Mornings2

Winter is coming. See more morningwalk photos of my "spot" here.

Weekword: twilight

This weeks weekword was "twilight" and Cindy picked it. I´m re-using this old illustration for 2 reasons, 1: when I thought of the word I thought about this illustration, I think it´s very twilight even though the actual theme is climate change. 2: time is limited! (klick for bigger)
Other participants this week are: aimee, asiye, anairam, line, and meg.

Have a great weekend, mine will be different then planned, no summerhouse this weekend cause of silly sports on TV that my man refuses to miss:(

What I will read!

This weekend we are going to the summerhouse. I bet the grass is about one meter high and the tics have taken over the place! I will still read and hopefully I´ll be reading infront of the fireplace.
I´ll be back tomorrow with this weeks weekword!

More

The drawing is still growing, one day of lectures later!
(Klick for bigger!)

Spirar

"It´s growing" is called "Spirar" in swedish. I´ll let you follow this drawing until it´s done...
(klick for bigger!)

Short days

Time flies. I wake up and then before I even feel awake it´s time to go to bed again.

Enjoying the silence

The kids are sleeping at their grandparents, I´m drawing. Listening to this.

Foggy morning

When I took my morning walk today it was foggy and sunny outside. The air was chrispy and fresh... I love the smell of autumn.

Spira 3

Today We had a whole day of presentation and alot of things have landed since I started Spira four weeks ago. I´m starting to feel ready to go out there and show my portfolio.
Things I will think about and prepare befor first presentation:
1. figure out what company I want to start with!
2. Prepare well! Look up the company that I will present my work to, what do I like, why do I like it? etc.
3. I will try to pick out a project (from my portfolio) that suits the company good, or draw something new, especially for the presentation. It´s important to have something that they can feel that they need, something that I can provide them with.
4. I will try and talk about my company as a professional and try not to end up talking about my small drawings that I do here and there.... This is what I do for a living!

There is alot more to be said about presentation and what I have learned so far, but I´ll get back to that after making my first professional presentation!
Have a nice evening people!

Testing new paper!

New markers and testing a new new paper (canson bristol), it has a very smooth surface that I´m not sure that I like. I´m trying to find a good thicker marker paper, anyone got a tip?
(klick the image for bigger)

It´s cold tonight

Do you want to know something funny? In my Spira 2 post I said that My new goal was to show my portfolio to Rörstrand. Today I started to investigate how to present my portfolio for them. They are owned by the Ittalagroup and on the ittalagroup sight I got this information:" We regret to inform that we are no longer able to accept desinger portolios due to the great number of contact requests. If you wish to present your website, please send the link to ProductDevelopment(a)iittala.com." Jihaa!

Working

I´m working again. Finally. After many weeks of just thinking I´m drawing and feeling happy. I recently learned how to use the layers in a more effectivily way in photoshop, so great.
How it´s done:
Just scanned top drawing into photoshop.
1. make a new layer, name it (blue)
2. go back to background layer, use to magic wand tool (W) and select the areas you would like to fill with first color, use shift to choose more than one.
3. Use the paintbucket tool (G) and choose one color, then go to new layer (blue) and just fill and woops, the selected areas will be filled in a new layer (blue).
4. Do this over and over again to fill up each color. The result would be something like my middle image.
5. when your done you can easily make the background layer invisible by just hiding it (click away the eye) and then you get what I got in the third image. To get the background white after taking away the original background u just make a new layer and multiply it, then fill it with the background color you wish.

This way of working comes very handy when I´m working with patterns, it´s very easy to change the colors. The only thing to remeber is to save the selections of each layer and then just go to that specific layer and load selection to fill with a new color ( paintbucket tool, G).

One month between the photos

Sorry for not posting the last cuple of days, and for not participating in the week word. I have felt uninspired and tired. I love the autumn but somehow it takes my breath away.

Spira 2

"You need to start living your dream, otherwise it will never come true"

Today I had a coaching in sales. Do you remember that I told you last week that my first goal was to show my portfolio to the adverticing agencies here in Gothenburg? Forget I ever said that! Today I understood that I need to put my goals much higher, aim higher. Ofcourse I need to take jobs on the side, just to put food on the table, but the vision should be farther. So we worked with a model for how patterndesigner cecilia should package herself:
The illustration above describes my trademark as patterndesigner/illustrator.
The black circle is my trademark, my company. (I´m not sure that I will call it Veja Cecilia, any ideas about another name?)
The words in the middle of the circle are my core values, what signifies Veja cecilia and discerns my work from others. Also what I, Cecilia, stands for as an patterndesigner/illustrator.
To figure out the core values I asked myself how to attract my future clients, patternproducers around the world.
What attracts them is different whether or not your a “name”, and I´m not. So I need to use other ways to attract them.
In my portfolio I need to:
1. produce something by using my own expression.
2. that something need to attract a future custumer of theirs. It would be great if it filled a gap in their catalog.
3. It has to be of high quality, to distinguish from others possible designs.
Next week I´m suppose to prepare a presentation, based on the information above, for a future client. I think I will aim high and shoot for Rörstrand.
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Have a great weekend!

Wedding part 2

"The borrowed" part of the bridal outfit was a bracelet done by the bride's mother in the 1970s.

For the braids she used her own hair...

Yesterday

Yesterday was amazing, beautiful and filled with love. Just a perfect day and a perfect evening.

New week!

Tomorrow I´m going to Christin and Holgers wedding, so I won´t be blogging. See you on wednesday!

Almost forgott: go check out Alexandras text about Art as buisness: galleries 3, It´s very well written and interesting:)

Sunday, sunday

They scream, throw their stuff around themself and everywhere, hit eachother and make a total chaos. Oh, how I love my kids!

Weekword: fragments

This weeks weekword was "fragment" and chosen by Nathalie.
Other participants this week are: Sandra, Laurie, Anairam, Linda Sue, Aris, Kerry, Aimee and Line.

Scribble...

I can´t remember when I last had a weekend off, without plans. Without work.
I´ll be back with this weeks weekword tomorrow!
Enjoy tonight:)

Spira1

"If you want to dig a big hole you have to stay in one place"

I have this idea to share what I learn during my "spira" lectures, here on my blog. Then that all of you can follow me during my 6 months in the project and also use some of the methods (if u feel like it). My Spira period will be very foucused on sales. Find clients to work with, show them my portfolio, then follow up and hopefully get some comission work. I will try and be as honest as possible about my own journey.
This week we where told to describe our vision:
What is it that I want to achieve and when will I have reached my goals?
I put up this "ladder" to visualise my goals, but I havn´t decided how long time each step will take me and if they are in the right order. Perhaps I will sell my first patterndesign before my first illustration?! But still, I know where to start (adverticing agencys here in Gothenburg, beware, I´m coming!) and where I want to go!
We have until next friday to prepare our first sales meeting that we will present infront of two coaches and then get feedback. So, stay tuned!

Mornings

During my morningwalks I´ve been taking a photo, standing on the same stone for several mornings in a row. It´s intresting how different, but still the same, it looks.

I´m inlove with happy socks!