WEEK 3 Part 5 of 5: Lisa Larson The essence of Lisa Larson’s work is FORM. In her ceramics and drawings, she captures the simple form and does not over-work it. That’s the biggest lesson I take away from spending this week with Lisa. The same principle applies to her portraits: Today, capture the simple…
Month: January 2012
Weekly artist exploration/journaling series: Week 3 Part 4 HUMAN FIGURE #LisaLarson #arttherapy
WEEK 3 Part 4: Lisa Larson In this part, we’ll take a look at the more organic human figure sculptures by Lisa. Playing on what we did in Part 3, use a bingo marker again to freely draw a simple human shape. Have the figures arms stretched out. Your sculpting in two-dimension actually. Draw a…
Weekly artist exploration/journaling series: Week 3 Part 3 MARK OUT WORDS ANIMAL FORM #LisaLarson #arttherapy
WEEK 3 Part 3: Lisa Larson Today we’ll take a look at the beautiful simple forms of Lisa Larson’s animals. To get into the mode of looking at form, do some brain gym. Use the following journal exercises to cleanse the mind and quiet it down. Part 1 JUST WRITE Part 2 DRAW OUT THE…
Weekly artist exploration/journaling series: Week 3 Part 2 THE ABC GIRLS #LisaLarson #arttherapy
WEEK 3 Part 2: Lisa Larson Among the most popular Lisa Larson stoneware figures is the collection ABC-Flickor (ABC Girls). When they were first released they caused much debate, since some critics saw them as depicting women with “such lack of respect”, but they quickly become extremely popular, especially among women! SOURCE I LOVE these…
A beautiful surprise in the mail! A book of poems by and from the inspiring Henry Denander!!
THANK YOU, HENRY! I met Henry Denander when he backed my Kickstarter project, Molly! I continue to be inspired as I find out more and more about this talented Swede! Look what I got in the mail today!!! Henry’s The Accidental Navigator: Henry’s poetry is evocative of my fave, Charles Bukowski. How delighted was I…
Weekly artist exploration/journaling series: Week 3 Part 1 This is Lisa #LisaLarson #arttherapy
WEEK 3 Part 1: Lisa Larson Lisa Larson is a Swedish ceramic designer who started at Gustavsberg Porcelain Factory in 1953. Since 1980 she works as a freelance designer and sculptural artist. Browse among Lisa’s classic designs and unique work and read a little more about her and the current production at Keramikstudion Gustavsberg. Latest…
THIS WEEK on artist exploration/journaling series: #LisaLarson #arttherapy
Journaling is really helping me stay focused. Personal art therapy. WEEK 3 INTRO: Lisa Larson I am so inspired by the brilliant Swedish designer, Lisa Larson at Gustavsberg and I can’t wait to explore her work and my relationship to it this week. As I’m busy with my art event today, I’ll do part 1 tomorrow! As an intro,…
Weekly artist exploration/journaling series: Week 2 Part 6 PORTRAIT COFFEE DATE #Picasso #arttherapy
WEEK 2 PART 6: Picasso Last part before we move onto our third artist, Lisa Larson! Invite your journal and a friend out for coffee and draw while you chat. In Picasso-esque style. I had the luxury of spending an hour and a half with my mentor and my dear friend, Laura Mack: Self-portrait: See…
Weekly artist exploration/journaling series: Week 2 Part 5 INFLUENCE #Picasso #arttherapy
WEEK 2 PART 5: Picasso I can’t imagine my world, or our world for that matter, without the presence of PICASSO. Where do you see Picasso’s influence? Write about it or doodle in a Picasso cubist style. Immerse yourself. Here are just a few fun Picasso-isms: My cubist sock monkey: My cubist sock bird: My…
Weekly artist exploration/journaling series: Week 2 Part 4 THE SILENT STUDIO #Picasso #arttherapy #wherewecreate
WEEK 2 PART 4: Picasso Today think about the space where you create. Maybe take a photo of where you are when you create. Personally, I can be anywhere as long as I have some supplies. Being a mom, I have trained myself to work “in total seclusion” in the midst of total chaos and I…
Weekly artist exploration/journaling series: Week 2 Part 3 ART ABOUT ART #LesDemoiselles #Picasso #arttherapy
WEEK 2 PART 3: Picasso Choose your favorite Pablo Picasso piece: I chose Les Desmoiselles d’ Avignon Now open your journal wide and use 2 full pages to reproduce LOOSELY the full piece or part of it. INGEST/DIGEST/REGURGITATE it. ART ABOUT ART. I’m using china marker, dry pastel and, of all things, laundry stain remover spray….
Dad is facing a new challenge! So does art actually heal? @RubbleGallery Jan 21 #fatherdaughter #arttherapy
As Dad enters a new chapter, essentially a new battle for his life (cancer has reappeared), we are grateful that art is helping us process this and is distracting us from the scary road ahead. On Friday, after a scope, I loved watching Dad excitedly get back to his desk to get back to work….
Weekly artist exploration/journaling series: Week 2 Part 2 BREATHING #Picasso #arttherapy
WEEK 2 PART 2: Picasso As we prepare for copying a favorite piece by Picasso, we’ll just have Picasso (as we did with Frida) as a companion as we check in with ourselves. Write for 15 minutes about where you are in the moment. Just stream of consciousness. BREATHE PICASSO Tomorrow we do a “reproduction,” which…
Weekly artist exploration/journaling series: Week 2 Part 1 #Picasso #arttherapy
WEEK 2 PART 1: PICASSO Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life. PABLO PICASSO Picasso is THE ARTIST. THE ONE. My teacher. His personality is maddening. His talent, monstrous. Go to the library. Go online. Pull out your books and notebooks. Watch videos. Start researching. Start the immersion. Write his name. See…
View Dad’s amazing journal “Paris trip 1952 on a 250 BMW” at ART HEALS @RubbleGallery Jan 21
Roar Thorsen Roar at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, Paris, 1952
Weekly artist exploration/journaling series: Week 1 Part 6 SELF-PORTRAIT #FridaKahlo #arttherapy
WEEK 1 PART 6: Frida Kahlo I paint self-portraits because I am so often alone, because I am the person I know best. – Frida Today we’ll do a self-portrait in Frida’s style. But not trying too hard. Don’t use a mirror. Just muse. It’s not about being Frida on the outside, but on the inside….
Weekly artist exploration/journaling series: Week 1 Part 5 RELATIONSHIP #FridaKahlo #arttherapy
WEEK 1 PART 5: Frida Kahlo Our relationship with our journal is important. It’s a safe place to purge in, to refocus, to process. By researching an artist and using our journal as a notebook, we develop the relationship further and connect ourselves with art history by becoming it ourselves. Write in your journal about your…
Weekly artist exploration/journaling series: Week 1 Part 4 ARTIST WORDS #FridaKahlo #arttherapy
WEEK 1 PART 4: Frida Kahlo We have looked at Frida’s works and have viewed some of videos about her and saturated ourselves by breathing with her and reproducing her. Now find her words. Quotes and letters. I have a large collection of Frida books, but you can find lots of sources online. I have always…
Weekly artist exploration/journaling series: Week 1 Part 3 ART ABOUT ART LOOSELY #FridaKahlo #arttherapy
WEEK 1 PART 3: Frida Kahlo Choose your favorite Frida Kahlo piece Now open your journal wide and use 2 full pages to reproduce LOOSELY the full piece or part of it. INGEST/DIGEST/REGURGITATE it. ART ABOUT ART. I use coffee instead of water when I use watercolor etc. It gives a nice aged look. I always…
Weekly artist exploration/journaling series: Week 1 Part 2 BREATHING #FridaKahlo #arttherapy
WEEK 1 PART 2: Frida Kahlo As we prepare for copying a favorite piece by Frida Kahlo, we’ll just have Frida as a companion as we check in with ourselves and build our relationship with our journal. Write for 15 minutes about where you are in the moment. Just stream of consciousness. BREATHING. Tomorrow we do…
Weekly artist exploration/journaling series: Week 1 Part 1 #FridaKahlo #arttherapy
WEEK 1 PART 1: Frida Kahlo FRIDA KAHLO Kahlo is THE MOST important artist to me personally- not for only her imagery, style, and personality, but for her strength and honesty and her ability to express pain. And by drawing her I have processed the darkest of depressions. I paint because I need to paint. Today,…
“Morfar’s Klass” up for raffle as part of ART HEALS @RubbleGallery, Vancouver BC. #arttherapy
My painting “Morfar’s Klass” (28″ x 40″) (acrylic on canvas) will be raffled ($20 ticket, 3 for $40, 10 for $100) on January 21, 2012 at ART HEALS at the Rubble Gallery. This painting is an interpretation of a photograph of my grandfather’s elementary school class in Sweden. Tickets and donations to go towards self-publishing costs…
Exhibit of Roar’s extraordinary post-stroke “outsider art” as part of ART HEALS @RubbleGallery #arttherapy #neurology
My father had a massive stroke 5 years ago and art has essentially saved his life by rekindling his spirit. Check out his project The Old Apple Tree ! His post-stroke drawings fascinate me. Dad’s perception was altered after his stroke. Here he struggles to illustrate a figure looking out a window. He wanted it to…
Weekly artist exploration/journaling series: INTRO #arttherapy
So we just went through a 35 part daily journaling exercise. As a final hurrah to my journal, I packaged mine up and I’m now sending it to my best friend in Stockholm. There are a few pages left in it, and we’ll see if she adds to it. It’s hers to keep and do…
Part 35 of 35 daily journal workshop. SELF. #arttherapy
DAILY JOURNAL WORKSHOP SERIES: Part 1 JUST WRITE Part 2 DRAW OUT THE WORDS Part 3 HEART Part 4 SPILL OUT COLLAGE Part 5 NAKED SCREAM Part 6 INVITE ALTER STRETCH EXTEND Part 7 ARISE AROSE IN 3′S Part 8 SELF-PORTRAIT. HUMAN Part 9 WORD CRAZY QUILT Part 10 VINTAGE WORKOUT Part 11 GESTURE DRAWING…
ART HEALS: my father-daughter exhibit at The Rubble Gallery, Vancouver BC Jan 21-Feb 7
ART HEALS Featuring dual art show/fundraiser of therapeutic works by father and daughter: Roar and Katarina Thorsen January 21- Feb 7, 2012 at the Rubble Gallery! Closing event (with an interactive art corner) date TBA!!!!!! Cash bar, snacks, music, art. As life-long artists, my father and I use art to dialogue, support each other and to…
Part 34 of 35 daily journal workshop. GOAL. #arttherapy
A goal or objective is a desired result an animal or a system envisions, plans and commits to achieve—a personal or organizational desired end-point in some sort of assumed development. Many people endeavor to reach goals within a finite time by setting deadlines. It is roughly similar to purpose or aim, the anticipated result which guides reaction, or an end, which is an object, either a physical…