Hola España!

I took a week off and went to sunny Spain.

Went on beach walks with my mom... 

...on afternoon strolls overlooking the ocean from the dunes...

...through the pine forest with it's heavenly scent.

Started on the 3rd book by Carlos Ruiz Zafón, (thrilling!)

Made friends with adorable Felix and Messi, love!

Made fun plans with my sister about our coming exhibition together, on swedish below.

See more in an earlier post here.

Utställningen kommer att äga rum i Skarpnäcks kulturhus den 19 oktober - 12 november. Mer info finns här.

/Carolina

I'm an open book

I miss reading a good book. Nowadays it only happens when I'm on a beach vacation and that doesn't happen very often. These days I tend to listen to audio books when drawing. That way I can be productive and have fun while doing it!

In this case of drawing I didn't actually listen to a book (ha!) instead I listened to "Pet Sounds" by the Beach Boys.

The floating words coming out of the books are "God Only Knows".

I guess I was inspired by the beautiful "The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore":

Happy easter lovelies!

/Carolina

Thrilling days to come

Indeed. Nothing I can shout about quite yet, BUT it will be revealed in time.

Meanwhile just to get a small peek; This is a new illustration I've been working on for a new website banner.

Drawing

It was only 2 weeks ago that I was doodling away carefree while on the road and at hotel rooms. 

Now I'm back home with my art and craft material and the possibilities are almost endless but I seem to have left some important things on my vacation....my carefree thoughts, the calmness and relief from not doing those everyday things. Oh well, I guess I really need a super good book to plow me through this fall. 

Any suggestions? 

On other things; I've opened up a new Swedish webshop! 

A blog button to the website is already up in the right sidebar.

Jag har öppnat en ny svensk webbutik! Ni kan hitta mig här: epla.se/shop/carolinagronholm

Blueberry Skies

Blueberry season is here! and I need to gather up some blueberry picking spirit. Have a look here: 

I used to marvel at the pictures of any illustrated book by Elsa Beskow when I was just a pea. I still do!

And this is my favorite:

Anyway, I shouldn't even show my own illustration in the same post as I mention Elsa Beskow but I got so inspired by the blueberry theme and so I had to paint the sky of my new landscape drawing in that swirly gorgeous blueberry color. My blueberries are never blue but in this creamy purple blue. Yum, I better go and fix my broken smoothie blender so I can make me one with frozen blueberries. Preferably local picked of course!

Things that made me giggle

As described in the shop: Tip of the Iceberg uncovers the truth about the clitoris. Woah! Must be fantasctic! I haven't actually had the time to read it through but I had a glance and it do look promising. One of my latest buys from Etsy is from Zoo-Mouse-Key.

    

    

This little illustrated book Dork Dance is the cutest little thing I found from her shop, I just had to add that to my collection of illustrated zines and stuff. 

Free Spirit

This illustration was made for the Indie Free Spirit team challenge on the theme "free spirit". I even made a little story to it! Here goes:

I am going to tell you a secret; I have a twin sister. She lives with the birds and all the animals in the forest. One day when I was visiting her in this beautiful little grove where the moss grew thick and the sun raises warmed the little wood anemones I saw her whispering something to the birds." What has always been your biggest wish?" asked my sister knowing quite well what it was. "To fly!" Like a bird, as a free bird!" I replied excited. And so it was that all the little birds lifted me up in the sky. You can't believe how beautiful it is from up there..

Story by me with a little inspiration from my favorite child book story - Allrakäraste Syster.

This will be up in my art shop today, horay!

Graphic novels!

On my vacation I bought some books at Powell's bookstore in Portland. I loved that bookstore, the place was big and it had opened till like 11 at night I think, we never have bookstores opened that late here! After arriving to Portland late at night we went for a local beer nearby our hotel and later took a walk around the area when I noticed Powell's. I was stuck there the rest of the night. On one of our last days in Seattle we also visited Fantagraphics bookstore, finally! We were supposed to go there last year but didn't got around to it then - busy drinking coffee;) ha!

I bought It's a good life if you don't weaken by Seth ( What's his name really?) I'm really looking forward to reading this as a friend has recommended this book for some time now.

My most secret desire by Julie Doucet

Carnet de Voyage by Craig Thompson. I just HAVE to have ALL his books as I adore his work so much and I can't wait for HABIBI to be released!

And Apocalypse Nerd by Peter Bagge. After reading the Complete Buddy Bradley Stories from HATE comics I just had to buy this.

Gee I have a lot of books to read! and I haven't had the time to read my other books I bought before the trip.....

But I really like to know what other graphic novels you like?!

Love it!

This Is Where We Live from 4th Estate on Vimeo.

Supplies and childhood

Yey! I did some button shopping yesterday at Stadsmissionen where I also found 2 copies of Archie, Acke on Swedish. I used to love Archie comics when I was much younger and I still do! The rivalry between Betty and Veronica for Archie is so damn cute. The frontpage with Bettys outfit with rollerskates and striped knee socks is hot! Hmmm.....I should knit me a pair of those knee socks for fall.
Now back to finish an made to order necklace in my nest.

My dearly loved books

My latest books, some of them I'm finished with and some I haven't even started with.
From top till bottom are H P Lovecrafts 'The Dreams In The Witch House' - I have never read his books before! I don't know why....cause I've always been curious of his storys.
'Till Alla Jag Legat Med' by Mikael Sol - I got this copy from a friend all signed as a gift, thank you Feliks!
'La Perdida' by Jessica Abel - I loved this story set in Mexico, It felt good reading a little Spanish again.
I also liked her other graphic novel 'Mirror Window'.
'Buddy Does Seattle' the complete Buddy Bradley Stories from Hate Comics vol 1 by Peter Bagge - I love this! I've read a couple of Hate issues before but this was more than 8 years ago and It didn't catch me then, but now! I don't know how Buddy puts up with those girls though Buddy himself isn't perfect I know.
'The Book Of Shiatsu' by Paul Lundberg - I hope this is good, I need to catch up with my teachings.
'Jag Är Din Flickvän Nu' by Nina Hemmingsson - In about a year now whenever I was in Akademibokhandeln
(a bookstore) I'd read a little from this fantastic book and then the last time I was there I finally bought it and man was I not dissapointed. Her storys to the drawings are of dark humor which I love, and her drawing style is really funny.
'The Lagoon' by Lilli Carré - This I have not started with but I've seen her drawings at her website and I just adore them!
'Abandonned Cars' by Tim Lane - Lookes fantastic, I haven't started reading this yet though. It supposed to be dark short stories, sounds interesting!

New graphic books!

My newly arrived graphic books I ordered last week are here! Saurrrrr seemed exited as well, she was up there smelling them! They are Bob Fingerman's 'Beg the question' - which I started reading yesterday (he draws really good shadows), Jessica Abel's 'Mirror Window' and Kim Deitch's Shadowland. They are all from Fantagraphics Books. Whenever I'm at their site I see tons of books I want, I just can't get enough of graphic novels and comic books, I'm such a geek I know!

Inspirational book

New book! It covers all from origins and history to colour plates and biographies of artists.
I love the landscapes of Katsushika Hokusai and Utagawa Hiroshige.
I first got interested in Japanese art when I saw an exhibition at the Hong Kong Museum of Art. There was all sorts of beautiful little prints of flowers and birds and also featured the art of Chinese Huang Yongyu.

"We live only for the moment, in which we admire the splendour of the moonlight, the snow, the cherry blossom and the colours of the maple-leaves. We enjoy the day, warmed by wine, without allowing the poverty which stares us in the face to restore our sobriety. In this drifting - like a pumpkin carried along by the current of the river - we do not allow ourselves to be discourages for a moment. This is what is called the floating, fleeting world."

Oh.. just some crocheted things...

This crocheted cap and scarf was made in February but haven't had the time to put them up here until now. After I was finished with the scarf I thought I might as well do a cap with the leftover yarn. They're both of the same green mohair yarn. I really miss crocheting, I can't wait until my right hand heals enough for me to be as crafty as I usually is. Anyway..I can't just sit and watch tv and I'm reading 3 books whereas one is worth mentioning - Black Hole by Charles Burns - a graphic novel, so I have painted a lot. Oh yes PAINTED, I don't very often do that you see..but late last night when everybody else was sleeping and today right out of bed I did some acrylic painting! It was really fun working with a new material, felt good so there is no stopping me painting with my left hand now!

School and fun books

Some new books arrived the other week. They are both inspirational and learning for my studying and crafting process. I've already sewed another tote bag ( which I did before getting this inspirational book :-( about sewing 50 different sorts of bags) but got some small details I want to fix before sharing.

Hans Arnold

The Illustrations of Hans Arnold is always inspiring to me as I've mentioned before. So I went to his exhibition at Seriegalleriet with Nicole and to my big surprise He, Hans Arnold in person was there! was I a lucky girl or what!? After talking to him a bit I told Nicole I felt like a little girl again having a star struck moment. Haven't felt that in ages! I walked out of the gallery with a signed copy of the childrens book AllraKäraste Syster and a signed poster.
I first noticed his illustrations as a little girl reading AllraKäraste Syster. I don't actually remember the story that much just that it was a sad story about two twin sisters. The story is by Astrid Lindgren. What I do remember is those drawings! so detailed and alive. It left a print in my head and heart. He often did illustrations for horror teen/children books which I absolutely love. He also did that famous vinyl cover for ABBA.
His book Veckans Chock is on my want list.

My sister has now her own blog with her beautiful oil paintings. I'm so proud! She IS inspiration to me. Here's the link The Weekly

Pocketbokomslag

Det här är precis vad det ser ut som, ett bokomslag för ömtåliga böcker alternativt pocket om man vill det. Jag sydde ihop det i svart filt och broderade på framsidan. Baksidan har små söta lövknappar som jag hittade på ica(!) som håller fast gummibandet. Boken som jag gav bort med omslaget i julklapp var Picture of Dorian Gray av Oscar Wilde. Jag tycker att omslaget passar bokens innehåll alldeles utmärkt!

Martina och Gustav

Martina och Gustav är huvudpersonerna i Gun-Britt Sundströms bok "Maken" som jag läser nu. Det är en bok som jag starkt rekommenderar för övrigt, så gå och låna på bibblan eller köp för jag vill prata om den med mina vänner! Jag har blivit så fäst vid karaktärerna att jag drar ut på läsandet med flit. Så igår på jobbet fick jag för mig att jag skulle försöka rita Martina och Gustav så som jag ser dom. Unga, rena och hippa personer från 60-talet. Ursäkta kvaliten av bilderna, jag har fortfarande ingen scanner så jag fotar dem ännu...ska skaffa en såsmåningom, är bara pengalös och lat.
Jag vill också nämna att jag lagt dit en till länk till Andrea Joseph's sketchblog. Så fina och mysiga motiv och teckningar. Påminner om barndomen...Efter att ha sett hennes teckningar känner jag att jag måste skärpa mig och verkligen sätta igång med att öva på min ritning. Hon ger mig inspiration!