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 circle or oval in between the hands.

Draw (“etch”) human details on the “sculpture” with Lisa Larson in mind.

And write.  On a different page.  Gibberish really.  But looking at the image you just made.  Wordplay where you simply  write each word as they come to mind. DO NOT STOP.

Close your eyes.  Turn your journal upside down.  Sit still for a minute.  Wave your hand in the air; then point to the page of words.

What’s the word your finger lands on?  Mine is BREATH.

Write it in the bubble.

You don’t have a soul. You are a Soul. You have a body.
- C. S. Lewis

Last part tomorrow:

Portrait and form

See also:

35 PART daily journal exercise

Weekly artist exploration/journaling series INTRO

Weekly artist exploration/journaling series Week 1 parts 1-6 FRIDA KAHLO

Weekly artist exploration/journaling series Week 2 parts 1-6 PICASSO

Weekly artist exploration/journaling series Week 3 LISA LARSON preface

Weekly artist exploration/journaling series Week 3 Part 1 LISA LARSON: This is Lisa

Weekly artist exploration/ journaling series Week 3 Part 2 LISA LARSON: ABC Girls

Weekly artist exploration/ journaling series Week 3 Part 3 LISA LARSON: Animals

LISA LARSON’s PIPPI LONGSTOCKING, 1967:

Pippi Longstocking author, Astrid Lindgren (left), with Lisa:

Photo source: LISA LARSON SWEDEN

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 WORDS

Part 3 HEART

Do some online research on Lisa Larson’s animals.

Grab some bingo markers.  You can find them at your local dollar store.  Or use some paint and a brush.

Paint the SIMPLE FORM you see in the animal:

Once dry, use a felt marker to add details.  Keep it LOOOOOOOSE!

Next: 

Humans

See also:

35 PART daily journal exercise

Weekly artist exploration/journaling series INTRO

Weekly artist exploration/journaling series Week 1 parts 1-6 FRIDA KAHLO

Weekly artist exploration/journaling series Week 2 parts 1-6 PICASSO

Weekly artist exploration/journaling series Week 3 LISA LARSON preface

Weekly artist exploration/journaling series Week 3 Part 1 LISA LARSON: This is Lisa

Weekly artist exploration/ journaling series Week 3 Part 2 LISA LARSON: ABC Girls

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

Amalia, Beata, Charlotta, Dora, Emma

I LOVE these women.  They are gorgeous, free, relaxed, happy.

Now draw these lush beautiful women.  Use them as inspiration to be confident, secure.  LOOOOOSE.  FAST.  Only give yourself 15-30 sec per page MAX.

See also:

35 PART daily journal exercise

Weekly artist exploration/journaling series INTRO

Weekly artist exploration/journaling series Week 1 parts 1-6 FRIDA KAHLO

Weekly artist exploration/journaling series Week 2 parts 1-6 PICASSO

Weekly artist exploration/journaling series Week 3 LISA LARSON preface

Weekly artist exploration/journaling series Week 3 Part 1 LISA LARSON: This is Lisa

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 when I came across this poem by Henry?!

The package itself was a work of art.  Henry is an extraordinary artist (check out Kamini Press and Henry’s watercolors) and his presentation is impeccable.

Henry's art

My portraits of Henry:

Purchase The Accidental Navigator on Lummox Press!

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 news of exhibitions and events, new projects and products will be published here and you can contact Lisa with questions. Visit the on-line shop, where some of Lisa Larsons most loved figures are for sale and exclusive offers will be available.

SOURCE

I was raised with the art of Swedish designer, Lisa Larson at Gustavsberg.  It seemed that any household I visited would have a little figurine by her.  Especially popular was her little cat:

To me, she is the epitomy of the Scandinavian aesthetic.  Whimsical, simple, professional.

I inherited the following two pieces from my mom.  Needless to say, I treasure them, voraciously.

Emma from the ABC Girls Series

To centre ourselves and get into this week’s exploration, write for 15 minutes, stream of consciousness.

Explore Lisa online and see what you can find.  Make yourself familiar!

Lisa makes delightful sketches.  I am particularly taken by “I Duvslaget, 1959.”

Note how Lisa and Picasso have a lot in common as to how they approach form.

I will be using my book, Lisa Larson: Amongst Lions and Angels, as a source this week.

Coming up:

Part 2 The ABC Girls

Part 3 Animals

Part 4 Humans and Scenes

Part 5 Form

Part 6 Portraits

See also:

35 PART daily journal exercise

Weekly artist exploration/journaling series INTRO

Weekly artist exploration/journaling series Week 1 parts 1-6 FRIDA KAHLO

Weekly artist exploration/journaling series Week 2 parts 1-6 PICASSO

Weekly artist exploration/journaling series Week 3 preface LISA LARSON

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.

Lisa Larson, 1959

As I’m busy with my art event today, I’ll do part 1 tomorrow!

As an intro, I wanted to share the visual connection I just discovered between Picasso and Lisa this past week.

See also:

35 PART daily journal exercise

Weekly artist exploration/journaling series INTRO

Weekly artist exploration/journaling series Week 1 parts 1-6 FRIDA KAHLO

Weekly artist exploration/journaling series Week 2 parts 1-6 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 also:

35 PART daily journal exercise

Weekly artist exploration/journaling series INTRO

Weekly artist exploration/journaling series Week 1 parts 1-6 FRIDA KAHLO

Week 2 Part 1- PICASSO

Week 2 Part 2 PICASSO: BREATHING

Week 2 Part 3 PICASSO: ART ABOUT ART

Week 2 Part 4 PICASSO: THE SILENT STUDIO

Week 2 Part 5 PICASSO: INFLUENCE

–

–

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 Guernica sock monkey:

My art event poster with obvious Picasso references:

One of my favorite books on the subject: A Sum of Destructions- Picasso’s Cultures and the Creation of Cubism by Natasha Staller (Yale University Press, 2001).

Picasso’s ceramics are a perfect segway to our next artist, Lisa Larson.

Later today:

Portrait in Picasso style.

Friday:

Lisa Larson!

See also:

See also:

35 PART daily journal exercise

Weekly artist exploration/journaling series INTRO

Weekly artist exploration/journaling series Week 1 parts 1-6 FRIDA KAHLO

Week 2 Part 1- PICASSO

Week 2 Part 2 PICASSO: BREATHING

Week 2 Part 3 PICASSO: ART ABOUT ART

Week 2 Part 4 PICASSO: THE SILENT STUDIO

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 have no problem with noise and distractions.  Maybe I thrive on it?

But that being said,  I must remind myself that silence is important.

So today, sit in you creative space [wherever you happen to be in the moment] and be silent.  Then start to write or draw.  It can be anything.  But I suggest a bird.  Or a cat.  Stream of consciousness.  For at least 15 minutes.  In a quiet space.

I was so lucky to find the book  The Silent Studio (1st edition, 1976) by David Douglas Duncan at Vancouver’s Macleods’s Books (451 Pender Street) a few years ago.

The book itself is a work of art.  Filled with photos by Duncan of Picasso’s studio after his death in 1973.  Haunting, sad, magical, silent.  The book (no captions and mainly photos) is a love letter to Picasso’s last wife Jacqueline Roque.

today, at Notre-Dame de Vie,

Jacqueline’s flock of sheep

grazes beneath olive trees

of a studio now locked,

while Igor appears to watch

for someone he never knew

Everyone tried to shield Jacqueline from the obvious agony of having professionals, court-ordered, inside her home cataloguing everything, even the contents of Pablo’s and her clothes closets.  Only rarely was a voice heard in that enormous house, then it was muted.  The experts have now returned to Paris.  Now it’s over.  She seems so relieved and exhausted. (from Preface)

Later today:

Picasso’s Influence.

Thursday:

Self-portrait.

Friday:

Lisa Larson!

See also:

See also:

35 PART daily journal exercise

Weekly artist exploration/journaling series INTRO

Weekly artist exploration/journaling series Week 1 parts 1-6 FRIDA KAHLO

Week 2 Part 1- PICASSO

Week 2 Part 2 PICASSO: BREATHING

Week 2 Part 3 PICASSO: ART ABOUT ART

David Douglas Duncan’s portrait of Jacqueline teaching Picasso a ballet routine in Picasso’s studio

Gabby Bernstein talks about sitting back and receiving, knowing when to take action and when to be still.  Stillness is sometimes the greatest action.

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.

Take a few minutes to write why you chose the piece and what reproducing it means to you.

Tomorrow:

The Silent Studio

See also:

35 PART daily journal exercise

Weekly artist exploration/journaling series INTRO

Weekly artist exploration/journaling series Week 1 parts 1-6 FRIDA KAHLO

Week 2 Part 1- PICASSO

Week 2 Part 2 PICASSO: BREATHING