by Sven R. Ohlson on July 25, 2008
in Art
I have tried several different techniques through the years. Everything from spray-can-art and airbrushing to sketching in charcoal as well as painting with water-colours or oil on canvas. There are lots of ways to paint with oil-paints. This style gives a smoother result and you can feel some of the texture from the canvas in your final art-piece. One can also sculpture in oil and lay it on the canvas with a knife for example…. but that will have to be something I get back to another time.
The facial expression I did before in a dark outline gives a similar feel to this painting, but it has more dimensions – colour and texture. The face is gazing toward the sky and strong red light. The background is bright red and orange like an early morning sunrise. The outfit is monk-like so as not to interfere with the facial expression of calmness that is being expressed on the face. The clothes worn are reddish-brown.
As with the other face I made, I have used strong outlines to show the simplicity of the facial expression – just so the feeling depicted can give you the freedom to decide whether or not to join him in his thoughts.
Can you feel the freedom he has?
Tagged as:
face,
facial expression,
monk,
oil painting
by Sven R. Ohlson on April 21, 2008
in Art
Masks are very strong symbols of action and force. This one is designed to give a more approach – one that could scare and terrify the viewer or approaching human. An over-natural lively being is the spirit’s signals to the outer world. Even though the soul behind the mask can have a totally different intention – somehow one chooses to wear it and give that outer look. I’ve made the eyes bigger than the other masks that I recently made to intimidate even more than the other masks. There might even be several of these aggressive types in a deep forest such as the ones in . So I think this mask rounds up the theme of the three masks I have made this last week. I have made them in the same manner to give support to each other. Masks have fascinated many – especially collectors.
This idea for the third mask came to me while wandering off in thoughts about the last part of the trail I wandered in – especially the last part before reaching the top, where I had the opportunity to see the newest finds the research-group had made. The finds showed that what were previously believed to be three turned out to be parts of one much larger animal… For hundreds of years mankind has thought these to be three and all of a sudden – they are found to be one.
Tagged as:
british columbia,
canada,
charcoal,
masks,
pencil,
sketch
by Sven R. Ohlson on April 18, 2008
in Art
As I mentioned the other day I made a trip to Canada many years ago. I walked between Calgary and Vancouver through ”The Rockies” (The Rocky Mountains). I didn’t walk all the way – fortunately. Otherwise I might still be wondering around in the mountains. I had the great opportunity to hike in some of the immense national parks and very sacred areas of British Columbia. The nature and wild life there are incredible. The trees are several fathoms in circumference and pointing towards the sky. Birds and bears showed up here and there. The bears actually showed up at one of the hotels we stayed at – not exactly where one would think to see them.
We walked under waterfalls, through woods and up steep mountain sides. Lakes were in toothpaste green. Just a super rush for inspiration – as you can tell by me still talking about it. I will tell you more about those adventures in the future. For now, we are looking at a bird-face . To give the same emotional feeling as the last one I have sketched it in pencil and charcoal. I kept the black and white feeling too – just so you see the shapes extra clearly.
The conference excursion I had the possibility to join was a geological one. This opened up a whole new realm of time to me! I discovered yet more sources of inspiration – the mysteries of past nature and wild–life from millions of years ago – all wonderfully preserved in the rugged rocks and majestic scenery – but that’s a topic for another day!
Tagged as:
british columbia,
canada,
charcoal,
masks,
pencil,
sketch
by Sven R. Ohlson on April 16, 2008
in Art
Shapes and form can easily be caught by the eye. Masks and facial expressions are strong symbols that the eye can interpret in several, maybe thousands of ways.
I travelled to British Colombia many years ago. There I had the opportunity to see very many different masks made by artists in that region – the North West Coast. Fascinating styles and art-pieces showing expressions and feelings in lots different appearances. Some of the masks there made you wonder what the creator wanted to express. Your mind toys with heaps of ideas. Maybe even more when they were anonymous – not knowing who has made the mask or what it was for or meant to represent. A book I was given under my stay there, if you ever come across it, I truly recommend entitled . It has many beautiful pictures of masks in it.
The mask, sketched in pencil and coal, which you see here, I would say is inspired by this trip to BC and of course the book too. The roaring waterfalls and the high mountains – I’ll have to tell you more about that adventure some other time. The mask here has a more futuristic look too – so a nice mix of experience and knowledge from the past…
I have made a for the laptop too – (as you can see in the wall-paper menu.)
Tagged as:
british columbia,
charcoal,
culture,
masks,
pencil,
sketch
