MEET - Elisabeth Omdahl

In my continuing series of interviews with artist who inspire, Id like to share with you the next instalment! This time it’s the turn of Elisabeth Omdahl

 Tell us a little about yourself 

I was born in Oslo,and lived four years  as a child in northern Norway before I came back here in the south .Currently living in Rygge, a small town south of Oslo.  Educated from college in Oslo, as a painter. I live close to a big lake, with husband and two old cats.

 Descried your work

My work is figurative, and an interplay between fragments is my method of working.  For me, art is the ultimate way of "interpreting life" around me, in the widest sense. A way of getting closer to an essence. I find that feeling in looking into details and fragments. Luckily 1+1 can equal 3 in the artworld. I try to let the unconsciousness do its work and trust in its mechanisms. My conscious job is to be open and alert and just work. 

Something worthwhile hopefully shows itself from time to time. A little something,  more than I had anticipated. Staying connected in all the phases of the process is my goal. In the end, most things are not the result I had hoped for. In the meantime, the pure joy of solving practical problems, playing with my tools and getting involved in solving esthetic demands drives me on.

As a theme I use the human body a lot, Also animals and plants. Trying to connect to their symbolic and archetype power.

 My daily routine is going to my studio about seven or eight in the morning and stay there until about 15.30-16.00.  I have just moved my studio home after 24 years in different places in town. So from now on I have my base in the garage. A winter-isolated space  approximately 45 m2. A big change for me, I was afraid it would feel like a retirement. But, so far I have kept my working routine as before.

Today I have no printing press, so I am on the lookout for a new one, since I have decided printing is still what I want to pursue in the future. I am new at printing, just borrowed a press from 2007-2010.

 Where do you get your inspiration?

From Internet, books, film and nature. I am fascinated by "automatic drawing", and I am regularly drawing from fantasy, not thinking about getting it right, just to see what comes automatically, The same with words. I read continuously.

I have been lucky over the years to have good friends and colleagues to have art-talks with. I think that has been one of the most fulfilling parts of my art-practice, People with professional background from visual arts, writing, theatre, dance and music. Grateful for that !!!

I have always been inspired by following other artists work through magazines and books, Lately the internet has made that a lot easier.

 How do you get past creative slumps?

My only tool is to make things so simple that I am sure I can manage. One line, one word, one action. That seems to help focus again. And of course, just do something completely different and get out of the studio.

 How do you promote your work?

Well, I don’t know anything else than trying to be visible on the net. Applying for exhibitions and sending my portfolio to galleries from time to time,  Not very practical in that department.

Where do you sell/ show your work?

I sell my work at these galleries.

Elverum Kunstgalleri 

Gallery H.gerner

Fineart Artclub+gallery

If you had all the money in the world what would you buy today to further your artistic ideas?

A big good printing press delivered at my door would be nice!

Any advise for us

Oh no!

Here you can find more of my work:

Flickr

http://www.flickr.com/photos/elisabethomdahl/

My blog

http://omdahlart.blogspot.com/

I adore Elisabeth's work, the imagery and her palette Im so drawn to, I can only aspire to have her sense of composition and presentaion she is truly an inspiration!

I do hope you all enjoy hearing more about her work and practice, do take a look at her links if you havent already xxx
jenny

MEET - Kate Kelleher

Here we have another MEET the artist interview 

I have mentioned this artists work before on this blog and Im sure some of you know her work well, but this time she has kindly answered loads of questions about her work and practice, I hope you enjoy.

Introducing Kate Kelleher of Bluesky butterfly studio

 Tell us a little about yourself

While I did go to art college, I studied photography so I took a less conventional route. I worked as a home wares buyer for a small independent shop, traveling far and wide. I bought in ‘themes’ and the shop was set up like a home. I found it hard sourcing art for the walls, so in the evenings I would pick up a paint brush and paint. We had a steady stream of interior designers, so they sold well. I left there to buy for Heals, then I had my son, so stayed at home to be with him. We had just bought a home that needed total renovation in every room, and many walls that needed a painting or two! While he slept I painted, small at first, and by the time my daughter arrived two years later, they were large! I have always been creative in some way, however I am self taught when it comes to painting and often dream of going back to college.

Descried your work 

I am inspired by nature, so I guess it mainly stems from there. My paintings are generally large, in fact the larger for me the better. I have started using acrylics as I need a faster drying medium, although I love  painting in oils too. Gold and silver leaf features heavily in my work, as a back ground and then distressed in some form or another, and then painted onto.
 

Talk a little about your practice 

I create on a daily basis, even if it is sitting down with the kids with a blank piece of paper, crayons and things we have collected from a walk . On a professional level, once the kids have been dropped at school/nursery, I have 3 mornings and one full day a week. This time I devote entirely to painting and try to shut my eyes to everything else that is going on in the house.
 

Describe where you create your work  

I have a wall in my kitchen, where there is a lot of light, so I hang what ever I am working on there, and a chair below it to put my paint and brushes. Since the incident where Matilda was covered from head to toe in blue oil paint, a long with the walls and floor! (She looked like a smurf!) the paints are now sowed away in a cupboard that only opens when there are no small hands about. 

Where do you get your inspiration?  

I have a tumblr page. If you are creative I would recommend getting one, although they are addictive, so be warned! I regularly store images that I like through out the day, swapping them with others. I like the fact you can look at your archive and feel inspired by something you have put there. I live 30 minutes from London so I like to go there sometimes for visual inspiration either to a museum or window shopping at Liberty’s, Anthropology, Attic all have fabulous visual displays that make me feel inspired, not that I use the ideas, I suppose, for me it is more of a feeling. Does that make sense?
 

How do you get past creative slumps?
I feel I just have to just get on and do it, if you have kids time is always limited! Some days I will achieve more than others. When I am finding it hard, I will try to do something small and build up to bigger pieces. I also try to clear away the kids breakfast and toys so when I come back from dropping them off, I can get into the right frame of mind and be focused as soon as I step through the door.  

How do you promote your work?  

 I am about to hold an open studio within my home. I have invited friends, who have shown an interest in my art. At this point it is a showcase and a chance to show my appreciation of their support. They are bringing one or two more friends, and to my husbands horror the guest list is getting out of control! We will see on the day, maybe only one or two will turn up?!! Also I am finding blogging and Facebook are great tools to let people see what you are doing and in building a community, which is to me very important.
 

Where do you sell/ show your work?  

So far I have been extremely lucky, the work I have sold has been word of mouth. It will be interesting to see what happens at the open studio. I hope to approach galleries next year.  

If you had all the money in the world what would you buy today to further your artistic ideas?
 If I had all the money in the world, I would open up a quality coffee shop with cakes as high as the ceiling and sandwiches with their crusts cut off! On the walls would be art, other artists as well as myself, and everything would be for sale, tables, sofas, chairs chandeliers. I would love to source the lot, I dream about it. Sometimes when I can’t sleep I go and sit on a table here, I know what it looks like already.
 

Any advise for us? 

I think you have to try to remain professional when showing your work, even to friends. It is easy to sell yourself short, but you have to remember you put time and effort into it, so don’t give it away for free! The rest I will let you know after the open studio, I am sure there are going to be a fair amount of lessons learnt.

Thanks so much Kate for letting us into your world, cant wait to hear how the open house goes.

www.blueskybutterflystudio.blogspot.com
blueskybutterflystudio@hotmail.co.uk

http://blueskybutterflystudio.tumblr.com

I have more interviews lined up so watch this space over the coming months 

xxxx

MEET - Bridget Farmer

MEET! an new regular posting idea for my blog! as often as I can I will interview an artist of interest and share with you their wonderful work and working practice....
I dont know about you but I am always interested to read about how other people manage their practice and balance their creative lives, I hope these posts to be informative and enjoyable. if anyone has any suggestions of people to interview let me know or if you'd like to put your selfs forward just drop me a line xxxx

Introducing - Bridget Farmer

Give us a little bit of background to yourself
I'm an artist/ printmaker from and currently living in Belfast Northern Ireland. I studied art in Edinburgh but didn't discover printmaking until 2006 while traveling in Australia. I did a weekend course at the Australian Print Workshop and fell in love with the process. I've always loved drawing and feel most confident in this medium, but printmaking was a way to take my drawings further. I stayed in Australia until 2009 (I met a boy there, I was only supposed to stay for 5 months, now I've brought him back home with me!) and you can see from my work how the Australian bird life inspired me. Now I'm back home I'm working on British and Irish birds, sort of making mementos of the bird life of home, because I'm intending to move back to Australia next year.

Describe your work

I'd say my work is mainly linear. I love lines, always been afraid of tone and too much colour, so I stick with simple lines. I also strive to be very lose in my drawing style, often changing hands from right to left if a drawing seems to be getting too tight. These lines then translate well into the medium of etching, both dry point and acid etching. I still feel a new comer to printmaking, there's so much to learn and so many different techniques.
My main theme is birds, I'm not entirely sure why, but I always find myself wanting to draw them when I see them. They are a lovely compact shape yet still so full of character.  I have branched out and made a few goats and a few dogs and I do like drawing buildings, but I always go back to birds. I found when I first arrived in Australia drawing the birds there was a great way to get to know them. They were all so exotic looking and so unfamiliar, they really inspired me!
For readers not so familiar with the process of etching you can read my 'how to prepare and etch a copper plate' and read about the printing of an etched plate here.

Describe your practice?
My art work is my full time job. Maybe foolishly I don't have a 'real' job, I don't think I would be disciplined enough to have one anymore! But since moving back to Northern Ireland I have found it difficult, it's hard to re-establish yourself, luckily I've moved back into my mum's house! These days I spend as much time as I can at the Belfast Print Workshop. It's a fantastic facility and it's great to interact with other printmakers. At the moment I'm there from about 11ish till 6ish. I love it, I'd be there all the time if I could, I have to make myself stay at home to work on an illustration job I've been asked to do. I'm illustrating an Australian poetry book, this is the second book I'm doing for the publishers and it's a great experience.

Where do you create your work?
I do have a little mini press at home, but I find the Belfast Print Workshop an easier place to work in, also I get my exercise from cycling or walking into town to the workshop. I think I need that 'going to work' start of the day to really get my head down. Ideally, when I move back to Australia I want to have a studio gallery. A place in which I have my printmaking studio at the back and a gallery at the front, I want to be able to make my work and man the gallery at the same time, not sure what to do about the ink up to the elbow hands if I have a customer, but I'll work that out later! I still feel everything is very much on hold until I move back and settle down properly, at the moment everything, including any workspace that i have, feels temporary.

Where do you get your inspiration?
Mostly just from walking around and taking everything in. Going to new places is alway inspirational, new food for my eyes. I think also just sitting down in various places and drawing as much as possible. I always draw from life, I think it gives the outcome more life to it.
How would you describe the themes present in your work
I'm never really trying to 'say' anything in my work. I just like seeing the world around me, drawing it, and making prints. I did an MFA while in Melbourne and I constantly had to give reasons for everything I did, I found it very difficult! I'm never really trying to be deep and meaningful, I just really really like drawing. I like to observe the world around me and draw it! 

 Where do you sell your work?
I have my work in a few galleries in Australia. There are some great printmaking galleries in Melbourne, Port Jackson Press, P. G. Printmaker and a lovely gallery called Bird's Gallery which my work suits quite well! I'm also in a few galleries in Northern Ireland and Ireland, The Yard, Copper Moon and the Leitrim Design House. I also sell online in my etsy shop.

If you had all the money in the world what would you buy today to further your artistic ideas ??
I can think of the most wonderful studio if I had all the money in the world, but since I want to have my studio in Australia and I have to wait until I move back for that I can't buy it today and you stipulate 'what would you buy today' so, I've decided I would buy tickets to travel to lots of destinations offering printmaking classes and drawing holidays. I'd love to learn lithography or be taught etching by a master printmaker. I'd also buy lots of copper, nice clean shiny copper to etch with. At the moment I use the backs of other people's plates and they need LOTS of sanding down and polishing up before I can use them.

Thanks so much to Bridget for sharing her process and work with us check out here links below.
xxxx
Etsy Shop
www.bridgetfarmerprints.etsy.com
Blog
www.bridgetfarmer.blogspot.com
Website
www.bridgetfarmer.com