Mondays Mentions...my studio and LOST teeth!

It's a FREEZING cold Monday morning...my girls were under-dressed going to school today so I'm about to rush up there with an extra sweater for each of them...we're in March and it's still 20 below Zero...I know...I know...what can I expect living here in Canada?

At least the Sun is shining... right?!

SO...LOTS of work has been going on in our house...my husband has become VERY handy and is slowly finishing our basement...STAGE 3 and we're finally on MY studio...YAY...with my decision to start teaching kids this Summer...he is pushing to get it finished in time.

I spent hours cleaning my area and Mr R got the whole room framed(as you can see from these pics above).

This morning I took measurements of walls and windows...Mr R needs me to clarify where electrical outlets and lights etc should go.

So...over the next month and a half, I will be keeping you up to date with the progress of "my studio"...I am SO EXCITED...really, I have a buzzing energy inside...I'll finally be able to start a project and leave it out over night...usually I have to pack everything away so that we can eat dinner...

It's not a huge space...but with lots of Ikea storage...I will be able to organise and maneuver well in my studio.

He's even run an "air" line in from the compressor in the garage...so if I want to use an air brush or any tools which require air pressure...I'll be able to!

At the same time as my studio is being built, Mr. r is also finishing the "Dark Room"...this will be a fantastic hobby to teach our girls...to be able to develop their own photos...and to appreciate where photography came from and how we arrive at the finished print.

Both Mr. R and I have studied Photography...and we have the enlarger already.

Should be fun!

Here's Miss A with her TOOTHLESS smile...she was shy about me taking her photo...

Her tooth finally came out on Friday in her Assembly at school...they gave her that little tooth box on a string to keep her tooth safe...cute!

MONDAYs Mentions ::

So...today we're going SCANDINAVIAN with our links...

As many of you know I have a HUGE connection with Scandinavia...even though I have never actually lived there...my parents are both Scandi...

I used to go to Danmark every Summer to visit our Farmor and Farfar(Grandparents)...they lived in Hellerup just outside Copenhagen.

I LOVE the little Danish stores...THIS one I have never been to...but would love to.Brinja also has a BLOG which is full of colour and family life.

I visit this Scandi lass quite frequently ... I adore the interiors she posts about and the Scandinavian design in general...MAMAMEKKO...

Reminds me of Marimekko...lol...which is ANOTHER brilliant Scandinavian(Finnish) designer...GO HERE to check out their designs.

A Swedish Artist...ALEXANDRA HEDBERG creates some amazingly interesting paintings...and is about to start a commission for the exterior of a building. I like seeing her work's progression.

And finally...Vilde from Norway has a blog (although there really are SO many Scandinavian links I could post...perhaps I should create a section JUST for this...) MY SCANDINAVIAN RETREAT...is where I go to dream, of that perfect place...by the water or in the City...gorgeous designed houses with such simplistic interiors.

Thanks for passing by today...I hope you enjoy all these links.

This afternoon I am working on a colour sketch for an Alice in Wonderland back-drop and I received a commission for a "Family Load" portrait...I LOVE COMMISSIONS!!! :-)

Until tomorrow...have a lovely Monday...it's going to be a GREAT week!

HUGS

Char.x

Tell ALL Tuesdays :: Alexandra Hedberg

GOOD MORNING lovelies...I sometimes think that by having this TELL all Tuesdays weekly it solidifies to me how fast time is passing...Tuesdays creep up on me WAY too fast...BUT on the other hand, I really enjoy introducing all these wonderfully creative people weekly.

Today we are travelling all the way to Sweden (my mother's homeland) to meet an incredibly talented artist who obviously knows in which direction she's going.
Her work is SO full of energy...she's someone I would one day LOVE to meet...(hey, you never know! Sweden is NOT that far!!! ) I think I first came across Alexandra when I was visiting Esti's blog and saw their collaborative brilliance together: We are a Happy Family Card Game.(of course I have a set...bought one as soon as I saw it)
So, adding this fabulous painter/artist/screen printer to our list of T.A.T(tell all Tuesdays) please...let me introduce to you... ALEXANDRA HEDBERG ::

Tell us a little about the Town you live in... & have you always lived there?

I live in Gothenburg (Sweden’s second city) which is by the coast and more of a big small town. I can bike more or less everywhere; it’s close to nature and a good place when you want to live out of little money. I was born here and grew up here, but I have also lived in Aix-en-Provence, Paris and London.

If you could move anywhere tomorrow, where would it be?

Paris.

How structured is your day usually?

Super structured in some ways and in some ways not. As I am a mother I need to plan ahead and be ready in good time before deadlines (children get ill), but I like the liberty I have anyway not being an employee. I work in concentrated periods with different things. For example I planned all autumn in August; when to work in the studio for my exhibitions, when to work on a commissioned public art piece and when to give my workshops. While in the studio I let creativity reign (just go with the flow) and the only “structure” I follow is time to leave to go to preschool and pick up the kid. If I on the other hand have a day of screen printing at KKV (artist run collective workshops) I write a time-plan; what to do exactly when and estimated time for every step. I’m very good at following my time-plan and thus become super efficient.

What did you do today?

Today was the first day working on my sketch for a Public Commissioned Art Piece to be on the façade of a new built school. I made a sketch of the part of the school building where my art is to be in scale 1:10 and painted it in the right NCS colours (it’s greenish with orange doors). Then I sat looking at it for a long time and checked some books on public art – and wrote down some thoughts. Tomorrow I will taste some ideas.


At night I wrote a post in my Art as Business series for my blog and fixed with photos for my website.

Are you a cat or dog person?

A cat person. Cats are like being in love the way it should be; independent and wild. Cats have style, grace and don’t take no shit. Dogs are needy, can be smelly and eat shit. [Seriously; when it comes to dogs of course I like some of them. But it is more based on sometimes making a connection]

Are you a breakfast, lunch or dinner girl?

At breakfast: I’m sleepy.
At lunch: I’m so into my work (be it painting, doing administration or screen printing) I barely notice I’m eating or I eat while working.

At dinner: I’m all there. I love to cook it, to enjoy all the flavours while eating and to drink a good wine – and the best of all: to do it in the company of others. So the answer is: A dinner girl!

If you had 6 friends over for Dinner what would you make for them?

As autumn is here I would make a warming fish soup with saffron, wine, vegetables, salmon, shrimps and mussels. Bake some bread to go with it and serve some white Bourgogne.

How old were you when you knew you were on the right path in your Life?

I’ve known I wanted to be an artist (painter) since as long as I can remember. I’ve never doubted my path, though teachers constantly tried to talk me out of it (I was the very best of students – why should I waste my life on becoming an artist?).

Who /what drove and inspired your love to create?

I think creativity is in my blood, but my father’s constant encouragement and belief in my art and me while growing up must have been what gave me the strength to take drawbacks. I get what I wouldn’t call inspiration, but input to my art, from popular culture and mass medial imagery and stereotypes.

Tell us something not too many people know about you.

I used to have this extra job as a fitness instructor (aerobics, step up, body toning etc) for 8 years. I gave 2-5 classes/week. I quit 2 years ago.

Shoe choice::flats or heels?

Flats because it is practical when you are on the run, but I love high heels…

What was the last book you read?

I’m in the middle of reading Murakami’s anthology “”Birthdays Stories” and Dear Dad (poems by Australians about Fathers with artwork by Gracia and Louise)

What advice would you give others just starting out?

Advice no 1: Ask yourself what is your goal. Be honest to yourself (no one needs to hear your answer). Then ask yourself what you are willing to give up and what you will not sacrifice in order to reach your goals. Work from there.

Advice no 2: don’t forget to enjoy life and take time off!

Name 5 blogs (or more) you love visiting, and tell us why.

I love visiting friend’s and colleague’s blog:


Camilla : friend and talented Fine Art artists (not that many blogs by Fine Art artists out there). Seeing the little magic things in daily life, dark humour.


Tiny red :  friend and a totally gifted illustrator/graphic designer. Always full of creativity, playfulness and colour.


vejacecilia : friend and fantastic pattern designer. Pattern is more than what you might think – will be interesting to see where she is going.


Daniel Milton  not really a friend yet (haven’t met), but maybe soon – and he’s a great Fine Art Artist (blog in Swedish though). Sharp, entertaining and not afraid to brag. And I don’t just want to read blogs by women.


Wooster collective : because street art really interests me – that’s the real Public Art!


Ikea hacker : alternative use of Ikea furnitures or adaption. Not always good, but sometimes genial. Here I found for example how to make a home screen printing unit.


The Selby : always nice to look into people’s home.


CaiLun : I don’t know why, but I would love to bind my own books.


THANKS Alexandra for taking time out of your busy schedule...and if any of you read Alexandra's Blog, you'll know she has a couple of exhibitions coming up...so her hands are deep in paint right now!
I'm sure Alexandra will be checking in today...so leave a "hello" or a "Hejsan" for her in the comments below...
AND you can visit her:
BLOG
and her
WEBSITE

I hope you all have a great day...I am almost finished the boy's room I am painting...will show you all on Thursday(that's when the client comes back from China).
HUGS and I really appreciate you stopping by and supporting these fabulous Artists we have with us weekly!
Char.x

We are a HAPPY Family...they arrived!

SO excited...have you seen these?

I ordered them over a month ago, but because of the Volcanic Dust cloud...shipping was slow....but WELL worth the wait!

Go to HERE (one of my FAVE artists in the pack) to see HOW TO PLAY

and check out the AWESOME artists listed below who collaborated in this project!
I do believe this is a Pack of Cards which will end up being sold in Museums, HUGE book stores and maybe even one day we'll see an exhibition from these artists ALL together...oh, such greatness!

The Artists ARE:Thereza Rowe
Sarajo Frieden
Lotte Andkilde
Lady Desidia
Pintameldia
Alexandra Hedberg
Aris Moore 
Kimberly Laurenti
Box layout designed by Jorge Fernández

HUGS to you all...I'm off to admire my playing cards!
Char,ON