Experimenting with cones

The final results are to be continued... 

In the meantime, check out my post as a guestblogger at Nordic Living!

Packing Madness and Transformers..?

Had a last minute packing crisis for this weekend's lobster fiesta! My time has just flown away the last two weeks. Have been stressed and forgot all about packing for this glorious weekend with friends. Let's just say, came home to routines and everyday life -and it turned out, not quite the way I expected it too. That holiday glow and well-rested being just disappeared instantly.
Our car needed instant service(now I'm trying to sell it), my bike is done, dead and apparently dangerous.. My phone is giving me a hard time, turning on and off on it's own - a lot. My computer hasn't been working properly, especially not when I needed it to and there was no room for error(like during my french course online seminar..on several occassions!). I'm just waiting for the roof to fall down.. and maybe for the coffee machine to spit me in the face. So! I'm leaving for a weekend and it feels good to push that pause button! Ignore the fact that the material/technological things in my life are trying to mess with my wedding plans and sanity! I hope when I get back, it will be as if it never happened.. or that it will just work out in some nice way. Usually things haven't happened all at the same time before.. not like this!

Well, I'm off.. I'm sorry that my vacation updates didn't show up here as planned. I'll make sure to post that as soon as possible. But what can you do when the machines are taking over..

May.. over already?!

I'm finding it really hard to keep up.. with this thing we call time. I mean, what happened with the month of May? Where did it go and where was I??! Yeah, sure.. I've had a lot of things to do the last couple of weeks with the final project in school and all, but still. It just.. Poof! Gone! I can't be the only one thinking and experiencing this.. am I?
Anyway, talking about the project. A few days ago, I sent my illustrations off to become "prints" and some of the illustrations will even get tried out as t-shirt decor. I'm not really sure on how good the printing company I hired is, but it's more for the presentation of the project. If I'm not satisfied with the prints and t-shirt, I can just try a different company at a later time or with another project. The presentation and the final date for the project is due next week. Hopefully all the prints and t-shirts will be done today. So I'll have enough time this weekend to prepare for the presentation. Jippie..exciting stuff!
I'll post my work here in a few weeks, and would love some feedback. So feel free to comment about it. :)

Lotta Kühlhorn - my inspiration

I found this book just as I started my project, this semester. It has been my bible, my star and my inspiration. I've been carrying it around everywhere(my arms are getting strong!). It's called "Rapport! En bok om att göra mönster", and it really is the essentials of pattern making. A real Best-buy! 

Lotta Kühlhorn, a true inspiration and I have made her my unofficial mentor thanks to this book. It's the kind of woman one would like to work with or be an assistant for. Demanding that she has too teach me everyhing she knows. She's incredible and has accomplished a lot, created so many unforgettable patterns. Her book has been a real help, when it comes to measurements, how-to-think and good advice. You can probably tell, she's my Mr.Miyagi. I read the book, wax on.. read the book, wax off!

I don't know if you can buy it in English, but the Swedish version has really opened my eyes for the perfect profession!

School, school, school...

I haven't really had the time to write any posts lately. My project in school is taking a lot of time, and I have less than a month to finish it. And then there's work and training in between the hours spent in school.
My project is very inspired by nature. You can see some of the floral patterns I've been working on above.
This project has been less comics and more illustrations and patterns, suitable for interior design, fabrics and prints. Because I've noticed that's something I really love to work with.
I've also been focusing on my own portfolio and graphic profile. So that I can be ready to create a new website and maybe even my own company. I'm going to spend my summer exploring the possibilities and see what's best. But either way, it's good to create your image before - especially on the web and before you go out looking for jobs/assignments.

Well I'm off to find a press and printing service, before spending my afternoon in school today. So wish me luck(and affordable prices!) and have a lovely day!

Inspo Smoothie - Nutrition

I have found it very good to boost myself with tasty smoothies recently. Especially when I've had a long day in school, after work or just as a pause for energy when I'm working with my project at home. The best time is after a workout. It feels like a good way to pat oneself on the back for the hard work. What it contains, depends on what I have at home.It's easy and packed with healthy berries and fruits, preventing me from getting sick(at least I've made an effort to prevent it!). We bought a blender a while back, and that was a fantastic choice! I'm using it several times a week. My favourite right now is with mainly banana, blackberries and gooseberries. And then I add just a little bit of ginger and cinnamon. Mmm.. yummie!

☆My Project☆

This semester, in school, I'm working with my own project. Focusing a lot on prints, patterns and digital design. Testing different techniques and doing a lot of research for the moment. Gathering images and links on Pinterest that helps me in this project. Although you can't see that board on my profile, love the fact that you can have "Secret Boards"!
Also, I'm keeping an organized chaos here at home as well. Something I haven't really liked or allowed myself before.. But after watching the documentary on Karl Lagerfeld, I've been persuaded that it can be worth trying sometimes(and of course, to a limit!). Apparently, it can lead to greatness if you look at his lifestyle and success, that incredible man. So I'm willing to try it out, a while longer.. haha..
So I'm sorry if I haven't been showing that much of my work recently, but there's just bits and pieces of ideas in this stage. (For the moment I'm using every table and desk in the appartment, with different projects.. I've turned my appartment into a workshop!)
But soon I will have things to show, have been really inspired lately (I have learned some good ways on how to get/stay inspired, that I want to share with you. For times when/if you're stuck and in lack of inspiration, to be creative or just to stay motivated - the tips on that will come in an upcoming post!).

Growing a Tree..Maybe?

My spot

When I have school work to do, I have spent a lot of time working on it at home because I didn't really like my spot/desk space in school. But in the beginning of this semester the people in my class were able to change places if we wanted to, that is. Stuck in old habits, I never did.
But tomorrow we have a Swedish comic book artist, Ola Skogäng, coming to have a lecture for us. Yeah, I'm really looking forward to it and so is the rest of the class. So anyway, I went up to the school to clean my desk and shelf.. and just tidy things and our studio a bit up, a few artists are a bit... messy.. sometimes. "All brilliant people are". But I decided to change my place in the studio, better late than never!
So I moved all my things to a desk with a wall behind it(had a place in the middle of the room before) and then I decorated it. I feel really good about it, and I'm definitely going to do a lot more of my work in school now! The finishing touch, pimped my working table with a Christmas touch! What is Christmas without hugs and Dave Grohl with antlers, I wonder..?! :D

Flash

(Artist: unknown)

And so it has begun.. Today we had our first animation class, we're working in Adobe Flash. I hate that I don't have experience from these things already, and I really worked hard today and thought I understood..but noOoo, I had to start all over! Well, I solved it finally. I'm not showing the result of that, because it's quite embarassing.. and poorly made! So, it's Flash Camp for me! I have to learn this and soon. Just shake this bad start off me and back on the computer. Wish me luck, and if you get any tips or just breathing techniques that work when you're entering the Flash sphere - please, share!

Well, a rough start to the weekend.. but now it can only get better! A beer could probably help.. a be tasty, right.. about.. now..! Ahh.. Have a great weekend!

Ellen Degeneres

Sorry about not writing anything the last days.. I'm a busy bee these days! I'm working on a school assignment that's due on thursday. We're supposed to do different kinds of caricatures of a well-known person/celebrity. I've chosen Ellen Degeneres, she's fun so I thought it would be fun to draw her. I was wrong, but maybe it's just because I'm stressed. I'm doing my best, we'll see how it goes.
The worst part is that I have been a bit too optimistic with the amount of time I need to finish, so right now I really need to focus to get it done! (So why am I writing a blog post right now.. good question.. better continue, break's over!)

Ah, the pressure!

Working on the final school projects 

that needs to be finished before the summer.. 

I just hope I get it all ready in time!

Learn the web

Not the most fun to do, but necessery for me. I'm reading books about how to set up webpages, learning about how to use the web and testing tutorials and excercises. And also, just to mix it up(!?) trying to fully understand InDesign. And it's going ok. I think I will learn more out of practice, but I think it's easier if I get familiar with the right terms first.

This is the plan today, and tomorrow in school as well.. Hoping that I can spend some time painting or sketching new comics and illustrations as soon as I'm finished with this. Luckily, it's summer soon! 

Hope you're having a more enjoyable couple of days!

Chained to the computer..

Poster Teaser

We're supposed to do a poster that represents the education/program. Very much like the t-shirt we got yesterday but at the same time not at all.. The poster should be advertisement for the school, but at the same time something that show my personal interpretation.
It's important to think about:
Everything! Color, font, image/illustration, style, text, angle.. But I think I have a good idea.
What can become of these images you think..?! I'll show you, next week!

Have a nice weekend!

Work in progress...

A school assignment - We're supposed to use an urban legend as a subplot to the mainplot. My mainplot is about a girl who wants success at any price, and she tries to achieve that trough competing in "Masterchef" and she failes miserably.. and she learns the truth.. the hard way! Trough the brilliant but a bit too straight forward Gordon Ramsay's true yet cruel words..

A lot of fun, but time consuming..! The story is ready, all I need to do now is ink the whole 8 pages..