Velkommen Hjem
Wood cut workshop
By spotogspindel | February 7, 2010
I attended a wood-cut workshop last night. Our teacher, Jan Terje Rafdal, is a very talented graphic artist.
Here he is in his studio. A very inspiring place, might I add. He is also a great painter, and you can see some of his oil-paintings here.
Here he is showing some of his work, and how mezzotints work.
Here is the picture I had chosen to work with, taken in Paris this summer.
After I´ve reduced it from millions to three colors…
Tracing the grey areas onto the MDF-plate.
Chizzeling away…
First layer done!
Mixing the print-color.
Getting ready for the first test-run through the press.
Adjusting the press….
First test-print in the middle-color.
Here is a test-print with both layers, the white-grey-black photocopy, and the second wood-cut layer, all ready chizzled.
And here is the final picture:
It was so much fun trying out this, to me, new technique. There is still some “dust”/traces of wood in the picture, and I have some prints without them, but we kind of agreed that this one looks more like a wood-cut, while the other one looked more like silk-screen. The print is 20×23 cm, and I never thought I´d be able to finish both layers in just 4 hours.
Now THAT was a fun way to spend a Saturday evening!
Topics: Biletkunst, Teknikk | 2 Comments »
Third Eidesvik reception picture
By spotogspindel | February 5, 2010
Eidesvik Offshore ASA is one of the two main offshore companies I´ve been working with on a lot of ships. They asked me if I could make some pictures for their newly decorated reception. I made two pictures, and when I came with them, they asked if I could make one more.
The employees in Eidesvik have decided upon thre main words to describe their company:
innovative – engaged – good sailorship
Below is part of their logo, here in textile fabric and oxidized brass.
Based on their illustration in this video, I made an artistic version of the chemical process of the fuel-cells.
And a little detail:
I came back from the framers today. Here is a detail from the layers of passepartour.
And here is the picture, framed.
Topics: Biletkunst | 2 Comments »
Wooden painting # 3, part 3
By spotogspindel | February 5, 2010
Another day in the studio in the attic. I´ve spent so much time on the little boat on the right, that I gave myself the prize of painting a couple of people! Fun! 
(Tomorrow is Friday, and I think I´m gonna put in a little Illustration Friday-break, just to tickle my creativity in between all the production.)
Dan Brown´s book has moved from a very long discussion introducing the free-masons and nuno-physics, to the well-known chasing and ideological dilemmas and who´s-on-who´s side.
Topics: Biletkunst, Teknikk | No Comments »
Wooden painting # 3, part 2
By spotogspindel | February 3, 2010
Back to painting today. It doesn´t seem like much, since the plate is so big. However I´m getting the details more or less right now, so I don´t have to back more than for the over-layers.
Today it´s Dan Brown´s turn. So far I´ve heard a lot about an ancient/modern form of physics I didn´t know (and still don´t know) anything about.
Topics: Biletkunst | 1 Comment »
BKL art exhibition poster
By spotogspindel | February 3, 2010
Yet another poster made for Bømlo art group. This time it´s an exhibition with paintings and Graphic work by Jan Terje Rafdal and Siv Helen Thomassen.
Topics: poster | No Comments »
visual-, audio- and real snow
By spotogspindel | February 3, 2010
All day yesterday was spent working with digital images for the new ship I´m making decorations for. As I keep working, I realize that I´m not terribly fond of winter-images. It´s not that winter isn´t pretty to look at. But all year? Who wants a snowy, winter-image on their wall all year round? I feel it is too seasonal. I love summer, and put up with winter because, well, basically I have no other choice. But even people who love winter, appreciate summer, don´t they? In the sense that they don´t want snow all year round? Please, let me hear some thoughts on this.
Below is an exert of one of the images I´m working on.
And as for the real snow… it just keeps on coming. And now we´re back to -15 degrees again. I am SO happy I live in a century when electricity is invented, so that I do´t have to freeze!
Even the new audio-book, was about a snow-blizzard, a train-wreck, and all the passengers being stowed into a mountain-hotel. He wheel-chaired heroine solves a double murder, and what do you know: even Bin Laden shows up in the end!
Topics: Biletkunst, Diverse | 2 Comments »
Wooden painting # 3, part 1
By spotogspindel | February 2, 2010
First, here is a photo of picture 2, after I´ve changed the color of the house from red to green. It calms the picture I think. And also the original was green. I didn´t know this from the black-and-white photo, but was told so later on. Probably a warmer tone than this one, but still.
I´m still postponing the second layer of paint, until I have the first layer on all three paintings done.
And here is the third picture. It is big. I mean, it feels really big. It´s 85 x 170 cm, so it is big. But it feels even bigger. Like a desert… Or maybe my brushes feel small, I´m not sure.
I wasn´t sure exactly where to begin, but decides to just start somewhere, I´ll probably have to go back and alter it & paint over anyway. But once there is one layer of paint, the second somehow seems easier.
After about five-six hours. Well, at least the sky is more or less in place. All that white stuff in the middle is going to be a ferry.
.
The audio-book with the young guys being murdered is nearly over. Oh, no. The bad guy turned out to be the hero´s childhood-friend.
Topics: Biletkunst, Teknikk | 2 Comments »
February Goody-giveaway
By spotogspindel | February 2, 2010
Thank you all so much for leaving me comments on my work, I appreciate it so much! And to show you how much I appreciate it, I have a goody give-away every month. If you do leave a comment, on any post, you will automatically enter the drawing.
This month´s giveaway is a top I´ve printed a fern-leaves heart on. Since Valentine´s day is the main celebration this month, I thought a heart should be good on the front. The top is 100% cotton, and a size S, with adjustable straps, Cubus brand. The heart is printed with fabric-color, and fixated, so it is of course washable.
Want to win?
Here’s 3 ways to Enter:
1. Leave a comment on any of my posts in January, and get an entry.
2. If you leave a comment on the Celebrate February post with a suggestion to how we can Celebrate March, you get 2 entries!
3. Promote my giveaway on your blog and get 3 entries! Feel free to pull this image to use on your blog. And don’t forget to leave me a comment so I know you did.
Topics: give away | No Comments »
Winner of the January goody give-away
By spotogspindel | February 2, 2010
I am so happy that so many of you take the time to leave comments on my posts. I really appreciate feed-back! My wish is to inspire others through what I do.
I am so thrilled that my blog-readership is increasing. I´ve set a new day-record this past month.
Anyway, the winner of the January goody give-away is:
What fun! Her blog is one of the best I´ve seen so far in the One world, One Heart blog-event.
She makes some really crazy-cool creatures, her sculpted dolls and figures are awesome. Wish I could sculpt like that. Well, at least I can visit her blog for inspiration. Just like you should!
Topics: give away | 1 Comment »
Celebrate February!
By spotogspindel | February 1, 2010
1. Nature is changing. The nights are slowly becoming lighter, the snow is raining away (it is here anyway). Find a good spot for your tri-pod (or a small table you don´t need for a month) Place your camera on it, and every day at the exact same time, take a picture of the view. (So it might be a good idea to place it near a window). Do this for a month, have all the pictures printed, and make a little book of them.
2. Head over to Sally Jean´s blog, and check out her suggestions on how to Celebrate Love! This is one of my favorites: Take pictures of LOVE – take pictures of things that are heart-shaped. A “heart” drawn in the snow, bare twigs laid out in the shape of a heart, the finger-print heart drawn on a dirty car (from another step in this list).
3. Carapace suggested we should Celebrate February by hiding inside and finding new blogs! I suggest you start by going to A whimsical Bohemian. She is hosting a One world, One Heart-party until the 15th. On the right-hand side you can see a list of lots of participants who are part of the party, and if you have a blog, you can enter all of their giveaways!
4. The Wizard of Oz-night. Invite friends over for a movie-special. Of course they should all wear glittering, red shoes! After the Lion´s third roar, push play on Pink Floyd´s CD “Dark side of the moon”. I´ve been told it´s a completely new experience of the “Wizard of Oz”, but I haven´t tried yet. Let´s do it together! Ps! Remember the pop-corn!
5. Make a new label for your suitcase, while you keep planning your summer-holiday! Go to the library, and get some travel-books. If you´re lucky, you´ll find travel-novels on audio-books. That way you can “read” and craft at the same time! How about that for efficiency! Borrow an audio-book with the language of the country you´re dreaming of, while you´re at it, and learn a couple of phrases. (I just have to get going on Spanish soon! Donde esta el estation de ferro carril? Does that make sense? I hope so, cause it´s the only Spanish I know…)
6. Culture-night! Make or take a class with friends. Find a piece of MDF-wood, and make a stamp from it. This way you can make a graphic print the old-fashioned way. If you´re up to it, you can even make two layers, for different colors. It requires some work, but it´s Saturday, so we´ve got all night! Invite some friends over, it´s always nice to be creative together. (I´m going to a graphic artist to a wooden stamp class. I´ll post on how it turns out)
7. Here is a nice project from Project 52:
Make a cake. A big one. Write something obscure on the top of it:
“How about 1972?”, “Texas, here we come!”, “Tuesday is the day to roll the dice.”, “Here’s to more closet space!”
Then, tomorrow morning, place the cake in your office’s kitchen area or break room. Put paper plates and plastic forks next to it, and make sure to cut out a slice, so people know that it’s okay to eat. Don’t let anybody see you bring in the cake.
8. Make lots of Valentine cards. As many as you can for all your lovable friends, and three more to send anonymously to someone you don´t know. Write “from a secret admirerer”. (Yay! Guerilla-art!!)
9. First: remember to send the secret postcards from yesterday!
Then make a “Token of Love” like Flora suggested. What ever medium you prefer, to express your love for a very special person. Sculpted, winged hearts on sheet music of love songs, perhaps? (Oh, and you should totally check out Flora´s blog! She´s got some serious inspiration in there!)
10. Take some chopsticks from your kitchen drawer (the one where all the take out chop sticks get thrown), and, along with $25 cash and a take out Chinese food menu, seal them up in an envelope. Mail off the envelope to one of your currently unemployed friends, your college-aged kid brother or sister, a person you know who is financially strapped at the moment. Keep it anonymous. Do not hand write the mailing address or enclose a note. Include the take out Chinese food menu regardless of geographical issues. You want to be sure that the person you mail the envelope to gets the right message and orders up some good take out.
11. Today is the independence day for the Vatican City. It signed a treaty with Italy as late as 1929. Have you been there? Some of the world´s finest art-treasures are here. You should really try to get there some time. But until then, take an online-tour.
The international film festival in Berlin opens today.
12. Check out this wonderful blog I just found and be inspired! Buy some flowers, arrange them beautifully, and find your paint-gear. Painting them means you have to study them, and studying beauty like this, can only bring one thing: Happiness! Oh, and maybe dreams of summer (Can you tell I´m tired of winter?!)
Someone who´s not tired of winter, are the hosts of the Winter Olympics, which start today in Vancouver, Canada. Maybe I should watch some curling…
13. February is International Friendship Month. Contact your local centre for new citizens (refugees? asylum-seekers? Not sure what the correct word would be in English) and make new friends from a foreign country. They will deeply appreciate getting to know some of their new country-men. And you will be richer from the contact too, learning to know new people is always a prize in itself!
14. Valentine´s day! Buy a red rose and send it to your dearest at his or her´s workplace. Or if you´re rich (or VERY much in love, splash out on a huge bouquet!) Keep sending love-notes in the form of SMS and e-mails during the day. Or leave little notes in in his shoes, his lunch-pack, on the mirror… be creative!
Oh, and today is the Chinese New Year! We are entering the year of the Tiger, the most special of al the “animal-years”.
15. Well, for all I know, this just might be the perfect day to spend in bed? 
16. Inspired by all the snow we´ve been having, make a white-on-white picture. Mix up your media and have fun creating texture!
17. South Korea has recently passed a new law. The country has one of the lowest birth-rates in the world, and the government doesn´t like the statistics. So every third Wednesday of the month, they shut down factories early, so that all the employees can go home to their loved ones and stay warm the old-fashioned way… (You know where I´m going with this, don´t you ) So tonight, relax, be kind to your special loved one, and have a South Korean evening!
18. Girls-day-out. Spend the day with your best friend, and just do girly stuff. Go shopping, eat brownies at a café, get a free make-over at a make-up store, see a day-time movie, talk about the never-ending subject of men and well, just enjoy life!
19. Read a book that´s a hundred years old. (or was published a hundred years ago)
20. Invite friends over for a beach & bar-B-Q-party! I know, I know… It´s winter. But lets pretend it´s not. Pump up the heat, play “Copa cabana”, “Summer in the city”, “Tropical summer” and so on. Make colorful drinks (with or without alcohol, but all with paper-umbrellas!), make you favorite summer bar-b-q dish. Grilled steak? Grilled salmon? Remember the salads! Oh, and make sure the invitation states the dress-code: Hawaiian!
21. Find old letters from a childhood friend, take photocopies of them, and send them to your long-lost friend. That could be an interesting way to get back in touch with someone!
22. Today, apparently, is the World Thinking Day AND the Be Humble Day. So lets start by turning off the TV and removing other outer distractions. Sit yourself down with a big cup of tea and make a list of reasons to be humble. Now that should start the thinking-process.
23. Have a happy Tuesday! Make a big batch of home-made bread (remember to add sunflower-seeds. They´re yummy!). when you´re done with the baking, wrap up a bread and go see an old neighbor you haven´t seen in a while. The best way to be happy is to make others happy as well.
24. Go to a Body Shop or local drugstore, and splash out on some semi-lucrative spa-products, including a good salt-scrub. Then find a swimming-hall that has a sauna. Swim at least 500 meters, 1000 and you´re really good! After the shower, leave the conditioner in your hair, when you go into the sauna. (Your hair will be baby-soft afterwards) Sit there as long as you can. Don´t pretend to be a hero, sitting on the lower bench is fine if it´s really hot. Put on your face-masks, your peeling lotion and so on. Don´t be shy. And if you are, bring a friend, and make them join you! (And if you live in Texas, go sunbathing!)
25. Maybe it´s time to do something we´ve been putting off for a while. I know I have to get the floor-lists back in place after laying a new floor. How about you. Get out your tool-belt and do something you´ve forgotten you had to do in the house…
26. Carnival! Today is the main day of the carnival. Living in New Orleans as a kid, going downtown to see the big Mardi Gras parade, was a treat! I don´t live there anymore, but today I plan on wearing something bright and colorful, just to cheer up anyone that crosses my path. When I get home I´ll make a mask, cover it with feathers and sequins and beads, just like Gail suggested. And I will make a colorful page in my art journal every-bit as cheerful as any carnival. And then, late at night, I´ll find my DVDs with Carnivale. Oooo… I like the mystique!
27. Here´s another good one from Project 52: Go some place, alone. Once you are there, take a picture of yourself using the self-timer. Immediately after taking the picture, leave, and never go back to that place again. Ever.
28. List the years that you have been alive. Then, in a word, sentence or short paragraph, write down a significant memory from each year. Some years will be easy, others you might have to check with your parents, your friends, your photo-albums and diaries. This list — in the form of words, sentences, short paragraphs, or a combination of all three — is your life calling.
Oh, and as always, remember to send me suggestions on how to Celebrate March!!
Topics: celebrate! | 2 Comments »