Merethe's creative corner

After school

2011-08-21T13:46:00.003+02:00

Just a casual moment, just an everyday story, yet a precious moment and a breathing room from demands and duties. Don't we all need a little time to catch our breath....?

"After school" is painted on La Carte, 9x12" with various soft pastels.

Coffee&Sugar

2011-07-20T13:47:00.003+02:00

An artist can find inspiration at any time and any place, also when we're not working. This is an example of just that. One morning I was having my coffee and reading my paper when suddenly the sun broke through an overcast sky and lit up my kitchen shelf. The light hit these two jars in a lovely way, and ended my morning routine at that second. I picked up my camera and shot a few pics - and this little set up resulted in several others - which will eventually turn into paintings.

What inspires a painting? There's no limits to what subject one can paint - even the most ordinary, boring objects that is seen everyday can turn into beautiful paintings....it is all in the eyes of the beholder - and in the light! For me, light is the main source for inspiration. Playful light dancing on an object, long, colorful shadows - that's what it takes to catch my interest and start composing a painting. It happens everywhere, at any time - the artist in me never rests. This particular morning I ended up with cold coffee, and this little painting where two jars that never really get any attention suddenly became stars.

Soft pastels on La Carte, 9x12" (20x30 cm).

Apples&steel

2011-06-23T23:21:00.003+02:00

While writing about the show opening I realized I really haven't updated my blog at all - I have a few more paintings that are in the show I haven't published here. Well there you go, not enough time.....this is another fruit and steel still life, and as usual my fascination for reflections shows. I quite like the simplicity of the composition, and had fun with the reflection in the knife. I'm breaking one of the established rules in composition by choosing two apples rather than picking an uneven number - but in this case I think it works - the knife and the reflection manage to create and interest. I like breaking the rules - I'll do it again, I promise.... ;)
This is a pic of the painting nearly done, I did some more work on the table reflections before framing it.

This is done on La Carte, 15x18#.

Show opening

2011-06-23T22:56:00.004+02:00

My first solo-show "Moments in colors" opened in Gallery 2 rom&kjøkken June 3rd. I haven't been able to update my blog as much as I'd like, as I've spent all free time painting. The reception was nice, I had a lovely time. With all the work that goes into a show it certainly a wonderful pay-off to see the paintings on the wall signed and framed. And even better as people were so positive and enjoyed the show. I played a few songs at the reception, and it was nice to illustrate the show with songs I have listened to while I painted.

Several moths of hard work towards this show is now done, and I'm ready to start new projects. I had to build a new web site as my old disappeared, all my paintings can now be seen at www.merethetorbergsen.weebly.com. There's also a updated CV, and news about my art can be found there.

Pears on steel revisited

2011-06-23T22:52:00.002+02:00

My painting "Pears on steel" won 3rd place in "The best of Wet Canvas 2010" competition in Still life. I'm honored to have my painting get this recognition!

"Raw breakfast" revisited

2011-04-12T22:54:00.005+02:00

"Raw breakfast" won 1st place in the Pastel Guild of Europes' Get dusty challenge in March 2011. Thank you to the judges, such an honor, I'm so delighted!

Tap #1

2011-04-12T22:50:00.003+02:00

Every day objects can tell a story, can't they? And can be beautiful at the same time! This is a step away from fruit still life, I wanted to do something different and ended up with this. Metal and reflections, yet telling a different story. Enjoyable and fun piece to do!
On Sennelier La Carte, Soft pastels and pastel pencils.

Caught

2011-04-12T22:46:00.002+02:00

A painting I finished recently, another piece along the lines of "Pears and steel". This painting received an Honorable mention in the Pastel Guild of Europes' "Get Dusty challenge" in March.
It is done on Sennelier La Carte, with various Soft pastels and pastel pencils, 15x18".

H.M. Kong Harald

2011-03-10T22:49:00.004+01:00

Challenge is good. I love still life and have a constant stream of ideas running through my head, I will not be having any trouble filling my time any time soon. However, it is fun to branch out and do something different every once in a while, isn't it?

So, this is a result of me challenging myself - how would you interpret a portrait of a person totally different then myself? Portraits are always hard to do, the technical aspects are hard enough, and then to really make a portrait good you need to connect emotionally. Now there's a challenge, and that is the story behind this portrait of H.M. King Harald.

I have painted portraits of musicians before, and I found it easy to relate to them - I've been a singer for 20 years and know what it feels like to be on a stage, to connect to the music and to connect to the audience. I know nothing about being King, I know nothing about being born into the public eye, with expectations from a whole country about who you're gonna be. So as I painted this portrait I found myself getting into a string of thoughts - how do a person meet that kind of expectations, forming a role that's always measured by the public without loosing yourself? How do a person live up to the job of being a role model, and a carrier of norms and values for a whole nation? These thoughts is what I want to portray in this painting, how I connected to the painting. Did I succeed, well that's for others to say. But the process did enrich me in so many ways, so I say challenge is good, never restrain yourself from growing and learning.

Red onions and glass

2011-03-10T22:42:00.004+01:00

2010 wasn't my best years painting-wise, not a big production to show. 2011 however is looking good, and I have already completed several paintings. This particular one is two smaller pieces that I plan to frame together. I wanted to get a somewhat abstract feel to a realistic work, and ended up with this. Again, working with reds, getting to use my favorite Ludwigs - just gorgeous colors. This will be part of an upcoming exhibition this summer.
Pastels done on Sennelier La Carte.

Tanglewood break

2011-03-10T22:33:00.002+01:00

My blog has been thoroughly neglected for a long time, an update is in order! :)
I'm gonna start off with this painting, completed last year. My band was in studio in May 2010, and during a break I noticed this guitar and the Pignose in the studio. It instantly talked to me, a possible painting! I love reds, I love music and I just had to get pics to paint later on. I took the things outside, put them up on this wooden table and got some great shots during a short guest-performance by the sun. There's probably something like a hounded hours of work put into this, and it has become a favorite of mine. It is done with pastels on a large sheet of La Carte, 24x19 inches. Pure joy to paint, all of it!

Pears on steel

2010-05-03T20:08:00.003+02:00

A finished painting of 2010, the only one so far. I've had the ref for this painting for a while, and wanted to try a new technique for the pears. Usually I'll do quite a lot of blending, working on La Carte with harder sticks like Faber Castell, Rembrandts and W&N. These pears are done on Colorfix, using softies like Unison and Terry Ludwig - and there's virtually no blending done with my fingers. The smooth look is achieved using Pastel pencils on top of the softies, as well as a few Faber Castell pastels for blending. I'm pleased with the result, and I'm already working on another piece using the same technique.

Soft Pastels on Colorfix, 9x12".

Surf green Telecaster

2010-05-03T20:02:00.002+02:00

My blog has been thoroughly neglected the last months, as has my art I'm sad to say. Real life seem to interfere to much these days, guess that's just the way it has to be. But I manage to do a little something every now and than, a few commissions and a few pieces for my own pleasure. This Telecaster is just for fun, and created to match my livingroom. Needed something new for my walls, and decided to paint a piece that matches the rest of our place. Not hard to tell that we are several musicians in our house, maybe... ;)

Soft Pastel on La Carte, 27x54 cm.

On my drawing board - Mr. B.B.King

2009-08-31T18:39:00.003+02:00

Got a full set of Derwent Studio colored pencils, and had to try them. This is the first piece done with the Derwents. Testing a Derwent Colorsoft and Pablo as well, and have a few Primas in the mix. Gotta say I enjoy the Derwents very much, I'm able to get a good point to do details with. But the Colorsoft really seem promising, might add more of those to my cp collection.

Have put quite a few hours into this piece, added many layers to the skin and will add many more hours to the hands. I like where this is going, it's a piece done for me, just for fun - from a wonderful ref photo. I just love the expression on his face, I knew I had to draw it when I saw the pic. My plan was to do this in Soft Pastel, but with the lovely skin colors I thought this would make a nice companyon for Willie N in CP.

Pastel Guild of Europe

2009-05-05T21:33:00.003+02:00

Good news for all European pastellists!
If you're like me, maybe you have missed an European Society to join, to promote our wonderful medium, to find information, to share our passion for soft pastels with others. Maybe even join in competitions and challenges, find information about workshops and exhibitions?

Here's what you need, a newly founded Pastel Guild for all European pastel artists.
To join the Guild, visit the Guild's website here: Pastel Guild of Europe.

The Guild is founded by pastel artists, for artists, aiming to promote our art in our countries and throughout Europe. Join us and be part of a new renaissance for soft pastels in Europe!

Red Cadillac

2009-01-19T23:08:00.004+01:00

My latest work, all fun and recreation. Lots of fun, shiny stuff and beautiful reds! And now - back to work. ;)

Mix of Ludwigs, Unisons, Faber Castell, Winsor&Newtons and pastel pencils on La Carte.

Skyscape

2008-12-18T22:21:00.001+01:00

Been a while since I posted, but that doesn't mean I haven't been painting. Doing a few commissions these days, and can't show the work before they are delivered. Don't won't to ruin the surprise for anyone when the work is going to be a present.

Here's one commission, a skyscape done on La Carte.
Done in soft pastel, 15x18" (30x40 cm).

Springer update

2008-11-28T22:23:00.002+01:00

Doing a realistic portrait like this is tedious work, it takes time...spend a few more hours on it today, and are close to finished on the dog. Still got some more detail work left, but getting closer. Finished the nose, still using the same grays, browns and black. Will adjust the values on the nose more when the background is done. I save some loose hairs for last, to make a more realistic look. Next up will be the background.

Springer next step

2008-11-28T14:59:00.003+01:00

My next step on the Springer, starting to work in details. I've finished the back started to do details on the left side. I'm layering browns, black, white and grays, adjusting the strokes to the length of the fur. I've started work on the jaw/mouth area, blocking in lights and darks with the same colors I used on the ear. It gets rather dusty at this point, and I've found good use for the blow-brush that came with my camera. Tiny little thing that effectively blows off access dust, keeping my colors clean. Being right handed I work from left to right, I find this keeps the colors cleaner, even though it means more thinking in terms of getting the values and colors right in the end.

Getting ready to start working the right side and the nose, and gotta decide what color the background will be. Maybe I'll do a soft green, we'll see....

Springer WIP

2008-11-27T14:41:00.006+01:00

Thought I'd share a work in progress with this Springer. This is a piece for my portfolio, need to build up more work. Might as well show you the steps in my work.
I always start with the eyes, I can't stand the ghostly look of an animal with no eyes. Freaks me out,lol! The eyes really show the soul of an animal, and somehow I feel more connected to the subject when the eyes are done. The eyes are so important for likeness too, and it would be too frustrating to do all the work on the fur and end up with eyes that don't work if I left it for last.

I build up the eyes, laying down the black part of the pupil and leaving out the highlight area. I soften the pupil with a dark gray towards the iris. Sometimes I'll lay down a bit of blue in the pupil too, to create a sense of wetness and substance. The iris I'll usually start with a layer of orange or sienna, before I fill in the highlights and shadowed areas. In this case with yellow ochre, brown sienna and browns. I'll use a little dark gray for the shadows under the eyelids. I use a light and medium gray for the white parts of the eye, and a little red to add more realism. For the lines around the eye I always use a black Faber Castell Pitt pastel pencil, and soften the lines with a little brown on the lower lines. Last I do the highlights, pure white for the wet look and brightest part, softening with a little gray. Close up the eyes:

Next step is to block in larger shapes to get the basic colors down. At this point I'm not doing any detail work at all, I want to get the shapes right as this defines the bone and muscle structure of the dog. I'll also identify lights and shadows at this stage. I limit the colors when I block in areas, I'll do details with more colors later on. For the black areas I'll use a pure black, and will bring light to those areas later with blue, gray or browns, depending on the color of the fur. Starting to think about background too, but will leave it for later. I've used pastel pencils for the eyes, and switched to pastel sticks for the fur. Back to the drawing board now - see you later!

Various softies and pastel pencils on La Carte, 15x18" (30x40 cm)

A bit more done....

2008-11-18T15:17:00.003+01:00

Tweaking, tweaking, tweaking some more......adjusted the nose, shadows, a bit of work on the headstock.....at this point I try to do as few strokes as possible, I don't want to fill the tooth of the paper in case I need to tweak a little more! Close to done now, but the drawing's gonna stay in my studio for tweaking a few days.

Willie, getting closer

2008-11-10T12:14:00.002+01:00

Had one of those nice Sundays, nothing planned just all day free for painting. Put a few hours into the portrait I'm working on, got most of the hair done, more definition to the beard and hand, and started working on the guitar. I'm putting down color all over now to see how it all comes together. For a while the hand seemed to large, but it might work out when the guitar and shoulders are finished too. The ref photo is shot from the front, and the hand seem larger due to the perspective. Challenge is to make it work in the drawing.

To pull it off I blended the colors in the hand and arm, to push it back. I've not blended any colors in the face and hair, and I don't want to do that. It all seem to work now. Now, Willie does have his own very personal guitar, and I want to do this realistic. Had a hard time trying to figure out what is written on it - impossible to see so some artistic license used....the guitar ain't the focal point anyway, so it's just going to have to work...

Portrait in Colored pencil

2008-11-09T00:28:00.003+01:00

Playing with my colored pencils again....I've had this ref saved on my computer for a while, I just love the photo. The light in it is wonderful, and I was planning on doing this in soft pastels as part of the series of musicians. But I changed my mind, and wanted to add a bit of skin colors to it, but don't want to overdo the colors in it, just let the light play and add life to it. At this point I've worked on the face, but I've left it for a while as I need to leave it in order to see the shapes and lines again. There's still tooth left in the paper to do necessary changes to get the likeness. Already I can see some fixing needed to the nose and mouth, and I need to adjust some shades above the eyes.

I've just put down some base colors to the hands and hair, and started to suggest the guitar - this is what it looks like before I start to add color and details. Gonna leave a lot of the black paper, and I like where this is going. Having so much fun with the CP's - thinking about adding some new sets to the Prismacolors, I hear good things about Faber Castell, and maybe some Derwents......hmmm.....

Blog på norsk....

2008-10-28T23:26:00.001+01:00

Når jeg først er på "lufta".......har funnet den sørgelig vanskjøtede norske bloggen min - skal gjøre det godt igjen å få den opp å gå! For eventuelle norske lesere som foretrekker vårt språk.....

Den norske bloggen finner du her. See ya there.... ;)

Winter creek

2008-10-28T22:48:00.003+01:00

Jumping from one thing to another these days....from realistic CP-drawings to landscape in pastel. Over at my favorite artist-community on web "Wet Canvas" I joined a class on painting snow. So much fun, and a wonderful teacher giving us critiques. I've talked about me being landscape-challenged before, but determined to figure out the tricks. Being the realist I am, it is a difficult transition to make. Different technique, different approach - I guess all in all different way of thinking and seeing. Working from a photo I've kept in my reference library, cropping and playing with composition, and playing with colors I've not used before. What I have here is a good composition, and also some good color combo's. Of course, hard to keep away from details, but I've managed to keep it down and let the composition do the work. Pleased so far, but stil have some finishes to do. I'm not happy with the shadow from the telephone pole, gonna push it way back. It kinda adds to an abstract feel to the painting, but are now competing with the focal point - the grasses in the creek. And I'll do some thinking - where did the rabbit go......?

Soft pastels on Wallis, appr. 16x14"

Cat on black finished

2008-10-16T18:20:00.004+02:00

Done tweaking, gonna call this done. Had a hard time getting a decent photo of the drawing, wax is really giving a good shine there. Guess this better be done in daylight, or by scanner.
Here it is, for now.

CP on black paper, 9x12".

Fall comforts WIP

2008-10-16T14:51:00.004+02:00

I have a few pastels on the go too, and to many unfinished waiting for the last strokes....I'll get to it soon enough. For now I just need to paint, get into it again. I've been looking forward to fall this year, I've had a few images in my head for a while of autumn still lifes. Don't you just love the colors...I find the combo of yellows, oranges, blues and reds so appealing. Going back to glass in this piece, I wanted to play different textures against each other.

I'm working this one area at the time, finish an are before I move on. Still working on the blue glass, got a bit more work to do there. I like the play of light in this piece, and have a few goodies to look forward to in the foreground. Neat reflections and a little water....

Soft pastels on La Carte. Undecided on size still, will crop in the end.

Cat on black, WIP

2008-10-16T14:37:00.004+02:00

A couple of years ago I bought a full set of Prismacolors on impulse, ended up on my shelf as nice dust collectors. Yes, really need that when main medium is soft pastels.... ;)
I've done a couple of test-runs, but I didn't get a feel for the waxy pencils, being used to the smooth pastels. But I really love a finished CP-drawing, bright colors, layers of mixed colors, the details.... Brings me to todays post, a cat done in CP. Impulse to use the CP's really, my main idea here was to simplyfie my rendering of form and shapes, catch the light and still create a realistic image. I guess the fascination for light and shadows lies within every artist, no matter what subject or medium.

My approach this time is to layer marks, no burnish, but I still want a smooth finish. The paper I'm using seem to have good qualities for CP, it's smooth and takes on the marks like butter. That's what I missed on the previous tries, and really gives me a boost! Fun, even pretty fast, I'm enjoying the process. Still got a bit to do, I don't like the cut off look, especially at the bottom, so I'll be putting in more fur to make it smoother. Will do a a few touch ups too, a few loose hairs, more definition to the whiskers, a few highlights. Eager to get on to a new drawing, this is fun!

Got any comments - I'd love to hear them! :)

Colored pencil on black paper, 9x12".

A million miles away

2008-09-21T21:19:00.003+02:00

The latest piece in the great guitarist series - Mr Rory Gallagher.

Soft pastels on Canson, 12x16"

Stormy sky

2008-09-21T00:18:00.004+02:00

Autumns here, with the bright colors and harsh winds...life is busier than ever, and it sometimes feels like I'm in the middle of the storm. Can only get better, right...

This is a study, and a way to get back into the "zone" again. When life rushes to fast I have a hard time to sit down and get into the painting mood. today I decided to take a good advice from the masters - do something completely different when you've lost the inspiration. I am totally landscape-challenged, but I'd really like to master it! Picking out a cheapo paper, no pressure, no goal but to play around with colors and shapes. It worked! I found I was back in the zone, relaxed and really enjoying the process. The practice sketch might lead to a bigger version, I like the result. And most of all - painting was fun again!

Today's effort is done on Daler Rowney pastel paper, various softies - 9x12"

The yellow pear

2008-08-10T19:08:00.003+02:00

Going in a different direction subject-wise, I'm gonna spend some time playing around with contrasting textures. This is the first in this theme, porcelain and fruit. A new challenge for me is painting white without white, really makes me think before grabbing a stick. This is getting close to done, still got a bit of work on foreground and background, and probably the pear as well.
Decided to put down color all over the surface to get an idea on how the different elements play together before I do the finishing touches.

Soft pastels on La Carte, 15x18".

Five cherries and a glass

2008-07-21T18:06:00.003+02:00

Another summer going by, too fast as always....My blog have been quiet for a long time, music and vacation with my family have taken all time. But - back to the drawing-board again, here's my first finished painting in a while. Not all finished though, a few touch up's still needed.

I went through my photo-archives and found a photo I liked. Combined with another it made a nice ref to work from. I'm looking for new subjects to paint these days, have a few ideas ready - just need time to get the set ups done. It's very helpful to keep a database of reference photos, and mine keep growing. There's always debates going on about using photo as a painting tool rather than painting from life. To me, this is a great way to work as I prefer natural light for my set ups. As we all know, up here we just ain't got the sun every day...it is however important to always keep in mind that a camera won't see what the human eye can see, keeping a sketchbook with notes will help you remember what colors there really are. Especially colors of shadows won't appear in the photo.

This is done on Colorfix, 9x12" Unisons, Giraults and Ludwigs.

Orange on silver plate

2008-06-01T22:14:00.003+02:00

Finished a little practice piece, just playing around with lights and shadows. Working values, pushing the darks - and trying other blending techniques. I used my softest sticks for this piece, and did the blending with harder sticks. Interesting and fun - it's so important to allow yourself to experiment with no other purpose than to experiment and learn....

Schmincke, Sennelier, Great Americans and Faber Castell on AS Colorfix 9x12".

The sky is crying

2008-05-29T20:13:00.004+02:00

Been a while since I posted anything - but here's my latest piece.

Soft pastels on Canson.

Another six string down...making progress

2008-03-24T21:59:00.003+01:00

Well, I guess the headline says it all....

Another six string down...

2008-03-24T20:10:00.002+01:00

#2 under work, the second in the great guitarist series. A bit more detail on this, but will keep it high contrast to match the other.

Still got a long way to go, putting down color on the guitar.

Soft pastel on Canson, 24x30 cm.

Man on black close to done

2008-03-18T23:31:00.004+01:00

Close to finish, time to let it rest. I'll come back in a few days and do final touch ups where needed.

Man on black

2008-03-18T20:55:00.003+01:00

Ok, new piece, fun piece!! Been wanting to do a music series for a long time, and would like to venture into portraits. So, why not.....
Different style for me, want to keep it high contrast, limited palette and minimalistic. Also, no blending with my fingers, as I usually do.

Done on black Canson 24x32 cm, soft pastels

Making progress....

2008-03-16T17:38:00.003+01:00

Slice getting somewhere, most details are done and basic colors' down. Need to work on the surroundings before I adjust the values. Might go darker with the greens later on.

Now I'm just blocking in the larger shapes and colors of the plate, before I go in and work details.

Slice of sunray

2008-03-11T17:12:00.002+01:00

A slice of sun....a taste of whats to come - as the sun finally seem to get a firm grip up here!
Got the first series of ref pics of this year, and I'm so happy to get new stuff to work with! I'll probably get about 20 paintings out of the session, some of the pics real good - can't wait to get started on them! Feels good, after months of lacking motivation, missed the dusty little fellows...

Decided to go with this as I love the light shining through the slice and the play of shadows and reflections. Sure, a bit of detail work, and lots of subtle colors changes - but that's the stuff I like!
Will probably take some time to finish, but hey - at least I'm doing something! :)
Working on the first layer, will do several layers with softies to make this sparkle with light.

Working on La Carte, 30x40 cm.

Cat close up

2008-01-21T21:05:00.001+01:00

Just a little in-between piece while I'm fighting an unwilling background on a still life. Guess this is going into my portfolio, fun and relaxing stuff while the still life is acting up... ;)

Memphis, 15 weeks

2008-01-21T20:44:00.001+01:00

Memphis, doing mighty fine! ;)

Limes and glass finished

2008-01-13T20:48:00.001+01:00

The limes and glass finished.
Soft pastels on La Carte, 21x52 cm.

Dog in charcoal - finished

2008-01-06T19:38:00.002+01:00

The finished piece. Unless it needs some fixing. Wich it probably will....;)

Charcoal-dog update

2008-01-06T18:02:00.000+01:00

Plugging away, got some tunes from the Boss cheering me on.....whoever said charcoal is a fast medium?!! Whoever might just have been delirious....or it might just be me and my usual tendensy to get lost in details! Yeh, taking it's time, putting down hairs, some more hairs, and highlighting some hairs....now, where's my coffee.......?

Actually, artistic lifestyle is pretty neat! :)

Doggie in charcoal

2008-01-05T21:44:00.000+01:00

Another work in progress. Working on my drawing skills, a dog done in charcoal and charcoal pencils. Basically just working in shapes of shadow, sculpturing the head, as well as working on the eyes. Drawing is the basic in any painting I do, and doing work in other mediums than my usual pastels is both healthy and fun. A little bit rusty, mind you, but still - happy with the progress so far.....the hard part is to get a wide range of values with the charcoal, very easy to go to dark to fast....we'll see how it turns out.....

Fruits and glass

2008-01-05T21:32:00.000+01:00

Happy new year to all, lets hope 2008 will be everything we've dreamed of!

Starting of this years artsy side with - a still life...well, ain't that just a big surprise, lol!
I'm getting 9 paintings framed and ready for exhibition in the cafe, and if everything goes as planned the paintings should be up on the wall Wednesday next week. Gonna be fun!
And if for some reason a little magic fairy should be reading this - I wish for more painting time...! Lets keep our fingers crossed for the new year...

Well, enough about that, and back to the new painting. Wanted to do another format and cropped a pic to this. Doing glass and reflections again, but bringing some new colors into the mix. Usually different greys and blues will do the trick and make for a realistic rendering of glass. In this piece I'm using some purples, yellows and red browns, as I'd like to get a warmer feel. Also decided to use another technique than the usual "tight" way, mixing a more painterly style with the limes. Some dabbing and layering with less blending. Gonna keep the background dark to make the glass and limes really pop.

And here's a close up from the stage I'm at right now:

Memphis

2007-12-19T13:15:00.000+01:00

Ever seen somethin cuter than this...? As if time wasn't already stretched, here's our newest family member - and she does require her own share of time...she's an American Akita, goes by the name of Memphis - and she's one active little baby....
She's keeping herself and everyone else busy, and the cats in the household seem to appreciate that her moderatly...not to say not at all...lets hope it'll all work out in time, for now she can get by with almost anything due to the cuteness-factor!

Strawberry delight

2007-12-19T13:08:00.001+01:00

Who's got time for painting these days? Not me, really....this has been sitting on my shelf for a couple of weeks, but with Christmas and all - not much time for art stuff at all.
This will be part of a display of my paintings at a local cafe, "Jorbærpikene" - Strawberrygirls in english...sutible subject for them.. Got more strawberry images in the back of my head, as soon as time lets me I'll get on to them,lol!

More time for painting is number one on my wish list for Christmas this year...

Soft pastels on La Carte, 15x18"

Raw breakfast

2007-11-19T21:18:00.001+01:00

Eggwhite and steel - lots of reflections - fun!! Fun piece, and fast for me - probably because I enjoyed it so much! Done on Art Spectrum Colorfix, expanding my horizon and trying something new.

Soft pastels on AS Colorfix, 9x12" (20x30 cm)

Looking out on you....

2007-11-17T16:37:00.001+01:00

One more step....still working on reflections on this piece, can't call it done yet...Working with reflections always require some inner discussion - how bright do I want the colors to be? How do I ground the objects and still stay true to the reflections? Challenging everytime.... Working from photo will do that, as a photo can't give a true rendition of real life, it won't pick up all the colors. What I do is to keep close attention to what works in the painting, and this might take some time as my eyes don't really see the painting during the prosess. This is where the brain tells me to see what it should be, not what it really is...that's why this painting is placed on my shelf now, I need a break from it to see what's not right yet...

Meanwhile I'll try to decide on a name for it,lol! It's just far to easy to just call it apple and glass, but could it be more boring? I've never really put a lot of effort into naming a painting, but I want the name to give an indication of what it is I'm trying to give to the viwer with a painting - just have to give the naming more thought. I love creative and interesting names, it gives an extra touch to the work. But who would have thought that it should be so hard...?!

Sleepy cat...

2007-10-23T21:04:00.002+02:00

Another pet-portrait for my portfolio - a sleepy little baby. Did this on Art Spectrum, a smoother surface than La Carte. Really enjoyed this piece, and to my surprice Art Spectrum are giving the La Carte some serious competition! Worked wonderful for animals.....mhm, gotta get some shopping done soon.....LOL

Pastel pencils on Art Spectrum, 9x12"

Looking out on you

2007-10-14T20:35:00.002+02:00

And from dogs - over to some apples! I enjoy still lifes with a story, and I think this does. Just working in the basics now, the major shapes and highlights - still have a long way to go. Have got some color down on one apple, but this is still far away from done.

Glad to be out of the block and back to painting again....

Soft pastels on La Carte, 15x18"

Springer

2007-10-14T20:31:00.001+02:00

Finally, got down to some serious dusting again - and out of the dust came a dog.... ;)
Not much to say, been a while since I've painted animals, so I guess the practice is good...

On La Carte, 15x18" soft pastels

Painters block?

2007-09-23T20:15:00.000+02:00

Yes, it has been quiet here for a while...still no new pics to show you. I haven't been painting for the last couple of weeks, even though there are several pieces ready to go.
Seem like the feared painters block have hit me, thought I'd never experience it! Many artists have been through this, quite an frustrating experience as I've heard. Kinda funny - I'm no less inspired than usual, not out of ideas either...just can't seem to sit down and get into painting.

So what to do? I started a couple of graphite drawings, working on it from time to time - but I don't get lost in the work as I normally do. I have tons of refs I want to do, but something's stopping me from picking one and get to it. I've started a new pastel - steel and apples this time, and I really like the composition....still, something's holding me back.

A common advice for a block like this is - push yourself to pick up a pencil/brush - or in my case - a stick - put down a stroke, do a sketch, work yourself through it....even if the result ends up in the trash - just push yourself through it. Probably good advice,lol.....so, I'm gonna pick up a stick.... ;)

Steel and chili - finished work

2007-09-07T15:29:00.002+02:00

Been tweaking....and tweaking.....and more tweaking.....but it's time to leave well enough alone, I concider this piece done. Time to move on to new projects!

Soft pastels on La Carte, 30x40 cm

Tangled in

2007-09-02T21:37:00.001+02:00

Been quiet here in the corner for a while...we've moved to our new house, and we all know how time-consuming that can be, not to mention the work...!!

I've finally settled down in my new studio (yay!), got my very own space all to myself - awesome! Had a great Sunday - painting all day, and finished this still life. It's from a photo shot at Grytøya in Norway, it's late in the evening, with the sun still up. Been working on it for a while,quite a few details here....but now I'm ready to call it done! Nice to be back in business again, now I've got some chili's to finish up....see you soon!

Soft pastels on La Carte, 30x40 cm.

Steel and chili, still in progress

2007-07-29T23:03:00.000+02:00

Getting close to something! :D Steel's done, chili's done, wood's not done. Got the base down for the wood-surface, no details yet. Won't be to much detail though, will keep main focus on the steel canisters and chili's. Now it's time to let this sit for a few days, been working on it for hours and I'm pretty much blind to it now...in a couple of days it'll look different to me, and any mistakes will pop out.

Pleased with it so far, the colors worked out, and the wood haven't given me to much grief yet. As usual, I find steel and reflections so much easier to do than wood, go figure....Not that pleased with the photo though, it doesn't show the true colors, so I'll have to work on that. Blues seem to be a hard color to get a pic of, they're always too strong in a photo. Guess I need to read up on the art of photography too....

Steel and chili

2007-07-25T20:32:00.001+02:00

Oh yes, I'm on a creative roll these days....see what four weeks absence can do to a girl... :)
Another still life's on my easel, this is a piece I've been waiting to do. I love shiny stuff, reflection on metal - not much that can compete! Actually, I should try one of those neat 50-cars or something, would be like chrome-heaven for me,lol!

Ah well, for now I'll stick to steel canisters....and some red (love painting red too, ya know...). Can't wait to do the chili's, will give me a chanse to use my new Terry Ludwigs, and some deep, rich Unisons I got in USA.

There's looots of detail work in this painting, small areas to blend, lots of small shapes and values to keep track of. But, that seem to be the way that suits me the best. This is fun to do, bet these canisters will be used in more pieces in the future...

This is on La Carte,15x18"

Gold pears

2007-07-21T18:52:00.002+02:00

And, the finished piece...feels good to be back in buisness again, four weeks with no painting is to long... The pears are done in a bit different style for me, with more hatching and blending with the sticks, due to the paper. The Colorfix feels smooth and nice, but doesn't blend the same way La Carte does. Fun, and good to try something different. The Terry Ludwigs darks are fantastic, as I expected,lol...they'll be a part of my must-haves, for sure!

Moving on fast, I've got a new still life ready to go, and two more refs waiting, and off course, the black Tele's been waiting far to long...I'm in for a long night of painting, time to get the coffee going... :D

Soft pastels on Art Spectrum Colorfix, 9x12"

Gold pears

2007-07-20T01:07:00.001+02:00

Finally!! Got back to painting again, I've missed it.....instead of going back to the black Tele, I'm gonna do a couple of still lifes of fruits and stuff, kinda like a little warm up...lol

I got to visit several art stores in USA, got some great stuff over there. These pears are done on a new paper for me, Colorfix. A lot of pastel artists like this paper, so I've been wanting to try it. And so far I've enjoyed it, but it won't take the 1. place from my favorite, lol...

The pears are not done yet, still have a few layers to go, gonna lighten up the pears and do a bit more details in the wood and background. The Colorfix seem to give a more painterly look than my usual style, interesting actually...might be a good choice for landscapes. And - my new Terry Ludwigs darks are awesome - love the deep, rich colors!!

Feels absolutely fantastic to be back to painting again - and I can't wait to get started on all the projects I've been playing around with, lol!

Last post for a while...

2007-06-18T01:08:00.000+02:00

As many might have noticed, my painting-time has been cut back lately - I haven't touched a pastelstick for weeks....and won't be for the next three weeks either.
Tomorrow me and Ola are taking off and heading for USA - vacation for three weeks, woohoo...!!! We'll be visiting New York City, Florida, and we're driving some og the "blues highway" up to Memphis.....been planning for a while, gonna be GREAT!

If anyone would like to follow our trip we've created a travelblog, we'll be updating the blog with photo's and cool stuff: www.bluestour2007.blogspot.com

I will get back to my painting when we return, and will get back to updates of my paintings - I promise!

'till then - have a great summer everyone, I'll be seeing ya'll soon!!

Merethe

Black Tele - moving forward

2007-05-22T00:35:00.001+02:00

Moving forward...a bit faster than expected really, the details do take some time, but not as much as I thought...having a blast with this - such fun to do! :D

Black Telecaster

2007-05-19T21:18:00.000+02:00

Finally - a few days with sunshine, and I got some new refs to work from. Now I've got 200 new Telecaster photos, should get a few paintings out of it...

Here's step one of a black tele', with some neat reflections in it. I'm working large on this, 50x60 cm. This is the largest surface I've worked on so far, gonna be fun to see how details work out on a larger sheet. This painting might just take a while, as it is so large, hopefully it'll be eyecathing when it's done... ;)

Softies on La Carte

CP in progress...

2007-05-08T23:30:00.001+02:00

Well, CP's aren't that fast at all....been drawing for a few hours, and moving slowly forward...testing out how layers work out, mixing colors to get what I want, trying to see how it may turn out when burnished.....get to listen to a lot of the music I've gotten lately,lol!

Whoever said fur in CP is a LOT of work was right!

German Shepard puppy in CP

2007-05-07T19:35:00.000+02:00

I've taken a break from the pastels, and decided to give my Colored pencils another go. I love the look of a well done CP piece, they look incredible! I got a set of Prismacolors last year, as I got so inspired by the awesome CP artists at Wet Canvas...I did not get the hang of it at all, I'm used to the smoothness of pastels, and found the CP's too much work with their waxy feel.
CP's require a great deal of patience as I understand it - a CP piece takes a fair amount of hours to complete....at least for me...

But I like the details one can achieve with the pencils, and it should be a natural medium for me as I've always loved to draw. Pastels are the first medium I've really enjoyed where colors are involved, before that I've mostly used graphite pencils. So, I'm pushing my way through this CP piece...I like the look, but I clearly could use som practise....and more patience! Of course, it'll always take some time before you get comfortable with a new medium, and I think it can only be good to learn new techniques. Quite fun and challenging - but I'll stay true to my pastels still, lol!

A close up of the eyes...this is 15"x18" - quite a large sheet to cover, expect me to take some time before I can call this done... ;)

Trapped

2007-05-05T16:00:00.001+02:00

Trapped finished....still looking at some minor issues I'm not happy with yet - I might end up fixing some details in the fabric.

All in all the piece finished up pretty fast, and I think the colors worked out nicely.

Soft pastels on La Carte, 15"x18"

Trapped - 2

2007-05-01T22:02:00.000+02:00

And some more done - this is turning out to be a fast piece - and fun to do!

Trapped

2007-05-01T21:58:00.000+02:00

New wip, another still life! Been a while since I did animals, I'm having too much fun with my still lifes... Moving on with fruits, this time plums and glass. All those reflections and deep, rich reds - favorite subjects!

First stage, background started, one plum finished, the glass started....

Soft pastels on La Carte, 30x40 cm

Cherries in bag - step 7

2007-04-18T20:15:00.001+02:00

I'm getting close to done with this piece, forced myself to sit down and do the wood. I'm not sure I'm happy with it yet, but like I said earlier wood is not my strongest side...I've worked in different browns over the first layer, indicating some lines here and there, and used a little turqoise some places. The turquise seem to add more realism to the wood, I like the effect.

Now I'm gonna let it sit for a bit, need to make up my mind on the upper right corner. I'm not sure I'll keep it as it is now - I might do an all black wall, lower the line behind the bag with a black stick, and darken the back shadow. I'm not totally satisfied with it now, I think maybe it draws a bit too much attention to it, and there's not really much going on back there....

Anyway, this WIP is getting towards it's end, and I'm moving on to new projects! ;)

Softa Pastels on La Carte, 30x40 cm

Cherries in bag - step 6

2007-04-15T18:48:00.000+02:00

I finished the plastic bag and the cherries, may have some last finish-ups to do when the BG is done, but for the most part I think they are done. Here's a close up of the bag before blending:

I've used mostly greys and white, and a little bit of blue. I'm using Rembrandt GA's and W&N's for the bag, and a few Carbothellos for fine lines.After blending this is how the bag looks:

I tried to do a background in light - medium grey, but I realized quickly that it wasn't going to work out as I wanted it too. It felt to cold, so instead I'm going for a wood table. I like it better, it gives a warm glow to the painting. Downside is wood is not my strongest side, so I'm not really looking forward to this part...all the fun stuff is done, now all that's left is work, lol!

Have only put down a thin layer of ground colors for the wood now, I wanted to see if I could get some interesting shapes of light/shadow. This is only a basic layer, and will be adjusted when I start to work on the details of the wood.

Here's what it looks like now, with all the cherries done:

And a final pic in this update - just a close up of the foreground cherries.

Cherries in bag - step 5

2007-04-15T18:42:00.000+02:00

In this pic I've painted a few more cherries, moving forward to the closer ones, slightly shifting the values. I'm not really aiming for photorealism when I paint, I'm trying not to get to caught up in details this time. I want deep, rich reds, and I try to keep the palette down to 6-7 different reds. I tend to drag out every color in the box when I paint, but I'm getting better at sticking to fewer colors. I'm gonna use some of the same reds in shadows and background - to tie the painting together.

For highlights on the cherries I use a light blue, and pure white for the brightest parts. At this point I'm still a bit undecided what color to choose for the table - I was thinking of doing wood, but I keep leaning towards a light grey color, as I think I might want to keep some of the reflections from the photo. I haven't included all the stems in the painting, it looked a bit messy to me, so I draw them in or leave out some as I move forward.

I like finishing one area before moving on when I paint. I know a lot of artists prefer working all over the painting, to have control of all the values and how the colors affect eachother. I guess this is a matter of taste though, as long as the values are correct the painting will work out in the end. I like the satisfaction it gives to see something complete when I paint, and by finishing one area after another I get small rewards all the time....just like a little child, lol!

Cherries in bag - step 4

2007-04-15T18:29:00.000+02:00

Next step is the cherries. I've decided to let the bag rest for a while, I need to get a feel for the "wholeness" of the painting. I'm trying to keep the colors down to a few, a couple of reds and some purple for the shadows. This is a close up of the cherries before blending.

And here's a pic of the same cherries after blending:

I'm moving on to the cherries in the front, to get the lighter colors into the mix. When I work I use a "blow-brush" constantly, I blow off access dust before blending - this helps me keep the colors clean. In the photo the cherries are wet - I sprayed them before shooting the pics. I'm now debating wether to try to get a wet look or not...if I try to make them look wet I'll probably do so with the closer cherries.

Cherries in bag - step 3

2007-04-15T18:24:00.000+02:00

Moving on.....the first layers blended...as you can see it's still to dark to give the impression of plastic, I'm now gonna lighten it up bit by bit 'till it gets there. I always work in thin layers, building up the colors that way...I find it easier to blend other colors in - to avoid makin' mud. La Carte gives enough tooth to this kind of approach, I don't have any trouble filling up the tooth like I can with velour.

I'm lightening the plastic bag with some light grey, light blue and a white pencil - later on I'll lighten it even more with my white Great American. Started on a bg - from black to dark grey, with a touch of the darkest red I'll be using for the cherries. I'm leaning towards a light grey for the table, with a touch of blue and red in shadowed areas.

I can't get a good impression of how the bag looks untill I have some cherries too, so I've started to paint the dark cherries in the back. I've used two colors for them - a dark Cyprus, GA, and a dark alizarin FC. I recently discovered the Cyprus in my pastel box, and I love the richness to it! (No way, I don't have to many sticks, it kept hiding from me.....lol ) I've used black to darken the red even more - and blended it all. For the stems I use dark green, light green, cream and a couple of red browns. I don't blend the stems, I use my pencils and they'll do the blending for me.

Cherries in bag - step 2

2007-04-15T18:22:00.000+02:00

First step of blocking in colors.....I've started the plastic bag, basically just blocking in darks, lights and midtones now. Haven't done any blending yet, at this stage I'm just trying to get a feel on how it all work together. At this point I've used different greys, and a little bit of blue - using hard pastels (Polychromos) and a few pencils. As I'm getting closer to the cherries I'll use some dark reds too.

I'm working on the outside of the bag, and while I'm doing this I'm trying to figure out what colors to use for the inside, and for background...haven't decided how dark the BG will be yet. I'm looking for the largest shapes at this point, later I'll do more details to get the realism I'm looking for. I've a close crop for this painting, but I might do another later with a more distant view of the bag. I'm painting the bag without the hole from the photo, trying to imagine how it would look...some parts might be too dark now, but that's an easy fix when I start to work in the details.

Cherries in bag

2007-04-15T18:09:00.000+02:00

Time for updates again! I've started a new still life, and have posted it as a WIP (work in progress) over at Wet Canvas. This is a step by step-demo of my approach to a painting, and i thought I'd post it on my blog aswell.

First step is planning the set up for a reference photo. I work mainly from my own photo's, I have a "to do" folder on my computer filled with different still life set up's - I do photo shoots when the sun is bright enough as I want strong light/shadows. I don't have equipment yet to take photo's in artificial light - on my wishlist though...I use a Cannon 350 D camera - love it! I take photo's in high resolution to see the details clearly, and take notes in my sketchbook with info of colors in the shadows when I have the set up in front of me.

My computer is a tool for my paintings - I keep the ref on the computer so I can zoom in/out to get the details right. The photo I'm gonna work from now is two years old, I haven't dared going for it untill now, as I suspect the plastic might be a challenge to paint...will see... I've transfered the drawing a`la Ponting, I find it helpfull to keep the drawing on the painting board during the painting prosess, to re-draw lines when they get lost...I'm not to worried about getting an absolute accurate transfer though, some lines might be moved around a bit - I don't always correct when I'm painting things like fruit, fabric etc.

My sketch isn't to detailed - only lines to indicate light and shadow - I keep referring to the ref photo to find values and colors, and I keep an eye on the other parts of the painting to make sure it comes together right in the end. One of the things I've learned is that a photo don't tell the whole truth, and what works in a photo might not work in the painting.

I'll be using Polychromos, Giraults, Unisons and Great Americans mostly, and some Carbothellos and Pitts for details. Usually I'll start with a small palette, Picking out colors I feel is right for the painting, and add a few colors during the prosess as I go. I use colors shapers sometimes to clean up edges, but for the most part I use my pencils for edges and small details. I've picked out a sand-colored La Carte sheet for this - 30x40 cm (that would be 16x12 inches I think...).

So here we go, gonna start with the plastic bag...never painted plastic so this will be interesting for me....I figure I'll take the same approach as painting glass - mark of the highlights and the darkest darks first. I won't paint the hole in the bag, gonna "play it by ear" and to some improvising when I get there.

Silver can with plums

2007-04-01T15:06:00.000+02:00

Woohoo - two posts in a day....told ya I've been dusting,lol!
To incorporate the technique I learned in the Ponting-class I painted another piece from one of her ref photos. She is one generous lady, and provided us with some of her own refs to paint from. I do love reds, my favorite colors to paint with, and I love the contrasts and light in this piece.

I discovered a couple of great reds in my pastelbox when I painted the "Three of a kind" - didn't know I had those yummy colors in my box....had a small Girault set and a small Great American set I hadn't used much - what awesome reds! Guess who's saving for a bigger set now....
Pastels are higly addictive, you can't have too many colors......I used the reds for this piece too, I love the depth in the colors...done on la Carte, as usual.

Now, on to my own refs again. When I started painting I painted only from other peoples photos, guess that's part of a learning prosess. But these days I prefer working from my own ideas and photos. I've still got a few waiting in my "to do" folder on the computer, and got a ton of ideas fighting for attention in my head - might be spring is in the air...?
I'm planning on several Telecaster paintings - but living up here in the north the sun don't always shine....now I'm just waiting for a sunny day to get the right lighting condition to get the set up on camera. Gonna be fun once I get started!

Meanwhile I'm going for a photo I've got for a couple of years, been putting it away as I can see several challenges coming....gonna go for it anyway - this will be involving some yummy reds, wet cherries and a plastic bag....on we go! :)

See you soon - in my next WIP.....

All Sorts - Wet Canvas workshop

2007-04-01T14:56:00.000+02:00

Looking at my blog one should think there's no activity at all in my art-life,lol. That is not the case however, I'm dusting away in spare minutes...

I joined an online workshop with the great Dianna Ponting at Wet Canvas, my online art community. Would not miss the chanse to paint with her, I love her still lifes - wonderful realism and the most beautiful colors.

She had planned quite a little challenge for us - painting candy...what a fun piece to do! Yummy colors, and yummy subject....to bad she already had the ref photo ready for us, I think I'd enjoyed "cleaning up" the set up subjects if I had it in front of me...

Well, it was a fun experience which tought me a lot, both regarding colors and her techniques, what a wonderful resource the internet can be....

Here's my result from the Ponting-class, hope you enjoy!

Soft pastels on La Carte, 30x40 cm.

Three of a kind - reworked

2007-03-16T23:01:00.000+01:00

I wasn't really happy with the lightest parts of the lower folds, so I reworked it. What works in a photo won't necessarily work in a painting - as the case was here. I've darkened the light spots, removed some of it and smoothed out the edges. Works better now...

Larger pic for Mo ;)

2007-03-16T20:34:00.000+01:00

Three of a kind

2007-03-16T19:35:00.000+01:00

The peaches finished, at last...time to lean back and see if there's adjustments needed...and to get some food! :D

Softies on La Carte, 30x40 cm.

2007-03-12T22:10:00.000+01:00

So much to do, so little time for it.....work and music has taken over my time, not much left for painting. So moving along slowly with the peaches, hope to find more time to sit down and paint soon...

Third peach on it's way, not done yet but the base color's done. A bit more work on the fabric...so almost half-done... ;)

Peaches still life

2007-03-07T19:06:00.001+01:00

Going back to La Carte and a new still life. Being very structured and have picked out a ref I've had for ages, but somehow managed to put off multiple times....
And why is that....the peaches will not give me to much trouble - some challenges with the shadowed areas, but will probably find the solution....but the drapery - now there's another story all together!

Well, ran into trouble pretty soon - with the peaches! Just goes to show, uh? Almost threw this one in the bin, the shadows turned out to be a pain in the you know where, but pushed myself to keep going. Think I found the answer in a Mars violet Rembrandt - and the drapery - well seem to be behaving itself rather well! Lesson learned - keep pushing, keep trying and dare to fail....might just pay off in the end.

I'm working larger for this piece - 30x40 cm, and have a couple of other still lifes taped on the board - also larger format. Was nice to get out my softer sticks again, Unisons, Great Americans, Giraults.....like candy!

Hawk finished

2007-03-01T15:20:00.000+01:00

The hawk finished, now all that's left to do is to decide wether or not to paint a background. I'm leaning towards a few simple strokes to indicate the lightsource. We'll see, gonna let it sit for now. I'm very happy with the paper, it's very smooth and makes detail-work very easy. It's a great alternative for animals paintings. I used mostly pastel pencils for this piece, as I wanted a realistic look. I'm pleased to see the paper did the job! :)

Pastel pencils on Daler Rowney pastel paper, 12x16"

Hawk, another update

2007-02-21T22:59:00.000+01:00

Some more feathers....a LOT more, actually.... :D

Hawk update

2007-02-21T21:20:00.000+01:00

Found some time to put down a bit more work on the hawk. Started to do the details on the beak, layering in the colors and marking shadowed areas. Finished the feathers around the left eye, and worked on the feathers on the shadowed side of the head. The feathers on the right side will have more highlights as the sun shines directly on the bird. Moving slowly around the head....

Hawk revisited

2007-02-15T18:42:00.000+01:00

Decided to go back to the series of birdies, this time a hawk. Did a portrait a couple of years ago, and thought it would be fun to do this subject again, like I did with the Bald eagle. I've finished the eyes, taking my usual approach. I'm working on Daler Rowney paper, and enjoy the smooth surface quite a bit. The paper seem very suitable for realistic portraits, as it is so smooth and work very good for fine details.

When I paint the eyes I always start with a basecolor, this time a warm orange, as it gives a bit of glow. After that I layer in the other colors, taking care of shadowed areas and painting highlights that reflect the surroundings. In this case a bit of sky, and a little reflection from the yellow line around the eye. I never paint the pupil all black, I'll paint black in the middle and blue/greys where a reflection is natural. Gives a more realistic look. Here's a closer look at the eyes. The left eye is darker in color, as it is shadowed, while the right has a clear, transparent look where the sun hits it.

Next is the feathers around the eyes, and details on the beak.

Lime boats

2007-02-14T19:44:00.000+01:00

The limes all done. Now it'll have to sit for a few days before it goes in a frame and on my bathroom wall. ;)

Softies on La Carte, 20x30 cm.

Lime update

2007-02-14T15:28:00.000+01:00

Did some more on the limes, slice #2 done today. Have done a bit color adjustment on the greens, and are a bit more happy with it now. The background might have to go, but I'll finish the limes and take a closer look at it then. Moving on... ;)

Lime still life

2007-02-09T23:08:00.000+01:00

Green is the hardest color for me...I have no idea why, but the greens always seem to give me plenty of headaches... Still I decided to do a couple of still lifes in green.

Took the ref for this painting myself, and had it in my to-do folder on my computer. I still have a few pic's of animal eyes I'd like to do, but I'm mixing it up a bit with some fruit...

First installment one of three lime-boats, and some work on the background. I'm toggling between an all black background to this blue/black fabric...still undecided, wanna see how it looks when I've got all the boats down. Might take some time - awh, those greens....

Soft pastels on La Carte.

Owl

2007-01-29T21:54:00.000+01:00

Nr. 2 in the animal-series on black velour. An owl this time, with gorgeous big eyes. The owl's feathers was a bit more work than the eagle - twists and turns in all kinds of directions...

Soft pastels and pencils on black velour, 20x30 cm.

Bald eagle revisited

2007-01-28T21:29:00.000+01:00

Another Sunday, and another painting....Sundays are usually good painting-days, got all day - I like knowing that I don't have things I have to do, or places I have to go to...killing my back, but good for creativity,lol....

Got back to wildlife-painting again, don't want to keep away from my pastels for too long....
Charcoal was fun and fast, and I'll probably do more, but pastels really are my medium of choise.

I'm thinking about doing a serie of wildlife paintings, up-close and dramatic, all on black velour like this eagle. I like the contrasts and effects this paper give. I was thinking of doing a less detailed head, but it ended up like this...kinda fun to go back to a subject I've done in the early stages of my pastel-adventure, and this guy was great fun...

Hope you enjoy!

Puppy in charcoal

2007-01-22T21:17:00.000+01:00

Just a little fun stuff...did this drawing in charcoal, just a little break from my pastels... ;)

The kiss

2007-01-17T00:06:00.000+01:00

And so this project has come to an end...at least for now, that is! As usual it will sit for a few days, might still be adjustments needed.

As for the name of this painting, well....I'll leave it to you to interpret it, but I like that name.

Hope you like it!

Softies on La Carte, 20x30 cm

Eggs - updated again

2007-01-15T13:02:00.000+01:00

Moving along with this......finished egg #5 and did some more work on the folds.
I warmed up the middle eggs, and will cool down the color on the last. Will lay down warm colors in front of the middle eggs too, making this the focal point of the painting.

The Unisons are delicious, I have a hunch I might have to pay a visit to Dick Blick or Dakotapastels soon, get me some more of those..... ;)

Eggs update

2007-01-12T16:34:00.000+01:00

An update on the eggs...I'm working my way from left to right, I often end up working this way. I know many artists prefer to work all over the surface to keep track of values and colors - how they interact. But for me it seem to work out doing bit by bit and finish up sections before I move on. It keeps the surface and colors clean, and I like the motivation in it - seeing something completed...

So far I've basically concentrated on getting the colors right, and getting light/shadows right. I usually keep an eye on value all the time when I paint, but I need to take a closer look at value for the eggs now, as I haven't had enough focus on that so far. I kinda like the monochromatic look the piece has now, so I'm settling for the colors I have, and will keep a stronger focus on value and light now.

I find my computer to be a great tool for my paintings. I work mainly from photos, and the options to quickly turn my ref into grey scale, or saturate hues, adjust contrasts....easy to do and very helpful. I do enjoy realism, and the options I have by working from digital images are both time-saving and accurate. And - doing photo-shoots are fun!

Do you find realistic still-life's interesting? Then, take a little time to view a real pro's work at
http://www.ponting.com/ She is a huge inspiration to me, I've learned a lot from her work, she is such a generous and nice lady - I highly recommend a visit at her place! Watch, and be amazed....

Hope you're well, (if anyone's still watching this...lol), see you soon with a new update!

Eggs - still life

2007-01-03T20:13:00.000+01:00

I did a photo session the last few days it was possible to do indoor-shoots. The photos was taken in afternoon sunlight,the last few beams streaming through the window. I got some shots with a dramatic effect, strong shadows...just the way I like'em...

I've had this piece on my mind for a long time, means the ideas have had plenty of time to grow on me. Now it's time to see of it can be done on paper...;)

I wanna do these eggs without using pure white, and I'd like to use some complimentary's to create grays in the shadows. Also want to paint the white cloth without using white. And to give myself yet another challenge - I'm gonna create a focal point on the middle-two eggs, by warming up the colors surrounding them.

Might be fun - and might be hair-pulling-frustrating, lol....we'll see! I'm doing this on La Carte, have started to block in colors and completed one egg.

Updated new blog - på norsk!

2007-01-02T20:15:00.000+01:00

Hi all, and Happy New Year!

Time to set goals for the brand new year, isn't it....my goals includes my art - more time devoted to art, time to get focused and structured....

Part of this is to start a blog in Norwegian...I know there are some Norwegian visitors as well, and I'm hoping a Norwegian version might bring even more to the site. Soft pastels don't seem to be used much in Norway, and I'd like to to a little to spread knowledge about this wonderful medium.
My Norwegian blog is at: http://craviashowroom.blogspot.com/

Til dere som er interessert - bloggen min vil nå også kunne leses på norsk. Klikk på linken ovenfor, så kommer du til den nye bloggen!

Sees der!

Sheba - German Sheperd

2006-12-27T20:47:00.000+01:00

My latest work - a portrait of my mom's German Sheperd.
Was a Christmas present, and hopefully my mom recognized Sheba.... ;)

Softies on La Carte, 20x30 cm

Tiger - done

2006-12-13T20:33:00.000+01:00

The tiger's finished, this piece went pretty fast!
Was a fun process, went smoothly without frustrations...had a great ref to work with, really makes the difference...

The paper proved to work out very good, I'm a bit surprised about that actually...I like how easy I get fine details with it, and it has more tooth than I thought...this seem to be a nice alternative to La Carte for animal paintings. And the sheets come in some wonderful colors!

I work with my harder pastels and pastel pencils, and I have a feel the tooth will fill up pretty fast with softer sticks. But for realistic paintings like this I prefer hard sticks, so this suits me just fine.

Well, there ya go...got my next project all sketched out, this time I'll be doing eggs! ;)

"Tiger"
Soft pastels on Daler-Rowney pastel paper, 23x20 cm