Sunday's sofa 1.2.2015

 The book "Ansichten von Frauen" (Views of women) is nearly 40 years old, I am still intrigued by some photos (and statements), this is one. Her statement is "I hope I will manage every situation in life".

There also is this book about Georgia O'Keeffe and Alfred Stieglitz, which I was browsing through. I love the way he was photogaphing her, especially her hands.

And there are pages from magazines, some for paper swap and some to keep. My Flickrfriend Lene has sent me 31 kilos (!!!) of (old) magazines and postcards and stuff. Like Xmas for me!

Now I have lovely material for new collages.

I am also playing with paper again. Here with little quote bags.

A trip to Berlin (2) Going from Heinrichplatz to Görlitzer Bahnhof

Leaving the book shop, I walk over to Heinrichplatz. Nothing much changes here. It’s strange, because Berlin is a quick changing place. The organic food store „Kraut & Rüben“ is one of the first organic food stores in Berlin, I think. Since 1978. „Macht kaputt, was euch kaputt macht“ (Destroy what destroys you) was one of the slogans of alternative culture in the Kreuzberg of my childhood. Here you can listen to the German band “Ton Steine Scherben”. Kreuzberg was an area with cheap appartments and huge rear house studios at that time. Further on, down the Oranienstraße. „Isolation is torture“- art environments are everywhere, may they be on purpose or accidentely. A little fur monster as „Guerilla Art“. This wall is filled with ever changing art work, poster art, graffiti and stuff. Second World War bombs left many of such huge walls. At the end of the street there is the station Görlitzer Bahnhof. Everyone loves us. And Mary too. Back into the line 1, but only one stop to Schlesisches Tor. This was the old final stop when Berlin was still devided. I have lived there as a child til I was 3. What it looked like, when I was a child: Stay tuned for part 3.

Last day of February

Oh spring come nearer! This is the last day of February.
Like always I am shifting between kitchen and desk with creativity as my companion.

Cooking is always having a photo eye on the beauty of the ingredients.

Try this one: Black bean paste


150g schwarze Bohnen/ black beans
1 grosse Zwiebel/ big onion
1-2 Zehen Knofi/ cloves of garlic
Salz/salt
Pfeffer/pepper
Etwas Chili & sonstige Lieblingsgewuerze/chili and other fav herbs and spices
1 EL Ahornsirup/ 1 tbsp maple syrup
1 EL Tomatenmark/ 1 tbsp tomato purée
1 EL Olivenoel/ 1 tbsp olive oil

Soak the beans over night. Cook them with the double amount of water (=300ml). Peel and chop the onion and garlics and fry them in a pan, add the spices. Add the maple syrup and the tomato purée and let it cool down a bit.
Mix the beans and the onions and garlic in a food processor, add the oil and blend it all together.
Fill in a jar and keep it cool.
Makes a lovely bread spread and adds something special to sauces and soups.

Talking of beans and lentils. Don’t you love storing them in old jars of glass?
But what about the “best before…” dates on the package. The lovely numbers rubber stamps I have, gave me this idea:




Some new journal pages, yes, I am at it again.





Btw: if you think, eating is a problem and you should be on a diet, watch this to understand what’s it all about.
This makes me sad and angry and although our commercials are not all that obvious, we share the same problems too!

Oakey and doakey

I like to change things often, but I somehow stick to that size and style.









But this is new. Reminds me of body paintings. Not too sure, if I really like it.


I also made some more Art notebooks.

All handstamped.




And you may have asked: how is Svea doing?
She is fine. This is her favorite tree and her favorite place to dwell with Loana her favorite dog.


There are lots of things a child can do with acorns. Carving for instance.

We called them oakey and doakey.

An emoticon of the stone age.

Note books and mini books

Little notebooks made from a magazine about work space interior. You just need Gesso and watercolors to do that.







And more collages...

Art is long, life is short

The secret of art is: make as much as you can. Even if it all seems to be nonsense, good for nothing, not new at all, carry on.
It's never too late for a happy childhood! ;) And: Everybody's got the right to make a fool of him/herself!











Because I don't want to use the original, I started with copies, but it's not the same.



I love that "Sepia" und "Walnut stain" ink, I am using, it makes the paper look really old.


Isn't that a great sentence? Art is long, life is short.

My friend Videbitis works in a library, he's sent me tons of old library cards and as a "thankyou" I made this little "Nonsense"-Book called "good for nothing" from these cards, it was great fun.