Glad Valborg! (Happy 1 May)

I can not comprehend that it will be the first of May the day after tomorrow. Where on earth does the time fly to? I'm not in a hurry, but time itself does not seem to agree...

Anyway, today I have some art to share with you.

'And sweetest in the gale is heard...' 20x20cm. Here I have had some collage fun with the background. Book pages, handwritten papers, stamped letters and so on. I first made the collage background as an abstract piece in itself, and then decided what bird would fit onto it. For some reason it seem to work better for me that way: To first make and paint a background, and then decide what to paint on it. This way I work more spontaneous. If I have a bird in mind from the beginning, it often paint the background around the bird instead of behind it. If that makes any sense...

Oh, yes, and the wagtail is painted in oil!

'Runosång'/ 'Song of runes' 20x20cm. Same story as above. The only thing I can add is that the 'trees' in the background here is actually an old linoleum print that I did many years ago while I was studying in The Netherlands for my bachelor degree... I found it amongst my papers, but I have no idea how it ended up here in China with me. But it came in handy now! This is so far one of my own favorites. It is simple, the colours go well together, and it is just darn cute! :)

'Vårfrost' / 'Springfrost' 20x30cm. Acrylic, oil and different papers. This background has gone through quite some changes before I decided that it was finished. I have added, sandpapered down, added again, removed... even the bird has changed. I first painted two blackbirds, but realized that the canvas was too small to do them justice.   So I decided on this Bullfinch instead. I thought that his splendid red plumage would go great against the blue and cold background. 

Two new backgrounds started. A 50x40 cm canvas on the left, and many layers of different papers and acrylic. This will probably become a background for a flying gull of some sort. Lets see when the background is finished, The canvas on the right is a smaller 40x30cm, and this will be a magpie painting. It is a commission, and I have been asked to use a lot of green, blue and purple. The purple is already there, now I have to add green and blue. It's a challenge to get preordained colors to work together in this way. For me that is. 

Two more paintings in progress: a flying great tit on a 40x30cm canvas. I covered the canvas with book pages, and then had some fun with white, blue and payne's gray. The tit still need a couple of layers before it is finished. The canvas below is a 40x50cm size, covered in book pages, and in the beginning of getting some paint. I have no clue what I will do next with it.

And last: Glada vappen! I made mead three days ago, and poured it in bottles this morning. I also tried  to make struvor (a special 1 of May cookie we eat in Finland) for the first time in life today. It was actually surprisingly easy, and they are good!!! Things you learn to do when you can not find it in the supermarket...