to repeat the same shit. I need to stop doing what I don’t like!

Searching for myself

At some point in art school we did research on our early works to see if there were recurring elements, and we were encouraged to make a log of our personal language of shapes, patterns and marks. Last spring while working on my graduate project, I made a journal containing my visual alphabet. This spring I went through my existing body of work looking for composition details. And, to my nice surprise, I found some good stuff that I really like. So, there is hope! 

(c) Copyright. All rights reserved Art by Rekkebo

Next step collage

Next step in my process is making collage based on my findings. Making collage is both fun and challenging. Making my own collage material is a playful way to start my day in the studio. I find that working with a set of limitations gives me freedom to experiment within the set frames, and I often use a timer to avoid overthinking what I’m up to. The main thing is to let loose, to play, experiment and have fun! If it’s not fun, then I’m on the wrong track!

Mixed media

Recently I started experimenting with mixed media and I kind of like the combination of layering with acrylic paint, collage materials, ink, markers, charcoal and oil sticks. I’ve come to think of the layers as life experiences. In the studio some of them are covered up, but they still shine through or stick out like traces of history. It’s all part of what makes a person, or an artwork unique. Life in and outside the studio is not so different after all. 

(c) Copyright. All rights reserved Art by Rekkebo

Cruising the internet

I’m not sure how smart it is to scroll through facebook, instagram and watch youtube videos when you are in search of yourself… but I admit I sometimes do, even if it is really scary to see how good some artists are. 

I try not to compare myself with others, but sometimes I stumble over things that remind me of the art from my dreams, so I try to figure out how they have made their artworks and try to adapt some of the findings into my own work. The possibilities are overwhelming and I often get confused and frustrated when I cannot make it work. Now that’s a vicious circle.

Evolving as an artist

I never understand artists who make the same paintings over and over again. Some of them claim to have a ball, while others are frustrated and stuck with gallery expectations. Maybe there’s something wrong with me because I easily get bored and want to try something different, explore and see what happens. Maybe I haven’t found myself as an artist yet? 

Inner landscapes

I heard that real artists paint from their heart and soul. But when creating from your heart and soul, you need to get in contact with your inner true self. The only gut feeling I ever had was stomach pain due to food allergies. Growing up I experienced that feelings often made things worse and that logic and reasoning was the way to go. Years later I find that it takes courage to look inside, and you never know what shows up from the subconscious layers. The question is how do I express my emotions in abstract ways that touch your feelings? 

(c) Copyright. All rights reserved Art by Rekkebo

Having fun is my fuel 

Right now the trick is to find what keeps my creative juices flowing. I need to find a way of nurturing myself, a means to fill the artist part of me with fuel that keeps me going, energy that keeps me pushing my art forward and closer to the paintings I dream of making. I need to free myself and unstuck whatever is holding me back. Because I love creating, I honestly don’t know who I am without my creative studio time. I suspect that my fuel is HAVING FUN! 

Developing a unique style

When letting loose and having fun in my studio is established, I will explore and experiment different methods of putting things together in my personal abstract mix. I can hardly wait, all of a sudden I am super duper motivated! I love planning, and I know I’ll get there!

Even if it takes a lifetime

As long as I am creating there is hope! I will keep on searching for my artistic voice and continue abstractifying my work. Some say it takes a lifetime. I suspect I will need another incarnation to fulfil my dream, but I will never give up! 

(c) Copyright. All rights reserved Art by Rekkebo

Flower Power

Most people seem to like every season, enjoying snowboarding and skiing during the winter. I never really fancied the cold as it makes me tired, frustrated and sick. Where I grew up we missed the sun for a couple of months during winter and everyday life was quite gloomy. 

Grandma’s flowers

Luckily my grandmother knew a trick or two to endure life. Her favourite spring hobby was FLOWERS. We looked through all her floral magazines, took care of her pelargoniums and planned the flower beds, while listening to popular flower power music on the radio. And of course, while waiting for the snow to melt, Grandma encouraged the little artist to make colourful drawings and paintings of all the spring flowers to come. 

So… when the going gets tough, I make flowers! Just like Grandma taught me

(c) Copyright. All rights reserved Art by Rekkebo

Dreaming of summer

In my last blogg, I wrote about how February was quite challenging and that I started dreaming of summer by making small mixed media paintings of vases and urns to focus on something positive after months of cold winds, snow and darkness. Not to mention the pandemic still going on.

Main focus in March

My main focus in March is a continuation of February’s work; “same same, but different”. Abstract painting is where I feel most at home. This month I work bigger and bolder, on stretched canvas and trying my best to experiment and implement new techniques into my work. Daylight is back in my studio for a few hours every day, weather and health conditions are improving and hope is slowly returning. Even the cat seems happier. Life is finally returning!

Large canvases

Working on large canvases means you need more energy to stand upright for hours, walking back and forth looking at and working the canvas. Of course, you need a lot more time to finish a large painting than a small. Some days I feel up to it, other days I don’t. But the overall feeling is good, and I will have to go with the flow.

(c) Copyright. All rights reserved Art by Rekkebo

New series of paintings

Going really big is still out of the question, due to circumstances, but I am an optimistic person and started working on 9 canvases of various sizes (from 50×40 cm up to 80×60 cm). Before the month is over I have finished 3 of them, 3 still need a few more layers and some finishing touches, and 3 has a way to go. Hopefully they will all be finished and ready to exhibit after pandemic restrictions are gone. Time will show.

Playful days

My art practise is full of surprises. Every month I work on various projects, sizes and media. I like playing and exploring new possibilities (what happens if I do this or that?) and learning new techniques. Reading, journaling and writing poems is also part of my creative work. 

Next month I plan to relax with my family during Easter Holidays and work on improving my collage making skills. I really want to reach the next level!

Take care and make sure to have some fun! Life is too important to be taken seriously!

(c) Copyright. All rights reserved Art by Rekkebo

Think big, work small

Oh boy, what a freezing cold February we had this year. The cat cried and refused to leave the house. My brain was going in circles, so I forced myself to endure the short walk to the local library once a week to pick up a stack of interesting books before crawling back under the blanket together with my poor cat. 

(c) art by rekkebo

Lack of motivation

I had numerous cups of tea and felt like decomposing every time I looked out the window. No motivational quotes would ever get me through this horrible winter. I realised I had to DO SOMETHING to get myself back on track. I had to step up!

Nurturing myself

Still not feeling fit for fight after being sick on and off since last spring when the pandemic hit, I decided to go back to my old friend yoga. Sadly I found that even very small doses of yoga would knock me out for 2-3 days, so I had to plan well to avoid the fatigue reaction and think of new ways to nurture my creative self. 

In case you wondered, severe headaches, neck pain and brain fog does not exactly boost your cognitive resources. I could barely focus nor think, and the same thoughts repeated themselves over and over again. Luckily they were happy thoughts!

Dreaming of summer

For days and weeks I could think of nothing but spring flowers and lazy summer days, so I obeyed and started painting what my mind was full of.

With so little energy to spend each day, I realised I had to sit down at my desk and work small. My initial plans of going big this spring was out of the question. 

Looking for motifs

A year ago I was working on my third year graduate art project and looking through my sketchbooks I found my mother’s vases and my grandma’s urns. I had a new project!

Abstract painting is where I feel most at home. But working small is a challenge. I also wanted to add more layers and introduce some new techniques in my paintings. Maybe try out new colour combinations as well. 

Think big, work small

There are many advantages when working small: You can sit down at your desk while working. You can finish a small painting in a relatively small amount of time. You can make several variations of the same motif and try out different things. You might take a picture of your painting and put it through one of those interior apps to see what it would look like on a big scale. Some of them turn out pretty cool – and one day I just might PAINT BIG again!

(c) art by rekkebo

My graduate project in visual arts

Corona days are here! A few days before Norway closed down on March 12, 2020 our class had started the initial discussions on how to pull off our graduate project. Fortunately, I am experienced in project management, so I made a plan for the entire process.

Easter holidays are spent at home working on a draft for my project. No one is allowed to go to the cabin this year. While the pollen season really beats me up, my teacher says: “Do not let circumstances stop you, limitations are fun, find a way around the challenges!”

Plan A is to keep my head above water and spend time and energy wisely in order to reach my goal. I therefore rearrange my studio to fit both good and bad days. I also decide to start working on a small scale, and possibly work larger towards the end of the project periode – if I’m still standing.

Nydalen Art School is a process-oriented art school with a focus on developing students’ individual expressions. From now on it’s all about mixing everything we’ve learned during the third school year, to make my artistic distinctiveness shine. And how do I do that?

Copyright (c) Art by Rekkebo

Hovedoppgave i koronaens tid

Vi hadde knapt rukket å få utdelt hovedoppgaven før Norge stengte ned 12.mars 2020. Heldigvis har jeg lang erfaring fra prosjektarbeid og selvledelse, så jeg setter opp en plan for hva og for hvordan jeg skal gjennomføre hele prosessen frem til innlevering. 

Å jobbe med research og utkast til prosjektbeskrivelse funker fint. Påskeferien tilbringes hjemme. Ingen får dra på hytta i år. Så kom pollensesongen og slo beina under meg. “Ikke la omstendighetene stoppe deg, begrensninger er bare gøy, finn en vei rundt!” Sier læreren.

Plan A er å holde meg frisk nok, og å disponere tid og krefter klokt, slik at jeg kommer i mål. Jeg bygger om atelieret slik at jeg både kan stå og sitte avhengig av dagsform. Og jeg bestemmer meg for å starte smått, for deretter eventuelt å jobbe stort mot slutten, hvis kreftene holder. 

Nydalen Kunstskole er en prosessorientert kunstskole med fokus på å utvikle studentenes individuelle uttrykk. Så nå gjelder det å sette sammen alt vi har lært gjennom det 3. skoleåret på en slik måte at mitt kunstneriske særpreg kommer tydelig fram. Og hvordan gjør jeg det?

The idea phase

During the idea phase everything is possible. What do I want to work on, and why? What do I want to spend my time and energy on? I think back and forth, reflect on what I like, and what I don’t like. I flip through old sketchbooks to find traces of myself, and quickly come to the conclusion that I thrive best in the world of the abstract, which is also reflected in my bookshelf.

The winter holiday week was spent in the studio working on my abstract expression. I explore new elements that I want to bring into my graduate project.

Idefasen 

I idefasen er det lurt å være åpen. Hva vil jeg jobbe med og hvorfor akkurat dette? Hva ønsker jeg å bruke tid og energi på? Jeg kaster ball med meg selv; reflekterer over hva jeg liker og ikke liker. Jeg blar i gamle skissebøker for å finne spor av meg selv og kommer raskt frem til at jeg trives aller best i det abstraktes verden, noe som også gjenspeiles i bokhylla.

Vinterferieuka ble tilbrakt i atelieret for å jobbe med mitt abstrakte uttrykk. Jeg utforsket nye elementer som jeg ønsker å ta med meg videre, inn i hovedoppgaven. 

Copyright (c) Art by Rekkebo

Searching for myself

A crucial part in my artistic development is to develop my personal style. What narratives do I want to tell, and how do I express them with paintbrush and palette? How do I find my pictorial dialect, my language, my vocabulary on the easel?

Throughout the school year, we have been working on identity. Questions like “Who am I as an artist?” or “Who am I in the world?” requires complex answers. What’s special about me and my art? What do I want to express and why? To answer these questions, I have to ask myself: Where do I come from?

Many artists claim that childhood is an everlasting source of inspiration, because in childhood everything is new and magical. I have few memories from growing up, so I have to dig deep to find my way into the realm of childhood.

På leting etter meg selv

En viktig del i prosessen for å komme videre i min kunstneriske utvikling er å finne min personlige stil. Hva vil jeg fortelle og hvordan uttrykker jeg det med pensel og palett? Hvordan finner jeg min maleriske dialekt, mitt språk, mitt vokabular på staffeliet?

Hele skoleåret har vi jobbet med identitet. Spørsmålene “Hvem er jeg som kunstner?” og “Hvem er jeg i verden?” er ikke enkle å svare på. Hva er det særegne ved meg og min kunst? Hva ønsker jeg å formidle og hvorfor? For å besvare disse spørsmålene må jeg stille meg spørsmålet: Hvor kommer jeg fra?  

Mange kunstnere hevder at barndommen er en uuttømmelig kilde til inspirasjon, fordi i barndommen er alt vi opplever nytt og magisk. Jeg har få minner fra oppveksten, så jeg må grave helt innerst i boden for å finne veien inn til barndommens rike. 

Copyright (c) Art by Rekkebo

Sketch process and motif development

With inspiration from heirlooms such as furniture, textiles, handicrafts and photo albums, I make a sketchbook with memories and patterns from back in the days.

I simplify, stylize and abstract form elements and patterns, and plan to set my findings into new contexts. Grandma’s striped rugs are familiar elements, as are the checkered kitchen floor, patterns on mugs, curtains, clothes and wallpaper. Nowadays such designs can be found around flea markets and second-hand shops. But in times of corona I google what is hidden and forgotten.

The more I draw, the more I remember. Soon my book is full of sketches and color samples. It’s time to start painting pictures which are not representations of my experienced reality, but which hopefully are open to different interpretations depending on the viewer’s own experiences.

Skisseprosess og motivutvikling

Med inspirasjon fra arvegods som møbler, tekstiler, håndarbeid og fotoalbum lager jeg en skissebok med minner og mønstre fra den gang da.

Jeg forenkler, stiliserer og abstraherer formelementer, mønstre og har en plan om å sette det inn i nye sammenhenger. Farmors stripete filleryer er kjente elementer, likeså det rutete kjøkkengulvet, mønstrene på kopper og kar, gardiner, klær og tapeter. Mange av den tidens design finnes rundt omkring på loppemarkeder og i bruktbutikker, men i koronaens tid googler jeg det som er gjemt og glemt.

Jo mer jeg tegner, desto mer husker jeg. Snart er boken full av skisser og fargeprøver. Det er på tide å begynne å male bilder – som ikke er reelle gjengivelser fra min opplevde virkelighet, men som er åpne for ulike tolkninger beroende på betrakterens egne erfaringer.

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Framework

During the sketching process, vague memories have emerged: rooms with open windows and fluttering curtains, creaking armchairs, striped rugs, patterned wallpaper, small glimpses of festive meals and livingrooms with chandeliers and candelabra. I remember sneaking around exploring everything, whenever my parents were taking a nap, and when visiting relatives.

I want my graduate project to be a bit more challenging than just decorating a few canvases. Therefore I set some framework for my project. 

I have decided working on memories, figuratively but abstractly. I go for a limited color range in an attempt to reflect the time’s color scheme. I go for a dynamic height format, instead of a calmer square or horizontal format.

I start by sketching lots of small ideas and then pursue some of them, working my way towards larger formats and more finished images. 

Painting takes time. There are many decisions to make along the way. Therefore, I like to line out some limits to avoid drowning in possibilities. I follow the plan and stick to my schedule. 

Rammer for prosjektet

Underveis i skisseprosessen har det dukket opp vage minner fra rom med åpne vinduer og blafrende gardiner, knirkende godstoler, filleryer, mønstrede tapeter og tepper, små glimt fra festlige måltider og høytidelige bestestuer med lysekroner og kandelabre. Jeg husker at jeg snek meg rundt og undersøkte alt som var spennende når de voksne tok en lur og særlig når vi en sjelden gang var på besøk hos slektninger. 

Hovedoppgaven skal jo ikke bare være pynt på et lerret, så derfor formulerer jeg noen rammer for prosjektet. Noen utfordringer er godt å bryne seg på, ellers blir det fort kjedelig.

Jeg har valgt å jobbe med minner, figurativt men abstrahert. Jeg går for et begrenset fargeutvalg i et forsøk på å gjenspeile tidens koloritt. Ved å velge høydeformat får det romlige en spenstigere dynamikk, enn i et kvadratisk eller horisontalt format. 

Jeg liker å jobbe serielt og starter med å lage mange små ideskisser. Deretter forfølger jeg enkelte ideer og forkaster andre. Jeg jobber meg videre i stadig større formater, mot mer ferdige bilder. Jeg følger planen og holder meg til mitt oppsatte tidsskjema. 

Det tar tid å male, det er mange muligheter og mange beslutninger som må taes underveis. Derfor er det godt å ha satt noen rammer først. 

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Online schooling

As an artist, you get used to working alone in the studio for long periods. I have spent most of my spare time on painting since the summer of 2011 when I picked up the paintbrushes again. Therefore, I was well prepared when Norway was shut down due to Covid-19 overnight. My art school closed on March 12. The instructions for our graduate project were just handed out, and my class was in the middle of a group project curating an exhibition. 

Truth be told, a painting school is not particularly suitable for online schooling. Covid-19 forced all supervision to take place in a virtual classroom wich makes it almost impossible for supervisor and fellow students to see true color, coats and textures via the screen.

In such moments it’s hard to keep the motivation going. No more studio weekends with classmates. Luckily I have 7 years of studio practice. In times like this you have to trust yourself!

Fjernundervisning

Som kunstner er man jo vant med å stå alene i atelieret over lange perioder. Jeg har stort sett brukt all min fritid på dette siden jeg tok opp igjen malepenslene sommeren 2011. Derfor var jeg godt forberedt da hele Norge ble stengt ned på grunn av Covid-19 over natten. Kunstskolen stengte 12.mars. Vi hadde nettopp fått utdelt vårens hovedoppgave og klassen stod midt i et gruppeprosjekt med kuratering av utstilling.

Når sant skal sies, så er vel ikke en maleskole spesielt godt egnet for fjernundervisning. For oss studenter ble Covid-19 krevende, fordi all veiledning måtte foregå digitalt, hvilket gjør det nesten umulig for veileder og medstudenter å se farger, strøk og teksturer via skjerm. 

Det er lett å miste motivasjonen i en sådan stund. Den planlagte atelier-weekenden gikk også fløyten. Jeg er heldig som har 7 års ateliererfaring, for her må man stole på seg selv!

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6 more weeks to go

It turns out that the school year will be 6 weeks longer than planned, because the original exhibition gets cancelled due to coronary restrictions. Instead my class will arrange our own graduation exhibition in Gallery C-14 at Frogner in Oslo. So, hang in there!

As we know, there are many choices to make during the painting process. An artist I know says that she has made some of her best decisions when in doubt, so trust the process!

Fortunately, I have stimulating conversations with my family along the way. They are worth their weight in gold. It is especially enriching talking to my son, who studies at Oslo Photo Art School and has been through many of the same topics as me during the school year.

I upgrade my plan. My end product will be 4 large paintings. I can barely carry them, but my family promise to help me out. I’m running on empty, the pollen season has been bad this year. 

I dream that I paint: “The colors will sing, the picture will dance!” the teacher says. The sun is burning outside my windows.

6 uker lengre enn planlagt

Det viser seg at skoleåret i praksis blir 6 uker lengre enn planlagt, fordi den opprinnelige utstillingen må skrinlegges pga koronarestriksjoner. Avgangsklassen får i stedet tilbud om å arrangere vår egen utstilling i Galleri C-14 på Frogner i Oslo, så det er bare å stå på. 

Som nevnt er det mange valg som skal tas underveis i maleprosessen. En kunstner jeg kjenner sier at hun har tvilt seg fram til sine beste avgjørelser.

Heldigvis har jeg inspirerende samtaler med familien underveis. Den heiagjengen er gull verdt. Det er særlig berikende å snakke med sønnen som studerer ved Oslo FotoKunstskole og har vært gjennom mange av de samme temaene som meg i løpet av skoleåret. 

Med 6 uker ekstra oppjusterer jeg planen slik at sluttproduktet blir 4 store malerier. De er så store at jeg knapt kan bære dem, men familien lover å hjelpe meg å bære. Jeg kjenner at kreftene er i ferd med å ta slutt, pollensesongen har vært fæl i år. 

Jeg drømmer at jeg maler: “Fargene skal synge, bildet skal danse!” Sier læreren. Og utenfor vinduene steker sola.

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Being an Artist in Today’s Modern World

New Year, New possibilities!

While the autumn semester focused on identity, portrait studies and self-portraits, the third-year students enter a new phase after the New Year. We will reflect on who the artist is in the world: What engages me and how can I make my personal experiences more universal so that more people can recognize themselves?

The goal for the spring semester is to find the personal artistic project. And the school year ends with the main task; an in-depth project of my own choice.

Kunstnerens væren i verden

Nytt år, nye muligheter! 

Mens høstsemesteret handlet om refleksjoner rundt identitet, portrettstudier og selvportrett, går tredjeårsstudentene etter nyttår inn i en ny fase der vi skal se mer på hvem kunstneren er i verden. Hva er det som engasjerer meg og hvordan kan jeg gjøre mine personlige erfaringer mer universelle, slik at flere kan kjenne seg igjen? 

Målet for vårsemesteret er å finne fram til det personlige kunstneriske prosjektet. Og skoleåret avsluttes med hovedoppgaven; et fordypningsprosjekt med selvvalgt tematikk. 

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Workshops

But before we get this far, we will learn various working methods to achieve what we want, such as technical acrylic, serial surveys and motif development. We paint on different surfaces and see how that changes the expression. We also learn methods for enlarging images.

The third-year students also have a section on curation and exhibition preparations, where we go through the whole process, from idea, jury, assembly and implementation of exhibition. All details must be in place. This will add to future collaborative projects and group exhibitions.

Workshops

Men før vi kommer så langt skal vi gjennomgå ulike arbeidsmetoder for å oppnå det vi ønsker, eksempelvis teknisk akryl, serielle undersøkelser og motivutvikling. Vi maler på ulike underlag og ser hvordan det endrer uttrykket og vi lærer metoder for å forstørre bilder. 

Tredjeårsstudentene har også en bolk om kuratering og utstilling der vi gjennomgår hele prosessen, fra ide, juryering, montering og gjennomføring av utstilling. Alle detaljer må på plass og dette er nyttig læring med tanke på fremtidige samarbeidsprosjekter og gruppeutstillinger. 

Based on our own experiences

The most important thing about a portrait is to reproduce the personality and this is not always done via portrait similarity. In the fall semester, we abstracted more and more. Now we enter a phase where we will make a “portrait” of ourselves as an artist, but without using portraits as part of the composition.

Based on our own experiences the starting point is photographs, events and experiences. The mission is to express these experiences so that the images can evoke emotions in the viewer.

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Med utgangspunkt i egne opplevelser

Det viktigste med et portrett er å gjengi personligheten og det gjøres ikke alltid via portrettlikhet. I høstsemesteret abstraherte vi mer og mer. Nå går vi over i en fase der vi skal lage et “portrett” av oss selv som kunstner, men uten å bruke portrett som del av komposisjonen. 

Vi tar utgangspunkt i egne fotografier, hendelser og erfaringer og forsøker å uttrykke opplevelsene slik at bildene kan vekke følelser hos betrakteren.

Kill your darlings

To tell a story, the artist must choose to highlight something and leave other things out. The advice to “kill your darlings” certainly has its relevance when painting pictures as well. It is all about presenting the storyline in such a way that the viewer senses the message.

A story can, for example, show the atmosphere in the room / inside the café, or perhaps customers inside the café at different times of the day. In my exploration of the café scene, I have tried to recreate how the light changes through various approaches.

Kill your darlings 

For å formidle en historie må kunstneren velge å trekke fram noe og utelate noe annet. Uttrykket kill your darlings har absolutt sin relevans når man maler bilder også. Det handler om å forenkle for å få fram historien på en sånn måte at betrakteren fornemmer budskapet.

En litterær fortelling kan eksempelvis handle om stemningen i rommet/ inne på kafeen, mens en seriell fortelling kan handle om livet i kafeen til ulike tider på døgnet. I min utforskning av kafeen har jeg forsøkt å gjenskape lysstemninger via ulike maleriske tilnærminger.

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Winter vacation week in the studio

I like to plan to achieve results both in the short and long term. So when the winter holidays arrive, I have set aside time to challenge myself. I want to reach a new level of abstract expression. I have plenty of space in the art school’s large studio. I have decided to work on two different expressions; a figurative portrait series and a non-figurative, intuitive series with limited palette. The works measure 70×50 cm.

I didn’t finish these series, but I am very happy with the process. I achieve what I set out to do; strenghten my abstract expression, but the works probably suffer somewhat when it comes to  composition. The next step in my exploration process might be collage.

Vinterferie i atelieret

Jeg liker å planlegge for å oppnå resultater både på kort og lang sikt. Så når vinterferien kommer, har jeg satt av tid til å utfordre meg selv litt i forsøket på å nærme meg et nytt abstrakt uttrykk. Jeg har god plass i skolens store atelier og et hav av tid. Jeg har bestemt meg for å jobbe serielt med to ulike uttrykk; en figurativ portrettserie og en non-figurativ, intuitiv serie med begrenset palett. Jeg liker å jobbe stort, alle bildene jeg jobber på måler 70×50 cm. 

Jeg kommer ikke helt i mål med begge seriene, men er godt fornøyd med prosessen. Jeg oppnår det jeg ønsker; å forsterke mitt abstrakte uttrykk, men arbeidene lider nok noe under det kompositoriske. Neste steg i utforskningsprosessen er muligens collage.

Life in the classroom

It is said that art and life are connected, but this connection is not always very clear to an art student. At times when you get a little stuck, it is nice to have a coffee break with classmates.

When things go wrong, it is crucial to have an experienced teacher with good coaching skills. Henriette Emilie Finne has been part of many parallel processes this school year. She shares her own experiences and tailors the guidance, so that we can both think for ourselves, reflect in groups and be challenged when we need it.

At regular intervals, each  student presents the individual work process in front of the class. This provides valuable training in discussing our own and others’ art in a constructive way.

We have learnt important tools before going to immerse ourselves in the graduate project.

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Livet i klasserommet

Det sies at kunsten og livet henger sammen, men denne sammenhengen er ikke alltid like tydelig for oss kunststudenter og innimellom står man litt i stampe. Da er det godt å kunne ta en kaffepause sammen med gode klassekamerater.

Når det butter imot er det godt å ha en erfaren lærer med gode coachingevner; Henriette Emilie Finne står stått støtt gjennom mange parallelle prosesser dette skoleåret. Hun deler egne erfaringer og skreddersyr veiledningen, slik at vi både får tenke selv, reflektere i grupper og utfordres når vi trenger det.

Med jevne mellomrom presenterer hver enkelt arbeidsprosessen foran klassen, det gir trening i å reflektere over egen og andres kunst på en konstruktiv måte.

Vi har lært mange viktige redskaper før vi nå skal fordype oss i egen hovedoppgave.

Portraits and Identity

One of the most difficult things I know is drawing self-portraits, and even worse is painting self-portraits. But this autumn, I had to bite the sour apple and try both. It is not easy to make a portrait look like the model for someone who is reasonably far from hyperrealism. My strength is probably within the world of abstraction; I guess I’m a bit like:

“I don’t paint what I see, I paint how it looks like in a dream …”

PORTRETT OG IDENTITET

Noe av det aller vanskeligste jeg vet, er å tegne selvportrett og enda verre er det å male selvportrett. Men i høst har jeg måttet bite i det sure eplet og prøve meg på begge deler. Det er ikke helt enkelt å få et portrett til å ligne på modellen for en som ligger rimelig langt unna hyperrealismen. Min styrke ligger nok snarere innenfor abstraksjonenes verden; jeg er nok litt sånn: 

“Jeg maler ikke det jeg ser, men slik det ser ut i drømme…”

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PERSONAL ARTISTIC STYLE

An important part of the process of moving forward in my artistic development, is to find my personal style. What do I want to tell and how do I want to express that with painting brushes? What does my language, my dialcet, my vocabulary look like on the canvas?

Shape, color, surfaces, light, shadow, directions. There is a lot to keep track of for a quirky art student. There are many choices to make. And if you choose one, you often rule out another. One day I was focusing on winding hair… and had a lot of fun!

PERSONLIG STIL

En viktig del i prosessen for å komme videre i min kunstneriske utvikling er å finne min personlige stil. Hva vil jeg fortelle og hvordan vil jeg uttrykke det med pensel? Hvordan er min maleriske dialekt, mitt språk, mitt vokabular? Hvordan ser det ut på lerretet?

Form, farge, flater, lys, skygge, retninger. Det er mye å holde styr på for en skarve kunststudent. Det er mange valg man må ta. Og velger du det ene, velger du ofte bort det andre, fordi bildet må jo henge sammen. En dag hadde jeg fokus på svingete hår… Det var gøy!

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SEE AND BE SEEN

If one is to consider self-portraiture as a form of self recognition – and the mirror as a metaphor to be seen, understood and confirmed – then I think we can quickly conclude that I am reasonably confident in who I am, and that I don’t worry about what others think of me. I’m probably more concerned with painting other faces than my own.

SE OG BLI SETT

Dersom man skal betrakte selvportrett som erkjennelsesform – og speilet som en metafor for å bli sett, forstått og bekreftet – så tror jeg vi kjapt kan konkludere med at jeg er rimelig trygg på hvem jeg er og at jeg gir litt beng i hva andre tenker og tror. Jeg er nok mer opptatt av å male andre fjes enn mitt eget. 

Study for self portrait
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WHEN YOU STRUGGLE

When you face resistance, you are on the threshold of a new level, it is said. And maybe the resistance you felt turned out to be just a slow door you hadn’t quite opened yet … But hey, everything doesn’t suit everyone.

“You can’t paint something that’s not you,” the teacher said early in the semester

The phrase has rumbled around in my brain since then. I’ve already been focusing on portraits for a year, the stranger portraits the better. To consider yourself in the mirror is certainly a good angle to study a face you know pretty well, and hopefully learn something more, so I try as best I can.

Å MØTE MOTSTAND

Når du møter motstand, står du på terskelen til et nytt nivå, sies det. Og kanskje viser det seg at motstanden du kjente på, bare viste seg å bare være en treg dør du ikke helt hadde åpnet ennå… Men hallo, alt passer ikke for alle. 

“Du kan ikke male noe du ikke er”, sa læreren tidlig i semesteret 

Den setningen har rumlet rundt i meg mange ganger siden. Jeg har allerede hatt fokus på portretter et års tid, jo rarere tryner jo bedre. Å betrakte seg selv i speilet er jo absolutt en fin innfallsvinkel til å studere et ansikt man kjenner ganske godt og forhåpentligvis lære noe mer, så da gir jeg jernet og prøver så godt jeg kan. Og etterhvert løsner det litt.

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EXPLORING DIFFERENT EXPRESSIONS

There are many ways to create paintings. What do other artists do? One of my favorite things is trying out different expressions. I love playing with colors and I am constantly trying to get inspired by other artists. Sometimes I use books, other times I go online. After seeing a selection of pictures, I let the impressions sink – often over a meal, a cup of coffee, a nice conversation or a session with the vacuum cleaner if the cat is outdoors. If it’s still difficult to get started, it’s a good idea to take a walk to unleash the creativity. And there are hundreds of ways to paint a picture, because there is not just one truth. So keep going!

Å UTFORSKE ULIKE UTTRYKK 

Det er mange måter å lage flotte bilder på. Hva gjør andre kunstnere? Noe av det jeg liker best er å prøve meg fram med forskjellige uttrykk. Jeg er glad i å leke med farger og jeg prøver stadig å la meg inspirere av andre kunstnere. Noen ganger blar jeg i bøker, andre ganger går jeg online. Etter å ha sett et utvalg bilder lar jeg inntrykkene synke – gjerne over et måltid, en kopp kaffe, en hyggelig samtale eller en økt med støvsugeren hvis katten er utendørs. Er det fortsatt vanskelig å komme i gang, er det fint å gå en liten tur ut for å løsne på kreativiteten. Og det er hundrevis av måter å male et bilde på, for det finnes ikke bare en sannhet. Så kjør på!

FROM REALISTIC TO ABSTRACT

For many artists and art teachers it is logical to first learn to draw the object as it appears in reality, and then slowly but surely, abstract more and more, until it may not look like the real motif at all. I wonder if I was born a little abstract, because abstraction is where I feel most at home in the arts! In the sphere of abstraction I see freedom and possibilities for exciting subjective interpretations. It’s a thrill listening to people’s associations, putting totally different perspectives into my paintings. That’s what art is for, to set good thought processes in motion, and adding a little magic to everyday life.

The works you see here are made during the autumn. The size is approximately 75×55 cm and they are made with acrylic paint and charcoal on paper. Maybe some of them will be shown at the next exhibition December 14-15 at the Nydalen Art School in Oslo.

FRA REALISTISK TIL ABSTRAKT 

For mange kunstnere og lærere er det logisk at man først lærer å tegne objektet slik det ser ut i virkeligheten, for deretter sakte, men sikkert å abstrahere mer og mer. Helt til det kanskje ikke ligner i det hele tatt. Jeg tror nesten jeg er født litt abstrakt. Det er der jeg kjenner meg mest hjemme i kunsten! I det abstraherte finnes frihet og muligheter for subjektive tolkninger. Det er fint å tenke på at folk assosierer ulike perspektiver og egne historier inn i bildene mine. Det er det kunst er til for; å sette i gang gode tankeprosesser og å tilføre litt magi i hverdagen!

Arbeidene du ser her er laget nå i høst. De måler ca 75×55 cm og er laget med akrylfarge og kull på kraftpapir. Kanskje blir noen av dem med på neste utstilling 14.-15.desember ved Nydalen Kunstskole, i Oslo.

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Back to art school

As some of you might know, I’m back at art school again. Hurray! After 6 years of working mostly alone in my studio opportunity knocked and I found what I’ve been dreaming of; a third school year with my favorite teacher Henriette Emilie Finne. Lucky me have been looking forward to this chance since January. Woohoo! Our class is super. Time flies and we are already halfway through the first semester.

TILBAKE TIL KUNSTSKOLEN

Som noen av dere vet, er jeg tilbake på kunstskolen igjen. Hurra! Etter 6 års jobbing alene i atelieret kom muligheten jeg har ventet på; et tredje påbyggingsår med min favorittlærer Henriette Emilie Finne. Jeg har gledet meg siden januar. Klassen er super. Tiden flyr og vi er allerede halvveis i første semester.

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LIVING AND PAINTING

Every day I simply love putting on my favourite artist smock and get started on today’s work. Well, I do’nt paint all the time – I also sketch, draw, or stretch canvas. I also spend time contemplating living and painting. I never run out work. Good thing I have such an enthusiastic assistant.

LIVET OG KUNSTEN

Det er alltid fint å ta på seg malerhabitten og gå i gang med dagens maleøkt, syns jeg. Jeg maler jo ikke hele tiden da – det hender jo jeg tegner, lager skisser, eller spenner opp lerret. Tidvis sitter jeg også å reflekterer litt over livet og kunsten. Det er nok å ta fatt i. Det er godt å ha en assistent.

Mr Art Cat
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NICE AND SCARY

Going back to art school is both nice and a little scary. Especially when you have to work for a long and intense periode with the somewhat difficult task: portraits. Here are a few glimpses of my initial work.

SKUMMELT OG MORSOMT

Å gå på kunstskole er fint og litt skummelt. Særlig når man skal jobbe lenge og intenst med noe av det man syns er aller, aller vanskeligst, men også gøyest: Portretter. Her er glimt fra noen uker tilbake i tid

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SELF PORTRAITS

This fall we are focusing on portraiture and identity; which means you have to study yourself in the mirror in order to learn about light, shadow and form – and I assure you, that’s hard when the “model” is constantly moving from side to side, holding her head in different positions every 20 seconds. Well, here is one of my self portrait studies (acrylic and charcoal on paper 54x67cm)

SELVPORTRETTER

Denne høsten har vi fokus på portrett og identitet; hvilket betyr at man må studere seg selv i speilet for å lære litt mer om lys og form – og det er jo ikke helt enkelt når “modellen” flytter på seg stadig vekk. Her er en av mine selvportrettstudier (akryl og kull på papir 54x67cm)

study for self portrait
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THE BIGGER THE BETTER

Some people like working small, I like big sizes. Here are two of my large portrait studies with quite different expressions (acrylic and charcoal on paper, 120x80cm) – ideas are many, time is limited. Hoping for Santa Claus to bring a few extra hours every day and an extra Sunday Funday!

JO STØRRE, JO BEDRE

Jeg syns det er ekstra gøy å jobbe stort! Her er to av høstens mange portrettstudier med ganske så forskjellige uttrykk, syns jeg (akryl og kull på papir, 120x80cm) – ideer er det nok av! Jeg ønsker meg flere timer i døgnet og en ekstra søndag hver uke!

the bigger the better
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Next exhibition: 14-15. December, Nydalen School of Art, Oslo

Neste utstilling: 14.-15. desember, Nydalen Kunstskole i Oslo

My 30 day project

HURRAY! The 100-day project went as clockwork (January 1-April 10). The plan worked out and I kickstarted 2019 with 100 creative sessions in a row. Every single day, all week I worked in my studio. After 100 days of creative work, I was so inspired that I threw myself into a brand new 30 day project, which I managed to finish just in time for my summer job and the upcoming summer holidays. – Oh boy, did I establish some good habits!

30 DAGERS PROSJEKTET MITT

HURRA! 100 dagers prosjektet gikk som smurt (1.januar-10.april). Planen funket og jeg kickstartet 2019 med 100 kreative økter på rekke og rad. Hver eneste dag, hele uka gikk jeg inn i kunstnerbobla i atelieret mitt. Og da de 100 dagene var over, var jeg så inspirert at jeg kastet meg like godt ut i et nytt 30 dagers prosjekt som jeg rakk å avslutte akkurat i tide før sommerjobben tok meg og sommerferien stod for døren. – Snakk om å etablere gode vaner!

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PROJECT GOALS

I like progress and result! And as a former project manager, I know that project work motivates me; I like that things have a beginning and an end. When professionalism and quality go hand in hand, good things can happen! As a wannabe professional artist, it is important that my products will find buyers, that’s why I want to raise the quality of my work. Fortunately, I know the art of planning and breaking down into affordable sub-goals, hence the projects.

PROSJEKT, MÅL OG DELMÅL

Jeg digger fremdrift og resultat! Og som tidligere prosjektleder vet jeg at prosjektarbeid motiverer meg; jeg liker at ting har en begynnelse og en slutt. Når profesjonalitet og kvalitet går hånd i hånd, kan bra ting skje! Som wannabe helprofesjonell kunstner er det viktig at produktet mitt holder mål, så da må jeg både fornye meg og heve kvaliteten på arbeidene noen hakk. Heldigvis kan jeg kunsten å planlegge og bryte ned i overkommelige delmål, derav prosjektene.

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STRANGE PORTRAITS

The 100 day project was about drawing weird portraits, the weirder the better. I mainly worked with promarkers on A3 size drawing paper. My goal was to raise the level of creative activity and to take my artistic expression one step further – and I think I succeed! I focused on completing one portrait every day and I’am quite happy with the development.

RARE PORTRETTER 

100 dagers prosjektet handlet om å tegne rare portretter, jo rarere jo bedre. Jeg jobbet primært med tusj på papir i størrelse A3 format. Målet var å få opp aktivitetsnivået og å ta ta det kunstneriske uttrykket mitt ett hakk videre – og jeg tror jeg lykkes! Jeg fokuserte på å fullføre ett portrett hver dag og er godt fornøyd med utviklingen.

Copyright (c) Art by Rekkebo

NUDE STUDIES

The 30 day project was about expressing bodily reflections of people, and the work is based on drawing live models. The studies in this project are larger and most of the charcoal sketches and acrylic paintings are made on kraft paper measuring about 70×50 cm or 80×60 cm.

AKT STUDIER

30 dagers prosjektet har mer handlet om å uttrykke hele mennesker og arbeidene er basert på studier av levende modeller. Arbeidene i dette prosjektet er større og de fleste kullskissene og maleriene er laget på kraftpapir om måler ca 70×50 cm eller 80×60 cm. 

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SOCIAL MEDIA 

As part of # 100dayartchallenge (January 1st-April 10th) and # 30dayartchallenge (April 11th-May 10th), I shared one photo on Instagram every day and was lucky enough to receive tip-top response along the way. As I decided to close down my art pages on facebook, I publicly shared some tastes from the projects on my personal profile along the way for people to follow.

SOSIALE MEDIER

Som en del av  #100dayartchallenge (1.januar-10.april) og #30dayartchallenge (11.april-10.mai) delte jeg ett bilde på Instagram hver dag og fikk god respons underveis. Ettersom jeg har lagt ned kunstsidene mine på facebook, delte jeg offentlige innlegg med noen smakebiter på profilen min underveis slik at flere kunne følge med.

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130 DAYS IN THE STUDIO = GOOD JOB

130 creative studio days in a row is nothing to giggle about. I know talented artists who struggle to find time and effort to work creatively. And sometimes being a self employed artists feels a bit overwhelming. My coping strategy is setting realistic goals that fit in with everyday life. A few years back I had tiny goals and I am so grateful that this year is of a different caliber. Being able to work on the right project at the right time will eventually set me free to do what I want!

130 DAGER I ATELIERET = BRA JOBBA

130 arbeidsøkter på rekke og rad er ingenting å kimse av. Jeg kjenner mange som sliter med å finne tid og krefter til å jobbe kreativt. Jeg kan også kjenne litt på at hele kunstnerbobla kan være i overkant overveldende innimellom og da er det godt å sette seg konkrete mål som er overkommelige med hvordan livet er akkurat nå. Jeg har hatt veldig små mål i enkelte perioder tidligere og er veldig takknemlig for at dette året er av et annet kaliber. Det ligger mye mestring og frigjøring av positiv energi når man klarer å jobbe med riktig prosjekt til riktig tid.

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HAVE A NICE SUMMER

Right now I will take on a summer job to hand in some extra money. After that lies a long-awaited summer vacation. My husband and I have planned so many nice trips together and we will buy an electric bicycle to get us farther than far. But knowing myself, I bet I can’t keep myself away from the studio for the whole summer!

GOD SOMMER

Nå skal jeg bare få unna sommerjobben og hanke inn litt ekstra penger, før en etterlengtet sommerferie for døren. Ektemannen og jeg har planlagt mange fine turer og vi skal kjøpe el-sykkel sånn at vi kommer langt og lenger enn langt. Men kjenner jeg meg selv, klarer jeg neppe å holde meg helt unna atelieret! 

Copyright (c) Art by Rekkebo

My 100 Day Art Project

Sadly, there is no quick fix to being an artist. You need a bit of talent, ability and willingness to learn, perseverance and time to work hard. Like any other superpower it takes years of practice to find your unique style and most artists do not become famous at all.

So why do I keep on drawing, painting, photographing, printmaking and testing new techniques? And why is my brain always in the mood of creating new projects?

Because creating art is my passion!

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Copyright (c) Art by Rekkebo

#100dayproject

The reason I created a 100 day project is to build new habits that help me live the life I want. Modern life is busy, filled with lots of dos and don’ts. We’re online more or less 24/7 clinging to cell phones, listening to books, music and podcasts, attached to PCs and television. Time is limited and we tend to think in headlines and with short concentration span.

Working in my studio gives me time to contemplate what goes on in the world. The slow creative process is kind of a life force that reconnects me with more important stuff. A bit like how a walk in the woods revitalize me. Some call it recreation, meditation or therapy. I do what nurtures me, what feels right and what I love.

This year I have committed myself to 100 days of daily art practice. Because:

Creativity is a skill and the more I practice, the more skilled I become!

The plan is that every day for 100 days I will be working in my studio with diverse creative projects; small or big doesn’t matter. Every day I will post one pic on my Instagram account. I’d like to say working in my art studio helps me become a better version of myself; happier, kinder and more open-minded. I feel free, the world is limitless! Like some of my first memories.

Growing up

Growing up on a farm back in the days, young children were normally left alone to play outside while their parents took a nap after dinner, before going back to the fields and taking care of their livestock. Like most farm children I enjoyed lots of freedom roaming the hoods, trying to figure out life’s mysteries. My early years of childhood seem to be quite lighthearted and enjoyable. I was curious and excited, had lots of creative energy and hours to spend on my own searching for fun.

Early artist career plan

My dad had plenty of cool tools, so at the age of 4 this little girl was stone carving day after day fully determined to become a sculptor and make gigantic statues. A few weeks later I gave up because I couldn’t find stones that would let me form them the way I wanted; the materials were either too hard or too soft. And my wrists were really hurting from all the hammering. Then I tried working with clay from the seashore without significant success.

Since neither my carpentry did come out like I wanted, I went back to drawing, encouraged by Grandma who was happy to model for me every day. At the age of 5 I had my first art exhibit in Grandma’s house. All the neighbors were invited and Grandma served coffee and homemade cakes. To my big surprise I sold my first drawing. And Grandma told everyone that I was going to become an artist.

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Years passing by

Through adolescence I was sketching, drawing and writing for hours every night. I hardly had time to sleep. But then it all stopped. For years and years, life was filled with sports, parties, studies, jobs, friends and family life. Many good years, by all means, but my creative spirit was not nurtured except for a few lucky hours every now and then. Some nights I skipped sleeping, or I couldn’t sleep, because my brain was in creative modus.

Dreamt I was painting

During sleep I dreamt I was painting large canvases with strong colors, weird and wonderful, abstract motives. Luckily I discovered an art school in my hood and took a summer class. Half way through my second day in summer class, I had kind of a spiritual awakening and a feeling of being connected with something I’ve always looked for. I felt I had no choice, that I finally had found my calling, so I attended the art school. The next two years were intense in so many ways. So many things to learn, so much work, so much fun!

Inspiration exists, but it has to find you working. (Pablo Picasso)

Building successful habits

There are many “where do I stand, where do I want to go” exercises, loads of reflection and evaluation programs to carry out. But I like to keep things simple:

1. Where do I want to put my energy and How do I do that?
2. Put first things first. Every day.
3. Step by step, I will get there.

On my journey to being an artist, I skip a lot of nice things like travelling and socializing with friends. My everyday life consists of daily routines, small steps towards new achievements.

Unlike most of my fellow students from art school, who are struggling with full time jobs and busy days, most of my days are open. I have decided to focus on what I love most. I am determined to follow my heart and my dream.

I still dream

I still dream that I make art while sleeping; I still dream I paint large canvases. They are a lot better than the ones I make during the day. Therefore:

The #100dayproject is one of my tools to be capable of painting those beautiful pieces.

If I create from the heart, nearly everything works; if from the head, almost nothing. (Marc Chagall)

The year of the pig will hopefully bring dedication, commitment, progress, originality and thrilling possibilities for me and my artwork. I will work hard and set small goals every day!

100dayproject artbyrekkebo

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PÅ NORSK 

Det ingen snarveier for å bli kunstner. Du trenger talent, evne og vilje til å lære, tid og utholdenhet til å jobbe hardt. Det tar mange år med jobbing for å utvikle din unike stil og de fleste kunstnere blir ikke berømte i det hele tatt.

Så hvorfor fortsetter jeg å tegne, male, fotografere, skrive og teste nye teknikker? Og hvorfor kommer hjernen min alltid opp med masse ideer til nye prosjekter? Fordi at:

Å lage kunst er min lidenskap!

# 100dagerprosjektet

Grunnen til at jeg gjør et 100 dagers prosjekt er for å etablere nye vaner som hjelper meg til å leve det livet jeg ønsker meg. Ukene er travle, fylt med mange gjøremål. Vi er nesten alltid pålogget, klamrer oss til mobiltelefoner, lytter til bøker, musikk og podcaster, vi sitter foran PCer og TV. Tiden er knapp, vi tenker ofte i overskrifter, har kort konsentrasjonsevne og hopper raskt fra det ene til det andre.

Arbeidet i atelieret gir meg ro til å gruble over hva som foregår i verden. Den kreative prosessen tar tid og er en slags kraft som kobler meg på igjen, et slags kompass som gir retning, innsikt og perspektiv. Litt som en tur i skogen gjenoppliver meg etter en stressende dag. Noen kaller det rekreasjon, meditasjon eller terapi. For meg handler det å være i ett med seg selv og omgivelsene, å være tro mot seg selv, å gjøre det som er bra for meg!

I år har jeg forpliktet meg til 100 dager med daglige kreative økter. Fordi:

Kreativitet er en ferdighet og jo mer jeg øver, jo  dyktigere blir jeg!

Planen er at skal jeg jobbe i atelieret mitt hver eneste dag i 100 påfølgende dager med ulike kreative prosjekter; små eller stor spiller ingen rolle – og poste ett bilde på instagram. Jeg vil nesten påstå at å jobbe i atelieret hjelper meg å bli en litt bedre versjon av meg selv; lykkeligere, snillere, åpen og imøtekommende. Jeg føler meg fri, verden er ubegrenset! Slik noen av mine første minner er.

Oppvekst

Jeg vokste opp på en liten gård på den tiden barn var ute og lekte mens foreldrene tok en fortjent middagslur, før de gikk tilbake til åker og fjøsstell. Jeg hadde stor frihet til å utforske livets mysterier og minnes mine tidlige barndoms år som spennende og morsomme. Jeg var vitebegjærlig, hadde masse kreativ energi og et hav av tid til å gjøre alt som var gøy.

Pappa hadde massevis av kule verktøy som jeg fikk låne, så i 4 års alderen satt jeg dag etter dag og hugget i stein, fast bestemt på å bli billedhugger og lage enorme statuer. Noen sommeruker senere ga jeg opp, fordi jeg ikke fant stein som lot seg bearbeide slik jeg ønsket; steinene var enten for harde eller for myke. Og håndleddene mine verket etter all hamringen. Deretter forsøkte jeg å lage skulpturer av leire fra fjæra, uten nevneverdig suksess.

Etter som heller ikke snekkerprosjektene ble slik jeg ville, gikk jeg tilbake til tegning. Farmor heiet på meg og satt modell så ofte jeg ville. Jeg var rundt 5 da jeg hadde jeg min første kunstutstilling i farmors stue. Alle naboene var invitert, og farmor serverte kaffe og hjemmelagde kaker. Til min store overraskelse solgte jeg en tegning. Og farmor fortalte alle at jeg skulle bli kunstner når jeg ble stor!

Årene går

Gjennom barne- og ungdomsskolen skisset, tegnet og skrev jeg i timevis hver kveld. Jeg hadde knapt tid til å sove. Men så endret alt seg og de neste årene var livet fylt med sport, kjærester, fester, studier, jobber, venner og familieliv. Mange gode minner, for all del, men mine kreative talenter lå stort sett brakk bortsett fra noen få timer nå og da. Enkelte netter droppet jeg å sove, eller jeg kunne ikke sove, fordi hjernen min var i kreativ modus.

Drømte at jeg laget store malerier

Ofte drømte jeg at jeg malte store bilder med sterke farger og merkelige, fantastiske, abstraherte motiver. Til alt hell oppdaget jeg en kunstskole i nabolaget og meldte meg på et sommerkurs.
Den andre dagen på sommerkurset fikk jeg en sterk aha-opplevelse og en bestemt følelse av endelig å ha hadde funnet det jeg alltid hadde lett etter. Jeg kjente at jeg ikke hadde noe valg, og søkte meg inn på billedkunstutdanningen. De neste to årene var intense på så mange måter. Så mange ting å lære, så mye arbeid, så mye moro!

Inspirasjon eksisterer, men ikke uten at du jobber. (Pablo Picasso)

Art by Rekkebo

Copyright (c) Art by Rekkebo

Lag gode vaner

Det er mange “hvor står jeg, hvor går jeg” øvelser, utallige refleksjons- og evalueringkurs man kan ta. Men jeg liker å gjøre ting enkelt:

1. Hva ønsker jeg å bruke energien min på og Hvordan gjør jeg det?
2. Gjør det viktigste først. Hver dag.
3. Sakte, men sikkert vil jeg komme dit jeg vil.

På veien mot kunstnerdrømmen, dropper jeg stadig fine ting som å reise og å være sammen med venner. Hverdagene består av daglige rutiner, små skritt mot utvikling og mestring. I motsetning til mange av mine medstudenter fra kunstskolen, som sliter med heltidsjobber og tidsklemme, er de fleste av mine dager åpne. Fordi: Jeg ønsker å fokusere på det jeg elsker mest. Jeg er fast bestemt på å følge mitt hjerte og min kunstnerdrøm.

Kunstnerdrømmen

Jeg drømmer fortsatt om kunst mens jeg sover. Jeg drømmer fortsatt at jeg maler store, vakre bilder. Og de er mye bedre enn de jeg lager i løpet av dagen. Så derfor:

# 100dagersprosjektet er et av verktøyene mine for å lære meg å male de vakre bildene.

Hvis jeg lager ting fra hjertet, fungerer nesten alt! (Marc Chagall)

Grisens år vil forhåpentligvis bringe engasjement, fremgang, originalitet og uventede muligheter for meg og min kunst! Jeg skal jobbe hardt og sette små mål hver dag!

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Painting with Peter

Artists need inspiration. I have long been fascinated by Peter Esdaile’s enigmatic image world. His magic characters move in a slightly surreal, colorful and mysterious world. The image composition lets the eyes wander over large canvases and Peter’s many layers of painting techniques provide associations to several different stories.

Peter Esdaile

Copyright (c) Art by Rekkebo

Lucky me took part in one of Peter’s weekend courses this autumn. The material list included: large canvases, water buckets, window sill, large brushes, rubber patches, paint medium, spray bottle and a selection of acrylic colors. I decided to put the most important equipment into my trunk bag, wrap up four canvases and hope for some new insights.

I was genuinely curious about how this sorcerer of an artist works out his surrealistic mix of teams on the verge of seemingly chaos and cheeky coincidences. I wondered why he mixes the daring play of abstraction with solemn classical figuration, I also wondered how Peter pulls it all together and make things look like a three-dimensional world on a two-dimensional canvas. Where does he get the motives from? What techniques does he use?

Peter the teacher

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After an hour’s relaxing train ride I met a wonderful bunch of enthusiastic artists at Nedre Eiker Art Society. The charming old house in the centre of Mjøndalen held both an atelier and a chill out lounge with coffee and homemade cookies. After a small introduction, Peter started the weekend’s first demo of many, and enthusiastic participants were ready with mobile cameras.

It was exciting to see how a professional artist has developed personal techniques and shares the secrets with us.

The weather was nice and sunny so we dried our large canvases outside on the pavement in the quite little street. I believe som neighbours and pedestrians were quite impressed.

wet paintings on the pavement

Copyright (c) Art by Rekkebo

Key words in this painting process are: rhythm, direction, different strokes, many layers of colors. Thin coating, thicker coating, we are looking for potential motifs, scratching, leaving something to stand out while the rest is painted over. We let our body works the large canvases, we let coincidences prevail and take control when needed.

Time flies as we leave more paintings to dry outside in anticipation of the next layers of color.

In short: A creative process of controlled coincidence that alternates between apparent chaos and steel control. Bright light colors against heavier darker colors. Occasionally we work all over the picture, sometimes only partially. Nothing is right or wrong, just try and fail, play, learn and master.

Thank you for a wonderful and educational weekend, everyone! Hope to see you again!

my 4 canvases

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På norsk: 

Kunstnerspirer trenger inspirasjon. Jeg har lenge latt meg fascinere av Peter Esdailes gåtefulle billedverden. Hans magiske figurer beveger seg i en litt surrealistisk, fargerik og mystisk verden. Billedkomposisjonen lar øynene vandre over store lerret og Peters mange lag av besnærende maleteknikker gir assosiasjoner til flere ulike fortellinger.

Til alt hell fikk jeg plass på et av kunstnerens ettertraktede weekendkurs denne høsten. Materiallisten inneholdt blant annet: store lerreter, vannbøtter, vindusnal, store pensler, gummispatler, malemedier, sprayflaske og et utvalg akrylfarger. Det var bare å stappe det viktigste ned i trillebagen, surre lerretene fast og la det stå til.

Jeg var oppriktig nysgjerrig på hvordan denne trollmannen av en kunstner jobber fram sin surrealistiske miks av lag på lag med tilsynelatende kaos og snodige tilfeldigheter. Jeg undret meg over hvorfor han blander abstraksjonens djerve lekenhet med soleklar klassisk figurasjon, og på hvordan Peter får det hele til å henge sammen og se ut som en tredimensjonal verden på et todimensjonalt lerret. Hvor henter han motivene fra? Hvilke teknikker benytter han?

Etter en times avslappende togtur møtte jeg en herlig gjeng med entusiastiske kunstnere i Nedre Eiker Kunstforening. De sjarmerende lokalene i Mjøndalen sentrum huset både malersal og chill out lounge med kaffe og hjemmebakst. Etter en liten introduksjon gikk Peter i gang med helgens første demo og spente kursdeltakere stod klare med mobilkamera.

Det var spennende å se hvordan en profesjonell kunstner har utviklet egne teknikker og deler hemmelighetene med oss.

Med så ivrige kursdeltakere med mange store lerreter på gang var det kjekt å kunne legge arbeidene til tørk utendørs i det fine været til glede for naboer og forbipasserende.

Stikkord i maleprosessen er: rytme, retning, penselbruk, ulike strøk, lag på lag med farger. Tynne strøk, tykkere strøk, laseringer, vi leter og skraper fram motiv, lar noe stå mens resten males over. Vi lar kroppen jobbe over store lerret, vi lar tilfeldighetene råde og tar kontrollen når det trengs.

Timene flyr av gårde og ute på fortauet ligger stadig nye malerier til tørk i påvente av nye lag med maling.

Kort sagt: En arbeidsprosess av styrt tilfeldighet som veksler mellom tilsynelatende kaos og stålkontroll. Lyse lette farger mot tyngre mørkere. Av og til jobber vi over hele bildet, stundom bare delvis. Ingen ting er rett eller galt, her gjelder det bare å prøve og feile, leke, lære og mestre.

Takk for en herlig og lærerik helg, alle sammen!
Håper vi ses snart!

Art by Rekkebo

Copyright (c) Art by Rekkebo

Painting High and Low

This year’s summer project was great fun! Lately I’ve been working on some quite big canvases. There have been canvases on the floor and canvases on the wall. I’ve been painting high and low.

trollskogen_ artbyrekkebo

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My big hot summerproject

Oslo had an extraordinary hot summer this year, approximately three months with hardly a cloud on the sky and only a few drops of rain. So I’ve painted in cool mornings, dripping of sweat in the heat of the day, I’ve painted in afternoon sun and in breezy evening shadows. Luckily I’ve managed to stay focused and worked passionate, only interrupted by daily swimming in the river Akerselva, lovely meals in the nearby woods and inspiring conversations with family, colleagues and friends.

Vibrance

They say artist put a lot of themselves in everything they make. A friend recently told me that my vibrant colors reflect my energy and personality. I believe my friend somehow recognize parts of herself in my paintings. It’s called resonance and that’s perhaps when art is at its best!

detailBIGpainting_ artbyrekkebo

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Life is good!


To be able to paint every day for an extended period is truly amazing. Every now and then I give myself a challenge, just to make sure I don’t fall into laziness, boredom or stagnation. I try to create goals for my own progress.

Lately I’ve worked in big formats using intuitive, abstract, expressive and other formal training techniques in the attempt of creating reflective paintings with more additional hints of figuration than ever before. A somewhat weird and wonderful working process mixing logic and intuition.

Courage and flow and are key words in this working process. Throughout the process I’m open to what adventures might visualize on the canvas instead of trying to manufacture and control things. To me, working intuitively is like contemplating the ideas of everyday mysteries in a new context. Changes are inevitable, both in life and in the painting studio. Throughout the creative process I try to reflect on how I embrace them.

Some claim that intuitive painting is a means to get in touch with their inner selves, or even to heal emotions.

To me it’s all about playfulness, new possibilities and having a good time while painting. That doesn’t rule out the fact that frustrations and difficulties doesn’t pop up when you least expect them. Believe me, they do. But the good news is: you can always paint over and start all over again, or you might take a closer look and take on a new path. There are many ways to finish a painting, and I’m the boss!

After days of painting I’ve left the canvases to “mature” for some time trying to figure out what’s the best next step. While some canvases have a rest, others get started or continued. That way I always have several paintings in the making and I never run out of work. I almost wish this summer would last forever!

Exhibitions

And, of course, it is always nice to be asked to show your work in galleries abroad (New York, Italy, Portugal) or in more local settings. Hopefully some of these big canvases will find their way to Våler Kunstfestival 17-19 august 2018.

butterflies_artbyrekkebo

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 PÅ NORSK

Årets sommerprosjekt var veldig gøy! I det siste har jeg jobbet med store malerier. Det har vært malerier over alt, på gulvet og på veggene. Jeg har malt høyt og lavt.

Oslo hadde en het, lang sommer i år; tre måneder med skyfri himmel og noen få regndråper. Jeg har jobbet meg gjennom varme morgener, middagshete, ettermiddagssol og milde aftener. Heldigvis har jeg klart å holde fokus og malt lidenskapelig, bare avbrutt av daglige svømmeturer i Akerselva, nydelige måltider i nærskogen og inspirerende samtaler med familie, kolleger og venner.

De sies at kunstnere legger mye av seg selv i det de gjør. En venninne fortalte nylig at mine livlige fargevalg gjenspeiler min energi og personlighet. Jeg mistenker at hun kanskje gjenkjenner deler av seg selv i bildene mine. Det kalles visst resonans og det er kanskje da kunsten er på sitt beste!

Livet er herlig!

Å kunne male hver dag over en lengre periode er helt herlig! Med jevne mellomrom gir jeg meg selv utfordringer for å være sikker på at jeg ikke bukker under for latskap, kjedsomhet eller stagnasjon. Jeg setter meg mål for å oppnå fremgang.

I det siste har jeg jobbet i store formater og brukt intuitive, abstrakte, kraftfulle og blandet teknikker i håp om å skape malerier med dybde og hentydninger til figurasjon enn tidligere. En spennende og gøyal arbeidsprosess der intuisjon og logikk blandes.

Fryktløshet og fri flyt og er nøkkelord i denne arbeidsprosessen der jeg åpner opp for hvilke eventyr som visualiserer seg på lerretet i stedet for å prøve å kontrollere. For meg er intuitivt arbeid en fin måte å reflektere over hverdagens mysterier i en ny sammenheng. Endringer er uunngåelige, både i livet og i maleprosessen. Gjennom den kreative prosessen prøver jeg å reflektere over hvordan jeg omfavner dem.

Noen hevder at intuitivt maleri er et middel til å komme i kontakt med deres indre, eller til og med å helbrede følelser.

For meg handler det om lek og moro, om nye muligheter og å være til stede i nuet mens jeg maler. Dette utelukker selvsagt ikke at frustrasjoner og vanskeligheter dukker opp når du minst forventer dem, for det gjør de. Man da kan jeg alltids male over og begynne på nytt, eller jeg kan ta en nærmere titt og gå videre på en ny sti. Det er mange måter å fullføre et maleri på – og kunstneren er sjefen!

Etter lange dager med jobbing på et maleri, pleier jeg å la det “modne” en stund og reflektere over neste skritt. Mens noen malerier hviler, fortsetter jeg på andre og setter i gang nye. Slik har jeg alltid flere malerier i produksjon samtidig og går aldri tom for arbeid. Jeg skulle ønske denne sommeren varte evig!

Utstilling

Det er selvfølgelig veldig hyggelig å bli forespurt om å vise malerier i gallerier i utlandet (New York, Italia, Portugal) eller ved lokale ustillinger. Forhåpentligvis finner noen av sommerens store malerier veien til Våler Kunstfestival 17-19 august 2018.

inspration_ artbyrekkebo

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New Beginnings

Sometimes working in the art studio really sucks. There are days where nothing goes as planned, paintings that never turn out the way you want them to no matter how hard you work. Sometimes art resembles the struggle of life itself; same old shit, back and forth, like a game of ping pong.

Copyright (c) Art by Rekkebo

Struggling with art is, of course, a minor problem in the world. But art can pinpoint more important things as well and sometimes we all need to get a grip, to take new responses because: More of the same old shit won’t get you where you want!

Earlier I have been suggesting that the artistic process often takes the shape of a loop. In the sense of evolving as an artist the process often goes in circles, or spirals, where you integrate today’s expression with earlier experiences, motives, themes and techniques. This magical process results in a personal artistic language and, as time pass by, you reach new levels and make more interesting art.

To be honest, I’ve been struggling for quite some time, feeling unable to take my artistic process to a higher level. So what to do? Give up, or continue painting the same shit over and over again? Luckily I have some really wise people in my life to discuss important matters with, when reflection on my own doesn’t bring me any further. Thank you, for being part of my life and for lending ears to my artistic frustrations. Brainstorming is da shit; listen closely to experience and open up for new ideas!

Sometimes New Beginnings are disguised as painful endings.

Intuitive painting is fun (c) art-by-rekkebo

Copyright (c) Art by Rekkebo

It is normal to resist, and even resent changes. But change is somehow the key to the circle of life; seasons come and go, after rain comes sun. Yes, it’s true that a beginning can seem like an end, but when one door closes then another door opens! So what’s perceived as painful and undesirable, often paves the way for something better – and if not better, at least different.

My art project is based on a playful and exploratory process. In my quest for personal artistic expression I explore several possibilities to present expressive abstractions from everyday life. I try to deal with complex settings by taking a closer look, because often a glance under the surface reveals unknown beauty and new paths to follow.

I believe struggling is part of the game, and in order to succeed you need to work through both rainy days and rough seas. I try to embrace the unexpectedness of life and change by working hard and dig deep – but in loose, playful ways – by observation, looking for lucky coincidence on the way. Because I want to enjoy my time on earth, both inside and outside the studio.

 PÅ NORSK:

Noen ganger suger det skikkelig å jobbe i atelieret. Det fins dager hvor ingenting går som planlagt, malerier som aldri blir slik du vil, uansett hvor mye du jobber. Av og til minner kunsten om livet selv; det samme gamle, frem og tilbake som å spille bordtennis.

Mine kunstneriske bekymringer er selvfølgelig små, globalt sett. Men kunst kan også si noe om større sammenhenger og innimellom trenger vi nye tilnærminger for å komme videre fordi: Mer av det samme, fører deg ikke dit du vil!

Jeg har tidligere skrevet om at den kunstneriske prosessen ofte går i en loop der du gjenoppfinner deg selv; en magisk prosess der du integrerer dagens uttrykk med dine tidligere erfaringer, motiver, temaer og teknikker. Dette resulterer i et personlig kunstnerisk språk, og etter hvert som du når nye nivåer kan du skape mer interessant kunst.

For å være ærlig, så har jeg slitt litt en stund. Jeg synes ikke at jeg har klart å nå et nytt kunstnerisk nivå og har derfor tidvis vært ganske frustrert. Den som gir seg er en dritt, men er det egentlig noen vits i å male det samme bildet om og om igjen? Heldigvis kjenner jeg noen veldig kloke mennesker som jeg kan diskutere viktige saker med, når refleksjon på egen hånd ikke bringer meg videre. Takk og lov for at dere er en del av livet mitt og for at dere orker å dvele ved mine kunstneriske frustrasjoner. Brainstorming er suverent, andres erfaringer kan fort åpne opp for nye ideer!

Noen ganger er begynnelser forkledd som en smertefull slutt.

Motstand er ofte begynnelsen til endring. Og forandring er nøkkelen til livets sirkel; årstider kommer og går, etter regn kommer sol. Joda, det er sant at begynnelser kan virke som slutten, men når en dør lukkes, åpnes en annen dør! Så det som kan oppfattes som smertefullt og uønsket, baner ofte vei for noe bedre – og om ikke bedre, i det minste annerledes.

Mitt kunstprosjekt baseres på en leken og utforskende prosess. I min søken etter et personlig kunstnerisk uttrykk, undersøker jeg flere muligheter til å presentere uttrykksfulle abstraksjoner fra levd liv. Jeg prøver å håndtere komplekse situasjoner ved å kikke litt nærmere på hva som egentlig skjer og et blikk under overflaten avslører ofte skjult skjønnhet og nye stier å følge.

Jeg tror at det å streve litt er en del av pakka – og for å lykkes, både som menneske og kunstner, må man tåle både motvind og motbakker. Jeg prøver å stå i det, jeg bruker gråværsdagene aktivt til å jobbe systematisk og å grave dypt – men på en løssluppen og leken måte- der jeg ser etter heldige sammentreff underveis. For jeg vil nyte min stund på jorden, både i og utenfor atelieret.

Trust the Process

The month of January always gives me a creative kick. This year is now exception. After weeks of darkness and cold weather, the sun is back and amounts of white snow makes nature look amazingly light and beautiful. Mother Nature gives fresh inspiration; her shapes, lines, structures and the graphic winter color scheme make me want to wander off into new paintings. But transforming impressions of nature into a personal artistic language is a complex procedure which requires reflection time, trial and errors. My mantra is therefore: Trust the process!

trust the process - final stage of River Houses (60x80cm)

Copyright (c) Art by Rekkebo

When art teachers say “trust the process” what do they try to tell you? I remember discussing this topic vividly with class mates in art school on several occasions. We all had different views depending on the situation. Here are a few interpretations I have overheard: “It’s a nice way of telling you that you lack talent (ha, ha). It means you need some more experience, so work hard (I damn will). It means you have to carry on till you make it right, you’re the boss!”

When I use the expression towards my art students “trust the process” means believe that you’ve got what it takes! Or if you don’t; ask for help, discuss with colleagues, take a time out and do something else! Then start over again.

Amazingly often the artistic process takes form as a loop where you recycle yourself; a process where you take earlier themes, techniques and motives into a higher stage. Painting is a bit like life itself, you need to grow and sometimes you need to start all over again.

There is no quick fix; you have to work hard to evolve as an artist. Some of my paintings are stuck away for months, even years before I finish them. In the meantime I work on other paintings, or with other techniques, to build up the competence I need. Sometimes I get it right and sometimes I fail. I have fucked up several nearly finished paintings, I even cried a few times over lost beauty – only to realize that the new painting came out a lot better than the version I fucked up.

So trust the process, even if it takes a long time and requires loads of hard work! But most important: Never give up!

 PÅ NORSK

Januar pleier å gi meg et realt kreativt kick. I år er intet unntak. Etter uker med mørke og kulde er solen tilbake og den hvite snøen gjør naturen lys, myk og vakker. Moder Jord inspirerer med sine former, linjer, strukturer og vinterens spartanske farger gir meg lyst til å vandre inn i nye malerier. Det å omdanne naturens uttrykk til et personlig kunstnerisk språk er imidlertid en kompleks prosedyre som krever tid for refleksjon, prøving og feiling. Mitt mantra er derfor: Stol på prosessen!

Når kunstlærere sier “stol på prosessen”, hva prøver de egentlig å fortelle deg? Jeg husker vi diskuterte dette emnet heftig ved flere anledninger på kunstskolen. Og alle hadde litt ulike oppfatninger avhengig av sammenhengen. Her er noen tolkninger jeg har overhørt: “Det er en pen måte å fortelle deg at du mangler talent (ha, ha). Det betyr at du trenger litt mer erfaring, så jobb hardt. Det betyr at du må fortsette til du får det til, det er du som er sjefen!”

Når jeg bruker uttrykket “stol på prosessen” overfor mine kunststudenter, betyr det at du må stole på at du har det som skal til! Eller hvis du ikke har det; be om hjelp, diskutere med kolleger, ta deg litt fri og gjør noe annet! Så starter du på’n igjen.

Den kunstneriske prosessen beveger seg i en loop der du gjenoppfinner deg selv; gjennom en kreativ prosess der du tar med deg tidligere temaer, teknikker og motiver opp til et høyere nivå. Maleprosessen er som livet, du må vokse litt og noen ganger må du starte forfra.

Det finnes ingen snarveier; du må jobbe hardt og metodisk for å utvikle seg som kunstner. Enkelte av mine malerier står bortstuet i måneder, eller år før jeg fullfører dem. I mellomtiden jobber jeg med andre malerier, eller med andre teknikker, for å bygge opp kompetansen jeg trenger. Noen ganger får jeg det til og andre ganger ikke. Jeg har ødelagt flere ferdige malerier jeg anså for å være nesten ferdige, jeg har felt tårer over tapt skjønnhet – bare for å innse at det omarbeidede maleriet ble mye bedre enn den tidligere versjonen.

Så stol på prosessen, selv om det tar lang tid og krever hardt arbeid! Og viktigst av alt: Gi aldri opp!

trust the process - Early stage of River Houses

Copyright (c) Art by Rekkebo

Young Art Cat in the making

I am thrilled to announce young Mr M – my brand new art cat in the making. He seems to be picking it up real fast, and I have high hopes he will bring some nice contributions into my studio. Today we are working on some portraits. Guess one of them will find a new home pretty soon!

art cat Mr M in the making

Copyright (c) Art by Rekkebo

Debut in blue His first day in the studio ended with blue toes, so I had to clean his feet with water after a big jump on to the table where I was mixing colours. Yes, acrylic colours are water soluble.

Tasty brushes
For the time being young Mr Art Cat preferes chewing on the paint brushes, looking at the colours and trying to catch the brushes while I’m working on the cavases.

Sharing a snack, taking a walk
After working for some time we normally share a snack. And if the weather is fine we take a walk in the nearby woods.

Old Mr G left us – young Mr M is taking over
Some of you will remember that my first art cat and brilliant coach Mr G sadly left this world due to illness, and left me in deep grief a few years back. They say deep sorrow comes from deep love. Mr G and I spent nearly 10 years together and I loved every single minute. Mr G seemed to love hanging out with me while working on my pieces and I am very greatful for all his mysterious contributions. I look forward to have young Mr M by my side from now on.

Portraits
Here we are working on some portraits. Guess one of them portraits will hang on someone’s wall pretty soon. Check out my HOMEPAGE for more pics http://www.rekkebo.com/

PÅ NORSK:
Jeg er glad for å presentere unge Herr M – husets splitter nye kunstkatt. Han ser ut til å plukke det opp kjapt og jeg har store forhåpninger til at hans bidrag inn i min kunstnertilværelse.

Blå debut
Hans første dag i atelieret endte med blå tær, slik at jeg måtte vaske potene rene med lunkent vann, etter et kjempehopp opp på bordet hvor jeg var i ferd med å blande farger. Ja, akrylfarger er heldigvis vannløselige, så det gikk helt fint.

Tygger på penslene
For tiden er han mest interessert i å tygge på penslene, men han ser også på fargene og så prøver han selvsagt å fange penslene mens jeg jobber på de liggende lerretene. Når lerretene står på staffeliet sitter Unge Pus og stirrer med sitt uutgrunnelige blikk.

Dele en matbit, tar en tur
Etter en jobbeøkt tar vi oss en liten matbit. Og er det fint vær går vi en tur i skogen i nærheten.

Old Mr G forlatt oss – ung Mr M tar over
Noen av dere husker nok at min første kunstkatt og utmerkede coach Herr G dessverre forlot denne verden på grunn av sykdom. Det sies at dyp sorg kommer fra dyp kjærlighet. Herr G og jeg tilbrakte nesten 10 år sammen og jeg elsket hvert minutt. Herr G trivdes i atelieret, særlig vinters tid, og jeg er evig takknemlig for alle hans mystiske bidrag. Nå ser jeg frem til å ha unge Herr M ved min side i mange år fremover.

Portretter
Her jobber vi med noen portretter.  Ett av portrettene kommer nok til å henge på noens vegg ganske snart. Sjekk gjerne ut HJEMMESIDEN min for flere bilder http://www.rekkebo.com/