R.I.P Dennis Hopper

A great one has left us. I probably can’t say more intelligent or touching things about him than already have been said. I think Easy Rider and the lifestyle of Hopper and his ilk had a deep and lasting influence on today’s culture and counterculture. What’s probably greater, he did what he felt like, and was good at it most of the time. Check out his paintings and photography if you haven’t.

In interviews he claimed that his drive behind painting and doing photography is that he wants to leave something behind that lasts. But while his art is good, he left the most lasting impressions on the world by just being himself. Of course, being driven was an impotant part of it.

My most poignant memory about him would be that saturday afternoon I watched The Last Movie and fiercely tried to enjoy it, while the rest of the family kept complaining about that “awful waste of two hours”. I think I was in my late teens and had seen Easy Rider recently. He was not even of my generation, I’ve been born 1972.

For a few moments I was contemplating doing some sort of commemorative art. But again, what could I do that hasn’t been done? Also, I can’t draw a harley. So I’m going to honour a wild one by being wild. I had an automatic drawing session today and post the results, which I wouldn’t normally do. And yes, I’m gonna drink more than one beer in his honour as soon as opportunity arises. When I do those I scribble or paint with closed eyes until it feels enough, then I paint over this what I feel like.

Some time ago I wanted to stop that separation between private and public art, seems I haven’t gone as far on this path as I told myself I did. It’s people like Dennis Hopper who remind me what joy there is in being wild, being myself. Probably we’d better not go as far in this as he did at times, but I know I could use some more of his spirit.

Two pics without title

Black ink and acrylics on watercolour paper, the first one raw the second one coated with white acrylic paint first.
Size: 17*24 cm

Freestyle Weaving Tutorial Part 6: Going Wild with Weaving

For the time being, this is the sixth and last instalment of my tutorial series on needleweaving. See my page all about needleweaving for links to the first 5 parts and related stuff.

One of the most beautiful aspects of needleweaving is that the warp doesn’t need to be straight. Here I show how to do a piece with circular warp, but it can go any direction. Also, the cardboard frame and therefore the shape of the finished piece can be any shape.

I have been using the same cardboard frame I used for my last piece. Here you see the circular warp anchored in the backstitches at the sides.

Fix the warp in place by weaving arround the middle a few times.

At the bottom of the piece, I added straight threads. They will act as warp, so the weft will go up and down not from right to left in this area. I wove those threads into the spiderweb. All layers should be interwoven so that the finished piece won’t fall apart.

Next I started weaving the black frame. You don’t need to do such a frame, I wanted it for the look. About one centimeter should be done in canvas binding arround the whole piece for stability, but this can be done using the normal working threads as well, especially when these borders will be hidden in the finished article.

The middle of the spiderweb was not filled with circular weaving, I wove spokes which are meant to be sun rays. Note how some on them project into the border. The black border was woven at the same time in these places.

The finished Piece. Note the weaving direction in the part representing the ground. It goes up and down over the secondary warp in brown thread. The violet and yellow above the brown soil was woven to and fro into the warp coming from the spiderweel.

Finish !!

Rose in the Rain

Acrylics and stitching with cotton floss on mulbery paper.
Size: 28*40 cm

So i finally managed to finish something, or at least think so. I always find it hard to know where to stop with free embroidery, but I do think I am done on this one. I’m not yet sure if I should present this behind glass or glue it onto a box canvas and seal it. Suggestions? Probably this will be decided when/if I ever get round to having a show.

Stitching on paper was a new experience, but a fun one. I think I’ll be doing this again, but next time I’ll probably glue the paper on muslin for stability or go for proper fabric paper in the first place. It got rather soft from handling by the time I was done. I did take in progress shots, posts about the process will follow.

I designed this and started work last winter, when I had bad neck pain and headaches for months. I think it shows, and I’m not sure I like that. What do you think?

I’ve Been to Metalfest Austria

Yes, a 4-Day metal festival! There was lots of rain and temperatures < 10 degree celsius, but we met very nice people with a pavilion, camping chairs and a fire, so it didn’t matter. Thank you guys and girls if you read this!

I saw lots of bands, I especially liked Vader, Bolt Thrower, Testament and Behemoth. Korpiklaani were good fun.

Ah it was so good, almost like being young again. The week at work was close to torture, I haven’t been that tired for a long time, but never mind. This sure won’t be my last festival.

Sadly, I had problems with my cam, so there aren’t that many pics to chose from.

Well, the pineapple on the second page contained something very tasty and very alcoholic. After drinking from it I dragged out my sketchbook and sketched that beer. The pineapple is a guest sketch by our neighbor and pineapple donator. Was the only occasion on the festival I was crazy enough to sketch.

The photographer on the stage is the very guy who supplied the pineapple and sketch. Check out www.apesmetal.com for his work.

Another one of our photographer neighbors. I hope you guys don’t mind, but if you want me to take these pics down just say so.

These are Six Feet Under, I think. They did a very good show, and it’s one of the few acceptable band photos I’ve got.