It's been a long time!

New year, new goals, new lots of things. This blog has been inactive for far too long now, and it's time to do something about it. I have a challenge going on with a friend, (visit Anna's blog here), that every day we do some kind of artistic activitiy, even if it's jus a five minute sketch.

Last week end we went to sketch crawl with some awesome artists which was awesome to get back into the saddle. We spent a few hours in the amazing Citykonditoriet, Stockholm, which has marvellous interiors. Great for drawing.

View from our summer house

I'm back. It's been a long summer and I've spent my tim enjoying the short but beautiful swedish summer, rather than updating my blog. We spent a few weeks at our summer house by the lake, where we have this gorgeous view.



In watercolor (Winsor Newton, artist's quality, don't remember what kind of paper though)



In ink (Lamy Safari pen, on some crappy paper I found in a cupboard)



And as comparison, the same subject from three years back. What do you say? Personally I must say that I think I've done a bit of progress since then!

Join the fight for a better world...

In the words of my friend Anna:

"A world in peace. Where we take care of our planet so future generations may live in prosperity also. Where we have sustainabiltity, or even "thriveability". Where all humans have an equal value. Where animals are treated with love and respect. And where Moleskin makes Watercolor Notebooks in portrait formats! Well, you have got to start somewhere... so start by joining the facebook group We would love to see a Moleskine Watercolor Notebook in PORTRAIT format started by Nina Johansson, today!"

I couldn't have said it better myself.

For Ebba

 

I know a girl named Ebba. This is a portrait I did of her, at the coffee shop where I had coffee with her mother. She wasn't very cooperative as a model, so I took her picture with my iPhone and used it as a reference.

 

This is Ebbas doll (yes, I have coffee with her mom every now and then), which is called Julia.

Everyday in May 21-31

It feels like I have crossed the finishing line in a big race or something. When I started out I had no idea it would be this challenging to do a EDM challenge every day. But I did it. And here are my final drawings for this challenge - ten challenges in the same post, must be a new record for me!



EDM 21 - something old
Welcome to my home town, Stockholm. Founded in the 13th century, I's say it certainly counts as something old.



EDM 22 - a piece of clothing
My son's jacket.



EDM 23 - my foot



EDM 24 - fruit, EDM 25 - a glass, EDM 26 - a vegetable



EDM 27 - anything
EDM 28 - an appliance. This is our television showing the winner of the Eurovision song contest. For those of you not familiar with the eurovision I'll just say that it is the second biggest TV-event after the Super Bowl, and it's a music contest. This year Germany won, and rightfully so, they had a great song and a great singer)
EDM 29 - a book. Getting things done, by David Allen. This is something I need to learn very badly. How will I find time to actually read the book?



EDM 30 - a chair. In bright sunlight, so very hard do draw, but i managed to get a bit of our new mini deck in the drawing too. Very pleased.
EDM 31 - something I collect. Can't say I really collect anything (but I wouldn't mind some of these extremely cute mugs with Moomin characters on them). But, well yes, I couls say I collect good times with my friends, and they usually include coffe. Hence the coffee mug.

Everyday in May 18-20

I'm still drawing, but not photographing and posting (however it's more of a challenge to keep up with the drawing too). Here are a few drawings, and there's more to come.

 

EDM 18 - the view from a window. This is the view from the café where I happened to be sitting on the 18th of May. Boring. My computer screen in the foreground.

 

EDM 19 - something I made. This is a rune stone. I made it as a special assignment in high school ages ago. That is, I found a stone with the right shape (well in the viking days they would obviously shape the stone too, but I didn't go that far), and researched a proper formulation, and then chiselled it and finally painted in white paint to make the inscription stand out. The inscription says something like "Johanna made these runes for her self". In the viking days most rune stones were made in memory of someone who died, but there were a few that were more "ego" like this one. These days it resides in our garden.

 

EDM 20 - dad. This is my father, who just happened to visit us on May 20. My dad happens to be one of my biggest fans, so I am happy to post a drawing of him here. Dad, I love you!

Everyday in May 13-17

 

EDM 13, My phone - I had planned to post it from my phone, just to prove a point. I might be silly, but ok, I'll go for silly, I just love my iPhone. It was a birthday gift from my husband. Has anyone noticed that he gives me fantastic gifts? (The earring from this post was also a gift from him.)

 

EDM 14, What you see in the morning when you get up. Unfortunately this is not my window, it's the window in my parents guest room, whom I visited last week end. But isn't it a gorgeous window? I experimented with some masking fluid, but it didn't work well at all with the paper in my sketch book, so it got pretty messy. I might ink the drawing eventually, and see if it turns out better.

 

EDM 15, A leaf. In the park, I asked my daughter and her friend to bring me some leafs to draw, and this is what they came back with. I have no idea what kind of leaf it is, though.

 

I guess this one is a WIP. I think I want to add something to it, maybe another challenge, or I might color it. But for now this is what it is.

EDM 16, A (favourite) tool. Not sure it's my favourite tool, but it's handy and I bring it with me in my pen case wherever I go, so it was there for me to draw.
EDM 17, A musical instrument. I played the flute for about ten years, when I was in school. Now I don't any more, there is just no time. And again, when there is time I prefer to draw. Maybe someday I'll take it up again.