Gareth Billstrand Rychter

Elegance and power exhibition walk through

2012-01-26T14:37:00.000-08:00

If you didn't get the chance to visit my exhibition last year, here's a video showing a quick walkthrough of the paintings in the gallery.

Elegance and Power - "Your company is mine"

2012-01-17T14:30:00.000-08:00

My version of the story behind the painting

It's a classic cocktail party and one of the guests has a hostile takeover of one of the other guests in mind. Or actually the other guests' company - both personally and financially. The red poison bottle hidden behind her back has already been opened and a drop landed in her target's martini, all in a very subtle and unobserved manner. The couple say 'Cheers' to each other and soon her target is feeling slightly dizzy. But not so dizzy that they can't write their signature on what looks like an autograph book, and the lady walks away from the party with ownership of another company.

Detail from "Your company is mine"

The making of "Your company is mine"

My wife was heavily pregnant when I took the reference photos for this, but of course it doesn't show due to the areas of black. The poison was a drink called fun light (strawberry flavour) and the martini was water. The olives were real! I really like the composition and lighting, the lack of detail and the parts that are there but not at all painted - like the small of her back and her behind. One of my favourites.

Detail from "Your company is mine"

This painting is for sale. 7000 swedish kronor.
A limited edition of canvas prints of this painting are also available. An edition of ten at the same size as the originals (100 x 100 centimeters) for 2700 kronor each and an edition of twenty at 60 x 60 centimeters for 1400 kronor each. All signed and numbered by me. Please get in touch by mail viagary.rychter@gmail.com or telephone 0046 (0)706 391848 if you are interested in buying.

Elegance and power - "My little catastrophe"

2012-01-15T14:31:00.000-08:00

My version of the story behind the painting

The plant in the painting holds a very special power, and the woman is about to release this power to the world. Or is she? Perhaps she is playing with the thought of releasing her 'little catastrophe", without the intention of doing it. The plant is mugwort, which in Ukranian is "Chornobyl". The woman here is a goddess, playing with the symbolic power in her hands.

Detail from "My little catastrophe"

The making of "My little catastrophe"

My wife loves these glass cake-holders and wanted this one to feature in a painting, and I love the dress she is wearing, even though it was difficult to paint. The Chernobyl disaster has a special meaning for my wife as she was out cycling with her family when she was six years old. They got caught in the rain and it wasn't till afterwards that the family realised the rain was probably radioactive. Her mother suspects a connection between that rainfall and a blood condition my wife had afterwards. She's fine now though!

Detail from "My little catastrophe"

A limited edition of canvas prints of this painting are available. An edition of ten at the same size as the originals (100 x 100 centimeters) for 2700 kronor each and an edition of twenty at 60 x 60 centimeters for 1400 kronor each. All signed and numbered by me. Please get in touch by mail gary.rychter@gmail.com or telephone 0046 (0)706 391848 if you are interested in buying.

Elegance and power - "Take a sniff Mr. President"

2012-01-14T14:31:00.000-08:00

My version of the story behind the painting

This is a classic tale of seduction and power. The woman in the painting is saying the lines to herself as she sprays her neck with the perfume, practicing for what will come later that evening - she has an invitation to a very special party in which the president himself will be there. She has created a special perfume which casts its fragrance out and creates a curiousity. The president will smell the perfume and wonder what it is, and also wonder why he knows straight away that the woman in purple is the wearer. He asks "What perfume is that you're wearing?" to which she replies "Take a sniff, Mr. President." If you look closely at the painting, you'll see there's a worm in the bottom of the perfume bottle. An hour after taking a close sniff, the president is dead.

Detail from "Take a sniff, Mr. President"

The making of "Take a sniff Mr. President"

It took my wife and I several months to get the perfume bottle. It's an ikea product and every time we were there, the product was sold out, leaving us staring frustratingly at the glued-down display product. Until one day we decided to rip the display product off the shelf. My wife (I'm amazed she has the guts) took the perfume dispenser to the bargain corner and after a few persuasive conversations, managed to get them to put a 'bargain' sticker on it. We've never been happier after a trip to ikea. The rest of the painting went well apart from the title which took a long time and many variants.

If you want a look at this painting in real life then go to the gallery Rönnquist & Rönnquist in Malmö and ask to be taken to the basement... :)

Detail from "Take a sniff, Mr. President"

Elegance and Power - "I have the last word"

2012-01-13T14:30:00.000-08:00

My version of the story behind the painting
The reporter is listening to someone in a position of power - perhaps a politician, who likes to hear the sound of their own voice and loves to dominate any conversation. The reporter listens silently, taking her notes, knowing that it doesn't matter what the politician says, or how much he tries to take over the situation, that it all depends on which of his words she uses, and in which order, that will define how his words are taken. Despite everything he wants, she has the last word.

Detail from "I have the last word"

The making of "I have the last word"
My wife loves this coat and the hat was a present from me. We didn't really have any ideas but after a while of taking reference photographs the reporter emerged by herself, and especially when my wife found that head angle. I really like the position of her right hand, which is like an uppercut or another unfriendly gesture.

Detail from "I have the last word"

2012 calendar

2011-12-07T13:43:00.001-08:00

I've just received the print edition of my 2012 calendars. They are a limited edition of 25, and cost 200 swedish kronor (or £18, or $28 or €21) so if you'd like one before Christmas, get in touch via mail (or twitter or facebook or talking to me) and I'll do my best!

The text is in Swedish, but it's really similar to English so there won't be any problem, and it'll be unusual to say the least. Guess which month Januari is? Februari? Maj? September? Etc. Piece of cake!

Click on each picture below for a larger version:

Elegance and power - "Everybody thinks you've gone home"

2011-11-29T14:32:00.001-08:00

Behind this painting is one of my favourite stories. But if you'd rather make up your own story and not be influenced by mine, skip over the next paragraph!

Detail from "Everybody thinks you've gone home"

My version of the story behind the painting
There was a very elegant party, perhaps at the end of the year, in a big city, and someone was not being very nice to the other guests. The hostess wasn't particularly pleased with the behaviour of this unpleasant person but couldn't do anything about them due to taking care of her other guests. A moment came during the night in which she realised she could use the power of flirtation to get rid of the only negative person in the party. The person followed her flashing eyelids and suggestive glances into a dark room far away from the rest of the group. She made the person sit down on a chair, then watch her back away while dancing, reaching behind to unfasten her bra strap but instead taking out and key while at the same time kicking a door which slammed closed between them, locking the person into the room. On the other side, the hostess dangles the key before the person, saying with a smile "Everybody thinks you went home". She then turns and ignores the demands of the person while walking back to her champagne in the party.

Detail from "Everybody thinks you've gone home"

The making of "Everybody thinks you've gone home"
The origin of this painting is a photograph where my wife is getting herself prepared for a New Year's party. In the photograph she's holding some makeup and brushing her cheeks with the other hand. I didn't have the idea for the key until afterwards, but at the start I knew she had to be holding something. I really liked the pose in the photograph and the clothes my wife was wearing. My initial thoughts were to put a gun in her hand but I thought that would be too obvious, and I'd already painted "Let me think". So I took some more reference photos with a key later and it fitted in really well. I then came up with the story behind the painting and lastly the title itself - which was "I told them you went home" for a while until I changed it to the current title which I like (of course) much better.

This painting is for sale. 7000 swedish kronor.
A limited edition of canvas prints of this painting are also available. An edition of ten at the same size as the originals (100 x 100 centimeters) for 2700 kronor each and an edition of twenty at 60 x 60 centimeters for 1400 kronor each. All signed and numbered by me. Please get in touch by mail viagary.rychter@gmail.com or telephone 0046 (0)706 391848 if you are interested in buying.

Priorities

2011-11-10T08:08:00.000-08:00

My son, drawn using a ball-point pen with my left hand as he lay on my right arm.

I have a confession to make - I haven't painted a single brush stroke for about three months now. Since the arrival of our son, our lives have changed dramatically. I see the world though my new 'parent' spectacles in which everything is labelled either 'possible' or 'would take an enormous amount of energy and logistics and down-prioritising lots of other things to get done'.
It's easy to say 'I just don't have time anymore' but that's not the truth. In reality it's about priorities since the amount of time is the same. My son and my wife always come first, that's easy, then there's my job, since we have to pay the bills. Then there are obligatory events where the downsides of saying 'no' are more than saying 'yes'. I've also read that sleep is necessary to avoid death.
After all that, there is very little time left. I'm hoping that this situation is temporary and that experience will open up more 'free' time. Although I've heard that it just gets harder the older they get...

I wonder how many producing artists there are out there who have young kids? How do you do it?

Elegance and power - "He's on vacation"

2011-11-01T15:57:00.000-07:00

This was a painting I had in my head for a long time before I started to paint it. I think the seed of the idea was when my wife bought these shoes - I spontanously said 'Oh I just have to paint those, they're wonderful'. But without a context I thought it would be a really weak painting. A while later I had the idea of a woman standing on a tie and the symbolism of that stance, and when I was thinking about other paintings for this exhibition's theme, this old idea popped up as an obvious part of the series.

Detail from "He's on vacation"

My version of the story behind the painting
The woman has been working in a office for quite some time and is doing tasks which are way under her capability. One of her manly co-workers was always given first chance for promotions and more rewarding work that she knows she could have done much better than the poor efforts he produced. The painting is the moment just after she, in a strategic and calculated manner, has disposed of her rival. Another co-worker has just asked "Where is Mr. ?" and as the woman turns round she notices his tie lying on the ground and moves her feet to block the view of the tie from the co-worker, at the same time calmly replying "He's on vacation." She goes on of course to eventually be the CEO of the company.

Detail from "He's on vacation"

The making of "He's on vacation"
I took reference photographs specifically for this painting, getting the light in the correct place so there would be a white definining line on the left of the legs. It took a while and a bit of acting for my wife to place her legs in such a way that it would suggest that she was trying to hide something behind her, which sounds strange but there are a thousand different ways to stand, each meaning different things. The positioning of the subject so far to the right was a deliberate way to emphasise her trying to hide the tie and to create a space between her and the co-worker, who is standing just out of frame on the left. I was tempted to make the legs catwalk-model thin but I decided that would be a negative aspect which I didn't want in the painting, or in fact any in the series. I listened to the Swedish radio station 'P1' while painting this, and almost hear all the programs again just by looking at it.

This painting is for sale. 7000 swedish kronor.
A limited edition of canvas prints of this painting are also available. An edition of ten at the same size as the originals (100 x 100 centimeters) for 2700 kronor each and an edition of twenty at 60 x 60 centimeters for 1400 kronor each. All signed and numbered by me. Please get in touch by mail viagary.rychter@gmail.com or telephone 0046 (0)706 391848 if you are interested in buying.

Elegance and Power - "You may leave now"

2011-10-20T13:25:00.000-07:00

This painting stands out a litte from the rest of the series due to the isolated nature of the subject. It's the only painting in which nothing reaches the edges, where it is black all the way round. I really like it and it's one of my favourites.

My version of the story behind the painting

I see a person standing, speechless after hearing these words spoken by the woman in the painting. The woman has turned her head directly afterwards and is not looking at anything in particular. She is specifically not looking at the person standing. That person could easily be the person looking at the painting, which is slightly intimidating since the woman's head is much larger than in real life. The person is standing, thinking "What did I say that was wrong?", searching for some way to win back the attention of the woman, but realising that her statement is not a discussion point. Her earring seems to hang slightly unnaturally, but the painting actually catches her in mid-turn, with her earring swinging out

Detail from "You may leave now"

The making of "You may leave now"

The image comes from a birthday meal at a restaurant in which my wife turned up from work dressed fantastically. I couldn't help but take a few photos before we looked at the menu but realised I was trying everyone's patience.
In the sketching stage, I move the subject around lots within the square, changing the size, and drawing lots of guides over the square (thirds, diagonals, golden section etc.), to see where it 'fits' best, and test my reaction to different places. I start off geometrically trying to match certain standard compositional patterns, then take a step back to see how it feels, and what other kind of messages appear that I haven't thought about before. In this case there's a strong diagonal from top left to bottom right, close to her hairline and the back of her neck, following through to an invisible shoulder and perhaps arm. By placing the main part of the painting to the left, I think I've created a feeling of being rebuffed. That the subject is definitely looking away, which I'm really pleased with. My wife objected to the grey hair until I reassured her that the painting is not a portrait of her.

Detail from "You may leave now"

This painting is for sale for 7000 swedish kronor.
A limited edition of canvas prints of this painting are also available. An edition of ten at the same size as the originals (100 x 100 centimeters) for 2700 kronor each and an edition of twenty at 60 x 60 centimeters for 1400 kronor each. All signed and numbered by me. Please get in touch by mail gary.rychter@gmail.com or telephone 0046 (0)706 391848 if you are interested in buying.

Elegance and Power - "It never happened"

2011-10-15T08:49:00.000-07:00

This painting was sold before the exhibition opened, to a close relative of the gallery owner, which I'm really happy about. He was particularly impressed by the work on the hands.

Detail from "It never happened"

My version of the story behind the painting

The woman in the painting is in possession of a very powerful watch - when she turns back the hands of her watch, time rolls backwards too. In my mind she uses this power often and has therefore this rather casual stance while she rewinds the previous events. The painting has an air of formality and normality, as if this was something which quite simply needed to be done. The rings on her left hand indicate that she's married, so I think that whatever it was that never happened has something to do with adultery, but we'll never know, because it never happened.

Detail from "It never happened"

The making of "It never happened"

While lying in the sun, my wife and I took up the theme of elegance and power again, since we needed another idea for the next painting. My wife suggested the concept of time and after a couple of minutes chat we had the idea for the whole painting - it didn't take any longer. My wife loves Jackie Kennedy's style of clothing and has a jacket which she calls her 'Jackie Kennedy jacket', which she really wanted to have in a painting. My wife was heavily pregnant at the time which meant that the painting is actually quite different to the reference photographs taken.

Elegance and power - "You're left, my right"

2011-10-04T23:03:00.000-07:00

One of the most popular paintings from the series but mysteriously not sold. It's different from the rest in that an object - the steering wheel, or the car - is almost the main character.

My version of the story behind the painting
Like I've said before, if you'd like to have your own story behind this painting, and don't want to be influenced by anyone else's version, don't read the next paragraph!
The germ for the idea for this painting came from me just generally day dreaming about power and the different situations in which it appears. One which spontaneously came to mind was driving - the person behind the wheel is who decides. Not just where to go, but ultimately the destiny of those sitting in the car rests with the driver, who could drive to somewhere very dangerous, somewhere unknown or even into a brick wall. I had a story in my head while painting but couldn't create a connection between the situation in my head and the painting. Or at least, any connection which could be seen by someone else. My story is of a bank robbery, which was an 'inside job'. The driver of the car had a relation with someone who worked in the bank, and arranged a robbery with the partner playing the part of an innocent employee, whist granting access to the money. However, in the getaway car, the partner realises they have been tricked as they discover they are trapped in the back and have no say over where they are driving. Hence the title 'You're left' which I interpret as 'You are abandoned', and 'my right' which I take as 'my justice', which is a revenge for some episode which happened earlier in their relationship where the driver was tricked out of something valuable by the other person. If I was in the back of the car I'd be very worried.

Detail from "You're left, my right"

The making of "You're left, my right"

We'd had guests and the night finished quite late when my wife reminded me that I had nothing to paint the next day. I told her that I needed to take the reference photos at night which meant a 24 hour delay if we weren't to take the photos that night. So we decided despite being very tired to find our last kilojoules of energy and take the photos. Our neighbours must have wondered what we were up to with lights and tripods on our driveway at 1 o'clock in the morning. My wife almost fell asleep as I gently asked her to change the position of her hands too many times. The gloves are my wife's favourites and she was really pleased that they would be used in a painting. I sketched ideas using our car's original steering wheel but the square volvo-ness of it wasn't particularly elegant. So I found a lovely 50's style wheel which changed the mood completely. I really like the way I painted the leather on the gloves and managed to get the knuckles underneath to 'shine through', and I like the composition and 'power' in the painting.

Detail from "You're left, my right"

This painting is for sale. 7000 swedish kronor.
A limited edition of canvas prints of this painting are also available. An edition of ten at the same size as the originals (100 x 100 centimeters) for 2700 kronor each and an edition of twenty at 60 x 60 centimeters for 1400 kronor each. All signed and numbered by me. Please get in touch by mail gary.rychter@gmail.com or telephone 0046 (0)706 391848 if you are interested in buying.

Elegance and power - "The fate of my people"

2011-10-04T23:02:00.000-07:00

This was one of the hardest paintings in the series actually, but one of the most unusual too since it's quite magical. I was really pleased that this painting was sold during the exhibition.

Detail from "The fate of my people"

My version of the story behind the painting

This is perhaps a gypsy queen, on the eve of a huge decision which will effect all of the people who are under her control. I imagine that it's a large country full of people, perhaps a country on earth, perhaps somewhere else. The thing she holds in her hands is something very secret, which she has kept in her possession since she was a child. Maybe she received it before she was even born, something that has passed from royal generation to royal generation but without ever being used. On this night, the queen looks at her secret possession and has to make a tough choice - whether to use the powers her gift gives her or not. I think this is a good queen and her people are facing difficult times, to which her gift can relieve the suffering. I think however that the light can only be used once, and she has to decide whether this is the best time to use it, hoping that there isn't a greater suffering in the future to which the secret should have been used for...

Detail from "The fate of my people"

The making of "The fate of my people"

Inspiration came from the end of my wife's 30th birthday party. She still had her party crown on and was sitting crouched over her mobile phone, checking her congratulations messages. The glow from her phone lit up her face and I thought it was a nice image. The photo I took then was too fuzzy to use as reference, so my wife and I decided to re-enact the scene but add a little extra drama. She found a dress she wore to a school ball and I found a cool lamp she could hold. Hundreds of photos later and an out-of-breath soon mum-to-be we had some good material. I sketched different compositions until I was happy then started painting. The eyelashes turned out to be much more important that I first imagined, taking several versions and before I could get it correct. Not daring to ruin the canvas, I took a photo of the painting in it's current state, then experiment in photoshop with different versions until I found something that I was satisfied with, then I painted it 'for real' - Almost like an 'undo' button in the real world. I really like this painting because it's cosy and enormous at the same time: a tiny light and a population.

A limited edition of canvas prints of this painting are available. An edition of ten at the same size as the originals (100 x 100 centimeters) for 2700 kronor each and an edition of twenty at 60 x 60 centimeters for 1400 kronor each. All signed and numbered by me. Please get in touch by mailgary.rychter@gmail.com or telephone 0046 (0)706 391848 if you are interested in buying.

Home gallery

2011-10-04T13:25:00.001-07:00

We've changed some of the paintings we have on the walls in our home. Here we have "Everybody thinks you've gone home", "Let me think", "Your company is mine" and "He's on vacation". Would be great if we had enough wall space for them all but at the same time it's nice to change them frequently.

Gallery night adventure

2011-10-02T13:42:00.000-07:00

In Malmö there's a night once a year which is called 'Gallery night', in which a lot of Malmö's galleries open their doors from six o'clock at night until midnight and sometimes later. It's a special night where the town is filled with people wandering, cycling, bussing and driving from gallery to gallery. Recently the whole night has escalated and attracted lots of fringe events which take advantage of the influx of open-minded and slightly tipsy culture tourists. I really hope the night turns into a huge cultural festival like the Edinburgh festival I'm used to.

I had an idea that I could take advantage of this night and try some 'guerrilla marketing' by sticking the above qr-code in subtle places around town. If you have a smartphone and scan the code, you get a link to my blog. A simple idea, I thought. The first stage of buying the stickers was also my premiere of shopping with pram and sleeping 4-week old son which went well thanks to an understanding employee at the stationery shop. Printing the stickers was tricky since he was waking up and didn't like to be left alone for two seconds, but I managed and met my wife later. I put the stickers in an envelope and put it in the basket under the pram. When we got home the envelope was gone. I was dissapointed but was beginning to realise that I probably would never have time to run around town sticking codes all over the place. So I gave up and wondered where my envelope had gone.

So you can imagine how surprised I was when a week later I received an email:

"...On Saturday night, 24th September, wandering towards the train after having visited Malmö's gallery night 2011, I pick up a piece of paper from the street. I didn't see that the prints on the sticker paper are called QR-codes directly, but I could see that it was a message of some sort. My girlfriend, who had been at one of the nights' installations, wasn't surprised that I picked up things from the street. Quite the opposite.
We looked at the print in the dark and it took a while before we saw the pixly code. The frame gave an oriental feeling which made the pattern look at first like hieroglyphics, sanskrit or some other foreign language. In the light from a streetlamp I saw that it was a kind of offer. An invitation to an underground club I guessed. Or yet another app to be downloaded. Perhaps with a built-in virus - for the mobile or for the brain of the idiot that dares to download it.
I don't have a smartphone, so I consulted my oldest son, who unfortunately didn't know anything about the code. After asking lots of students at the school I work at, I got some help. A girl had the app-app. She scanned the picture and I got the address to your blog.
I have now looked at some of the pictures you present. A walkthrough in a windmill too. The explanation you make in one of your posts emphasises the experience. I like you art..."

Dag Persson.

I thanked Dag very much for his tale and have had a look round the site for his small publishing house http://www.fripress.se/ I particularly like "Haiku-SMS" :)

Butterfly

2011-10-02T12:30:00.000-07:00

My sister-in-law took a photo of my wife and my son the other day and when I saw it I thought immediately that he looked like a little caterpillar, and soon after the image of my wife with huge wings came into my head, and thus my next painting was born. The original photo is in black and white so it gives me a chance to make up the colours myself. There's a canvas in my studio which is 100 x 150 cm which I think will be perfect for this painting. This is the first sketch I made to see how it could look and I think it's great. But then again, I'm extremely biased. Next stage - find some wings!

Elegance and power - "No, your cuffs stay on"

2011-09-29T10:33:00.000-07:00

This painting is slightly different from the others but still adheres to the 'rules' of the series. I really like the door edge at the right which turns the viewer into a voyeur. Visitors at the exhibition expressed strong feelings about this painting. Everyone seemed to be moved which I find very positive. Some people thought she was holding weapons but I have painted a blow-dryer and a brush.

Detail from "No, your cuffs stay on"

My version of the story behind the painting

Feel free to make up your own story. But in my head, the title is an answer to a question, which is most probably "Can I take off my handcuffs now?". I think the viewer here takes on the role of the person in the handcuffs, straining to catch a glimpse of the female figure as she blow-dries her hair after a shower. The straps are from a gun holster and in my world she is a police officer, and in this situation she was transporting her captive from one secure place to another. However, at some point in the journey they have stopped at a motel and the situation has resulted in the removal of their clothes. In my mind there was a sexual attraction between the captive and the officer which bent the rules. The officer doesn't drop her role and therefore the gun and holster are never removed, even with her back to the captive, who tries desperately to use the new-found sexuality as a way to escape. But to no avail.

Detail from "No, your cuffs stay on"

The making of "No, your cuffs stay on"

The starting point was a snapshot of my wife in a bathroom of the hotel 'Eggers' in Gothenburg, where I was up for a bachelor party for a friend in which I managed to brake a rib while go-karting. The holster is fabricated afterwards and I'm happy that it fits in so well as if she really wore it. In all the other paintings, the background is as black as I can make it, but for this painting I wanted her hair to be the darkest part, and making the background dark grey helped to separate the door at the right from the rest. The left arm is actually a lot brighter than the rest of the body which took me a while to convince myself that it would work in the end. Painting such a difference really went against the grain but I'm pleased I didn't give in to my "I'll just fix this to make it look more like I think it should look" self.

This painting is for sale. 7000 swedish kronor.
A limited edition of canvas prints of this painting are also available. An edition of ten at the same size as the originals (100 x 100 centimeters) for 2700 kronor each and an edition of twenty at 60 x 60 centimeters for 1400 kronor each. All signed and numbered by me. Please get in touch by mail gary.rychter@gmail.com or telephone 0046 (0)706 391848 if you are interested in buying.

Elegance and power - "If you won't release them, then I will"

2011-09-22T11:45:00.000-07:00

This is the third in the series (although my memory isn't completely accurate) and quite a challenge.

Detail from "If you won't release them, then I will"

My version of the story behind the painting

It isn't a complicated story - there's some kind of compound full of rare animals, perhaps on a distant planet. The animals are stressed and desperately needing to run around. There is a power struggle between the two who sit either side of the table with the button on it, and after long heated discussions the woman reaches forward and presses the button. Tall, heavy metal gates open and the animals run free.

Detail from "If you won't release them, then I will"

The making of "Well, if I can't have you"

I had lots of thoughts about some kind of military, nuclear result of pressing the button but thought that would be too dramatic and violent. The pattern on the dress reminds me of the stripes of a zerba so I wanted to get some kind of animal aspect in, by using the title. I tested the title on a couple of people who had seen the painting and after some questioning they mentioned zebras, so I decided to leave it at that. The painting is based on a photograph of my wife while she scrolls through her mobile. I made a button in a 3D modelling program with the same lighting as the photo, all before I had the title set.
The dress has quite a complicated pattern but I managed to simplify the process by painting all the grey shades first and then painting in the black stripes afterwards. A technique which allowed for no mistakes.

This painting is for sale. 7000 swedish kronor.
A limited edition of canvas prints of this painting are also available. An edition of ten at the same size as the originals (100 x 100 centimeters) for 2700 kronor each and an edition of twenty at 60 x 60 centimeters for 1400 kronor each. All signed and numbered by me. Please get in touch by mail viagary.rychter@gmail.com or telephone 0046 (0)706 391848 if you are interested in buying.

Elegance and power - "Well, if I can't have you"

2011-09-20T06:12:00.000-07:00

This was the second painting in the series and really it was a test to see if I could hold the style from the last painting ("Let me think") but at the same time bring something new to the series. It helps that each painting is the same size and format, but it's crucial that the style doesn't vary too much. I'm really pleased with this one too.

Detail from "Well, if I can't have you"

My version of the story behind the painting
Like I said before, I want each viewer to make up their own story, but if you'd like to read mine, then go ahead. Otherwise you can skip to the 'The making of' if you'd like to.
The metal rings in her hand are the pin from a grenade, and if you look closely you can see that the earrings are small dangling grenades. In my mind this is a farewell dinner date, with the woman and the viewer taking on the role as her partner. Or ex-partner. I think the partner has spent the meal discussing their relationship, gradually putting forward reason after reason as to why the partner thinks that it's now they should end their time together as a couple. The woman however knew this was coming and waits until the last crumbs of the dessert are eaten up and the partner has drank enough wine to get up the courage to finally say that it's over. The woman brings up a clenched hand from under the table, resting her chin against it. As she opens her hand, the small metal pins fall out, she smiles and she says "Well, if I can't have you..." and the partner sees what she has in her hand, takes a few seconds to recognise what it is and the implications, jumps and probably falls over their chair desperately trying to get away in time, but of course the woman has timed the explosion to coincide perfectly with her last words.

Detail from "Well, if I can't have you"

The making of "Well, if I can't have you"
Warning! Don't read this is you'd rather keep in mind the story above! The reference photo is actually from a dinner date celebrating my wife and I's fourth wedding anniversary. I absolutely adore the satin top she has on and it was extremely difficult getting the shine correct. Painting outside in the blazing sun forced me to get every gradient correct, since it's easy to think I've got a subtle change in the dimness of my studio. The armband is really the visual focus of the painting - a present from my wife's friends for her 30th birthday which she really appreciates, but the grenade pins are the story focus. Like the first painting, I had the composition finished and was searching for something to give the painting a deeper meaning. When I came up with the idea of the grenade pin I knew it would fit perfectly. I initially had the earrings as small skulls but they seemed rather tacky so I changed them to tiny hand grenades.

This painting was sold on the exhibition opening, which was fantastic. A limited edition of canvas prints of this painting are available. An edition of ten at the same size as the originals (100 x 100 centimeters) for 2700 kronor each and an edition of twenty at 60 x 60 centimeters for 1400 kronor each. All signed and numbered by me. Please get in touch by mailgary.rychter@gmail.com or telephone 0046 (0)706 391848 if you are interested in buying.

Elegance and Power - "Let me think"

2011-09-14T14:48:00.000-07:00

Now that my solo exhibition 'Elegance and Power' at Martins color is over, I thought it would be nice to put up each painting on my blog with some background information and my own thoughts about what's going on in each.

So I'll start with the painting that started it all. This was already in progress when I talked with Martin and

was given the chance to have my own show. He said that 14 paintings would fill the space nicely if they were all 1 meter square. So I started over with this painting (which was originally smaller) and painted it large. While painting it, I realised that the theme was rich enough to explore in other paintings - easily another 13.

Thinking about what it is about this painting I liked, I realised that the other paintings should follow the same 'rules'.

A tight, unexpected composition, perhaps leaving large spaces 'unfilled' visually but hopefully hinting at something or someone outside the frame.
An aspect which isn't obvious at first glance but gives the painting an extra dimension when 'discovered'.
The title should be a piece of dialogue, preferably between two people, emphasising the power of one over the other.
My wife would be the reference model (even though heavily pregnant towards the end) but the aim is not to paint her portrait.
My wife has complete freedom over which clothes are used and painted.
The title should give enough clues to many possible situations, and thus not be too specific.
The power in each painting should be ambigious, i.e. there shouldn't be an obvious 'bad guy' or 'evil person' in the paintings, likewise no 'good guys' either. The viewer should make up the story behind it.
Dark backgrounds with specific lighting (in the paintings that were posed specifically for the exhibition) which is one soft light at the front and a sharp, colder light from behind giving a white defining edge.
And a few other rules which I've forgotten.

The aim in all the paintings is to get the viewer thinking about what is happening or just happened or will happen. I think each viewer's own version is just as valid as mine, and that's why I didn't make the titles fit in with my story. But if you want to read my story for this painting, then read on.

Detail from "Let me think"

My version of the story behind the painting
"Let me think" for me is a tense situation with a hostage somewhere in the background, off to the right. Probably tied up and sitting in a puddle of their own sweat, staring constantly at the female figure in the painting, who deliberately is showing her back to him. The hostage has just said something to the female figure who likes to play games with the hostage. I still don't know who is 'good' and who is 'bad'. The more I think about it, the more the hostage is the 'bad guy'. I can imagine the hostage has said something like 'Well are you going to kill me or are you not?' to which she has replied "Let me think" with a definite smile on her face. What happens next I think is that she takes up the pistol, turns round and dramatically points it at him... and after that I'm not sure if I want to know. I like the moment of uncertainty in the painting, and don't want to venture too far from that in my imagined situation.

Detail from "Let me think"

The making of "Let me think"
Here I'll explain a little about the actual process of how the image and title came to being. A bit like watching a DVD with the directors commentary on. For some I imagine that this spoils the magic of the paintings (or films) so if you don't want to know the nuts and bolts, stop reading! :)
The painting is based on a photograph I took of my wife while we were talking in the corridor between two rooms. I noticed the light and her clothing and asked her to stay there for a while so I could get my camera. It was my wife's idea to raise her hand up to her chin, and her other arm was placed naturally round her waist to support the raised hand. It wasn't till afterwards where I was sketching different compositions that I realised she could be holding a gun. So I put one in just for fun but decided to leave it in and tone it down as much as I could so that it was just noticeable. I like the fact that the whole painting was composed before the gun even came in, which makes the gun very hidden. I painted the first version smaller, experimenting with a much looser style of painting, probably affected by the drying outdoor paint I had in my studio at the time. I took photos during the process and when I came out of my studio and looked at the first photos I wondered what I'd been thinking. The painting just got worse and worse. The painting in the first pictures was great, and from there it just went downhill. Must have been the fumes! So I started afresh with the bigger format and kept to the essence of the early stages of the first version. I was very satisfied with the end result.

This painting is for sale. 7000 swedish kronor.
A limited edition of canvas prints of this painting are also available. An edition of ten at the same size as the originals (100 x 100 centimeters) for 2700 kronor each and an edition of twenty at 60 x 60 centimeters for 1400 kronor each. All signed and numbered by me. Please get in touch by mail gary.rychter@gmail.com or telephone 0046 (0)706 391848 if you are interested in buying.

Photos from the Martins Color exhibition opening

2011-09-08T13:06:00.000-07:00

Here are some photographs from the opening on the 27th of August of my solo exhibition "Elegance and Power" which has it's last day on the 10th of September.

Marie Möller looks at "No, your cuffs stay on" and "He's on Vacation"

Niklas Reimer looks at "You're left, I'm right" and Karin Reimer looks at "Let me think"

Katarina Bolin looks at "No, your cuffs stay on"

Watercolours on imagekind

2011-09-07T03:51:00.000-07:00

I've put some of my favourite watercolours up on imagekind, where you can get nice big (or small and cute) prints. They ship worldwide which is quite handy if you don't live in America.

Four paintings sold so far

2011-09-06T06:02:00.000-07:00

After the first week I'm happy to say that I've sold four paintings. "Well, if I can't have you", "It never happened", "My little catastrophe" and yesterday "The fate of my people"

There's only a week left to have a look at the remaining available 10 paintings. Firday the 10th is the last day.

Martins Color August exhibition vernissage

2011-08-29T14:18:00.000-07:00

Thanks to all who came to the vernissage of my current solo exhibition 'Elegance and Power' at Martins Color in Malmö (Stora Nygatan 4, weekdays 10-13 & 14-18, saturday 11-15, till 10th September) . There was a great turnout and a very positive response to my paintings. I sold three on the day ("It never happened", "My little catastrophe" and "Well if I can't have you") and when asked what their favourite was, many people replied "You're left, my right" (on the right of me in the above photograph). The exhibition is open for two more weeks (usual business open hours, closed for lunch one to two o'clock). The paintings in the above photograph are "Take a sniff, Mr. President", "You're left, my right", and "Let me think".

I will write more about the opening but being a brand new father to the other star attraction of the day means I don't have a huge amount of time and energy right now!

You're invited!

2011-08-16T14:04:00.000-07:00

If you're reading this then you're invited. :) Click on the image to see a larger and more readable version.

Advertisement in Malmöbladet

2011-08-15T14:31:00.000-07:00

In this month's 'Malmöbladet' you can find an advertisement on page 31 for my upcoming solo exhibition. Exciting stuff.

Bath 1 and 2 at Salong des Refusés

2011-08-14T08:51:00.000-07:00

My two paintings 'Bath 1' and 'Bath 2' on the wall at the Salon Des Refusés exhibition in Stockholm. Thanks to my sister-in-law for taking the picture!

All 14 paintings finished

2011-08-11T03:18:00.000-07:00

I've finished all 14 paintings for my solo exhibition at Martins Color. It feels great to be done ahead of schedule but quite empty at the same time. I really enjoyed these intensive months of almost constant painting and learning.

Now there are titles to finalize, certificates to print, photographs to be taken, insurance to be fixed and invitations to be written. Ok, so I'm not at all finished!

Outside Martins color

2011-08-04T15:17:00.000-07:00

This is where the exhibition will be held. Two paintings to go!

Towards the exhibition

2011-07-28T04:24:00.000-07:00

Here I am hard at work on one of the paintings for my upcoming exhibition 'Elegance and Power' which starts on the last weekend in August, here in Malmö.

Google+ and artists

2011-07-13T08:12:00.001-07:00

I've been using Google+ for a couple of weeks now and would like to share my thoughts on this new channel and how it can be used for artists.

I've been a fan of twitter for ages, and had an account there long before I joined facebook. My experience of Twitter is that it's a great channel for artists to show latest work, discuss and be inspired. One of the most powerful aspects of twitter is the retweet. Getting a post retweeted exposes the artist to new people who can then in turn retweet to their followers, potentially reaching thousands of people. One of the weakest aspects of twitter is that it's text-only: asking people to look at a piece of work is asking them to leave their twitter stream, via a risky short url to another website.

My facebook 'fans' have shown a lot of interest but the weakness of facebook is the lack of re-sharing. My experience is that people tend to comment or like a post, but rarely forward the post to their friends. It's a dead-end communication channel. I also think there is too high a threshold for people to 'like' a non-friend.

Google+ is inbetween these channels, filling the weaknesses of both: posts can be shared and re-shared indefinitely (if you want), pictures show up in your stream large enough to be appreciated and re-shared without leaving the stream, and following someone isn't such a big deal - there's no expectation that you'll be followed back and you won't know what they think their relation is to you (more like the real world)

One drawback with Google+ is that it's maybe too late, that most people have only the energy for one social network, which is a pity but understandable. Another drawback for me personally is that it's yet another aspect of my life in the hands of the same huge company.

My posts on Google plus

Easyart article

2011-06-21T05:06:00.000-07:00

Easyart have published a very nice article about me and my paintings which you can read here:

www.easyart.com/trends/2011/06/gareth-billstrand-rychter-an-introduction

Salon des Refusés

2011-06-14T14:00:00.000-07:00

I'll be exhibiting these two works "Bath 1" and "Bath 2" at Salon des Refusés in Stockholm from the 1st of July to the 2nd of October 2011. The address is Båthall 1, Galärvarvet, Kungliga Djurgården, Stockholm (just beside Liljevalchs) The exhibition is for artists who didn't get in to liljevalchs spring exhibition this year.

Martins Color August exhibition

2011-06-03T05:11:00.000-07:00

I now have the opportunity to exhibit in a relatively new gallery in Malmö. From the 27th of August 2011 to the 10th of September 2011, at Martins Color on Stora Nygatan 4 in Malmö (just opposite Malmö's Moderna Museet) Open from 10.00 to 13.00 then 14.00 to 18.00 during the week and from 11.00 to 15.00 on Saturday.

The opening will be at 12 noon till 2 pm on the 27th of August. Everyone is invited!

There are 14 brand new paintings which all come under the theme 'Elegance and power'. I hope to fire up your imagination with titles like "Let me think", "Take a sniff Mr. President" and "Everybody thinks you've gone home". I have my own story behind each painting and I'd be very interested to hear what you think happened before and what will happen after the moment depicted on the canvases. Each is 100 cenitimeters by 100 centimeters, painted with acrylic on a black canvas base.

After consultation with the gallery owner, we've decided not to show any of the works beforehand. I will be showing small teasers of some of the paintings up to the opening (on the 27th at 12 noon). Perhaps even some titles, and my thoughts about the process of preparing for a gallery exhibit.

I'm very glad to be invited to exhibit at Martins Color and of course very excited to show in my hometown.

The image is from one of the exhibition works "Well if I can't have you"

Bauch - finished

2011-04-28T14:18:00.000-07:00

A rather personal painting which will stay within the family. The painting is based on reference photos taken in week 22.

Möllegården exhibition walk through

2011-04-27T13:55:00.000-07:00

For all of you who would like to have been there, here's a video I took of the exhibition on the first day.

I'd also like to say that an important part of the exhibition was the Swedish Childhood Cancer Foundation (Barncancerfonden). It was a good chance to explain what Möllegården was for and to enligten people about barncancerfonden. In the end, the exhibition has generated about 8000 swedish kronor to the foundation which isn't bad at all.

Easter exhibition at Österlen summary

2011-04-26T13:13:00.000-07:00

Now that Easter is over I can look back on the exhibition this weekend and make some reflections over what was my official first exhibition where strangers were invited.

The road signs I made the size of an A3 paper looked quite big at arms length in a house or office, but when we put them up on signposts at the side of the road, they became tiny. Even though I knew what I was looking for, I could hardly see them when driving past. Only the biggest text could be read at speed. As a test a few days into the exhibition, I nailed a print of 'Warsaw Tea' and an arrow to a pallet and placed it out on the main road. It seemed to bring in more visitors! The lessons for next time are (1) Bigger signs (2) More signs (3) Simpler message. (Oh and how many kilometers from the sign to the exhibition) It doesn't matter how many twitter followers or blog readers or facebook fans you have. If they can't find the gallery, they won't visit!

Not having any experience of having my own gallery, I didn't really know what to do at first, but letting visitors go round the exhibition on their own at their own pace seemed to work. On their way out I asked them which was their favourite and everyone was really nice and always had one they liked.

It seems like most people are active on Good Friday. We had roughly 30 visitors that day, then 15 the next, followed by 15 again on the sunday, and finally about 10 by four o'clock on the Monday. The weather was fantastic too which most probably got people out and about.

I had a guestbook out and invited visitors to write their email to receive news in the future. After the second day I was dissapointed that the shiny blank pages were still shiny and blank. So I tried an experiment - my wife and I made up some emails and wrote them in different styles to fill up some pages. It worked! The next day visitors wrote in the book.

I had some postcards for sale too, at 40 kronor each they were rather expensive - and not surprisingly no-one bought any. They were expensive because I had to pay extra for quick delivery since I'd left it too late. Visitors commented however that they were very proffessional.

I had some business cards on a table too, with a sign saying 'please take' but since they came from Moo, and every one was different, people actually asked me if it was ok that they took one!

Fascinator was probably the most popular, along with Warsaw Tea. Chainless, The Good Land and Victorious had many admirers too. Seaguls and The Protector were also picked out.

I noted with interest that some visitors were very quick. Either they didn't like the paintings or they were busy. Other visitors stayed a long time (who may also have been equally busy!)

Fascinator was sold on the first day, which was a smart move by the buyer since it proved to be so popular during the weekend. No-one bought any of the large prints, despite looking almost exactly like the originals. Perhaps if they were on canvas they might have been more appealing. Although I did sell prints of the smaller 'Clasp' and 'Four Minus One'.

Victorious was sold almost on sight - the buyers came back the next day and liked it so much they took it away with them directly. They were kind enough to send me a photo of the painting in place which felt good because it fits in really well with the surroundings.

The Good Land has had a potential buyer for a little while and when she saw the painting in real life it didn't take much longer for her to decide. Her husband was quite taken with Benches and decided to buy that.

It means a lot to me that these paintings (which admittedly are a part of me) are going to good homes, and are apreciated.

The most important thing I think I've learned from this weekend is that people have simply got to see paintings with their own eyes.

First day of easter exhibition

2011-04-22T07:34:00.001-07:00

It's been a good first day of my easter exhibition. We've had about 30 visitors and half of them were spontaneous. "Fascinator" was sold almost immediately and a few prints were sold too. The weather is lovely here which means lots of people are driving about. The renovated windmill also attracts visitors who might not have come otherwise.

Lost poster

2011-04-20T13:55:00.000-07:00

My little poster for my exhibition on an official 'you can put posters here' pillar in the middle of Malmö. If I had a bigger budget I'd have posters as big as everyone else. And as many.

Exhibition preparation

2011-04-12T00:44:00.000-07:00

If you see this sign at the weekend, drive in and have a look!

There's quite a lot of preparation before having an exhibition I've realised.

Which paintings are included? Should I have prints available? How much will the prints cost? What if a buyer wants to take a painting with them straight away? Can I wrap it up properly? Do I have receipts?

Make little signs for under all the paintings.

Make a catalogue of all the paintings (with prices) so people can remember what they saw.

Have a description of what the exhibition is about.

A note about me.

A description of what Möllegården is and what The Swedish Childhood Cancer Foundation does.

Signs out on the roads which point to the venue.

Parking signs.

Shoe protectors in case it's raining so visitors don't ruin the floor.

Get a table to put the following on:

Business cards

Postcards for sale (with envelopes)

Guestbook

Make refreshments available: wine, juice, biscuits, coffee, pie etc.

Paper and tape.

And most importantly - Small round red stickers!

Article in the magazine "Kids & Cancer"

2011-04-12T00:26:00.000-07:00

There's an article about my upcoming exhibition in the latest edition of 'Barn & Cancer'

"Art in Österlen. The Scottish artist Gareth Billstrand Rychter, based in Sweden for the last 13 years, is exhibiting his works at Möllegården during the art fair at Österlen in Skåne from the 22nd to 25th of April. Included are photorealistic paintings of his wife. Read more at rychter.nu or garethbillstrandrychter.blogspot.com. A percentage of the sales will go to the Swedish childhood cancer foundation."

Prints delivery

2011-04-11T13:28:00.000-07:00

Just received some 80 x 80 cm prints which will be available at my exhibition. I put them here next to the original to compare. They look great!

Which one is the original "Fascinator"?

"Warsaw Tea"

The print of "Chainless".

I'm very pleased with these and looking forward to a delivery later in the week of some smaller prints I ordered. ("Fascinator" is part of a limited edition of 30)

Per's Tifo - in place

2011-04-04T13:49:00.000-07:00

Per sent me a photograph of his painting "Per's Tifo" hung in place in his apartment. It's great to see the painting in its' home.

Easter exhibition at Österlen

2011-03-25T05:31:00.000-07:00

A few years ago I had the opportunity through my regular job to help Kenneth Brocknäs by creating a website for his fund raising venture of travelling in-lines round Skåne. The amazing effort in memory of his daughter helped raise funds for The Swedish Childhood Cancer Foundation (Barncancerfonden)

The foundation has many facilities in Sweden of which Möllegården is one. With the kind help of Kenneth and his family and the foundation, I have now the opportunity to exhibit there over Easter.

Easter in the very south of Sweden is also traditionally a time where artists have open studios and exhibit in official (and unofficial) galleries, shops, barns, and even windmills. The distances between exhibitions means that most visitors travel by car across the springtime open landscape, combining the gallery visits with general springtime sightseeing.

There are official lists, maps and programs for different areas during the period but my exhibition is one of many which are not official in any way, but these spontaneous exhibitions add to the charm I think.

When:

My exhibition will be open from the 22nd to the 25th of April, from early in the morning to late in the evening.

Where:

It's a bit tricky to find but there will be signposts directing interested visitors.

There's plenty of space to park at the windmill - so you don't need to park on the road (thereby not getting in the way of the wide farm traffic)

The official adress is Hagestad Mölleväg, Ystad, Sweden. Here's a link on google maps

The GPS coordinates are (WGS84) Lat: N 55º 24' 54.57" Long: E 14º 9' 23.90" (RT90) X= 6144054 Y= 1395594

The easiest way is probably to get to Ystad or Simrishamn first, then head to Sandhammaren on the coast road until you get to a crossroads, where the signposts point to Hagestad and Sandhammaren. Take the road to Hagestad and after about 3 kilometers turn in to the right, where you'll see the windmill (without sails!) Hopefully my signs will be there to point the way.

Who:

I will of course be there, along with my wife when she can. Everyone is invited! It's a completely open exhibition.

What:

I'll be exhibiting most of my works which are for sale. Some prints will be available to purchase directly and others will be available for ordering.

A part of the income from all sales will be donated to The Swedish Childhood Cancer Foundation. I will present the official figures after the end of the exhibition.

We'll have coffee too!

Why:

I believe this is a good way to get some exposure for my paintings in one of the most art-interested intensive periods of the Swedish year and I hope that The Swedish Childhood Cancer Foundation gets more exposure and of course a donation.

Looking forward to seeing you there!

P.s. I've made a notice about the exhibition and I would really appreciate it greatly if you took the time and energy to print it out and put it up at anywhere you think interested people would see it. Click here to see the notice.

SMS triptych - progress 5

2011-02-24T11:38:00.000-08:00

The right hand is re-painted now and I'm much happier with it after taking a pause. I carefully cut into the canvas which felt very wrong to create the holes for the screens. The actual screens are smaller than the white painted rectangles which makes them look rather unimportant I think. So I experimented with photos of the paintings in photoshop and think that painting the white part black will balance the images better.

SMS triptych - progress 4

2011-02-20T10:26:00.000-08:00

A little preview of some of the content which will appear in the 'SMS tryptich'. I need to look into how the whole thing will be powered without lots of inconvenience for whoever puts it up on their walls.

SMS triptych - progress 3

2011-02-17T12:38:00.000-08:00

The colours here look a lot 'rougher' than I remember. Either I remember them wrong or my camera makes them more extreme. I was almost completely finished with all three hands until I noticed the light blue from the phone on the hand on the right, that the light from the phone was reaching much further than it should. So I painted it out black to start again:

But I was annoyed that I didn't get it right the first time and made a sloppy job of re-painting it, not waiting for each layer to dry etc. So I ended up painting it over black again, and then calling it a day.

SMS triptych - progress 2

2011-02-10T14:09:00.001-08:00

Some more progress on the SMS triptych. Lightening up the hands. I still haven't decided who's hand is who, but it's looking like the left one is Abby, the middle definitely Adam and the right one would be Alex. No electricity in the studio today so no heating and thus cold toes and nose.

SMS triptych - progress 1

2011-02-03T13:45:00.000-08:00

This painting will be about Adam, Abby and Alex, who send text (sms) messages to each other. There's a bit of a triangle drama and I'll be refining the manuscript as the painting progresses. There will be real screens involved which I'm looking forward to implementing into the pieces. All will be revealed in later updates!

Calendar giveaway

2011-01-31T12:19:00.001-08:00

I know it's February already but I found that there was one of my calendars left over, so I thought I'd give this last one away. I'll give it away to the person who (according to google maps anyway) is furthest away. Just leave a comment here and tell me where you are, and at the end of this week (6th of February) I'll post it off to the person who's furthest away. Although obviously I'll ask you for your exact address first :)

Moss twitter exhibition

2011-01-19T00:22:00.001-08:00

Hey there's my watercolour! "Linda Laptop" is the yellow painting on the left. The image is from a series of images on Moss-avis.no. There's an interview with Lillian Salomonsen the head of Moss library on Norwegian TV which you can watch here and an interview with David Sandum who came up with the whole idea on NRK news here.

Per's Tifo - finished

2011-01-18T14:05:00.000-08:00

My friend Per is a true heart-and-soul MFF supporter. MFF is a soccer club in Southern Sweden and stands for Malmö Fotboll Förening. I had an idea to create a painting for his fortieth birthday and wanted to take the starting point as the club's logo:

In this case I didn't want to do a straight up-and-down copy of the logo but instead crop really close in to a part of it. After lots of experiments I decided on this composition:

Which I really like. Originally my intention was to have the MFF logo small, on the bottom right, but when I'd got this far, the simpleness made a positive impression on me, so I kept it off. There was also a risk that it would look like a piece of merchandise. Another positive aspect of leaving the logo off is that it becomes more abstract, and with that a bit of a 'secret club'. MFF supporters will recognise it instantly and appreciate the 'bigger picture' which exists outside the canvas.

The paint is put on really thickly to give the piece another dimension and I suppose quite simply to reinforce that it's actually a painting, rather than a print. The lighting in the room will give interesting shadows and perhaps even at a stretch of the imagination some goals scored.

The painted blue areas wrap around the whole canvas, as if this was part of a huge flag waved during a game.

Easyart prints available

2011-01-12T14:50:00.000-08:00

I've registered with Easyart and put up images of five of my favourite paintings which can now be ordered in a variety of sizes and papers. The site's in Swedish too! (And German, French, Italian and Dutch!)

Elevator pitch

2011-01-09T03:32:00.000-08:00

I was at a wonderful wedding over the weekend, and got into a disscussion about art where I was asked what my art was about. An elevator pitch, or artist's statement. I was surprised about what I said, so I'll try to repeat it here.

"I paint most often my wife, I work mostly from photographs, which are of an everyday nature. Rarely posed, or if they are posed, they are inspired from everyday situations. I work with the photographs digitally, removing everything which isn't part of the essence of the image or feeling. When I'm happy with that then I start painting. Emphasising the elements that were interesting in the original moment."

Edit: It's been pointed out to me that this is more a description of how I make my art rather than what it is. What's missing is that the (acrylic) paintings are photorealistic, with a high dramatic contrast, highly detailed with a minimal colour range.

Yearly Newsletter 2010

2011-01-05T06:14:00.000-08:00

This is a summary of the artistic events in the life of Gareth Billstrand Rychter in the year 2010.

I've painted roughly 20 paintings during the year, which I think doesn't sound like a lot. A few have been commissions and most have been my own paintings. There are 15 paintings on my official site for 2010. Two of which are commissions ("Millan" & "Balcony") and one of which was an idea that was 'claimed' before any paint was applied to a canvas, so it's a half commission I'd say. ("Liam and the Geesosaurs")

The paintings are:

Bath 2, Balcony, Millan, Chainless, Bath 3,4, and 5, Victorious, Four Minus One (Z, E, R and O), Liam and the Geesosaurs, Clasp and Touch.

This was the year when my wife and I moved into a house and we renovated the old garage into my studio, which has given me a fantastic creative bonus.

I started a series of midnight paintings, to get back into the swing of painting from real life but realised after four that painting so late and tired wasn't positive. I'll have to re-think that one for 2011. I took a step towards professionalism and had some of my paintings studio photographed which means I have some very crisp and detailed images to make prints of. I also applied for the famous Liljevalchs exhibition but didn't make the grade. It will be very interesting to go there in spring 2011 to see what's there.

Towards the end of the year I've realised there is a style developing. Or at least, there are elements which are common to the paintings which I like the best. Simplicity: usually the motive on an expanse of plain background, more often black than any other colour. Figurative: my wife, myself or my nephew. A human touch. Series: I'm seldom satisfied with exploring one idea in one definitive piece, exploring instead other variations within a specific idea. Realism: I love the craft of creating something that looks living and real. Twist: if I can create or add or change something in the image so that it can't be of this world, then I'm really pleased with the result. I'd like to continue with all these aspects and I'd like 2011 to be the year where I push the 'twist' aspect even further.

Thanks for reading. I really appreaciate it.

Gareth

Touch - progress and finished

2010-12-16T23:52:00.000-08:00

Instead of taking photos of the progress of this painting, I filmed from start to finish instead. The video below is the whole progress, speeded up ten times.

I love the way my wife approaches new technology - in this painting she is using her new HTC Wildfire which is her first touchscreen mobile, getting used to android in her own extremely elegant way.

Close-ups of the finished painting are on my site.

Clasp - finished

2010-12-09T08:07:00.000-08:00

This painting is now finished and available for 2000 swedish crowns. You can see close-ups on my site here and a video showing the progress during the painting here.

The Hat and Millan hung

2010-12-06T22:43:00.001-08:00

Over the weekend I visited the hanging place for my paintings "The Hat" and "Millan". It was a great experience to see the two side by side, to compare them and take in the differences and similarities.

Clasp - results

2010-12-06T13:17:00.001-08:00

After asking which was best was the best way to hang this painting, I've got the results! By far more than the others - A!

My wife and sister liked B, Keith liked the twistedness of C and Helena of course had to be different and voted for D. But it was an overwhelming A for everyone else. I'd like to thank Tamara, Anders, Joy, Peter, Björn, Keith, Örjan, Hazel and Tove for casting their votes.

I asked on facebook, twitter, buzz, my blog and real life. It turned out that twitter was the most engaged of my social places.

When this painting was in the process of being painted, it was in position C the whole time. Interesting.

Photos of this painting will be on my site soon.

Victorious desktop wallpaper

2010-12-02T12:01:00.000-08:00

I've made some desktop wallpaper from the painting "Victorious" for free downloading. There's a couple of different sizes, so click on a link below which you think fits your needs best. Click the link, and once the wallpaper is loaded, right-click and choose 'save as'.

These are all landscape format:

1600 x 1200 This is 4:3 ratio, which is 'normal'

1280 x 800 This is more 'widescreen'

960 x 640 This is for smaller screens like netbooks

These are all smaller portrait format, for mobiles:

320 x 480 (iPhones etc.)

240 x 320 (My little X10 mini etc.)

You can try pointing your mobile's qr code reader at the following image to see if it works. This should be a link directly to the 320 x 480 wallpaper:

and this one to the 240 x 320 wallpaper:

All these wallpapers are kept in my flickr wallpaper set, so you can have a look at them (and others) there too.

Enjoy!

Clasp - which way up?

2010-12-01T10:24:00.001-08:00

I'm almost finished this painting "Clasp" but realised it works in different orientations, and I became unsure which should be the official orientation (of course you're allowed to hang it on your wall any way you like!) So I thought I'd ask you what you think. The most popular orientation will be the official one!

So what's best? A, B or C?

My paintings virtually on your wall

2010-11-30T10:20:00.000-08:00

You might have a wall in your home (or office, or station, or church or anywhere) that you've been thinking "That would be the perfect place for that painting" but you don't know what the painting would look like there, and don't want to take the risk of buying something to find out that it's too big or too small for the space, or the colours don't quite match or it just doesn't feel right.

I can take the guesswork out by using photoshop to put any of my paintings you like on your wall "virtually".

How does it work?

Take a photo of your wall - use your camera or mobile or whatever is easiest. Switch on all your lights or take the photo during daytime (or both) and rest your camera on something steady for an even sharper picture. Stand as far back from your wall as you can so you get the whole space in, since it's good to see the context the painting will hang in. Get the photo from your camera into an email attachment and send it to me at gary.rychter@gmail.com. It would be good to know some sizes in the photo, for example how high the wall is, or how wide the couch is so I can more accurately show the painting. Rough sizes are fine too.

Tell me which painting(s) you'd like to see in the space too and then I'll get the photo back to you as soon as I can (a couple of days at most)

(And it's all free of charge!)

So go on, do it just for fun :)

Fascinator prints available

2010-11-30T09:16:00.000-08:00

I've received my 80 x 80 cm (32 x 32 inch) test print of the "Fascinator" painting and in my opinion it looks great. The colours are as rich as the original and details are just as good so I've decided to offer a limited edition of 30 prints, signed and numbered by me with a certificate of authentication. Each print will cost 1300 sek, (€130, $180, £120) with post and packaging included, no matter where you live. I can't promise delivery before Christmas unfortunately, apart from of course this first test print. I can deliver that one as soon as the postal service can which looks like roughly a week within Sweden, and two weeks for everywhere else. It's delivered in a nice sturdy cardboard roll so won't get damaged and will be easy to store safely while you get round to buying a nice frame and hanging it up.

Liam and The Geesosaurs - Finished

2010-11-22T12:37:00.000-08:00

Inspired by a film my sister took of her son, "Liam and The Geesosaurs" is now finished. I really like the geesosaur creature and will probably develop it further. To see a larger version of the painting and have a look at details, click here to see it on my site.

2011 Calendar

2010-11-22T12:11:00.001-08:00

I was very nervous and excited when collecting the calendar which I ordered from japan photo a couple of weeks ago. Twelve of my best paintings through the last year (a few from 2009) put together with a vague connection to the month of the year.

The detail in the images is really good and the paper has a half glossy look to it and feels great to touch. There's a kind of a 'shimmer' about the images which I really like. It's close to the surface of the paper my father got his photographs developed on when I was a child.

All the text is in Swedish, with each day's corresponding 'Names'.

If you think you might get one of these calendars from me this Christmas and want each month to be a surprise, then don't scroll down anymore!

January is Victorious, February is Warsaw Tea, March is Chainless, April is The Hat, May is St Knuts, June is Bath 1, July is Bath 3,4,5, August is The Good Land, September is selected details from Benches, October is Fascinator, November is Four Minus One and December is Millan.

I've ordered enough to cover my Christmas present list this year but I have a few over. Would anyone like one?

Liam and The Geesosaurs - Progress 3

2010-11-18T15:22:00.000-08:00

I've worked on the geesosaurs now:

I'm thinking about doing a larger painting of just a couple of geesosaurs. There are lots of Canadian geese in Malmö so there's no shortage of reference material. Although now most of them have flown away for the winter.

Liam and The Geesosaurs - Progress 2

2010-11-10T22:55:00.000-08:00

I forgot to take the memory card for my camera to my studio so I couldn't film my progress, but I found an old one which was large enough to take some photos.

Here I've painted in all the objects black.

I've added some green to the black shadows, making them more green towards the left side.

I take each object, or area of similar colour, and work from the darkest to the lightest, asking myself 'What is the darkest colour in this area?', mixing up that colour and painting the whole area roughly in that colour, with the shading.

Then I go to the next lightest colour and paint over the whole area again, but only in the places that need more light.

I realised that some of the hightlights were picking up the colour from the sky, so I added in some light blue for those, then took my tiniest brush and painted the very last highlights. This dark-to-light method is quite efficient and fast, but it's one-way. If I realise I've made a mistake then I basically have to start again from black.

I did the same here with the rest.

You can click on all the photos to see a larger version.

Twitter art exhibit in Moss Norway for charity

2010-11-06T08:56:00.000-07:00

It is sent! The picture I chose to give to the twitter art exhibition organised by David Sandum in Moss, Norway is this one. There's twitter connection in there somewhere. I'm looking forward to see how the show goes!

Liam and the Geesosaurs - Progress 1

2010-11-04T09:27:00.000-07:00

I was looking through my sister's photographs the other day and found a wonderful picture which I instantly wanted to make into a painting. My sister has already said she wants it for her son's room so that's influencing the colour choices. I'm going to make a film of the whole process of this painting. Part one will hopefully be up on youTube soon.

Four Minus One - Finished

2010-10-30T15:49:00.000-07:00

The series "Four Minus One" is finished. I thought about painting in the black cloth with very faint grey highlights but they would probably distract from the arms. The completely empty blackness reinforces the 'absence' theme.

If you would like to have a closer look at the paintings then go to my site at www.rychter.nu or come round to my studio!

Each painting is for sale at 2000 swedish crowns each. That's roughly 200 euros, 280 us dollars or 180 british pounds (at today's rates anyway)

The photographs don't do the paintings justice as they are subtler in real life. It was difficult to get the balance right between showing the colours properly (with too much contrast) and showing the subtlety (with too little colour)

"Four Minus One (Z)" 40x40cm Acrylic on cotton canvas

"Four Minus One (E)" 40x40cm Acrylic on cotton canvas

"Four Minus One (R)" 40x40cm Acrylic on cotton canvas

"Four Minus One (O)" 40x40cm Acrylic on cotton canvas

Which one do you like best?

Four Minus One - Progress 3

2010-10-27T11:48:00.001-07:00

The next stage was painting the yellow ochre 'layer' once the cadmium red deep layer was in place. You might think "What's the point in painting all the red if it's all going to be painted over with yellow anyway?". The answer is that the yellow becomes a richer yellow on top of the red, and is easier to paint thickly. If the yellow is painted directly on the black then it becomes more of a green colour. In some places the red isn't 100% which means that the yellow takes on a slightly different colour, making the whole painting more interesting than en exact monochromatic scale.

"Four Minus One (Z)"

"Four Minus One (R)"

"Four Minus One (O)"

"Four Minus One (E)"

The thought behind the letters is that the black in each painting is a little similar to those letters, and that the four of them together spell out the answer to the equation 'Four Minus One': Z E R O (Although I'm aware that the Z is the wrong way round!)

It's "I'm nothing without you" converted into maths :)

Four Minus One - Progress 1 (and 2)

2010-10-20T13:16:00.000-07:00

Thinking of the title for my latest pieces is quite hard because it's in the territory of the cliché: missing my spouse.

I really like aspects of 'Victorious' and I wanted to further explore these in more paintings. The subject I thought could be mine and my wife's hands together since I was quite taken with the hands in 'Victorious'. But over the next month we have commitments which mean we won't have much time together at all - not even enough time to take some reference photos, so I realised I'd have to wait a month at least before even starting this idea. When I have an idea, I like to start on it as soon as possible, to capture the inspiration and enthusiasm which comes along, so I realised I would have to use myself as the subject, which I thought was quite tragic and lonely, so I thought I might as well make that part of the works - so I'm trying to portray a feeling that I'm missing my wife through the simple subject of hugging nothing.

These are images of the first stage - the monochromatic cadmium red deep for all the darkest areas.

Progress 1 - all four paintings

Progress 2 - "Four Minus One (O)"

Progress 2 - "Four Minus One (R)"

Progress 2 - "Four Minus 2 (E)"

Progress 2 - "Four Minus 2 (Z)"

The title is quite tricky since 'missing someone' has been done many times. Almost any title has already been sung, so I'm using the working title of 'Four Minus One': four images of me being without the most important person in my life.

It's all so dramatic :)

Street Art

2010-10-18T13:41:00.000-07:00

I had an idea the other day when someone asked me if they could see my paintings (in real life) somewhere. I got thinking about gallery shows, but then this person is quite busy so probably couldn't make it to a vernissage and have a hard time getting to a gallery before it would shut for the night. This person lives quite far away so that's another factor to consider.

I could invite this person home too but trying to find a time when we were both free would also be difficult.

Then I thought "Why can't my work be shown outside, 24 hours a day?" Then anyone could see it, at any time. All that's needed is large, secure glass boxes on walls in the city centre. They could be hired for a small fee and as long as it doesn't break any laws, anything could be shown in them.

(The boxes in the photo are from a photographer's studio in Malmö)

Victorious - on site

2010-10-16T07:55:00.000-07:00

The Victorious painting is up on my site now for peeking at some close ups.

Moo business card delight

2010-10-16T05:52:00.000-07:00

My Moo business cards have arrived! They are all the same on the 'details' side, but on the other side there are different paintings with title, size and year. There's about 25 different cards, so it's like a mini gallery in my pocket. I like them so much it'll be sad to let them go, but that's the point isn't it?

(The funny pattern on the left is a QR code which takes you directly to my blog if you have a reader on your mobile)

Victorious - finished

2010-10-13T13:20:00.001-07:00

"Victorious" is finished, and has its' name now officially. I put a thin grey line under the arms and at the sides of the back, then put more white in the lighter areas. Worked a little more with the hair but didn't want to overdo it. Then I stared at it for ages, trying to decide whether to try to 'fix' the areas I wasn't 100% happy with, or close this chapter. I tidied up some of the background black which had a distracting pattern in the brushstrokes which I was glad I did, then started to 'fix' an area on the neck and instantly regretted my decision. I quickly fixed the fix and put my brushes down. Finished!

Larger images and close ups are on my site.

Millan t-shirt

2010-10-10T12:14:00.000-07:00

I did this just for fun and to see what kind of reaction I'd get when wearing it. Why should I go round advertising a big clothes company when I can use the "space" to promote my own artwork? I sent off the image of Millan to fujifilm and this is the result. It's quite good, although the white around the edges has become more of a light green (I suspect som automated adjustments caused it)

Next time I think I'll put my name and logo on.

Bath 345 - finished

2010-10-08T08:16:00.000-07:00

And so the 'Bath' series is complete. I really liked painting these five paintings (See Bath1 and Bath2) and it'll be exciting to show them all at the same time. I haven't actually had time to put all five together in my studio yet.

Bath 3

Bath 4

Bath 5

Close-up images of these paintings are now on my site. Each painting is 100 x 70 cm and for sale at 3000 kronor each.

Victorious - progress 2

2010-10-07T01:48:00.000-07:00

After more painting with the cadmium red deep, I decided it was time to go into the 'yellow ochre' phase, starting out with a mix of the red and yellow, painting in the lighter areas with this new mixed colour. Once they were done, I painted with the yellow straight on, and when satisfied with the yellow, started mixing in white with it and painting in the lightest areas. Everything's going well so far, and I think the hands might be finished already.

The only thing I'm not sure about is the light outline of the underside of the arms (click on the image to see a larger version) it's pencilled in at the moment but I don't know whether to paint it in permanently (with grey) or black it out completely.

What size is it? Part 2

2010-10-01T05:25:00.000-07:00

I've added a feature to my site which hopefully gives visitors a better understanding of the size of my works. Writing "200 x 70 centimeters" is fine if you work with measurements regularly, but for most people the numbers say nothing. So I've added a '?' button beside the measurements which, when clicked on, shows a picture of a person standing beside the work. Then hopefully the visitor will say "Ahh... that's how big it is"

Victorious - progress 1

2010-09-29T12:54:00.001-07:00

After a whole day and evening, I've arrived at this stage, doing all the darkest areas first, and once I've convinced myself that the dark areas are light enough, I'll start mixing in yellow ochre with the cadmium deep red (which I've used so far) to paint in the areas which are slightly lighter (and browner) than the absolute darkest.

It's always great in theory at this stage but it all usually goes haywire when I start using other colours.

Oh and the painting is 140 x 70 cm.

Liljevalchs

2010-09-29T02:14:00.000-07:00

There's an open, juried exhibition at Liljevalchs in Stockholm every year which draws 56,000 visitors. This is the first year I'm entering, and I've chosen the works Chainless, Bath 2, Fascinator, The Good Land and Benches. I've absolutely no idea how I'll get my paintings there if I get chosen but that's a good problem to have.

Victorious

2010-09-29T00:25:00.000-07:00

The seed for my next painting came from a body pump class - Linda stood in front of me, under a spotlight in the gym and I was struck by the beauty of her back muscles in the dramatic lighting. I tried to replicate the situation when taking photos but the idea in my head looked stiff and uncomfortable in reality. There were however a couple of photos where it looked like Linda was halfway between a stretch and a muscle-pose. I liked this idea of ambiguity and realised the pose could be a morning stretch or an evening yawn. I want a suggestion of a fight in the painting too, as the hands-up stretch could also be a sign of victory. So I want the painting to symbolise morning, evening, fight and victory. Somehow I have to get all these concepts into a title, and it has to be short!

A couple of titles I came up with while cycling home were 'The Day Been / The Day Coming" (which I feel doesn't have enough 'victory' in it) or 'The Day (to be) Conquered' which feels too stiff.

After writing this, the ideas are more concrete and 'Victory' or 'Victorious' seem likely contenders to the title.

Hmmm... 'Victoria' ?

Communication channels

2010-09-24T07:45:00.000-07:00

So now I've set up my facebook page, and I'm wondering where it fits in the big picture. Or the Gareth's communication picture anyway. I have my site, this blog, twitter and now facebook.

So the question is, what's the difference between the different channels? For me, twitter is for short thoughts, insights and news. "News" including updates on other channels. My site is more a place of reference, like a library, and my blog is primarily visual, showing the work in progress.

But facebook? What should I use that for?

bath 345 - progress 3

2010-09-23T05:08:00.001-07:00

I thought that these were finished but I worked on them all yesterday afternoon anyway, adding whiter highlights mixed in with the yellow ochre. I'm tempted to add more "shinyness" to the painting on the left to make it more like the other two, but am a little worried that I'll ruin it's simplicity.

Is it just me or are there letters and numbers in there somewhere?

It was lovely to finally work in my own studio - the luxury of space and flexibility!

The Rack

2010-09-10T08:02:00.000-07:00

I've been really busy fixing my studio the last few weeks, hence the lack of painting. This is the latest addition - The Rack. Five pieces of wood, two hooks, four screws, some wire, lots of holes and miles of string make up a holder where I can keep my paintings without worrying that they're being leaned on.

Website updated

2010-09-03T13:44:00.000-07:00

At last, two months after I lost the last one, my site is updated with close-ups and info on my latest two paintings - "Chainless" and "Millan". A couple of other improvements here and there to the site in general, and a couple of things not working quite perfectly (yet).

Go have a look! www.rychter.nu

(Any comments? Things that irritate you? Seem weird? Baffling? Tell me!)

New studio

2010-09-03T01:36:00.000-07:00

At last a dream of mine is reality. After two weeks of hard (and fun) w0rk, the ex-garage is now my very own studio. It feels great to have complete freedom to spill paint, put inspiration up on the walls and generally get creative. Hopefully it'll be warm in winter and cool in summer too!

How big is it?

2010-09-02T04:47:00.000-07:00

I've been thinking about how to show the size of my paintings on my site and came across this method on Audrey Kawasaki's site:

http://i-seldom-do.livejournal.com/156446.html

It works well for getting a rough idea, but isn't it a bit... distracting? How much time does one spend looking at the painting compared to the time spent looking at the person holding it?

Fishing sketches

2010-08-31T00:26:00.000-07:00

Last year I went on a fishing trip with some friends. The fishing licence and the loss of four baits put me off, but the environment drew me back again this year. So I skipped the actual fishing part this time and took a moleskine sketchbook and some watercolours instead. Here are some of the better sketches:

The weather was good, the boats stayed still (for the most part)

This is my favourite sketch.

Andreas and Lasse

I really like the pose Lasse has in this sketch, and I'd like to develop this further into a larger painting.

Gotland Squares

2010-08-17T00:54:00.000-07:00

On the island of Gotland I decided to experiment a little and try a style that I don't normally paint in. Up on Högklint I took a pot of dark blue and a couple of tubes of white and the plastic knife from the picnic my wife and I had up there. Pasting on the paint in thick layers and spreading it about like plaster was very pleasing. The flies however weren't so pleasing, but a few of them wanted to be immortalised in the painting:

"Högklint" August 2010, 15cm x 15cm

I continued on the experiment with other typical icons from Gotland:

"Rauk" August 2010, 15cm x 15cm

"Muren" August 2010, 15cm x 15cm

"Får" August 2010, 15cm x 15cm

Professional photography

2010-08-04T12:09:00.000-07:00

I had a photography session today with Camilla Gewing-Stålhane. I took along seven of my paintings to be photographed for reproduction prints. The Good Land, Millan, Bath1 & 2, Fascinator, Chainless and Warsaw Tea. The first painting was quite tricky due to its' size and the reflectivity of certain areas, but I think we got it. I'll be getting the actual files tomorrow. Very exciting.

bath 345 - progress 2

2010-07-28T14:10:00.000-07:00

After a whole luxurious day where I did nothing else apart from paint, I've come quite far with the unimaginatively titled 'Bath 345': (The paintings are not as red as these photographs)

This one is '5'

This is '4'

and this one is surprisingly '3'.

The light comes from underneath but really they could be hung in any orientation, since they are Linda's legs in the bath. Ideally they would be placed on the floor, but that wouldn't be very practical. Perhaps someone with a split-level livingroom could have them on the floor and look at them from their balcony...

Bath 345 - progress 1

2010-07-22T14:35:00.000-07:00

Carrying on where the last Bath painting stopped, these three will be the last in the series, making it a total of five paintings. They are all 100 cm tall. These three are 70 cm wide.

Chainless - finished

2010-07-15T00:08:00.000-07:00

Sitting back down to this painting after a two week pause, I was surprised at how badly painted it was. But after working on it for an hour or so, I lowered my ambitions, and eventually was pleased with the results.

I have a couple of interested buyers which is great.

Hanna and Nicholas wedding present

2010-07-07T14:48:00.001-07:00

Some friends of mine saw the wedding present I'd painted for our friends and wanted a similar image for a wedding they were going to for midsummer. They had lots of photos of the couple and we found a really good one. However, the painting I'd done before took quite a while and would have placed the new one out of their budget. A solution was (and something I'd been thinking about testing for a while) was that I'd create the image in photoshop based on the chosen photo and get it printed onto canvas. Thus saving me time and them money.

This is the digital file based on the photograph:

Which turned out really well when the printed canvas arrived in the mail:

I extended the edges of the image so that it would 'wrap' around the wooden edges of the canvas, so they don't need to frame it.

This is how it looked from the back. I stuck on my business card and signed and dated the canvas.

The print is really good, and from a distance gives a convincing analogue appearance. The only thing I wasn't 100 percent happy with was a sharpening filter the photo company seem to apply to the images before printing them. This is probably quite unnoticeable for photographs but in my image it added a thin white line round all the black edges. But otherwise it was great.

If anyone else wants to give this a try with their photographs, just get in touch!

Millan - collage

2010-07-01T08:12:00.000-07:00

Spent a while last night trying to photograph the Millan painting for a print but I realised that putting all the photographs together and colour-correcting then would probably take longer than it took to paint the painting in the first place. So I've started to research into professional art photographers.

Chainless - progress 2

2010-06-23T14:27:00.000-07:00

Today was really difficult- Lots of pressure at my day job, workmen climbing all over our house and a million things nagging at me to be done, all not so bad in themselves but all together makes it difficult to concentrating on painting. I started painting outside too and the heat and 10-second drying time drove me back inside. I thought I'd ruined my painting. But after hours and hours of salvage work, I got it back to a place I liked.

Millan - print

2010-06-21T13:51:00.001-07:00

Millan, the subject in the painting of the same name, took a sneak peek at my blog and phoned me up straight after, wondering if she can get a print of it. "Of course!" I replied. Once we've gone through the process and have the result in our hands, I'll be offering more prints for sale.

Chainless - progress 1

2010-06-17T00:29:00.000-07:00

My wife bought a new top this week and summer seems to have come to this neck of the woods to stay for a while, which is why I think my brain has gone into a higher gear. I wanted to paint her in the new top, and quickly. So after taking a few reference photos on Tuesday and experimenting a little in photoshop, I bought an 80 x 80 cm canvas on Wednesday and started.

I guessed as to how much paint I'd need to mix up to cover 80 x 80 cm and this is how far it lasted.

This is my custom-made projector tripod stand - it's some pieces of wood carefully shaped and screwed together. It means it look five minutes to line up the projection with the canvas rather than the 60 minutes it took before with the ladders.

These are the thin pencil lines traced from the projection.

I started out painting the white stripes (I won't paint in the dark ones - the idea is that the background is the same colour as the dark stripes. A kind of dark blue) But this white is the darkest white in the stripes. It turned out a lot lighter that I'd intended. I may go back and darken down them slightly for more dramatic contrast.

Then I painted in the lighter parts of the stripes. I quite like the painting as it is, but I know if I take it to the next level, it will be so much better. The difference won't be so noticeable at this small size but I think it's definitely worth another sitting.

The title was an interesting thought process. There was absolutely no intention in the posing - all I wanted was Linda's arms to not obstruct the front of the top, so I asked her to put her hands behind her back. It wasn't till I actually started painting that I realised that the stripey top and her hands behind her back made her look like a prisoner. My mind saw handcuffs in the darkness behind her back. I don't want to change anything in the way the painting looks, so the only tool I have to influence the viewers perception is the title. I thought of 'No handcuffs', 'No chains' and eventually 'Chainless'.

The title and the image make me think about women's rights, slavery, racism, freedom and a hundred other things. What was meant as an appreciation of a nice top has become a loaded political statement.