Gunvor tegner

THE “MWHOHAHAHAHA-DAY”

2012-02-25T14:53:00.001+01:00

This is what it looks like when a high level of energy is released onto paper when you use random drawing as a way to focus. I tried to get my mind on other things than the VERY interesting assignment I was given yesterday, which took over the areas in my brain ment to be used for deadlines and functioning socially without bursting out in manical laughter.

As soon as I get the contract I’ll believe it myself. (And not be afraid of jinxing it by giving away the news too soon.)

:)

COVER ILLUSTRATION

2012-02-23T11:30:00.001+01:00

I recieved the magazine “Nynorskopplæring” this Monday and was happily surprised to see that both me and illustrator Torunn Hunnes had participated to the same magazine:) We know eachother well from KHIB in Bergen, and our work really fits together! I sent her a message saying “we shoud definately do this again”, at least have an exhibition together or something.

I loved her pencil-tree:) The paper they have used for the print really makes the colours pop by the way. I like matte paper.

There is an interview with me inside the magazine, talking about how to create visual products from given texts.

The illustration from the last page is alo made by Torunn, I want this as a poster at home:)

THE WEEKLY MONSTER: GENERAL BEWILDERMENT DAY

2012-02-22T20:35:00.001+01:00

Being gone from the office for three weeks should not mess up your routines too bad, but... it did;)

First thing I did when going back to work at my office at Bryggen, was that I had to call one of the others to let me in. Keys forgotten, couldn’t remember what I was supposed to do, and general bewilderment were my assets today.

But fortunately it got better during the day, being jet lagged is bollocks.

FABRIC SHOPPING IN BANGKOK (OR: HELLO SWEATY!)

2012-02-20T17:11:00.001+01:00

“Horses sweat, men perspire, women merely glow.” Well, I was “glowing” alot at Phahurat market in Bangkok at 33’C last week.

Last time I went to this market for shopping fabrics I went mental. This time, well I went mental too, just not AS mental;) Phahurat market (Little India) is a couple of narrow alleyways crisscrossing between different fabric-, sewing accessoirize-shops, cloth shops and tailors north in Chinatown.

Last time I went about nine or ten in the morning and it was so packed I could barely move. But it was still an experience walking trough then, when you think it can’t get narrower or hotter, a motorbike tries to squeeze trough and a homeless person with a karaoke machine follows. This time we went at about four, fortunately not as crowded then but still hot, emphasizing on HOT. I couldn't even wear my braid down, bacuse it stuck to my skin and tugged at my head! (The “Hello Sweaty”-thing is from a very failed pickup line a French guy tried to pull on me in Paris. Felt a bit sorry for him when me and my friends burst out laughing when he went for his own version of the word “sweet”. So of course we have been using that ever since when feeling… well, glowing.)

I acually ended up buying less fabrics than planned, when you have tons and tons of stuff to choose from you end up just leaving because of the overwhelming amount of choices.

With the lace and ribbons I was on firmer round, I went to the same vendour as last time I was there, and I basically knew what I was looking for so those choises were easier. After round one we had lunch at a street kitchen in the midst of it all, a chicken curry and ice cold coke that we downed in seconds.

After lunch I spotted this huge yellow fabric rose to wear on my head. I think that might be filed under impulse shopping.

The fabrics cost me 40 baht a meter, which is about 6 kr. The lace was 20 and 10 baht, which is 3 kr and 1,50 kr. The red gingam I delivered to a tailor and got back a lovely rockabilly shirt-dress, for about 200 kr

If you ever go to Bangkok and are not too claustrophobic, I would recommend a visit at this market. I felt like in a candy store

BACK HOME:)

2012-02-19T23:13:00.001+01:00

It didn't take long for me to miss dark rye bread and a proper cappuccino while travelling, even if Vietnamese coffee was amazingly good.

So one of the first things I wanted when I got home was that combination;)

And it's so light outside! We've only been gone for three weeks, but I notice the difference in how many daylight hours we have compared to before we left. Yay!

While gone I got a few new jobs from different publishing houses, so it's back to work Monday with renewed energy and creativity:)

And we will start editing the pictures and shots of film from our trip during this week too, just have to stop being jet lagged first;)

STILL TRAVELLING

2012-02-15T19:25:00.001+01:00

I'm still on the road, our vacation has taken us through Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand, and we have enjoyed this marathon immensely.

This photo might look photoshopped, but it's the mirror of the outdoor sink of a rather social toilet on an island outside Hoi An.

This photo is not photoshopped eighter;) I AM actually sitting by a pool in Siem Reap working with a drawing for a publication, nipping to a cold drink. Whaaaaa:D

I feel so lucky that I am able to work from other places in the world as well as from my office. Travelling gives me so much inspiration! Even if it sometimes is a hassle not having all my normal office equpement, it somehow works out.

This trip has been a blast. Now we are enjoying a few more days in Bangkok before heading home.

It's going to be good to come home too;)

WORKING FROM A ROOFTOP IN SAIGON

2012-02-07T15:15:00.001+01:00

Right now I'm sitting on a rooftop terrasse in Saigon corresponding to Norway about illustrations for new bookprojects and other tasks. I have the place all to myself, quite special in a busy city like this. We are surrounded by people at all times, so this is precious!

It's quite an experience that I can sit here and work undisturbed with the glittering rivers of motorbikes 11 floors below and a red asian full moon above.

The hotel is not even high class, just had this amazing oasis. Who needs Rex or Continental?:D

I think I'm having an Asia-moment;)

A publishing house asked me to look at a project to see if it's something I would like to work on, and I got asked to make illustrations for a text from a regular client, those are due in two days. (The text was very good by the way.) So that is my task for tonight.

I just discovered my cellphone is glued to the table with sticky rice, and I can see down into a park where there are about thirty or fourty zumbadancing Vietnamese working out in perfect lines. I'm not distracted at ALL, good workflow, yes yes;)

HA LONG BAY

2012-02-06T07:17:00.001+01:00

We are already on our way to Saigon, but I wanted to post some pictures from Ha Long Bay in the north of Vietnam where we were about a week ago. The whole bay is on UNESCO's world heritage list, thousands of limestone strucktures, islands and caves. We stayed one night in a cute cabin at one of the djunks scattering the bay.

We visited one of the myriad of caves, and after the mystic lighting inside it was great to come out and have this beautiful view of the bay. Don't be fooled by the tropical look, it was really cold the first few days. Full jacket and scarf and all. (Until we left, when the tempreature rose significantly. Of course;)

I had to wear almost everything I brought, so my fashion sense and the colour mix of my cardigans I must say was interesting;)

I really recommend this trip to anyone visiting Hanoi, only go when it's slightly warmer so thay you can enjoy staying on deck. We had a driver take us to Ha Long Bay and back, and the drive itself was quite interesting if you like strange and random architecture.

COLOURFUL VIETNAM/ PHOTO EDITING TOOLS FOR TRAVELLERS

2012-02-03T16:49:00.001+01:00

I'm in an epiphany about all the pittoresque sights and colourful things to photograph here in Vietnam! Good thing I'm editing along the way. That way it's easier to see what I actually have been taking pictures of as well, and don't end up with lots of the same kind of photos. And I wont spend hours, and days, back home going through tons of material.

I'm using my Nikon D40 with a Nikkor 1.8 50mm prime lens and use the SD card connector for my iPad. You can import and work with RAW or JPG, and I read somewhere that it's best to have the 64G version of iPad2 to be able to have a good workflow, but you have to check if this is the case with more techno-focused bloggers;)

The apps I'm using are a combination of diffrerent photo editing apps. Filterstorm for general photoshopping like curves, white balance and such. This app has so many oppertunities if you use a few hours to get to know the app. If you normally like working in PS with your photos, this gives you much more control and creativity than the PS app.

For something like PS actions I use two filter apps as replacement. Pixlromatic gives you some alright filters for quick editing, but the best one I've tried so far is PhotoStudioHD. This allows you to fine tune your filters so that you don't get the full whack of the filter, and can play around with more subtle tweaks. Love it!

If you want to work with text or do a wee bit of graphic design/typo-work, you can use Filterstorm and lots of other apps. (...that I haven't spent enough time with to give a proper recommentation for.) I have spent some time working with MoodBoard and find that this app suits my travellers needs best, together with Filterstorm.

For backup we are keeping the pictures and films on the SD cards, import the ones we find most interesting to my iPad where they are automatically stored in iCloud. (When I'm connected to a wifi and it's charging.) The ones I really don't want to lose I upload to Dropbox.

We are filming with a Nikon 5100 as well, but since there are no apps (that I have found so far) that allows you to import and edit in HD this will have to wait until we get home.

We are allowing the photographic and filmatic work we do on this trip to shape the end product, but we still have a ruff plan what we are going to do with the material we are collecting. So stay tuned;)

TRAVEL BLOGPOST

2012-02-01T15:33:00.001+01:00

I'm in Vietnam:)

Last week went in a fury, didn't want to leave any loose threads for due illustrations. I even managed to have Friday off to make sure I had everything packed and ready before our trip, had some red wine and blue cheese with friends in the evening, and then wooooosh, we were off Saturday morning. On a million hour flight to Vietnam.

Candy pink seats makes waiting for the next flight less dull:) Bergen-Oslo-Bangkok-Hanoi.

I'm travelling with my boyfriend Roar from Katapult Media, and during this trip we are going to film, photograph and draw our experiences there. I even went to the extravaganza of getting myself a new Nikkor prime lens, thanks for help with research, Sushibird and SortEnke;) I went for the 50mm 1.8, and I'm soooooo happy with it!

For the moment we are in Hanoi and it's freezing:) It was quite a gamble about the weather, and we pulled the last straw, but it's still great to be on vacation. In two days we'll have summer when we go to Hue, and then later we'll probably miss the cold weather when we are sweating away around the Mekong delta;)

WHAT I DID TODAY

2012-01-18T21:33:00.001+01:00

.....amongst other things.

I want a gnome to assist me in all the invisible tings alongside my job, so that just creating doesn't remain a luxury like it is now. Today I forced in half an hour with just creating. No paid task, just work with colour to see what happens. This way I can discover and develop and not get stuck.

So her hair in this picture is the result of that half hour, and then later all "invisible" (I won't call it boring because it isn't) work was done alot quicker because I wasn't moping around about not being able to just DO.

Yay to remember to just be creative:)

OFF TO THE PRINTERS!

2012-01-17T22:58:00.001+01:00

This was something I didn't know I was going to participate in until last week, and now my work is already being printed and exhibited!

Photographer Hanne Cathrin Olsen runs a new art department at Allkopi in Bergen that opens Thursday this week. She sent me this peek at my printed illustrations today, they will be sold there alongside her and other brilliant artists' work.

Some of Cathrine's portraits are amazingly playful and full of life, with confetti and high hair all over, no wonder I like them. I love that my work is displayed alongside that much energy!

If you follow me on twitter you might have read about my praise of Turner 300gr watercolour paper used on the Epson printer there. I was stunned by the colours and quality of the reproduction I got! Looking forward to go over there and have a look at all the finished prints.

I'll have more information about the exhibited work tomorrow, this whole thing happened so quickly I haven't had time to promote anything yet:)

COLOUR TESTS

2012-01-16T11:08:00.001+01:00

I sometimes test out different colours for backgrounds and characters in PS before I finish them up. Usually this makes choises of colour bolder if I’m not coragues enough colour-wize that day. And I spend less time trying to decide, which sometimes can be a hassle.

I drew the figures out last week, and spent too much time Friday deciding colours. So today things went much quicker after testing it out, and I ended up choosing none of the colours I first thought of;) So now the cover illustration I’m working on will be a pastel haven that will make the characters pop out more, compared to a less bold Paynes Gray gradient that I first thought of.

Back to the drawing board:)

GABBY YOUNG AND INK

2012-01-13T10:47:00.001+01:00

About a year ago I discovered the sound of Gabby Young And Other Animals, and have listened quite alot to them, but completely neglected to check out their videos. Today this video inspired me to draw the picture above. (I’ll colour it in in bright and mismatching colours later;)

I’m loving it! I use music as inspiration all the time for when I draw, and this gave me lots of visual input as well. No wonder I like this video, it is packed with all the aesthetics I enjoy:D Maybe I should start playing the accordion.

MAGAZINE COVER

2012-01-12T13:41:00.001+01:00

These are sketches for a magazine cover that I’m finishing up today.

The theme is “Writing”. My concept is to show the development of writing tools up though the years, and convey a feeling of enthusiasm towards writing.

Here is the half-finished product, now I have to complete the inking, let it dry, and then later today and tomorrow colour it in.

Have a great day at work! I am, my head fortunately is back in place after a good night’s sleep:D

THE WEEKLY MONSTER

2012-01-11T13:39:00.001+01:00

In my job January is usually very quiet. But not this year! Yay! Only I was planning to take the first week off in 2012, after all the extra hours and no time off all December. But I’m so lucky that times are good:) The only problem is that I wasn’t quite ready to throw myself at new tasks just yet, so I keep going to work with my head under my arm. (From too few hours sleep as well, cursed hailstorms hammering at my window at night.)

So this is me today:D I feel like a whale has parked on my head and is stopping me from being effective, hindering me juggling new tasks and completing old ones. But fear not! Coffee is at hand! (And my proper vacation is not far away:)

Now back to working with illustrastions for Nynorsksenteret and Elixir:)

TUPPERWAREPARTY

2012-01-07T10:06:00.001+01:00

A friend of mine had lots of old pictures and frames, and wanted to buy illustrations from me that might fit them. So I packed a portfolio with drawings and prins of different sizes, and held my very own Tupperwareparty at her house;)

We used quite a few hours, but it was great fun to see the whole thing coming together.

It was quite cool to see how well the drawings worked with the old black and whites she wanted to keep.

They will be hanging somewhat like this, with a myriad of different shapes and colors on the frames.

I'm looking forward to see the finished project up on the wall in her house:)

ILLUSTRATIONS FOR COX/BT

2012-01-05T13:26:00.001+01:00

This was a job I did mid December, about new year resolutions. It was a paper that came with Bergens Tidende one of the days after Christmas Eve when we were all still full from Christmas dinner;)

I especially love this one. This is me in Thailand before I discovered antihistamin.

Since this is my first blogpost in 2012; Happy New Year:)

KIMONO JACKET

2011-12-28T13:54:00.001+01:00

I went fabric shopping in Bangkok two yeas ago, at Phahurat market in Little India/Sampeng Lane. I've turned most of the goods into tote-bags and other things I've sold at markets since then.

I had three metres left of a beautiful peacock print, both in green and red, and I have been trying to figure what to turn it into.

The green print in the picture above is another kimono jacket that I bought here in Bergen actually. I use it alot and figured I'd make another one just like it with my lovely Bangkok fabrics.

I traced the jacket onto paper and cut out new pieces from the peacock print.

I got this cupcake pin cushion ring from my friend at Christmas, it works perfectly! I thought it would be annoying being stuck to my hand, but it makes working much easier.

I started the whole thing around 12 the same day, and it didn't take long actually, I guess about three hours or something. I've cut the fabric that will go in the front, and I'm estimating finishing it up will take me about two hours tomorrow. Not bad for a first timer trying to make a jacket:)

A bit of flaky nailpolish to complete the look;)

I'm going to finish it up tomorrow, can't wait to wear it:)

GOODBYE CHRISTMAS:D

2011-12-27T18:06:00.001+01:00

.....See you next year:)

Just wanted to post some more Christmas pictures, the first one out here is winter sky at Os outside Bergen.

Christmas eve at my parents' house with my sister, aunt and uncle and my cousins. My mum love setting fancy tables. Me too:)

And since we are such traditionalists; I wore a kimono jacket. I have a national costume (three in fact) but experience tells me that it's too hot and uncomfortable on Christmas Eve. I got the umbrella the same night as a gift from a friend of mine, perfect match! We did have a visit from Santa, but those pics are on my dad's camera which I borrowed since he was gone when Santa came;)

The next day I spent time with my presents;) This is a robo-tea infuser that I got from a friend of mine that always get me spot on.

Something tells me my interests lay in the open, because I got a 4 storey baking tray and a decorator kit, hehe.

And wooly things that doesn't itch! I love wooly things, specially the silk woven ones. I panic from itchy wool. Some of the more observant readers might question the baby cap, it's just my mum being desperate for grand-children and wants me to get started, by giving me subtle hints like this one;)

Haha, and I got a device to make square eggs:D Things I didn't know I wanted:D

In the middle of the picture above is the best present EVER:D My boyfriend got me a wand! Hahahahahaaaaaa! It controls my tv! It's a remote control for anything with infa red! Imagine doing presentations with it haha:D It has 13 different commands or movements you have to "teach" it. For now I'm only using it for the volume, channels, pause and on/off on the decoder and tv, but I'm going to hook it up to the stereo in my kitchen as well.

From three remotes to one SUPERB one that lets you pretend you are a wizard. I keep jumping around the living room waving the wand and switching things on and off:)

Now I want to watch Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone.

CHRISTMAS EVE GOODIES

2011-12-23T20:44:00.001+01:00

Today is Christmas Eve, and all presents are nicely wrapped with homemade gift tags. And I'm even going to church! Haven't done that in a while, my family aren't exactly pious, and I'm not a member of the state church anymore. But I'm all up for new things:)

I quite like tags that fit the person I'm giving the present to, so I transformed my "Rockabilly Memo" I made for a rockabilly party we had, into gift tags.

Nora Brockstedt is my mum's favorite. This album cover got voted the 6th ugliest Norwegian abum cover ever or something. Beats me. I can think of a few others that would be better canditates.

My dad did look a bit like Elvis in his youth, he'll love his tag;)

Now me and my sister are going to watch Cinderella and eat porridge.

Have a beautiful Christmas Eve my lovelies:)

NEW YEAR ILLUSTRATIONS

2011-12-23T18:13:00.001+01:00

I've drawn six illustrations for a magazine that went to the printers today:) The theme was New Year Resolutions.

I only got the synopsis, I haven't read the finished articles, but I guess they'll turn out quite ironic;)

I started my Christmas vacation today, but that won't keep me from drawing. So now I'm going to sketch away on an idea I have for my personal christmas/new year greeting card while eating ginger bread cookies. And not have resolutions about working out more, or eat more leek like on the drawing above.

When can I smash my pink flamingo ginger bread house by the way? Is it tomorrow?

Have a great evening:)

DRAWINGS FOR CLIENTS

2011-12-20T12:34:00.001+01:00

Today I’ve been working on this drawing for a client of mine who loves his Vespas, and it’s deadline for a few illustrations for a magazine about new year resolutions. So I’ll probably stay late today as well. Been alot of that lately! But I’m saving money for a trip to Vietnam for me and my boyfriend in spring, so throwing in extra hours is fine when the goal is as shimmering as that:) I don’t think I would have minded anyway, I’m so fortunate that I love what I do, but still it’s important to leave work and go home.

Now back to completing drawings for new year resolutions, quite ironic ones;) I don’t think I personally have any, but maybe I’ll get inspired by the ones in the article.

ALTERNATIVE SWEARING

2011-12-15T21:56:00.001+01:00

Swearing is part of my language, and since most of our friends have kids, I've had to come up with words that won't damage their fragile minds.

So me and my boyfriend came up with this; a booklet on alternative swearing that is based on phonethics. It has been quite a hit this winter, and sales peaked this weekend, supposedly many people like us need to let some steam out sometimes;)

There were five copies left in Unique Design in Åsane this morning, and from epla.no I make new ones when orders come in. I haven't had time to stock up for tomorrow's market in Øyrane, but I can take orders there to be delivered next week:)

Huzzah!

CHERRY FABRICS

2011-12-12T12:28:00.001+01:00

This weekend the market at Schødtstuene went really well, lots of lovely customers laughing and adopting monsters:)

One of my customers this weekend were seamstress Frk Bustad who makes the most lovely dresses and blogs about it here. We have quite a few things in common, like love for the Sweetheart Neckline and this print underneath;)

We have a few ideas together for my illustrations printed on fabric, that at some point will be turned into her dresses. My biggest wish then is to order cherry drawings on fabric from Spoonflower and make the dress I've drawn here, only with a sweetheart neckline:)

This week is not as booked as last week and the next, so I'll have time to finish up some work for clients that don't have a set deadline. Can't wait to start working with this:)

Whohooo!

STORIES (in Norwegian)

2011-12-08T00:19:00.001+01:00

Jeg ble spurt av Line Katrine Moe om å skrive en liten setning på en vandrehistorie. Moro! Jeg likte idéen siden jeg elsket adjektivhistorier og "en setning hver" improvisasjonshistorier da jeg var liten. Så jeg sendte avgårde det første jeg kom på.

Mer om vandrehistorien her

Dette er historien så langt:

(Steffens Pappablogg)
"Da hoggormen Gorm ble født ved E6 retning Trondheim sprellet han slik hoggormer stort sett gjør når de blir født. Gorm var en fin og livlig hoggorm, men som ekstremt overbitt var han ikke som alle de andre. Han måtte åle seg med hodet høyt hevet for at hoggtennene ikke skulle sette seg fast i bakken. Om det skjedde stupte han kråke, og i noen små sekunder kunne han ikke lenger vite hvilken retning Trondheim lå. Andre hoggormer, de som ikke kjente Gorm, trodde han var overlegen og gikk med nesa i sky, men Gorm var bare en høflig og omtenksom overbitt orm.

(Linnosaurus)
En stille og solrik høstdag blant blåbærlyng og kantarell fant Gorm ut at han kunne invitere noen hjem til ormebolet sitt på høstfest! På den måten kunne han kanskje få seg noen venner. Han lurte på hva han skulle servere. Gorm er som dere allerede vet en hoggorm, og hoggormer har ikke tilgang på alskens deilige oppskrifter som ligger på internett. Men Gorm visste råd, han kikket rundt seg og så både kantareller og bær, det måtte selvfølgelig bli en soppsuppe, og noen bær til dessert.
Gorm satte i gang med å plukke sopp. En hoggorm har ingen armer, og kan derfor ikke bære en kurv. Men Gorm var heldigvis utrustet med et ekstemt overbitt og lange flotte tenner. Da han hadde plukket tennene fulle hørte han noen som kremtet bak ham.."

(Krussetull)
Det var den gjeve Grev Løvenrev, som satt og spikket på en stokk.
Hva skal du med alle de delikatessene, ville Grev løvenrev vite.
–Jo, jeg tenkte jeg schkulle invitere noen på middag, men nå er jeg litt uchsikker på hvordan jeg skal få det til alene, sa Gorm litt sjenert.
–Nu har det seg slik at jeg sitter ikke her og spikker forgjeves. Jeg skal nemlig fyre opp et bål så jeg kan teste den nye wok-panna mi. Det var skikkelig hot med wok på midten av nittitallet skjønner du, men jeg har ikke hatt anledning til å teste den før nu.
–Oi, schå sScHhpennende sa Gorm. Spytt og klissete sikkel frådet ut av huggormmunnen hans. Det var ikke lett å snakke med så mye mat i huggtennene.
Grev løvenrev forsto at Gorm trengte tannpirker...»

(Line Katrine Moe)
“..., eller snarere en tanngaffel, og tok straks til å spikke. Gorm selv syntes det hørtes spennende ut med wok og lente seg over pannen i påvente av hjelp. Så, mens reven gjorde klar tanngaffelen, var det det skjedde. Et blad fra blåbærene kilte Gorm i nesen…”

(Gunvor R).....og han nøs så kraftig at Grev Løvenrev ble beskutt med blåbær, bringebær, lyng og kantareller, han nesten så ut som et kratt der han stod. Da Gorm fikk summet seg så han opp på Løvenrev og lurte på hva som kom til å skje nå, for Grev Løvenrev kom fra et kondisjonert hjem og likte sikkert ikke å bli nyst på.

Nå skal jeg prøve å finne noen andre som kan skrive en setning eller to til, med mindre noen melder seg som har lyst å ta stafettpinnen videre:)

Egentlig er det helt koko å ta på seg nye ting siden vi er midt i julejobbings, men siden jeg kom på noe med en gang var det bare gøy.

Nå er jeg hjemme etter 12 timer på kontoret: Har hatt visitt og pratet med gøye kunder, levert varer, pakket varer, nummerert trykk, laget leveringslister, sendt Trøystebokategninger til en avis, kuttet papp til pakking, gått gjennom tegninger og skåret dem til, gjort klar presentasjonsmapper, vært i banken, vært på posten med eplabestillinger, printet fanziner og satt dem sammen, gått gjennom kvitteringer (og litt regnskap-light), begynt å rydde ut av lager, tatt bilder, spist kinamat foran dataen med Katapult Media og sett på intervju med John Lasseter, gått gjennom work in progress-boksen, jobbet med framdriftsplan, og sånn og sånn og sånn.

De usynlige tingene rundt å være kreativ selvstendig næringsdrivende.

Tror mange kan kjenne seg igjen, hihi! Selv om det er artig å være på jobb var jeg litt som figuren over da jeg kom hjem isted;) Heldigvis er ikke 12 timers økter normalen for meg lengre:)

ILLUSTRATIONS IN KAMILLE

2011-12-06T11:29:00.001+01:00

I keep forgetting to post the different printed jobs I do. It's because I don't want to post the drawing before it's in the print with the different publishers, and then I move on to other projects.

This sketch was made for the magazine Kamille a few weeks ago, and now the young lady is on glossy paper:)

You can still get the magazine, it's the december issue. The article is about how good it is for you to laugh, the most perfect task for me to illustrate:)

I don't tink my illustrations have ever been in glossy print, most newspapers and magazines I've worked with are eighter matte or a not-so-glossy coating. But I like it! Made the ladies a little more glam;)

I have a desk at home as well as in my studio, and here is the magazine along with my dying plants. The white outside is the snow on the roof of our neighbours, all the houses where we live have sort of meltet together.

Now back to making fanzines. The next Christmas fair is in Schødtstuene at Bryggen, and I want to finish up some more fanzines before I pack up for the market.

I want packing elves. (Thanks for the idea, Cathrine:D) This packing up and down from my studio and carrying stuff up and down from the third floor is kiiiiind of getting tiresome. But not enough yet;) I'm still going to two more markets.

Maybe I'll see some of you this weekend?:)

UNDERWATER ILLUSTRATION

2011-12-05T22:21:00.001+01:00

Mmkay, I'm not actually under water, but drawing the Freezing Fishymonster from Friday's post sent me into a new round of deep sea fascination. (Saturday sales went better btw, and I bought a silver crown and gained a new friend, so it was definately worth it;)

Now I'm back from work and playing around with some new imagery, listening to Agnes Obel and drinking tea.

I love getting obsessed with a theme from time to time and really explore it. This guy underneath is actually for real. More about him here.

Since we're on the subject of underwater life, The Octonauts is a children's book I bought for my neighbour's son, and today he lent it back to me so I could read it. Heheheeeee. Read the front of the book the octupus is reading:D Guess the translator had loads of fun;) I think drugs are quite sad, but I do love little traces of personality and humour in children's books and films.)

Now me and my boyfriend are going watch The Blue Planet;)

FREEZING TO DEATH

2011-12-02T23:17:00.001+01:00

Brrrrrrr! Market day in Øyrane was COLD! And wet. I drew this fish while I was there. I'm calling it "I'm Freezing To Death Becase This Tent Is Not Heated As Promised".

And sales were incredibly low! I think all the exhibitors were quite upset, we were 40 freezing sellers and no customers. But I got to know some of the others exhibitors there, and we tried to keep spirits up and laugh about he whole situation.

I feel quite sorry for the organizers, they will probably recieve quite a few emails with complaints this evening. Including fom me. But the prize for a day at this market is the highest this season, and the lowest in standard and customers.

But I was persuaded by the others to give it another shot tomorrow, even though I'm not sure I really want. I've been at so many markets over the last few years that I just don't bother and leave when there are no customers:) Better to ask for your money back and waste time on something useful.

BUT being said, I had a good time with the other sellers, and some good spirited customers cheering us long;) So I'll give it a try.

But my backdrop that I built Wednesday looked great! I'm so happy with it. It needs some more work to be solid enough to be stuffed into cars in a rush and be handled a bit, but it was made in a hurry to be ready on time. Pictures from construction here.

Hellooooo customers, where are youuu, come out, come out;)

Hopefully it will be warmer and more crowded tomorrow.

Now; Beer and Tom Waits. Only sensible way to spend an evening after being stuck in a wet tent for 11 hours;)

CHRISTMAS CALENDAR GIFTS

2011-12-01T23:38:00.001+01:00

The lovely girls over at Fin Mag have made a nice quiz from their different interviews, with a new calendar gift each day in Desember. Starting with one of my drunk ladies:) I was asked yesterday to participate, that's why I'm not posting the competition until it was almost too late. But I guess since it was all done in such a rush you can still try:)

Those of you who follow me on facebook know what mischief I was up to all of yesterday, and will excuse me for not posting this competition before now. Right??

I hope she comes to a good and playful home:)

STEND MARKET

2011-11-28T20:24:00.001+01:00

This weekend I was at market at Stend.

This is the first year since I started making the dishwasher gloves some years ago that they didn't sell well. I only sold three pairs during this market, haha! But I guess that's what happens when China starts to produce the same thing and becomes the competition;) (And the fact that I had many customers this year that bought from me last year.) Mine cost 200 nok, and you get them waaaaay cheaper (and way simpler) in stores now. No worries though, the overall sale during this market went better than last year:) yay!

My sister and my boyfriend helped me out, it's good to have good company as well.

I love mismatching red and pink.

The calendar from Baluba that I participated in was also sold out. And the Baby bedsheets, and all the fanzines I made. I didn't realize I sold that much, because sis was handling the money and I was talking to so many fun people that I wasn't sure who bought something or not. Some just came to have a chat:)

One customer really melted my heart, she told me sincerely that she enjoyed my drawings immensely and promoted my books to all her friends. I just wanted to give her a hug, but I didn't know if that would be wierd so I gave her a free gift tag instead;)

We were going to Enslaved's birthday party at Garage the same evening, so here is my boyfriend in the midst of all the pink lace not fitting in. (I think I prefer it like this;)

Next market is next weekend in Øyrane in Arna, and I'll be changing the look of the stand then. This time I went for pink and turquoise Ice Cream Parlour, but now I'm changing it to black and red candy store.

Today has been my day off, Monday is the new Sunday. I have been working 6/7 day weeks for some time even if I said I was going all A4, but it's so much fun when things are rolling along fine.

I'll be bicycling in Vietnam for three weeks in spring, I'll have time off then.

PLAYING SHOP

2011-11-23T16:16:00.001+01:00

I want my marked stand to look a little more proper. The styling, labeling and pricing is always done in the last minute.

So I've decided I want my stand to look like a candy shop.

I put some of the products out on the floor and have tried all day to think new ways of displaying and presenting the goods. (It looks like a map of the world made in pink lace or something)

Labelling in place, now I need some kind of portable shelving that is light and doesn't cost me insane amounts of money or effort. The effort-part is difficult when you have little impulse control. Stop. And. Think. YES I'LL BUILD IT FROM PINK CLOUDS AND FAIRY DUST!:D:D Ok, maybe ponder it a while more. Yes.

PIMP MY WOOLY SOCK

2011-11-21T12:22:00.001+01:00

This weekend there is a Christmas Fair at Stend in Bergen. I'm going there to sell watercolor illustrations and wooly socks. Yep! Here is a small how-to on making "PIMP MY WOOLY SOCK";)

You get them photos printed on t-shirt prints, and get to work.

I used a white cotton fabric. You think they would look good as curtains?

Iron them beauties.

Wheeeee, Liberace on my curtains!

But I'm not making curtains. Snip, snip, and fasten with pins.

We're rigging on Friday, hope to see some fellow Epla-sellers there. The market is open from 11-17 Saturday and Sunday If I remember right.

Tadaa:)

GIRL'S CONFERENCE

2011-11-17T23:19:00.001+01:00

Last month I lectured at a conference at Fana Kulturhus directed towards teenage girls, to inspire them to make great things of themselves. I was invited to talk about my work and my job as an illustrator, to about 200 listeners in the auditorium;)

I tried to focus on following passions rather than dreams, because dreams are far away, but passions are in your face all the time. And they can surprise you! Passions can manifest in so many different areas, you'll never know what hit you;)

I used many of the questions I'm asked myself on how I got to where I am, to try to puzzle together (the quite skitzo) path of how you learn your trade.

I was a little surpised and extremely honored when I was asked to lecture:) Not every day you get the chance to speak to that many up and coming young women, and maybe be a small part of shaping their choises.

MARKET DAY AND MONSTER DRAWING

2011-11-13T18:41:00.001+01:00

Saturday I held two monster drawing classes at Leker & Mer, and had some very talented kids (and grown ups!) in both groups. The same morning I put some pictures up for my tiny exhibition in the same shop.

The picture in the back in the middle of a girl on a pink branch was actually sold before they got up on the wall, that was quite fun:)

Today me and my sister participated at a market at Klosteret at Stranges Stiftelse. The place we were at was one of the coziest marked places ever. I would love to participate there again, so many nice customers and such a good atmosphere.

Now I'm going to finish up some drawings, one slightly overdue but since it's for charity and not paid I've had to prioritize the paid ones first. And then another one is for the winner of a writing competition for a magazine for Fjord 1. Deadline is 10 tomorrow morning, but I'll try to finish them up completely tonight, because I would love to sleep in tomorrow morning after this working weekend and have half a day off before I get back to business:)

Have a good evening:)

TOM WAITS MOMENTS

2011-11-11T21:49:00.001+01:00

For the last few days I've had a Tom Waits renaissanse. I keep redescovering him every few years, after my long obsession with his music from when around I was teen-something. "Closing Time" fits my mood so well for the moment, I feel the amazingly great response I've had on Trøysteboka finally is starting to sink in. Like it's a closing time for something, yes you really did accomplish something great! Especially after last Sunday when VG awarded all of us working on the book a six.

Wow.

Today I went trough all the artwork to pick out a few pieces to be exhibited, and to photograph and let the authors know that I'm putting them out for sale. Here are a few of the mobile pics I took in a hurry to send to the different authors. Since some of the originals look a bit different than in the book in shading and layout I can't use the pdf of the book or scanned images.

Tomorow Saturday I'm giving a new monster drawing course at Leker & Mer in Lille Øvregate at 1pm. And very informally open the tiny exhibition I have there:)

I know a few of you are going, see you there:)

WORKING STANDING UP

2011-11-09T15:13:00.001+01:00

Today there is an article about working standing up at Frilansinfo.com, and they interviewed me about how that works out for me.

The article is Norwegian but I guess you can give it a shot with google translate:)

Now back to work. Standing up.

:)

ON MY WAY HOME FROM FALTURILTU

2011-11-08T21:24:00.001+01:00

I've spent a lovely 24 hours at Falturiltu Children's book festival at Stord and met up with quite a few of the authors from Trøysteboka. I've held three classes in illustration for text and monster drawing courses, and enjoyed it immensely. "No dad! We can't leave yet, I'm painting blood!" Heheheeeee:D

Here is a picture of what I'm doing right now, finishing up illustrations everywhere else than in my office.

Feels familiar. Haven't I done this before? Finishing up work on buses, planes and boats? Oh yes. I have.

Have a brilliant evening, I can't wait to get home:)

WHEEEEEEEE!

2011-11-06T13:54:00.001+01:00

A six! VG rolled a six!

Whaaaaa! I'm stunned! I'm so happy! I....I....whaaaaaaaa:D

THIS WEEK

2011-11-06T01:59:00.001+01:00

Monday I finished up some sketches for Elixir's new webage and had a workshop with Sortenke.

Tuesday I had a meeting about some illustrations I'm doing for a cancer victims support project. In the evening I met up with the art group Kos & Tegn and brought with me my almost finished piece;)

Wednesday finally all my gear for all the Christmas Fairs was delivered. Pink tissue paper, black paper bags, buisness cards, nametags, ...and so on. In the afternoon I met up with blogger and seamstress Frk. Bustad about an exiting illustrations-on-textiles-project.

Thursday I recieved a rush order for illustrations and had to drop everything. Best task ever by the way!

Friday I had some deadlines to finish and a visit from a lovely customer. In the evening me and some friends had a slightly delayed Halloween party;)

Today I've been finishing up work for both Elixir and the rush order ones, and now I'm going for a dinner at Good Cupcakes Good's author Caroline.

Have a brilliant evening:)

HUNGOVER ILLUSTRATIONS SOLD

2011-11-01T12:25:00.001+01:00

Apparently being hungover is something people recognize;)

I drew this well bred noblewoman last summer after some research for my Champagne Ladies book that is released next year.

Friday she is going to a new home after entertaining me here in the office, I have to find another one to keep me company;)

Thihiiiii:)

DINNER FOR PIRATES

2011-10-31T17:37:00.001+01:00

Pirate themed table, just had to post it. My mum and dad invited to a seafood dinner this weekend, and my mum had decorated a beautiful “seabed/treasure chest” table!

Sweeeet! We inherited all this decoration and tableware because my grandmother used to attend tablesetting contests And was a tad more of a housewife than I am

THE WEEKLY MONSTER: FANZINE CONGRESS

2011-10-27T23:18:00.001+02:00

Yesterday I was at the Norwegian Fanzine Congress at Landmark (brilliant name by the way!) and submitted my fanzine "Aaah, THAT'S why!"

I started making my fanzine Tuesday evening and finished it Wednesday evening, so my it took about 12 hours to make. (I do sleep.)

My theme was explanations for why certain tings are as they are, due to the fact that someone, or something, is causing them. I realize now the small texts are not amazingly well written, but hey, it's a fanzine;)

I made a few more pages but they were full of spelling mistakes so I wont publish them before I fix them up. Since I made the fanzine in such a short time, I was literally running out the door with the ink still drying on the pages in time for the fanzine club. Which didn't leave much time for running multiple spellchecks...

So for any of you who bought a fanzine from me last night at Landmark, feel free to email me and get a new copy without the spelling mistakes;)

OUTDOOR DRAWING

2011-10-25T17:11:00.001+02:00

At about one o' clock today I left the office to go home and continue drawing there, because it was so sunny outside and I didn't want to miss out even if I had to work. So I placed a makeshift desk on our balcony and started my illustration for a project I'm in on. The project is actually a group of people drawing for a different theme each month, and this month the theme is "A lucky day".

I'm drawing my lucky day as a collection of everything I enjoy;) Like today:)

DRAWING FOR FUN

2011-10-24T00:33:00.003+02:00

I've been working larger scale lately, and enjoying drawing just for.... drawing. I haven't done that in a while, usually I draw with something in mind, for an exhibition or client or something else. It was lovely to create something just for the sake of doing it. I need these little artistic moments listening to good music and just draw, it makes me better at what I do.

I've made three A2 line art illustrations over the last few weeks, feels like I'm doing this to revitalise and remind me what I love about the technique. Not work conceptually or from a sketch, just work with pens and ink and draw whatever I feel inspired to create.

Feels like a luxury to finally take time to do this in beween everything else around my job. But I make time for it, because it so important not to lose touch with just creating.

Yummy:)

TESTING TESTING BLOGGER+

2011-10-22T23:31:00.001+02:00

I'm trying out different blog apps for my new and shiny toy (an iPad:) but none seem to rival Windows Live Writer. I miss it! My pink Dell laptop died and after some research on what other product could replace it I found an iPad the right choice. I lost Live Writer, but gained many other great features.

Of course I could spend ages trying to figure out the blogger template's css for everything I want to change each time I post anything, but I used to do that before and it takes ages to wrestle every tiny pixel in place.

I can't seem to be ble to find an app that lets me overwrite Blogger template's default image size to my blog's design but I might be getting close. This app I'm using now is the best one so far, Blogger+ for iPad, but it still won't let me cheat the default. Hmmmm. Please let me know if you have any great advice (except changing to Wordpress or other platforms, I haven't got room on this side of Christmas to change platforms completely;)

The picture is from today's market at Lille Øvregate that was rainy and windy, and even if we did sell some stuff we left quite early. There weren't that many people out n' about that we felt it was worth staying catching a cold. I don't blame them, the only wise thing when weather is like this is to stay inside with a good book, film or chat with good company (preferably all of the mentioned) and drink hot chocolate. Yeeees.

Have a lovely evening drinking hot chocolate:)

BALUBA CALENDAR

2011-10-17T21:49:00.001+02:00

The fine ladies at Baluba Illustration are designing a calendar for 2012 with the theme “If I could I would….”. This is my entry, “I want to wear my leopard dress every day.”

I dooooo.

Proper autumn sounds.

I hope I get August in the calendar, the illustration was made in a proper autumn mode listening to Ben Howards newly released album. Not really my kind of music, I always want it to be pompous and if not you can just stuff it. If I want calm I want Sigur Ros, Tori Amos or Anja Garbarek-calm. But this really got me.

HECTIC MARKET DAY

2011-10-16T17:58:00.001+02:00

PUH! Today there was a market at Trikkehallen in Bergen, I didn’t know about it until this week but I got a tip from a friend that it might be worth a try. I wasnt’t quite prepared (or finished) with all my products for the different christmas fairs coming up, but I brought prints, the new bedsheets, “Pimp My Reflector Badge” and knitted Marilyn Monroe socks. (That I was still stitching up while standing there.)

I met up with some old customers and some new (Hello to you!) and had quite a nice and freezing time at the “indoors” market in the huge hall, but enjoyed it immensely. I hope they will be arranging it again, the hall was a great venue for holding fairs. The freezing part was my own fault, I thought we would be more indoors than we were. My sis was my assistant merchant today, it’s much more fun being two as well, so we could have good laugh while being at work.

Thank you for all your lovely comments and smiles, my good customers today! I didn’t have time to talk to everyone as much as I wanted, but that’s markets for you See you next week at the market in Lille Øvregate!

MY DRAWINGS ON BEDSHEETS

2011-10-12T22:15:00.001+02:00

The bedsheets with my drawings are now finished! They can be found at Epla.no.

The moon is one of my ink and watercolor drawings for “Godnattboka”, a book about going to sleep

My mum has been sewing since the launch of “Trøysteboka”, she says she doesn’t want pay so I’ll have to force her to accept something. I have already bought her a Spotify account and will be paying that for her so that she can listen to Kaizers, Katzenjammer, and Cabaret as much as she want, but I want to do something else nice as well. Hmmm. I’ll come up with something great.

The sheets are sewn with (linsøm) (anybody translate for me PLEASE, was difficult to find the right word) where the inside of the seams are folded double so they don’t get frayed. Beautiful, beautiful, work.

The cotton fabric was printed at Spoonflower, and I’m thrilled that the quality of the print is so high. We have washed a sample again and again at 60C, it still looks great. And their customer service is brilliant, I just have to say that again.

It’s quite magical to see my drawings like this. On fabric. As a finished textile product. MMmmmmmmm!

The next design for bedsheets I’m making is with monsters, and it will be called…..”Monsters in Bed”, hahaaaaa

KATZENJAMMER!

2011-10-09T22:07:00.001+02:00

(Yes the spelling mistake is intentional, but I ended up not using it for the original.)

The quick sketch is of something I sulkily said earlier in the day when deciding what to wear for their concert Saturday Luckily a green polkadotted Classic Starlet Dress attacked me in a shop the same day.

Katzenjammer live in Oslo.

My friends and I agreed that even after seeing Katzenjammer a few times now we never seem to stop being amazed by their energy on stage. PUH! I love pompous shows! One of my friends that joined us yesterday is a very talented musician (he lives and breathes music) and we were worried he might accidentally explode from the whole concert experience.

I’m not a big fan of the venue they played at, I think the place is not really suited as a concert venue, the space is filled with odd angled concrete slabs that are always in way unless you are the 50 or so people right in front of the stage. We were, but I felt sad for the people that wanted to dance around or just experience the concert not pressed against someone smellig of fish. The last place we saw them was at Logen in Bergen, a venue that gave the concert a completely different visual experience and made the whole setting quite magical. But nothing could spoil the experience for me, and it’s true what they said themselves that it’s impossible to leave their concert without a huge grin

My favorite song from the new album is Soviet Trumpeter, looking forward to use this song as inspiration for future illustrations.

CURIOUS COURSES

2011-10-08T11:01:00.001+02:00

Curious is a company from Oslo that lectures in self development for buisness owners (and other topics, read more on their website). I was surprised to find that I actually knew the owner from when I was younger, he is the son of my mum’s best friend. Fun

Tuesday earlier this week I went to a course of theirs initiated by BRB, and as always with courses like this I hold back in case it’s another slick guy speaking about “If you re not a millionaire within a year you are not doing it right.” I get so immensely provoked when someone comes with lofty “goals” like that, I want good old facts and short term goals that I can actually USE for something. This day-long course was about building a personal brand, and I loved the way the lecturer had quite a humble approach to each persons goals and desires for their company, and acnowledging that everyone in the room was there with different ideas and reasons for attending. And that every participant was at different stages in the developing their buisness.

I don’t intend to grow much more as an “business owner”, I just want the hours I put into my work to mirror the amount I earn. And it was so good then to be in a course and group of other people with such different businesses that my goal wasn’t too lame

Here is a list why I think everyone (even if you have a business or not) should attend courses like this:

-It felt more like I was being coached into getting my ideas and goals onto paper and organizing them into short term and long term goals so that I won’t just forget them, all so far away and unreachable. It made me realize myself what I needed to do, I wasnt just told “if you follow this list you’re doing it right. “ For me that meant “Stop fuzzing around with everything you feel like doing and start focusing on only one or two things.”

- To map and be more aware and appreciative of the people that actually are my network around my business, and who I learn and get support from. (Got some suprises there!)

- That sharing what you know with others is the best. I’ve never clung to much to my ideas and usually share my work here so this wasn’t new to me, but I’ve never thought of it as a way to be helped myself. The lecturer was very precise that if you keep your ideas close no one will ear about them, and if it so happens that someone copies your work and ideas, it will never have _your_ personality behind them and that will be very visible for others. But this has never worried me, I love sharing ideas with people, and in that way get new collaborators along the way.

- What I wanted to be the key words connected with my business. I realized after going through what I appreciate with other businesses is high quality work (no quick fixes) and stability/continuety and that the person behind the brand is an inspirational character that can easily be reached and be resource for others. And then try to live up to these things myself. The key words here was very different from each buisness, that was good to see, because then it was visible that we were all thinking for ourselves, not just quoting a lecturer.

-And of course the part that personal branding is everyting you do. Good old good upbringing combined with being aware that everything from the invoices you send to how you respond in email and phone, and how you talk to people is all a part of building an idea of what you are. A snazzy logo and marketing campaign wasn’t even mentioned until later as a secondary thing if you felt you needed it. Product and how you interact was key.

I felt alot more relaxed and structured when I left, and that feeling hasn’t left me yet. Good thing. Things seems so much simpler when I had someone to help me look at my job from the outside.

For me it narrowed down to realizing I need someone outside my job to make decisions with, not just co-workers at the office or family, but someone who works as a mentor or couch that know my work and personality, and where I am as a buisness. And then, daaaaaaah, I realized that that someone has been there all along and you know who you are my “secret helper”

Looking forward to my first coaching class with you at BRB in a few weeks

(The drawing was made for a lovely client wanting a monster for her newly born nephew. Instead of greeting him welcome to the world, she wanted something to remind him to welcome each day. Thought it fitted quite well with this post!)

WORK IN PROGRESS: ITINERA

2011-10-05T17:21:00.001+02:00

Next week SIU is publishing this years issue of Itinera, a magazine I have delivered illustrations for once before. This time the theme was theoretical practice vs real life experience, and how schools and educational systems easier can incorporate the practical part. Here is an inked and half colored version. I’m not going to pulish the finished piece until Itinera is published.

MONDAYS

2011-10-03T17:30:00.001+02:00

I love Mondays. A whole week from from now with time to do my job, yay!

I was at work 8.30 and sendt off goodies from my webshop, held a monster drawing course from 11 until 2, and then went on to work on a lecture I’m giving on Thursday. Now it’s a little past five and I reached my goal to be off at five. Yes! The five o’clock thing is very important to me, when I have a deadline (read: normal working hours just like Dolly Parton says) each workday is much more efficient. This is what you normally do when you are employed but never think of. No more staying late at work unless it’s crucial that I am.

This is a picture of my desk, I hought the little area where I placed my watercolor brushes looked like accidental artwork;)

Have a good evening:)

LAUNCH OF TRØYSTEBOKA

2011-10-02T18:43:00.001+02:00

FINALLY!!!

The book is now in the stores! The launch on Wednesday was brilliant, ended up as a party we hadn’t planned and it feels like I’m still hungover.

Some of the authors came to the event, Helga Gunerius Eriksen read her story for the book, and I spoke a little about the process.

I’ve made prints from the book as well, nice offset ones I’ve never made prints of my work before, I clung to the fact that I only wanted there to be ONE of each thing I made. The original work. But hey, that doesn’t feed you.

So the fabric I ordered from Spoonflower my mum turned into baby bedsheets and we have already recieved many pre-orders!

Me talking about how I worked with illustrations for the book. The two people sitting in the middle of the picture is Helga Gunerius Eriksen and Einar Økland who both have contributed to the book.

We figured later that about 40 or 50 people came and went during the event. People didn’t seem to want to leave! I loved it, because normally in book launches you go and get some free wine and hang around for maybe two hours. The last ones left at 02.30

We ate, we drank, we laughed And ran out of wine, so all secret deposits were robbed. Including two bottles of peach liqour, even if you know that’s not going to be ok in the morning.

In lack of a wine opener we had to use a drill.

Thanks to everyone that came along and made it such a brilliant evening! YAY!!

(Thanks Åge for the pictures)

INVITASJON TIL LANSERING

2011-09-27T15:46:00.001+02:00

Juhu bloggfolk:)

På onsdag 28. sept ( i morgen) kl 20 på Designbryggeriet (kontoret mitt) skal jeg ha boklansering av Trøysteboka jeg har illustrert for Skald Forlag. Helga Gunerius Eriksen skal lese historien hun har skrevet til boken, og jeg skal fortelle kort om hvordan jobben med illustrasjonene tok form. Det blir heimespøta muffins, ost og kjeks og godt i glasset. Gi meg en lyd på post(at)gunvor.no om du har lyst å være med og feire ny bok, hadde vært kjekt å hilse på noen av dere som er innom og leser her:)

Jippi!

Når: Kl 20 Onsdag 28. sept
Hvor: Desigbryggeriet, Bredsgården, Bryggen, 3 etg.
Info om lansering: http://www.gunvor.no/books.html

FED-EX SANTA!

2011-09-26T18:33:00.001+02:00

Yes!! I ordered fabrics with my illustrations from Spoonflower, and it arrived today!

I never thought it would arrive in time for me to make something from it before the launch of Trøysteboka on Wednesday, but it did!

It felt like Christmas The plan is to make baby duvet’s and pillowcases from it.

Now my neighbour is testing a sample being washed millions of times, she has two kids and run a washing machine at a higher frequency than me

Can’t wait to start working with it!

I love Spoonflower, they had really good customer support as well, they wouldn’t let me buy the huge amount I did before they had sent me a sample that I could approve haha Felt like I was being lightly told off by a mum or something. “Now look here, what if you arent happy with it? Then you would have spent all that money for nothing.” They didn’t say that of course, but it was good they told me to get a sample first, because what if it went somewhat wrong and it was my fault. I felt my fabric ideas were in good hands, and I appreciated their quick response and care for their own products

NEW WEBPAGE DESIGN

2011-09-25T20:59:00.001+02:00

I bought this font today, from now I’ll probably use it for EVERYTHING, I like it so much

I needed a grotesque with a hand drawn feel to it, and after the workshop we had where we chose this font to work with my illustrations on another project, I’m quite happy too use it on my page as well.

It’s been quite the working weekend for me, I woke up with badass sinusitis and slept most of Friday after the workshop on Thursday and #geekbeer afterwards. Slept and woke up to email back and forth with the printing house and slept again and lost loads of time that I was supposed to spend on an illustration for University of Bergen so that it could be delivered before the wekend. I have until Tuesday, but I wanted to finish it and have a proper relaxed weekend filled with beers.

But instead I called everything off and ended up working with TeamViewer from home on my computer at work, and then accidentally someone shut it off thinking I had just forgot, so the last pdf wasn’t yet in my Dropbox for the printing house to pick up before they left work on Friday. Then I just went to bed again and slept forever

I still don’t know if they have recieved the files, guess I’ll find out tomorrow morning. Actually I’m quite surprised that I’m not more stressed out, but I guess since I actually “had time” to get ill without anything going to pieces (just my social life this weekend) I guess it’s not so bad. My plan to have weekends off is apparently working. In a strange way. They become a buffer zone in case shit blows up

Then today I felt better and started working simultaniously with finishing up the illustration as well as redoing my neglected webpage.

Sometimes I wish I was allowed to be ill and someone else could take over, but I guess it’s like that whatever job you have.

But I loved the fact that I finally, FINALLY, managed to make a webdesign that I don’t loathe and that can be a starting point for the new webpage that I’m doing with a proper programmer. What I’m doing now is like building a castle with pebbles, since I don’t want a program to generate code for me. I have no chance to fix up bugs if I don’t build he thing from scratch. But I’m happy, feels like a major accomplishment that I got this far this weekend.

Is there any chance you can get high from nasal spray? I think I am.

LEAF THROUGH THE BOOK!

2011-09-23T15:21:00.001+02:00

If you want a sneak peek at a book I have illustrated that is being published next week, go here

I don’t have my wonderful phone, which means no pictures from work in progress or from the exciting workshop I participed in yesterday, but it will soon be remedied.

Trøysteboka is launched next Wednesday at Bryggen if you feel to join us! Yes! We have wine and cupcakes, one of the authors will read from the book, and I’ll talk a bit about the whole process with the illustrations. Not too much talk, it’s not a lecture, but the publishing house said they thought it might be interesting to share I hope so! I’ll post the invitation as soon as I get it.

I LOVE MY PHONE

2011-09-20T19:17:00.001+02:00

And now it’s dead. Today I made wooly socks inspired by Liberace, and documented the whole ordeal, and then my phone (with which I took the pictures) went forth and died. Then the nice man at the mobile repair shop said I just lost everything on my phone. Daaaaah. But since I sort of saw this coming, I had removed most of the stuff from it. So, instead of enjoying a how-to-make-wooly-socks-inspired-by-Liberace (hey, who would’t!) I’m posting some goodies me and my sister made this Sunday.

For my birthday my mother in law got me a cupcake recipe book from Hancock Cupcakes.

I would really recommend that one to all who meddle with cupcake alchemy. It’s beautifully designed as well.

We made lactose free cocoa and berries cupcakes just to see if the recipe was any good, and it was! Not rubber-like like most other lactose free recipes. And then, since we are not lactose intolerant and just wanted to test the recipe in case we have to serve it at some point, we sprayed hem with butter and philadelphia icing. Tadaa! ^_^

HANNE VATNØY – THE TIVOLI ORCHESTRA

2011-09-19T12:37:00.001+02:00

This Saturday some friends and me went to Hanne Vatnøy’s releaseconcert at Logen in Bergen. Astrid Aalgaard here at the office has made the concert’s backdrop and visuals, it was a truly beautiful experience!

The stageshow was very different from “normal” concerts, felt more like a staged show at the theatre, with them rethinking the use of the stage and audience. They were all dressed like white clowns of some sort and, had an actor placed in a pink rococo chair on a pedestal in the audience blowing huge soap bubbles, BRILLIANT!!

I was surprised by the whole sound of the group even if I had heard her before at different gatherings and shows, this was quite a different concert experience. Recommend to see them live if you get a chance to it.

A friend of mine commented she thought it was so pure! I thought the group had quite a mature sound but still managed the audience to feel like 16 year olds in love.

This is a quote from one of the songs, thought it was so cute:)

IT’S OUT! THE BOOK IS OUT!:D

2011-09-18T18:59:00.001+02:00

My boyfriend picked it up at the post office just before dinner, so my sister had to prepare her Italian cooking by herself

Got a brown package and couldn’t think of what it could be, until I vaguely recognzed the size and froze completely.

Whaaaaaaa!! It so strange to finally see my drawings on paper! It’s the third book I’m lllustrating for Skald Forlag, it gets more magical each time.

Dinner tasted brilliant, sorry I wasn’t more help in the kitchen Made the bruschetta though! Wheeeee!

SUNNY FRIDAY

2011-09-16T15:09:00.001+02:00

This picture that I took today and the song below resulted in the drawing at the bottom:)

The picture is for sale at my webshop, and if you buy it and type in “CUPCAKES GALORE” with the message to seller you get a free Cupcake Recipe print worth NOK 120,-, just because it’s sunny:)

TIME

2011-09-15T15:04:00.001+02:00

This is an illustration I made for this month’s issue of the magazine Barn i Byen, and the idea belongs to it’s editor. We will be doing this kind of collaborative projects in the next few issues as well, yay!

THE WEEKLY MONSTER

2011-09-14T19:39:00.001+02:00

Last week we went to a talk that I….. was a bit bored with after a few minutes. Plainly I thought the speaker was a tit.

The sketches I did during the talk is pictured underneath.

Here are the first two drawings from the sketches. Not completely finished, but you get the idea;)

Conclusion: I’ll definitely go to more talks! There is bound to be some inspiring speakers out there, and if not, this was brilliant inspiration!

PORTFOLIO

2011-09-13T20:45:00.001+02:00

Carbonmade is a web portfolio that is very easy to use, so while me and my webwizard are planning my new and amazing website I’m supplying it with this one.

I’m still waiting to get all the pictures from different people from our clown party this weekend, but here is a peek what it looked like afterwards

MONSTERS AT BRYGGEN

2011-09-12T19:27:00.001+02:00

Last Saturday I held a monster drawing course at Bryggen.

This is my nephew drawing dinosaur-monsters with my mother in law cheering him on

Quite a few kids came to draw monsters during the day, I specially liked this one underneath.

Looked like the toilet monsters from X-Files. If you remember that one.

To draw evil princess-monsters was quite popular, the girl in the middle was actually dressed as a princess. She doesn’t know how lucky she is, when you’re grown up you get funny looks if you try to pass off as a princess

I loved the expression on this one

WHAT I DID THIS WEEK

2011-09-09T16:06:00.001+02:00

Monday I got a present from my mother in law, a cupcake stand and a new beautiful recipe book from Hancock Cupcakes which by the way is brilliant! And I made, in between more pressing matters, a yellow tutu and my clown costume that I’m wearing this weekend at my clown birthday party.

Tuesday we laughed so much we almost choked from seeing a double rainbow (The reason you can watch here)

Then we went to hear a talk at First Tuesday and a see Crea Con win a prize. I got quite puzzled, no actually put off, by how the speaker angled his talk about social media that was supposed to be inspirational. So my “notes” reflected what I thought of it. But it was GREAT inspiration for new monsters!! I should be “bored” more often.

Wednesday I drew monsters for The Weekly Monster from the sketches I did the night before. Without finishing them up. Because I had to finish up another tutu that someone has ordered and had to prepare for a course I’m giving this weekend. And later had to get help from another seamstress to finish up the bodice for my clown dress when I realized I would never finish in time.

Thursday morning me and webdesigner Sort Enke went to visit the printing company Molvik with some plans of ours, and saw another double rainbow

We got a tour around the presses and we kept asking and asking about everything so we used a whole morning there.

Back at Sort Enke’s office I found the lovliest tape dispenser

This week was insanely busy in terms of back and forth and meetings and correspandance with different clients and projects, and planning the lauch of Trøysteboka. But it’s fun busy, not stressful. Because I finished what I had set out to do this week and I know I’ll have less appointments next week and can concentrate more on just drawing.

Tomorrow (Saturday) I’ll give a free Monster Drawing course at Bryggen, it’s a festival initiated by the founders of the magazine Barn i Byen because they celebrate 10 years of published magazines this month. You can see the program here. Grab hold of a child and come and draw monsters with me

FABRICS GALORE

2011-09-05T17:36:00.001+02:00

I ordered tuille and cotton fabrics for this season’s Christmas fairs, and have started making goodies to sell. It felt like Christmas when I got the huge package with all the fabrics in the mail.

In addition to sewing for markets I’m making costumes for a clown party, and here is my mum helping me out sewing a beautiful collar.

I have to go in early at the office to do the sewing before the others get there so not to annoy them with the sounds from my sewing machine. We have enough with the workers downstains making minor earthquakes from time to time

Now I’m going to do a wee bit of bad-language embroidery for pillows soon for sale in a café in Lille Øvregate here in Bergen. And having some tea and good music, happy to be inside when it’s pouring with rain. Yessss!

“CURSING FOR PARENTS”

2011-09-04T15:33:00.001+02:00

I’m making a book together with my boyfriend and it’s called “Alternative Cursing for Parents”. This was concieved partly because there is so much inventivness within expressing yourself without making other peoples ears bleed, and partly bacuse me and my boyfriend was on a loooong drive this summer without a cd-player in our car and we had tons of time to just be silly and discuss fun ideas for future projects.

Last friday I attended Grafill’s “Fanzine Night” at Knøderen and made a fanzine with 12 illustrations for this project.

I sold all my copies and saw people laughing out loud while reading, which is the best feedbeck I can get I have already collected several new inventive “swearwords”, and would like to have more, so feel free to join in the swearing here or on my facebook page

TRØYSTBOKA LAUNCH THIS MONTH

2011-08-31T21:59:00.001+02:00

Sometime in the next few weeks the book I worked on with Skald Forlag since February will come back from the printers in Poland in all it’s splendour. With this being the third in the series I’m quite anxious to see it! The lauch will be held here in Bergen 26th or 27th of Septembre, I’ll let you know so you can come share some bubbles with me. Wheeee

CLOWN COSTUMES GALORE

2011-08-30T20:03:00.001+02:00

I’m throwing a clown party in the near future to celebrate me turning 30, and today I mass produced clown collars.

Shame this picture was out of focus. But you can still see I’m throughly enjoying this! I’m making several collars because it’s a quick way to make a costume look really thought through, and easy to shove on top of guests that haven’t had time to sew their own huge and amazing outfit. No hearts shall bleed.

I still haven’t decided about my own costume, I had too much fun making these random ones When I left work I met up with the editor for Barn I Byen, and they thought it would be fun if I dressed up as a clown for a Monster Drawing course I’m giving in a few weeks for them. Hmmm. Not sure if the kids will take me seriously. And I would like to dress up as a scary clown, maybe I’ll scare the living daylight out of them. Hmmmm.

IT’S MY BIRTHDAY!!

2011-08-29T12:54:00.001+02:00

YAY! I’m 30 today:D Cake for everyone!!

As a celebratory goodie I’ve put this drawing in my webshop at NOK 500,- instead of it’s original cost of NOK 850,-:D

Today is also the birthday and launch of FIN-mag, where I am interviewed, congrats to you too! Read the interview here. Now I’m off to eat cake:) Tadaa!

*A small update: The illustration is now sold:)

GUNVOR R ILLUSTRATON ON FACEBOOK

2011-08-28T12:33:00.001+02:00

…Well, I have been on facebook for a few years, but not as an illustrator/artist. So now I created a facebookpage here that is quicker to update than my webpage, and where I can post work in progress and other bits and bobs that doesn’t fit on my portfoliopage. Would love to say hello to you there too Yay!

SUSANNE SUNDFØR AT PERIFERI

2011-08-27T11:48:00.001+02:00

Those of you follow me on twitter know that the last two weeks have been filled with good concerts and artistic/design events. One event that I really treasured was yesterday’s concert with Susanne Sundfør at Periferi. I’ve never seen her live before, but had quite high expectations because of the intensity on her last album. And wow, she delivered! I wrote on twitter: “Susanne Sundfør has the most passionate show at rainy Periferi. I'm seduced.” And that sums it up quite well.

I’m actually a converted fan of her sound, I didn’t use to like her vocals, but now it seems the massive sound of her band and her songwriting fits better with the strong and quite strange vocal. The people doing scenography and designing her set and stage also gave us an eerie show with light bouncing of the back of a huge stretched canvas across the stage. It was raining like mad too with the odd thunder and lightening, it fitted quite well.

I have used her album “The Brothel” a lot for inspiration at work lately, and I probably won’t stop for a while eighter. I love getting new musical obessions to inspire my drawings. If you want to check out my favorite song from her go and listen to “Lilith” from “The Brothel”.

ACRYLIC EVENING AT DESIGNBRYGGERIET

2011-08-23T21:04:00.002+02:00

Astrid Norveig Aalgaard, Åge Peterson and me have had an acrylic evening here at the office today. I have never used it properly so I had to learn everything from the others. Even what kind of surface to use it on, completely green me.

I’m a big fan of Camille Rose Garcia, and followed some youtubevideos with her painting to learn her technique. I have to do this alot I think to start developing my own style eventually, but as a starting point it’s good to see how other amazingly talented people work. So I can never claim my first few tests here as my own, even though the cupcake was;)

Astrid was painting from a photograph she had worked with in Photoshop.

And Åge managed to say pupcakes instead of cupcakes and that lead our creative minds astray thinking of what that would look like.

We are definately doing this again! I need to develop other skills except watercolor so as not to get tired of it or not get stuck. I love watercolor, but I also love having more or less successful experiments with new techniques and styles.

PINK PACKAGING

2011-08-22T15:27:00.001+02:00

A returning customer wanted a small princess and something to do with cupcakes, so it’s now on it’s way in the post together with a few other orders from last week.

And yesterday I sold a polymer macrone bracelet that I made earlier for a How to-post.

Off to your new homes:)

WEEKENDS OFF

2011-08-21T14:40:00.001+02:00

Perfect Sunday hangover lunch with my boyfriend♥

I felt like baking a mint green lemon cake. Yes!

And doing a wee bit of embroidery.

I love having weekends off again!

PRODUCTION FOR MARKETS!

2011-08-19T15:31:00.001+02:00

In November and Desember I’ll be participating at different markets here in Bergen. Today I started the first round of production. I’m making “Pimp My Raggsokk”:)

A nice grandmother at Bømlo likes to knit, and she is knitting a whole lot of wooly socks for me which I later on will decorate with lace, bowties and pictures of Elvis. YES:D I made her a quick sketch of my plans and a note desicribing sizes and so on.

So today she got a bag full of yarn and started knitting, while I was rounding up the last few illustration orders for this week. Yay!

WASHING UP GLOVES

2011-08-16T10:01:00.001+02:00

Some weeks ago I got an email from a well known designer chainstore in Norway about Hummer & Kanari’s washing up gloves that are made by me and Birthe R.

And yesterday we went to meet them here in Bergens about them _maybe_ taking our pimped washing up gloves in stock. But you never know, things might go in any direction, money is always an issue. I hope it works out and that both them and us get a deal we are comfortable with. If it works out at all

This is huge if it works out, but I dare not get my hopes up or it will be a classic case of “too good to be true”. Or maybe not No, no more thinking about it, concentrate on the work that needs to be done today. Yes.

DR SKETCHY: NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS

2011-08-15T20:40:00.001+02:00

Sunday I was at Dr Sketchy Anti Art School at Garage, and here are some of my drawings for their Nightmare Before Christmas tribute.

Dr. Finklestein in his modified weelchair.

Sally in her rag doll bathing suit I sketched up between sessions, don’t know if it counts. I coloured it in more throughly when I got home, so this is not a 5 min or 10 min sketches like the other ones here.

Task was to implement a Christmas item to the pose on stage Think this was a 10 min pose, not sure.

It’s so difficult to start drawing reality again after I have been working with characters and imaginary things for so long. I had to concentrate to actually keep looking at the models after the first few pencil strokes, so that my mind wouldn’t wander and make up my own things instead.

But I had to give Dr. Finklestein his beak and large head even if the model didn’t have one. A bit of tweaking should be encouraged

I got so absorbed by the drawings, and since there was alcohol involved I felt so exhausted by the end of the session that my brain was coming out of my ears. Then all I was capable of was messing about with ink pens.

The group who arranges Dr Sketchy here in Bergen had done a good job with both costumes, make up and and the playlist All covers from different songs from “Nightmare Before Christmas.” I wanted Oogie Boogie to be on stage too, but then it wouldn’t be drawing from life then would it. I I desperately need to practise drawing from life again, yes.

Danny Elfman’s finest hour. What a brilliant mind and voice that man has.

EXPLOSIVE START

2011-08-12T13:45:00.001+02:00

As if they all knew I was wondering where my next pay was to come from, (probably they did?) this week has brightened up things massively with new tasks and orders:) Illustrating for both Fjord 1 and Barn i Byen, four private orders for drawings, working with spin off products for Trøysteboka, and preparing for an exciting meeting on Monday. What a start after working so long with only one project since around March! KABOOM! Back to your desk:D

Yay!

OFF TO THE PRINTERS

2011-08-07T16:42:00.001+02:00

Celebrations has been in order, and the pdf for the insides of Trøysteboka has been sent to the printers. The cover and endpapers will be finished up tomorrow by me and Silje N.

This has taken so many hours, alot more than I get paid, but I like to believe it’s worth it. It’s my baby But I think that is every artist’s doom, NEVER start counting the hours. At the same time I think we should, but I don’t have time to be the one on the barricades, then that would be my job instead. But the graphic designer (and musician) for Skald put it quite neatly when I told her the hours I’ve put into this; “There is no point in me as a musician to go on stage and only play one song and then leave because of what I am paid, it’s better to do an amazing concert that might lead to other gigs.”

And I agree. To a point. Since 2006 I have done three huge bookprojects that took half a year each, countless freelance illustrations for magazines and newspapers, and I’m at work around the clock. I’m grateful that I have commissions, don’t get me wrong, only the hours never seem to shorten for each project. Actually it gets worse beacuse you want what you do to be GREAT. I wouldn’t have done it any other way, I want to feel I have really done my best.

But what scares me is that whenever I read interviews with other Norwegian illustrators, usually the ones that have been doing this for 20-30 and 40 years, they almost always say; “I have the best job in the world, but it doesn’t pay well.” Yay. What a future

Now I’m quite broke, because I haven’t been able to accept new commissions while working with Trøysteboka, and we finished about a month later than planned, which also didn’t do much good for my economy. Luckily I have my beautiful private customers and Epla-customers that kept me fed trough this last month! You don’t know how much you supported me buying my work.

I’m probably in a “post-huge-bookproject-vacuum” now, maybe it’ll look a bit brighter when I get back to work tomorrow and can send an invoice for the rest of the fee for the book.

VACATION!!

2011-08-06T09:49:00.001+02:00

We finished the main piece of giant book project last Thursday and have been celebrating ever since. The graphic designer, Silje Nes, brought champagne to encourage us to finish, and it was popped at 10.45pm Wednesday 27th of July. Altough, after we got sober again the next day we started finding little mistakes here and there haha

While I have been absorbed in this project for several months my lovely boyfriend from Katapult Media planned a little roadtrip for us before I finish up the cover for Trøysteboka. A small recap:

Over Hardangervidda we ended up in a ralley called Garbage Run with 260 cars from Holland, good fun and quite a different way to travel in Norway, with people sitting on the roofs of their cars drinking in 80km/h… Hmm.

We went to a birthday party and family gathering in Asker…

Met up with my editor in Oslo and did some more work on Trøysteboka over a milkshake at Ryes

Stayed with painter Grete Berg Stenmark in Sandefjord, whom I met while I lived in Paris. (This is her studio!)

And her garden looks like some fairy tale place in a story book.

She had an art school for kids while we were there, that we also had fun attending

And lots of wine and good company with other artists and musicians that also lived there with us.

Sun and sea in Stavern, I took this picture before this old sailor decided to befriend us

Cute little houses in Mandal..

Pittoresque lace curtains in Flekkefjord..

It was my friend’s birthday so we took this picture and wished her a happy birthday..

I got my wish granted; to read books while relaxing and watching the ocean. (This is in Sola.)

In Bryne we met up with illustrator Miss Talseth that I got to know at Grilldagene in Oslo in March..

And on our way home we found this sign at a gas station that said “ You are astounding”

At the same gas station in the middle of nowhere we actually met some friends of mine from Bergen, we were so shocked we couldn’t stop laughing. As random as it gets I think, this place was not exactly on the main road.

Then we visited my parents and sister in Os and now we are home. I’m taking one more day off, only baking cupcakes for a friend’s party and attending it in a leopard dress, and then it’s back to work with the cover for Trøysteboka tomorrow.

♥

2011-07-26T17:57:00.001+02:00

I think I’m having the cozyest time at work thoughout this project with illustrating “Trøysteboka”. I’m sketching up the cover now (lots of creatures comforting eachother) and listening to Múm.

I needed this, it was all so sad now after what happened in Oslo on Friday.

When words don’t suffice.

2011-07-23T13:32:00.001+02:00

-------
There is actually no room for hate in my heart right now. I’m filled with so much care for the survivors, victims and their families that it overshadows anything else.

21 STORIES INKED AND WATERCOLOURED

2011-07-22T13:55:00.001+02:00

PUH!

Now, at 13.38 Friday 22th of July I managed to finish all the illustrations for the stories in Trøysteboka. Time to rejoice!! Or…? Now comes the editing. The drawings I want to re-do, the drawings that needs more work, and some things that just didn’t work out and need to be drawn differently. And finishing up the cover. This needs to be done in exactly one week. WHOOHAA!:D

YAY:D:D

THE WEEKLY MONSTER

2011-07-20T15:44:00.001+02:00

A friend of mine from London wrote in her Facebook-status: “DON’T google giant squid eye.” So I did, and here’s the result of what that lead to.

ALMOST THERE:D

2011-07-19T14:59:00.001+02:00

I just HAD to see what it would look like if I spread out all the work I’ve done the last few months. (And I have still a few more stories to go for “Trøysteboka” with Skald publishing house, but as said: almost there.) Doing this made me feel much better about finishing this project, the strain has been almost unbearable the last few weeks, but now I can see an end to the whole thing and it looks GREAT:D YAY!!

DRAWING MONSTERS

2011-07-17T11:44:00.001+02:00

Saturday I participated at Made in Bergen’s “Chocolate Olympics”, where kids could come and play and attend different games and win chocolate medallions:) Made in Bergen is a shop at Holmedalsgården filled with quirky and fun designs from several of my former co-students at KHIB, worth a visit. I had a monster drawing course there where the kids left with many scary end products. Good fun.

The girl who made this told me it was a monster inside a monster with dots. The best title for a monster this time was “Screaming Ass Monster” that another kid drew, haha:D

I had a stall as well, although the monster drawing took most of my attention. I sold a few pictures and t-shirts, and met many talkative and great people that had a good laugh of some of the things I had written on my illustrations.

The fair was held at Holmedalsgården at Bryggen in Bergen, a cozy space that should be used more by the public. So calm and so central with some cute little shops surrounding it. Looking forward to the next fair here:)

THE LUCKY WINNERS:)

2011-07-14T15:34:00.001+02:00

With a little help from Roar & Ronny at Katapult Media whom I’m sharing office with we now have 5 lucky winners! Wheeee:D

I have contacted the ones that won, hooray!!

SHORT STORY COMPETITION

2011-07-11T11:49:00.001+02:00

In August I’m illustrating the short story that wins Fjord1 writing competition. Dealine for text in any genre is 1st of August. So if you feel you have a blooming writer in you, send your poem/short story/epic novel to Fjord1. They would love to hear from you! The winner gets a trip and stay at beautiful hotel Walaker, including getting your text published. Read more about the contest here.

(Examples of earlier work made for different published texts.)

Good luck:)

KILLER KLOWNS GIVEAWAY!

2011-07-08T14:18:00.001+02:00

I have a few t-shirts for both kids and grown ups waiting for a good home. (If you are not afraid of pocorn, that is.)

Popcorn has never been so evil

I am giving away five of the t-shirts with my own version of a Killer Klown that I got fresh from the printers just minutes ago. Please leave your contact details/blogadress in the commentary field in this post and five winners will be picked at random. Giveaway closing at midnight Wednesday 13th of July.

These to are examples of size 4/6 yrs, and adult Small. Happy hunting

SHIP O’HOY

2011-07-07T17:19:00.001+02:00

I’m finishing up a story about an old sailor finding new love, and here is a sneak preview at his (maybe) future soulmate. It still needs more work, but the scene itself is in place. To make her a link to his own life filled with ships and sailing, I made her clothing line from a wooden hoist, thick rope and her bedsheets as a “sail”. I can’t wait to see this story with the text laid out. IIiiihh!

TEA, JEFF BECK AND SWALLOWS

2011-07-06T12:19:00.001+02:00

I’m listening to Imelda May and Jeff Beck’s album “Live at the Iriduim” out loud while illustrating a story called “Rita Forever”. I’ve made the story rockabilly/sailor style all the way trough, this is certainly one of my gems for “Trøysteboka”.

Ah, what a splendid day at work.:)

OLD ROCKABILLY DRAWINGS

2011-07-03T20:03:00.001+02:00

I found this one all lost and forgotten at the bottom of my drawer today. I love the imagery, but never got around to finish it up, something always came up. Since im coloring in some others tomorrow I’ll include her.

It’s on an A3 sheet, that’s probably why I never finished it, it’s larger than my “normal” drawings and takes longer to finish. But all the work for the book I’m making is on A3, so it’s less intimidating now.

PRETENDING IT’S SUMMER

2011-07-02T08:43:00.001+02:00

I’m drawing flaming rockabilly hearts for a story, fits in nicely with the the whole Heart Shaped Goodies –theme I’m apparently in for the moment. I took it further by making heart shaped crisp bread too haha! With salad flames I’ll post the whole process nest week.

Gin Tonic bubbles, didn’t have lime so I used lemon instead. It looked so refreshing with the blue straw! I’m certainly into color for the moment, all my drawings are radiating with bright colors too.

We keep pretending it’s summer, (maybe that’s the reason for all the bright colors in my drawings) that’s how I go the flu too. Staying in my balcony or someone elses balcony just beacuse it’s supposed to be warm outside now doesn’t make it so.

Now I’m defying both nature and flu and going to my office to scan my work for Trøysteboka.

THE WEEKLY MONSTER: “COFFEE AND SIGARETTES”

2011-06-30T12:57:00.001+02:00

Ok, I don’t smoke, so coffee it is then.

HEART SHAPED GOODIES

2011-06-29T21:00:00.001+02:00

I had to make a visit to the office today to pack and post a few orders, and try to stay on top of things even if I’m down with the flu. Some things can’t be helped. I needed to scan some of the spreads for the book I’m working on, and do some office work so that when I come back I wont be recieved by a huge pile of work with a big blinking red light on top of it.

Since I saw there were heartstickers in the photo above, I wanted to post more heart shaped goodies. These are Non Stop Chocolate Cookies I made for my neighbour’s son’s birthday last Friday, and I’ve been wanting an excuse to post the photos

The recipe I got from fellow KHIB student Caroline over at Good Cupcakes Good, yummy! (I changed 100gr of chocolate with Non Stop btw.) She is on a mission to try out different coockie recipes, and this is nr 6 of 500.

They came out really crunchy on the outside, and softer on the inside, and now there is none left.

RAIN & THUNDER

2011-06-28T20:43:00.001+02:00

I’s actually quite nice to be indoors when it’s raining like mad outside.

We live in a loft, and it sometimes feels more like a tent with the rain hammering the windows.

And when the imagery I’m working on is a fantasy jungle it’s actually quite cosy.

WATERCOLOR TREE-MAN

2011-06-27T10:44:00.001+02:00

This is a tree-man from one of the stories for Trøysteboka that is soon half way to the printers. I won’t meet the deadline 1st of July, but close enough.

The brush is a japanese calligraphy brush, and when I discovered it by accident (got it from my mother in law that thought it was just a normal brush) I was THRILLED! It might look to large and clumsy for fine details, but this brush is the best discovery ever. The tip goes back into the finest point after a stroke, and that makes it valuable in my book.

It’s extremely soft and works with watercolor in an organic and beautiful way, you don’t ever see hard brushstrokes. (If that is sometning you are trying to avoid on a certain motive.) And when I work on a motive that needs the same stroke and color but goes from large to tinytinytiny details it saves me from the meeting brushstrokes that usually annoys me if I have to change brushes. I was actually surprised over how steady it was to use, I was expecting to mess up the test sheet because of the bulky soft tip. It took a while to get used to though, because it was so different from normal watercolor brushes, but it was worth it

I’m not sure what hairs the tip is made from, but it’s supposed to be goat. (A black, very soft goat apparently. Guess it’s dyed.)