Monday, May 27, 2013

blown away at Slussen Craft Fair


This weekend was (of course!) exceptionally windy for Stockholm, and my first attempt to take part in an open air market proved exhausting - I had a hard time keeping my stuff from whirling away..! Luckily Mattias was there to help unpack on Saturday and could go shop for necessary stuff I'd forgotten to pack - clamps to hold the table cloth in place and packaging tape to secure things. 

On Sunday the rain (of course!) poured down (and the wind continued as well) and threatened to ruin my paper products and objects, but we rearranged the table and everything survived. Luckily my mother was there to help me out... On Mothers Day :) 
All in all it was fun and I really enjoyed myself! Definitely worth being there.


Stefan Markström, wood carving and painting
Lots of visitors on Saturday and even on Sunday there were courageous visitors defying the weather gods. Even got the chance to go around and meet some of the other crafters. A bit unfocused though, didn't get more than two photos of the market in whole.

 Maria Cotellessa, sculpture


Staffan Bengtsson, culture journalist, made the opening speech
Camilla Skorup, textile artist and one of the initiators of Slussen Craft Fair, below the stairs

Friday, May 24, 2013

Popierukas and Slussen Craft Fair




Today is the opening of Popierukas, a paper exhibition in Kaunas, Lithuania! I'm participating with the three paper coffee cups above. Would have loved to go, but couldn't since I'm busy elsewhere...




... tomorrow and Sunday I'm taking part in the yearly Slussen Craft Fair. An arts and crafts fair in the centre of Stockholm and I'm really looking forward to it. It's not "only" a fair, there will be interesting seminars and talks as well.


Thursday, May 23, 2013

vernissage Dalslands Konstmuseum


in the garden; Lars Vilks wooden tower Dalonien
in the garden overlooking the lake

Hitching a ride with Jögge, I arrived last Wednesday evening in Upperud, where Dalslands Konstmuseum is situated. A beautiful place located in the middle of the Swedish countryside, lined with forests and lakes. There used to be many paper mills in these surroundings, now there's only one still running. We received a warm welcome and were utterly well cared for, throughout our entire stay by museum director Helen Backlund.

Two days were spent building and hanging the exhibitions, but we did manage a visit to Not Quite - an old paper mill, now a place and a network for professional artists, artisans and designers. Will post photos of this later.


from left to right: Gill Wilson, Gunilla Pantzar, Anders Lönn, Magie Hollingworth, Helen Backlund (museum director), Agneta Flock, me, Jögge Sundqvist

The exhibition opening was on Saturday afternoon. Mattias and Rosa (our youngest) made it there just in time, after a 5 hour drive from Sigtuna... After the initial presentation of all present artists from the three concurrent exhibitions, each artist gave a short presentation of their work.


 

In the group exhibiton Papper, Gill Wilson (UK) started off, presenting her work; forms based on sacred geometry, pulp made out of natural plant fibre. Breathtaking beauty.



Magie Hollingworth (UK) also uses paper pulp - but only waste paper; catalogues, newspapers, printed matter... Wonderfully graphic cutlery, subtly humorous shovels and beautiful bowls.

 
 

Agneta Flock, a Swedish artist originally in textile, but since many years a skilled paper cutter. Her images are lovely with exquisite details. She cuts her pieces first, then she paints them by hand which gives them a unique expression.

 

Rob Ryan (UK) is a renowned paper cutter with a huge production. Lovely work, too bad he couldn't make it there for the opening.


 
Anna-Stina Lindén Ivarsson, journalist and author, Anders Lönn, my thistles and I
I was the last out to present my paper art; my four bowls of varying sizes, two thistles and a wall of Coffee Constellations (no photo of that alas...). 


In the museums gallery Jögge Sundqvist presented his wonderful wood works exhibition trädkropparna och de rotlösa. Jögge's a legendary expert of sloyd craft in Sweden and internationally renowned.



Last, but not least, were Anders Lönn and Gunilla Pantzar, an artist couple. Anders showed evocative landscape paintings and objects (dead animals). Gunilla's work was based on a family tragedy, a very touching story she calls Spår - ett familjedrama (traces - a family drama).

 


The day ended with a delicious festive meal on the veranda, with friends and spouses. Helens dog Ville and the museum cat watching over us.





Monday, May 13, 2013

welcome to Dalslands museum!


Vernissage at Dalslands konstmuseum now on Saturday May 18th!

Looking forward to seeing the works and meeting the other artists in the Paper exhibition, from England: Gill Wilson, Rob Ryan, Magie Hollingworth and Agneta Flock, Sweden.

On Wednesday I'll be off! Getting a lift there with Jögge Sundqvist and will also meet Anders Lönn and Gunilla Pantzar (couldn't find a link) at the opening.




The four "bowls" named Every day Contemplations (Betraktelser Hvar Dag) made of book pages. The largest measures 54 cm ø and the smallest 26 cm ø. There will also be two thistles - no photos of them yet, and perhaps rows with coffee constellations. We'll see if there is room for them, not sure.


Wednesday, May 8, 2013

summer workshops!


Återbruksgille 

2,5 dagar 16 – 18 augusti, Alsta Trädgårdar, beläget mellan Uppsala och Enköping.

Inspirerande workshops, skickliga lärare (Barbro Fagerlind, Catarina Larsson, Cecilia Levy, Eva Sundström och Lina Holm) och vältaliga föredragshållare, vad mer kan man önska? Jo, det där lilla extra i form av ett familjärt omhändertagande, hemlagad mat på lokala råvaror och en fantastisk miljö.

På plats finns uställningen ”För-brukat – Åter-brukat. En utställning som invigs 9 maj, men kommer att vara föränderlig, och pågå hela sommaren.

I växthuset med omgivningar grönskar det, och naturligtvis kommer det att finnas växter och tillbehör att köpa för den som är intresserad.

Du kommer även att hitta hantverk och annat trevligt. Dessutom kommer Kraka att ha sommarbutik i ett litet hörn av trädgården. För er som väljer att sova över på vackra Biskops Arnö, så kan vi lova er ett vandrarhem i särklass.

Anmälningstiden har gått ut, men det finns några platser kvar - först till kvarn! Klicka på länken till Alsta Trädgårdar

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Bind en egen anteckningsbok & gör en boklåda som hör till


2 dagar, 24 – 25 juni, Sigtuna Folkhögskola

Lär dig enkla tekniker för att binda in egna skiss­/ anteckningsböcker, fotoalbum, gästböcker eller Artist’s Books. Jag lär ut grunderna i handbok- binderi och vi tittar på olika material. Under kursen tillverkar vi dessutom varsin vacker boklåda att förvara anteckningsböckerna i. Inga förkunskaper behövs.

Sista anmälningsdag för kursen är 20 maj 2013, klicka på länken till Folkhögskolan

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Härjedalens Sommarakademi 2013 (The Härjedalen Summer Academy) 

Sweden's Pioneering Summer Academy, where performing and non-performing arts will meet

10 days, June 28th – July 7th (English and Swedish speaking), Härjedalens Kulturcentrum

Internationally renowned photographer Anders Petersen will hold a photography workshop and I will hold a paper art workshop during this period. The theme is bark.
. . .

The Summer Academy
Located in Härjedalen, one of Sweden's highest elevated counties, and under the auspice of Härjedalens Kulturcentrum (The Härjedalen Cultural Centre) in a newly renovated timber framed theatre building from 1921, which provides the perfect setting for a truly special summer school experience.

Situated only a short walk from the mystic nature, the Härjedalens Summer Academy offers a fantastic mix. Here, in the peaceful village of Lillhärdal 500 km northwest of Stockholm and 400 km northeast of Oslo, under the tutelage of well known cultural personalities, it will be possible for students, young artists and competent amateurs of all disciplines to enhance their creativity and inventiveness.


Workshop Philosophy
We will not, as at other Summer Academies, hold workshops on specific separate subjects, but strive in the workshop work to find mutual or parallel aspects in what is normally seen as two separate art forms. By challenging artistic development in separate genres, the workshops will seek to articulate shared expressions and positions as well as point out differencies, boundaries and discrepancies.

In each of the parallel 10-day workshops two opposing art forms or cultural spheres will meet. We will, from a given theme, seek and study both concrete and abstract interactions in two given separate fields. The chosen theme will reflect the mystic Nordic nature surrounding the village of Lillhärdal. The theme 2013 is bark.


Application form Härjedalen Summer Academy

the paper art workshop is unfortunatelly cancelled

Monday, May 6, 2013

peek inside




This is a sneak peek of two of my bowls for the group exhibition Papper at Dalslands Konstmuseum. There will be more. Name of the piece will be Every day Contemplations (Betraktelser Hvar Dag), and these two measure 26 - 27 cm ø and 15 - 17 cm high. The material for this whole piece - the actual book -  was given to me by one of my closest friends, Lena O. Which gives it an extra dimension for me.