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Eastern Utah Process with Video

March 22, 2021

After taking short break, I’m back at it! Between my day job and freelance work, I haven’t had much energy or time to really work on art. However, I was able to sit down for a bit over the weekend and start a new piece.I wanted to try out some Ampersand Aquabord I got over the holidays, and I thought it would be fun to use one of my recent little sketchbook drawings as a base. So, here we are! I started with a 5in.x5in. Aquabord and my old set of Artist Loft watercolors.I laid down some color and let it dry for a few hours before I started to ink over the top. I forgot to film the painting process - oops! I have a picture of the piece after finishing the watercolor, though.Once dried, I started to ink (and film!). The Aquabord has quite a toothy texture. It was a bit rough on my fine line markers, so I may have to find a better pen to use next time (or use older pens that I am less concerned about wrecking the nib). Still, I really liked the way the ink held up on top of the watercolor.If you want to watch the entire inking process, check out this timelapse!

Overall, I’m really pleased with how this turned out. I think the Aquabord is a nice alternative to watercolor paper for pieces I plan to sell. The panel is rigid, so it feels sturdy, and I think some people will enjoy the texture.Over the next few months, I’m planning to create more pieces like this one and, hopefully, start to work larger!Until then,
Soren

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8 Ways I Rest and Recharge (to Keep Making Art)

March 4, 2021

At the start of the pandemic, I initially thought to myself, “Hey, maybe this will be an extra productive art year, since I’ll just be stuck at home.” Ha! It was not. At all. My visions of paintings and drawings galore did not materialize. Turns out all that extra stress did not lead to an art boom.I’ve also been reminded of the importance of listening to yourself and taking time for a variety of activities to keep the creativity flowing (or just, you know, trickling). I couldn’t expect to work full-time and then just crank out artwork. It became important to focus on the things that made my days a little brighter, and all of those things, in turn, helped me feel rested and ready to go when I sit down to draw or paint.Today, I wanted to share a list of the things that have helped me replenish my creative energies. Before I get started, I want to note that because of my day job, I have the privilege to make art because I want to, when I want to, and to not make anything if I don’t have the motivation. Not everyone will find the practices I mention below helpful, and that’s valid! I hope you will enjoy learning a bit more about my own process nonetheless.
In no particular order, these are the ways I like to rest and recharge:1. Get Outside
Okay, I know I just said this list was in no particular order, but this one really is my number 1. Taking walks outside in the fresh air is the best way for me to manage my mental health, think through art ideas, and reflect on nature (and how I might render it). When I lived in Fort Collins, I walked a trail behind my house almost every day. Now that I’ve moved, I haven’t quite settled on a favorite trail, but I try to walk around a local park whenever the weather is decent.2. Read
Reading is another activity that helps me relax and helps me feel intellectually stimulated. I haven’t been reading as much as I have in previous years, but I’m trying to get back on track. Back in January, I shared my 2021 reading list, if you’re interested in that.3. Cultivate Hobbies (Outside of Visual Art)
Cultivating non-art hobbies has been vital to my artistic process in the last two or three years. When I was in high school and college, drawing was my only hobby, and I burned out. Over the past few years, I’ve battled with motivation and art block, and one thing that has helped has been to find hobbies that don’t involved painting or drawing. These hobbies let me be creative without constantly pulling from my visual art energy. In 2018, I started teaching myself the piano (after more than a decade away) and learning Swedish (it’s been slow progress). When I feel burned out, it’s nice to turn to another activity that helps me grow.4. Play Video Games
While my brothers and I played a lot of video games as kids, I haven’t played many games as an adult besides Stardew Valley. In November, I finally splurged on a Nintendo Switch. When my partner and I aren’t playing Mario Kart, I love to play Animal Crossing and Stardew Valley on the Switch to relax.5. Spend Time with Important People (Friends, Family, Partner, etc.)
I haven’t visited with family or friends since the pandemic began, but I’ve tried to keep up with family over the phone or Facetime, and I am lucky to live with my partner. We spend time together each week - talking, puzzling, or catching up on Netflix.6. Play with my Cats
I live with Sparrow and Reginald, and these two gremlins demand my time. I must, of course, give in to their demands.7. Listen to Podcasts
I love to listen to podcasts while I tidy up around my apartment. Over the past year, my favorites have been This Might Get Weird, Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard, Queery with Cameron Esposito, and PANTS with Kate and Leisha. When I want to practice my Swedish listening skills, I might tune into Konsten att vara, but it’s a bit beyond my skill level at the moment.8. Do Nothing
That’s right, sometimes the best thing to do is nothing at all. Some days I just need to chill out on the couch, and that’s ok!What sorts of activities help you rest and recharge?

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3 Pieces Inspired by Sweden and Norway

March 18, 2021

It’s been a year since I hunkered down at home in Colorado due to the pandemic. Before the news of Covid-19 hit, I had been tentatively planning a few international trips - daydreaming a visit to England and Scotland with a college friend, exploring Iceland, and returning to Norway and Sweden. Well, all those plans quickly disintegrated.I have been reminiscing on my trip to Sweden, Norway, and Denmark in the summer of 2018. It was life-changing in that I had never traveled out of the country, and I had never taken a two week solo trip anywhere. As someone who is pretty reserved and appreciates routine and planning, it was a big deal. Besides booking some hostels and train tickets so that I had a rough idea of where I would be each day, I didn’t plan anything else.In the end, I visited Göteborg, Oslo, Bergen, Malmö, and a final day spent in Copenhagen. Of these places, Bergen, Göteborg, and Malmö were my favorites. I also spent a day hiking in the forests outside of Oslo, and that was a fantastic experience as well. The fresh air, mossy forests, and beautiful views lifted my spirits immensely.Upon return, I had a lot of photos, which I knew I wanted to use as references for new work. Over the past few years, I have been occasionally pulling from these photos to inspire new pieces and studies.The first piece to come from my experience in Sweden is Vintern - a digital illustration created with ink and gouache brushes in Procreate. Because I traveled by train, I had a few long train rides between Oslo-Bergen and Göteborg-Oslo. I was on one of those routes when I snapped some photos of some homes and cottages beside lakes and rivers that ran along the tracks. I love the Falun red that characterizes so many buildings across Sweden and Norway, so I wanted to create a piece that highlighted it.About a year or so after the trip, I started dabbling in oil painting. I wasn’t sure if it would be a medium I would like - I prefer to finish pieces in a day, and I like media that allows for a lot of control. Oil seemed too messy and time consuming. Still, I wanted to branch out, and now I love it. Despite the cleanup, I find just enough control and in reality, working with oils has allowed me to be more free with my brushstrokes.The next piece was also inspired by views from a train, this time between Oslo and Bergen, as I looked out at views of vast lakes and fjords. “Views from a Train in Norway” is certainly not my most successful piece - mostly because I was so new to oils. Still, it was a valuable way to practice painting techniques with a subject I enjoy.“Slottsmöllan,” is the most recent piece to come out of reference photos from my visit to Malmö, Sweden. Initially, I didn’t have much planned in Malmö. At the suggestion of my host (thanks Katya!), I made my way around the city to Stortorget, Lilla Torg, and finally down to Malmöhus slott, where Slottsmöllan resides.Over the past two months, I have been drawing a lot of small-scale ink landscape sketches in one of my pocket sketchbooks (I talk more about this in my last post). To get some practice drawing buildings, I pulled up a few photos I took at Slottsmöllan. Overall, I’m pleased with how it turned out.I hope to create more work inspired by Sweden and Norway in the future!