Tiger Sneaking Through Grass, SOLD ink on rice paper

This painting is done after an instruction book by Jean Long and I hope I do no shame to the old tradition in chinese brush painting of learning by copying.This is my first tiger so I felt that the safest but will try to make my own compositions later as I get more experienced in tigers.

Struggling with a cold today, I did not very much have the energy for innovative work tonight.

Unfortunately I do believe I will have to cancel showing off my paintings together with the activities tomorrow when they light the Christmas tree. Probably wise to stay indoors and get enough rest and liquids for my cold.

Tiger Sneaking Through Grass,

ink on rice paper

23x33cm

SOLD

Running Horse, ink on rice paper

I have still far to go when it comes to painting horses but I am improving. :-)

Running Horse,

ink on rice paper

23x33cm

$20 p&p worldwide included

Komodo Dragon, ink on silk(fake)

Lovely visit from my daughter today: take a look at the end of this post and you will see what a fantastic thing she has made for her mum. One gift per day included. Don't I have a lovely daughter?

Komodo Dragon,

ink on silk(fake)

size approx 25x35cm

$ 70 p&p worldwide included

Tidying up His Feathers, ink on shuen paper

Tidying up His Feathers,

ink on shuen paper 23x34cm

$50 p&p worldwide included

Monkey 2 and 3, ink on shuen paper

I had another sale today, An ACEO of 3 dragonflies I made in May. Totally unexpected so even lovelier for that reason.

At the crafts fair I've had a nice time. Lot of interest in the chinese brush painting. In addition to the paintings I had displayed mounted and framed I also had theA3 binder with 40 plastic sheets meaning it contained 80-90 works. Several persons browsed through the entire portefolio and asked questions. I had no sales but that was expected. People usually buy the less expensive things on the fairs but look at the rest and contact us privately later whne they want or need for example a birthday present. Of course it would have been lovely to have lots of red dots but that is the way things work locally here.

The lady responsible for the Gautefall Sentral, a shop in connection with the Alpine Center brought with her 4 of my works which she will display and try to sell there.

I also got invitations for an art exhibition in mid Desember at the Alpine Hotel. i do not know yet whether I will attend. Time will tell.

The Basset 2 posted below here got a home though today. A little girl stood there gazeing at it and then told me it reminded her so of her dog that had recently passed away. Of course it only took me one second to understand where the home of this painting was.

Here are two more monkeys and a couple of mice I practiced painting on silk. Not the same as paper - very interesting.

Monkey 2,

ink on shuen paper

23x34cm paper

$50 p&p worldwide included

Monkey 3,

ink on shuen paper

23x34cm

$50 p&p worldwide included

Mice on silk satin

Monkey 1, ink on shuen paper

Sitting for 6 hours at the exhibition today I ended up painting a rabbit ( which I unfortunately can not show you because I gave it away to two children, sister and brother who ended up watching me. ) I was very happy that I brought my brushes and ink because time do stretch out when you sit there and since I quit smoking last year I do not even go outside to smoke. Last year I spent 3 days looking at visitors and mentally trying to get them to look at my displayed paintings. The disappointments when people do not look is hard to take hour after hour even though it is quite normal that some like this and some like that and some isn't interested in fine art at all. This year by painting and demonstrating I avoided that nevrotic attitude towards the visitors LOL. Yepp, I am exaggerating but you get my point, it is like watching milk boil. The best thing is to relax and not fret.

Monkey 1

ink on shuen paper

papersize approx 23x34 cm

$50 p&p worldwide included.

If interested, just contact me to get a confirmation that it is still available and then you can pay using the paypal button to your right.

Basset 1 and 2 and Shihtzu, ink on shuen paper

Today I exlored using ink a bit differently and found it pleasing. I'll probably do more in this style.

Another purchase inquiry came though tonight and my "heron - cocky teenager" will be travelling to Southern California, lucky he going to the land of the sun and warmt hehe. That makes it the third week in a row where I send several paintings across the Atlantic.

The start of the exhibition went nicely although with fairly few visitors. One of the churches also opened their Christmas market tonight and they are in the community center while we are in the outskirts. Hopefully tomorrow we will be flooded hehe. The exhibition looks good though and I have already bough a few Christmas gifts myself.

Basset 2

ink on shuen paper

size 23x32 cm

On the exhibition November the 25th This young girl came to my stand and looked at my work. She then told me that this painting so reminded her of her dog that had recently passed away. When asking her she told me that was only days ago. It only took me 2 seconds to be absolutely sure where this painting belonged. LOL. " Gran, gran, she run away yelling :-).

I was very happy that one of my paintings got the perfect home.

Basset 1

ink on shuen paper

23x32 cm

$50 p&p worldwide included

Shihtzu, ( at least that is what I believe the breed is called)

ink on shuen paper

approx 23x34cm

$50 p&p worldwide included

Landing version 1, ink + Setting up the Guild's fair

Landing version 1,
ink on rice paper
23x34cm
$40 p&p worldwide included



Today we put up the tables and shelves and displays for the local Art and Crafts Guild's Christmas exhibition. I will change the one with the bird paintings on. It is so hard when you stand there cramed to get it totally right so there is always a bit of adjustments before the opening the first day. I must admit I am weary though and I do not only think about the next three days with joy sitting there hoping people will look at my work. The worst thing is left though and must be done tonight; making the pricelist. Wish me luck in deciding on the right ones.

"Fawn1", "Fawn Hiding in Leaves", ink on rice paper

Finally getting ready for the exhibition. I even got a very nice surprice today. I have delivered 5 paintings for professional framing and I did not believe that they would be ready for a couple of weeks yet but today I got an sms saying they were ready. I also got info that I get lots of space on the exhibition so I can bring more works along and display them with more air. I'll just decide when I get there. What looks right in my home light does look very differently in a different room.

Fawn Hiding in Leaves,

ink on Japanese rice paper

23x34cm

Alt 1: unmounted and unframed for travel aourn the world to avoid high postage and danger of glass daming the paper: $50

Alt 2: mounted and framed with more special packaging. $130

Fawn1

ink on Japanese rice paper

23x34cm

$40

Koala - in Mama's Arms, ink on rice paper

This one I will display with a mount and a frame on the fair. Whoever asks for it first, visitors there or you people around the globe will get it.

Koala - in Mama's Arms,

ink on rice paper

23x34cm

$50 p%p worldwide included

Today I am so tired that getting things done is really hard. I checked out the paintings I planned to bring to the fair and exchanged a few. I find it hard to chose which ones. My eyes hurt and I do not look forward to tomorrow. I have accepted two extra classes tomorrow too because several of our collegues are away. Tonight I really should have graded some ESL tests and papers but I do not want to do that when I am so tired because I want my students to have the advantage of a positive and fairly rested person evaluating them. One of the problems is that most of this work is in classfronter - a learning platform and thus I have to read the students' works on a pc screen which is wearing my eyes down.





Well that was my complaining done. Except from that I have had a lovely afternoon with my daughter and her boyfriend visiting, talking and eating muffins. :-)

"Grumpy" and "Possum", ink on japanese rice paper

Tonight I was not sure which of my paintings I should show you. In the end I decided on these ones. I might mount and frame the bear for the fair. problem is that I am not sure how much space I've got. I'd better check that out tomorrow.

I sure hope you like wildlife because I seem to be making mostly that these days

Grumpy,


ink on japanese rice paper


23x34cm


$ 50 p&p worldwide included









"Possum",
ink on japanese rice paper
23x34cm
$30 p&p worldwide included

waterfall, ink on shuen paper

Waterfall

ink on shuen paper

23x34 cm

$50 p&p worldwide included.

Finally yesterday I finished preparing for the Christmas fair this weekend. Now all I need are a few nails to use when hanging my work up. Of course we only have a limited space each so to show what I have been doing the last half year I decided to invest in this big binder with thick plactic sheets and cardboard to put inside. My daughter saw it when she visited last and told me it looked very professional. And of course it is made using recycled paper.

I am satisfied with it myself because by putting different coloured cardboard inside the plastic sheets I not only stiffen it up which preservs the work better, I also give a fake mounted impression and that might help possible viewers imagine how the work will look mounted and framed.

Even though it was very expensive ($ 35 for the binder and nearly 3 for the sheets and in addition the cardboard), I consider getting one per half year to protect my work and to be portefolios for possible buyers and help myself find the right work when you send your purchase inquiries LOL.

If I continue ot be a daily painter and I plan on doing that, then if I add sketches and studies and such as well I end up with around 500 pieces a year and only a few sell so I need to find good ways to store and protect mywork.

Together - Me and My Mum, ink on japanese rice paper

Another thank you to somesai at Flickr for her being kind and allowing me use of her photos as reference.


This one I made a so and so framing with for the guild's fair so that a possible buyer can take it out and mount it in an oriental way if he or she would like that.


This weekend I have spent a lot of my time getting ready for the fair. It is amazing how much time passes just sorting through works and trying to decided which one to put in what frame and which mount etc etc. Since this is to be hung on Thursday, the local mount makers are not too happy about questions about specially made sizes this late, so all in all - same procedure as every time. Too late and stressing like mad. I have no less than 5 paintings at the framer - none will be finished in time. Well, there is other places and other times to show them. I find myself not taking this so serious this time and hopefully that means that I will not focus on sales that much but just enjoy showing off my work and talking to other artists.


Together - Me and My Mum,
ink on japanese rice paper
23x33cm

$100 p&p worldwide included

King of the forest + More Deer. 9 and 10, ink

King of the Northern Forest
ink on shuen paper
23x34cm
$50



Deer 9
ink on rice paper
23x34cm
$40
Deer 10
ink on rice paper
23x34cm
$40

I also have to show you a pphoto of the fantastic sunsets we have had lately

Prince of the Northern Forest, ink on shuen paper

Prince of the Northern Forest,

ink on shuen paper

23x34cm

nfs yet because I think it might be just the thing a previous customer is looking for as a present.

Deer 5, 7 and 8, ink on japanese rice paper

Tonight I have had a wonderful time practicing painting deer. Sorry I am not able to find better names tonight.

Deer 5

Each are

ink on japanese ride paper 23x34cm

$30 postage worldwide included

Deer 7

'

Deer 8

Pandas (SOLD) + Chickadee + more Chicks, ink on ricepaper

This first one is at resent on its way to Massahusets along with the lizard pair and the panda I posted in October which is in the similar style. I want to thank somesai and her fantastic photos on flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/somesay/ again which she kindly allowed me to use for reference when practicing painting pandas.




Sue M posted a lovely carolina chickadee to the group reference photos for artists - http://www.gather.com/viewImage.jsp?fileId=3096224744462530
of course I had to have a go. It did not turn out perfect but nice enough for a sketch.


Finally here are two more of the miniature chicks I did last week.

Heron - Cocky teenager, ink on rice paper - SOLD

This one I painted at the same time as the "young and shy". I found it having quite a different personality and posture. :-)

Heron - cocky teenager

ink on japanese rice paper

23x34cm

Sold and travelled to California

Squirrel card, ink on shuen paper

Earlier today I looked at a lovely squirrel photo taken by Angela M at gather.com. And she was nice enough to allow me to use her photos as references for practicing squirrels in ink. See her here. I plan on doing more. LOL As some of you may have noticed, I have 10 times more plans than I have time for.

A lovely thing happened today. A lovely lady from Massahusets contacted me today and bought no less than 4 cnihese brush paintings as a christening present. I felt honored and am very happy to think about my work maybe brightening up a childs walls. She bought 3 panda paintings and the pair of lizards.

It still brings me such joy thinking about my "kids" getting proper homes instead of living in a stack at my house.

Heron - young and shy, ink on rice paper

Today I felt that I am breaking throughs

somewhat on the chinese brush painting or sumie as some call it ( sumi = ink in japanese). I feel that I have enough of the traditional style but also enough of my own style in it. I feel that the results begin to show the style I am searching for. A style where I hopefully do not break the traditional rules too much but also where my figures or birds also get some kind of personality so that the result also has some of the characteristics of cartoons. Time will show. Anyway I really hope you will like this one.

By the way, the red seal mark says "Still learning"

Heron - young and shy

ink on rice paper

23x34 cm

$50 p&p worldwide included.

Blue Orchid, acrylics 30x40cm

Tonight I wanted to work on something different than the thin paper and the ink of the chinese brush painting. I therefore chose to cover a canvasboard with black and then go for a kind of light effects on this black surface. The effects turned out Ok even though I am not 100 % satisfied with the flower itself.

Blue Orchid

acrylics on canvasboard 30x40cm

$ 100 postage and packing worldwide included

Below are two chick paintings in ink. I hope you like this miniature sketches.

Chicks skating on ice LOL.

Lizards and bugs, ink on rice paper (Lizard pair is SOLD)

Heteroptera - True Bugs
The name Heteroptera, derived from the Greek "hetero-" meaning different and "ptera" meaning wings, refers to the fact that the texture of the front wings is different near the base (leathery) than at the apex (membranous).

Number of Families 73 Number of Species >50,000

This is what I enjoyed painting tonight along with lizards. From the number of interesting species with lovely different shapes and colours and patterns I have more than enough variation to chose from should I want to work more on this order.

lizard pair (SOLD)

ink on ricepaper

A4 approx, $30

Lizard, ink on rice paper, A4, $30

Heteroptera - tege ( Norwegian) among pink flowers

14x23cm

$10

Tege 2 among stones, ink on rice paper

15x15cm

$15

Tege 3

ink on rice paper

12x12cm

$10