Tag Archives: artist

Offenes Atelier 5/6 Mai (Open Studio)

Open Studio Days: 5/6 May 2018

Have you always wondered where and how my art originates? What processes, materials and ideas inspire my artworks? In what surrounding they are birthed and grow? Or maybe you know my artworks and me from social media and would love to get to know me personally and see my art in real life? This is the ideal opportunity. I am pleased to open my studio doors again to interested visitors and art collectors.

An artist studio is always an inspiring and creative space! And during these two days you have the chance to experience it in an open and relaxed atmosphere. I will be present all the time and happy to answer any questions about my art and discuss deep or frivolous ideas about art and art making, or life… whatever comes up.

The Open Studio Days also offer the opportunity to see and experience a wide variety of artworks, which are not shown anywhere else and last, but not least, it is a great opportunity to purchase that original artwork which has touched your soul and take it home. Or give it as a gift to somebody special.

Those of you who are familiar with my art know that you will not be lacking of choice. My artworks come in all sizes, styles and materials. There are paintings, drawings, sculptures, figurative or abstract works, nature art, Teabag Totems, fun, pretty or serious … something for every taste. Also in every price range.

I am looking forward to meet again or to get to know you for the first time, to interesting conservations. It goes without saying that there will be some drinks and food to nourish the body, while your soul gets inspired and elated.

Opening times: 11am till 18pm
Address: Birkenstr. 11, 16515 Oranienburg, O/T Neu-Friedrichsthal
Contact: 0151 26686090 Imke Rust

It’s FREE… (and some insight into the life of an artist)

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Yes, it’s free.

It seems these days one has to spell it out in capital letters or mention it over and over….

FREE… FREE… FREE…

…and then still somehow get misunderstood or frowned upon.

In my last blog I shared with you the 21 Secrets Color, Color, Color! Fall 2016 Workshop at which I am a teacher and offered you the chance to receive one of these workshop packages valued at US $98 for … FREE.

I can give away two workshop packages at my own discretion to whomever I like. And I decided to offer this to my valuable supporters who follow my blog. By the way, I could have also just decided to gift them to my two best artist buddies as birthday gifts. 😉

Reminder:

All you have to do, to stand a chance of receiving one of two FREE workshops, is to subscribe to my blog, or if you already are a subscriber, write a comment on my blog, stating that you are interested in the workshops. If you like more privacy, you can even send me an email, as long as you are a subscriber to my blog. Deadline is the 18^th of September and I will announce the two winners here on my blog in the week thereafter.

Have a look at the official workshop page to see what is on offer! Just click on this picture:

From the mixed reactions I got, I guess something was not clear.

Some told me: This sounds fantastic, but I cannot afford it.

Really? Which part is not affordable? The FREE part? Taking a chance on winning? Or can’t you afford to leave a comment on my blog, or subscribe to my blog (which is the one favour I am asking in return, in order to be considered for my free gift)?

Others told me something in the line of: Oh, you just want to promote yourself… I am not going to share this or support you.

Hmmm, now, let me put it to you like this: YES, I do want to promote myself. But actually this was more about offering you the opportunity to get a FREE inspirational workshop to learn new skills. Remember I could have just given it to my buddies, who would have loved such a gift.

So just that you understand the thing of artists and promotion:

Unfortunately in this reality, artists have to do self-promotion in order to survive. We seldom have the luxury of a gallery or agent to do it for us. As an artist, I have my artwork, my experience and my knowledge to offer (and earn my money with). Most of that I generally offer for free most of the time. I generously share my artwork, creativity and experience and knowledge on various social media in order to inspire, uplift, entertain, delight or question. Everybody has access to it, without needing to pay or even say thank you.

And I am happy to share as much as I can, as generously as I can.

It might surprise you, but I, too, have to pay rent, buy food and pay for my medical aid, amongst others.

I can only pay my bills and make an honest living with the artworks I sell, or offering my expertise and experience. And in order to do that, I need people to know about my art and offerings. Ideally I need to have many people who know about my art… because not everyone either likes or buys an artwork or would participate in a workshop, or be willing to pay for my expertise.

That is the (sad?) reality of being an artist. We can only survive and keep on creating and sharing, if we put a lot of effort into promoting ourselves.

If more of the people, friends or blog or Facebook followers who enjoy my art and who find inspiration, solace or joy in what I have to offer, would tell their friends about it, then I could focus more on creating and sharing my art for free, than into promotion and marketing.

Instead I spend hours trying to make my offerings exciting and worthwhile AND then trying to promote my work as best I can. I also take on opportunities where I can share my expertise in a workshop, get paid for it and have the possibility of earning a commission on any sales generated through my small community. I assume that is acceptable practice?

You might have also noticed, that I am always trying to offer some value in return. Like, hey, I am giving away stuff to the value of US $196 for free! All I am asking in return, is to follow my blog (so that you can receive more news and offerings from me and get to know me and my art better) and you can un-subscribe with one easy click at any time you like.

This is me, blatantly promoting my art through sharing my work, accumulated knowledge and experience 😉 while presenting my video lectures for the workshop.

OK, now that I have finished ranting, I hope you are still interested to find out more about the workshop. I did not want to drown you in information in my previous blog, so here is a bit more detailed information about what you can expect to learn, when you either are selected as one of the two lucky recipients of the workshop, or even are willing to invest the US $98 in yourself and buy the package.

Since you are a follower of my blog, you might be most interested what you will be learning from me specifically?

The title of the course, which I am presenting for the 21 Secrets Color, Color, Color! Workshop is:

And here is the short description, which I wrote about the contents of my course:

What colour is the rain?
Red is life. Or is it death?
Why are we drawn to one colour and hate the other?

I welcome you on a colourful journey to reconnect with the ancient wisdom and power of colour. Discover the magic, myths, symbolism and effects behind the individual colours, create your personal colour reference guide with the ‘Colour a Day’ exercise and gain a deeper understanding how you can select and use colours for specific intention and purpose in your journal and life.

I will also share with you how colour is understood and used in Feng-Shui and in the seven main Chakras (energy centres) of the body. For the workshop I have compiled a lot of written content, fun and interesting exercises and 3 videos, where I share many thought-provoking aspects about color.

This is only my part. And that is not all! By far!

There are 23 more amazing courses prepared by 23 wonderfully inspiring and creative artists from around the world.

Just as some examples: Tori Weyers will teach you to tango with colour (Color Tango: Make your Colors Dance) while Mystele Kirkeeng will take you on an exploration of the colour of skin (Flesh in Living Color), she says: “When you really, really explore skin tones with color media, it becomes increasingly apparent how ridiculous it is that we still attempt to label the races monochromatically.“

You can learn how to easily create watercolour sunsets with Lorraine Bell or test the benefits of a limited palette and how to use it to your advantage from Jeanne Oliver.

Connie Solera, the founder and director of this incredible 21 Secrets workshop series, will teach you how to boldly overcome the point where you are too scared to continue as you fear you are messing up your artwork, but know that it is not finished yet.

As you can see, there are many interesting, fun and stimulating courses for you to explore.

Detail of Untitled mixed media work by Imke Rust

If you do not know me yet, here is a short description of who I am:

“Can we create rain through a creative process?” This question, together with my deep-seated curiosity, interest in shamanism and alternative worldviews and stubborn insistence that we can make the world a better place have guided my journey as a multi-passionate creative being. I love uncovering the deeper meanings and mysteries of life and figuring out how everything is connected.

I am a Namibian multi-media artist, rainmaker and curator. I grew up in the desert of Namibia and since 2010 I am splitting my time between my home country and Germany, between the desert and the forest. I have completed my Bachelors Degree in Visual Arts at the University of South Africa and have won Namibia’s most influential art competition, the Standard Bank Namibia Biennale, twice.

My artistic expression is versatile, with a strong attraction towards nature and land art. I also enjoy sharing the joy of creativity with others, through joined projects, workshops, interventions in public spaces and via my blog.

I am excited to welcome you on a joint exploration of the stories, symbolism and effects behind the colours we use to paint the stories of our lives.

(You can find similar course descriptions and artist introductions from all other 23 courses in this package in the link to the course.)

Curious?

Well, you know what to do. I hope.
If not, you are welcome to ask!

Click on the image to find out more or buy the workshop. As a teacher I am also an affiliate and I do get a commission if you buy the workshop if you used my link to get there. So please, treat yourself to a fun course and at the same time thank you for supporting me and my art!

‘Let’s be more adventurous’ she whispered

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Lying awake at night I saw myself painting a huge canvas entirely black and immediately I thought how dark and depressing that would be… and dismissed the thought.

Then I remembered that some time ago I promised myself and the universe, that if I get any clear inspiration, I would trust it and follow it. So the next morning I took a 100 x 100cm canvas and started to paint it black.

It did not feel dark or depressing… it actually felt comforting, calming and very rich in its smooth deep blackness. Not at all as bad as I had imagined.

While painting I got the following insight:

Sometimes the darkness is not as bad, as it first seems… (Text added digitally to the photo.)

Then nothing. No new idea, no insight as to how and if to proceed. I hung the canvas on the wall and waited.

Yesterday I heard the kudu softly calling me.

Paint me! Remember, we have a long and special history together…

(When I was about three or four years old, my father worked in the field and my brother and I explored the near-by hill. I was the one who spotted the kudu, very close by. It did not run away immediately, which these wild antelopes normally do. How exciting… a tame kudu!

So what do little girls do? They wanna go and cuddle and play with any nice and tame animal…

Fortunately I had my brother follow close on my heels. We were really unbelievable close to this wild animal and it did not make any signs of running. Being older and already more knowledgable about the wild, my brother noticed strings of saliva running down from the kudu’s mouth. A sure sign that the kudu had rabies and was dangerous. This also explained why the kudu seemed so tame…

Immediately he grabbed me by my arm, softly, but urgently told me to back up and run. I was not very happy about this, as I already was so close to touch this cute and majestic animal. But, fortunately big brothers can be very persistent when they are about to save your life.

So we ran. Down hill, all along a fence. Chased by a rabies infected kudu.
It is a common symptom that animals with rabies appear tame, but then also attack you… We ran for our lives.

My brother was faster and ahead of me. I realised that the kudu is getting closer and my short little legs had no chance against his (or hers). Somehow I realised that I could slip sideways through the fence and hope that the kudu will continue with his downhill chase. It worked…

But now the kudu got closer to my brother and my brother was getting close to the corner of the camp, with another fence right in front of him. He duck through the fence and at the same time the kudu lifted into the air with his powerful hind-legs to jump over the fence…

Another thing which happens with kudus who have rabies, is that they get weak. Usually they easily and gracefully jump over fences, but now they do not manage the height and get horribly tangled in the wires. Caught with its legs by the wires, this kudu came crushing down to the ground where my brother had just climbed through the fence. It fell partly onto my brother, but fortunately he could quickly get away and was not hurt.

My father, who was already alerted by my screams that something was wrong, came towards us and once he has ensured we are save, he put the poor kudu out of his/her misery.

This was a pretty unusual childhood encounter with a kudu and probably one of my very earliest, clear and lasting memories. And it made a huge impression on me… )

So yes, I do remember. Also the first time that I was asked to paint your portrait. I answered in my mind.

Ok, so will you paint me again?

Mhhh. Ok, maybe with white on black, that could look cool.

Ok.

What do you think of this?

Kudu White on Black (Detail)

Uhh, I like it. It is pretty. But…. hey let’s be adventurous tonight, otherwise we are finished so quickly… and black and white are so… mmhh, boring? Let’s just try something crazy…

I don’t know. I am scared. You look so pretty, what if I will mess that up?

You might, but wouldn’t it be fun? And anyway… if you do mess it up, you can just paint another one like this again, can’t you? Common, let’s just be a bit wild tonight… I dare you.

Ok, I trust you. And yes, I need to remember that I can always start over again. Art, like life, lets you start over and over again, as long as you are breathing. Mistakes can happen and they do. But it is not the end of the world and often they lead to amazing new and unexpected results.

So, yes, I dare…

(Untitled (Kudu on black background), Acrylic on canvas, 100x100cm)

So this is the kudu at this stage of our dialog… I think we leave her like this. Maybe, we will rather start another adventure on a different canvas.

And till we do, I am enjoying her presence. We are having fun, like girlfriends do, giggling and enjoying the neon colours we used, her prettiness and weirdness, marveling at the world, laughing at our vulnerability, fears and constant search for the elusive perfection… And think: who cares? When we can just be pink or turquoise or whatever we feel like? We should be more adventurous and less scared of making mistakes.

How would you like your story to be told?

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Yes, how would you like your story to be told?

Will it be a story full of excuses and reasons, perfectly plausible, why you did not live your dreams, succeeded at your goals or lived happily?

Or will it be a story of how you overcome the obstacles and challenges, on how you tried and maybe sometimes failed, but then tried again and how you chose to live happily despite whatever bad things life threw at you?

And how are you yourself telling the story of your life?

Thinking about this, might be a good way of telling how you are living your life and to consider if this is the best possible way.

Which kind of story do you most like to hear others telling you about their lives?

Untitled (sitting person) Charcoal and Acrylic on paper, 105 x 135cm

When I prepared for the workshop I had to present in the Ukraine to young curators I was struck by this question. I was faced with preparing a two-day workshop in a field where I knew that I did not have the proper recognized qualifications and also could not match up with the experiences of my co-presenters, who in my eyes were the ‘real curators’, the ones who have curated the big Documentas and who earn their daily living and a great deal of international recognition with being curators.

And I? Who am I and what could I possibly share in these dreaded two days, which they could not do better?

My head was in a flat spin. I thought of the messed-up situation that was my so-called curator job at the gallery many years ago. I remembered the challenges I faced at the experiencing.etosha art project and how disillusioned I was afterwards, about so many things. I cringed when I thought about the endless hard work that went into the ‘shared experiences’ cultural exchange program which I called into life with Oliver Schruoffeneger and co-managed for several years, the ingrate artists and constant nerve wrecking scramble to keep sponsors and artist and everybody else happy, while feeling totally unappreciated…

What of any of this is worth to share? But yet, somebody must have thought that I am the perfect person to offer my two-cent’s worth of wisdom to some wonderfully ambitious and young curators, otherwise I would not have been invited. They have done a lot to be able to attend this workshop, they expect to go home with lots of new and worthwhile knowledge and they surely do dream of becoming influential curators and this should be a stepping-stone in this dream. And I owe it to them (and to the workshop organizers) to do my very best to somehow enrich their lives and career through my presence.

I agonized for days about this. Then it struck me…

While I focus on my failures and on unrealised expectations, others see what I did have achieved and admire me for that. If I am totally honest, I also do believe that I have achieved a lot, maybe not always in the way I wanted, or with the results I hoped for, but still… Yet, there are also ~~many~~ people who are critical (or openly hostile) about me, my art or what I am doing and how I am doing it. So to which of these groups should I give the stage?

None. Because both scare me in their own way. The positive ones, do not know or see my struggles and the negative ones only focus on what (according to them) I am doing wrong. I am the only true authority on my life, and even if my vision of it is sometimes rose-tinted and at others overcast with insecurities and doubts, I do have the main role in it and do know it best. It is not the critics who count, but my intentions, my efforts and me living my live wholeheartedly.

Facing the Eagle
100x130cm, Acrylic and charcoal on paper
Inspired by a dream I had…

So, I could have told the story about my curatorial experiences just as I did above. Or I could take one step back, focus on the bigger picture, relate my intentions, my hopes and ideas, the challenges I faced and how I overcome them, or how and why I failed or succeeded. I could tell what I have learned. What I will do better or different next time. And most of all, I could tell how I moved on, started over, tried again. I realised that in my own way, I have collected interesting experiences, learned many skills worth sharing and found solutions where others just saw problems.

I have true in-depth knowledge about that. And I know that I have a great critical mind, which I can trust to guide me in being direct, honest and practical. And that is what I did and the story of my life which I shared. You can read more about how that was received in this previous blog.

While preparing for this, I realised that I do not want to look back at my life and tell the story of why things did not work out as I wished and how that is the reason for an unlived life and unhappiness.

I want to have the courage to do my best and if that did not work out, then try again and again and again. To have the courage to decide to live a life that feels purposeful and inspirational to me; with or without great achievements.

My father urged me to read the biography of George W. Carver (The Man Who Overcame). I decided to use my flight back from the Ukraine to start with it. I cried throughout most of the flight. It felt pretty embarrassing, but hey, what can a girl do who is extremely sensitive to the injustice of this world?!

Born into slavery (+-1860) with a wish to get an education and find the answers to his questions this young black child was determined to find a way. I lost count of how many dreadful experiences he had, how many huge obstacles he overcome and how hard he worked to get his schooling and finally be admitted to college on grounds of his extraordinary good marks, only to be rejected again when he arrived and they realised that he was black, and black men were not allowed to study there. Still he continued with an incredible amount of perseverance, hard work, patience and humility. Despite all odds, he went on to become one of the most prominent scientists and inventors of his time, he was also an extraordinary artist, botanist and pianist. And most of all he made a real contribution to the upliftment of his people and the fight against poverty… (If you have not heard of him, you should do yourself a favour and read the abovementioned book –also available in German – or check him out in this short movie http://www.biography.com/people/george-washington-carver-9240299#early-years )

Life sometimes deals you heavy blows... that is just how it is. But we have the choice to make them part of the dance. To turn them into something beautiful. 'Part of the Dance' Charcoal and Acrylic on paper. 105 x 140cm by Imke Rust

Life sometimes deals you heavy blows and knocks… that is just how it is. But we have the choice to make them part of the dance. To turn them into something beautiful.
‘Part of the Dance’ Charcoal and Acrylic on paper. 105 x 140cm

I am telling you about this man, because he seemed to have everything counting against him. He would have had every possible excuse to feel sorry for himself and to curse at the cards he got dealt again and again. He could have blamed every thing and so many people for having a miserable life and everybody would nod and fully agree that he did not have a chance. Yet, he chose to overcome. To try again and again. He worked damn hard. He hurt and he doubted, yet he got up again and tried again. And even when he had all the fame and could have had all the fortune, he stayed humble, refused a salary increase for most of his life and worked till his death in search of ways to improve the lives of the people around him.

What a man! And what an inspiration! What a life well-lived!

If he could overcome all this and be such an inspiration to so many people, who am I to not at least try to live my life purposefully, content and try again and again. In comparison to him the obstacles I have had to face in my life faint into nothingness.

I believe we can all choose to overcome so many things. We can end up telling an exciting, uplifting and inspirational story of a life well lived and that is what I want to do. And every time I feel like giving up, I want to ask myself: is this the end of the story you want to tell about your life? Or is this the beginning of another awesome creative adventure?

I need reminding of this every now and then – that’s why I am putting it in writing here 😉 .

Imke Rust. Are you having fun in your life? If not, how could you change that? I had fun with the large format paper and painting whatever I like... 'Having Fun' 120 x 105cm Mixed media (Charcoal, graphite, arylic and waxcrayon) on paper

Are you having fun in your life? If not, how could you change that? I had fun with the large format paper and painting whatever I like and this came out of it…
‘Having Fun’ 120 x 105cm Mixed media (Charcoal, graphite, arylic and waxcrayon) on paper

You will not believe what I found in the forest…

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I decided to go for a spontaneous walk in the forest, because I felt overwhelmed by the emails I had to answer and the admin that I had to do. And I could not think, because my head ached so much.

Me in the forest

I decided to only take my camera and my new summer hat along. And since I longed for a good foot massage, I went barefoot. I love that there are almost no thorns in the area where I live now. Back in Namibia there are so many, small ones which we call ‘dubbeltjies’ and large thorns, for instance from the Camelthorn trees. Going into the bush without shoes would be hell.

The forest ground welcomes you with soft moss. What a delight. Yet there are also broken off branches and pinecones, which can be quite painful when stepped on.

I found that walking barefoot in the forest made me walk slower and take every step with more consciousness. Not only did I get a foot massage, but I was also enjoying the sensations of the different textures beneath my feet. The feeling of being supported by a soft, green carpet made me feel connected and happy.

I found peace, trees and ferns in the forest.

I know, you will think that is nothing special. But it is. On a hectic day, peace is really special. And trees and ferns are too. Especially once you decide to see them, and then be grateful for their presence. They also make wonderful playmates and soul soothers.

Tree with line of fern leaves

Together we played a silly game and had a good time. We placed small parts of the fern leaves into the bark of a tree to form a line. And yes, just so that you know, I do ask permission and say my gratitude for the donation of the leaves from the fern. Here you can see what we have done.

Detail: Tree with line of fern leaves

Scrolling up and down the green line on the bark of the tree (the line is about 2m long )

I even made a small video.

Then I found 4 young birch trees, which have been driven over by the forestry vehicle. They were still holding on to their roots and growing, but they were lying flat across the earth, instead of growing upwards. I pulled them up and secured them with each other so that they can grow upwards again. I believe that were grateful and will soon go back to see how they are doing.

Lastly, I found a dirty puddle of water and the awesome orange peels of bark lying around.

This gave the impulse to one last game I played. I carefully arranged the bark in a long line on the water, taking care that they do not sink in. Suddenly the puddle looked much happier.

Detail view of the Bark Line

Bark Line in puddle of water

When I finished with this, I could even save a beautiful butterfly from drowning in a dirty puddle.

See the video to get to know my unexpected co-creator:

So, two hours later I got home and felt much better.

I hope that you too have the chance to slip out into nature, every now and then, to get grounded and recharge your batteries.

Times of Change

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Recently sold artwork (via my Facebook artist page) Mixed media on 170m/g2 acid-free paper, A4.

Untitled (Blaue Kudufrau) – Recently sold (via my Facebook artist page) Mixed media on 170m/g2 acid-free paper, A4.

Social media is awesome!

But also a bit complicated… There are so many easy ways to share my arts and ideas with friends and strangers, connect and get feedback and interesting conversations happening. It is also a challenging world to navigate, as I post on this blog, on Facebook and sometimes on Pintrest and Twitter. And I post very different stuff depending on the general idea of what a blog or a Facebook page is used for.

I realised that many people who follow me on Facebook, miss out on my blog posts and my blog readers do not get to see all the art which I post on Facebook…

When somebody mentioned to me that they love to see much more of my art, I realised that in my blog posts I focus mainly on ideas and concepts in my art. On Facebook I try to post an artwork or sketch per day (except weekends), with brief news or info. So there you see what I am up to much more regularly. Yet I also know that many people are not on Facebook – and I totally understand you.

I love making art and being creative as a way of life, but just as much, I love sharing my art and ideas with people. I hope to inspire, to bring happiness and joy, to provoke some new and different thoughts or alternative perspectives. With that in mind, I am considering posting more often to share more of my art and thoughts, maybe in occasional shorter, news-style posts. I am still not sure how exactly I can and want to do this best and ensure that it is still lots of fun and interesting for you, without becoming too much.

The best way to find out how things work best is to try it. So I guess I will just slowly feel my way forward and would love to hear your feedback.

Recent Art

As I have just mentioned, I regular post new art on my Facebook page. I enjoy the immediateness of it. FB followers see the image in their news feed and can press the ‘LIKE’ button when they enjoy what they see or they can easily leave a comment to which I can reply. And recently the fact that more people see my art there has led to increased direct sales.

Always be your imperfectly perfect self... Acrylic and pen on the back of a discarded Toffifee (choclate) box... approx. 15x15cm

Another work which was recently seen and sold via my Facebook artist page: ‘Always be your imperfectly perfect self…’
Acrylic and pen on the back of a discarded Toffifee (chocolate) box… approx. 15x15cm

Facebook is also the platform where I share experiments, sketches or little projects which will probably never see the inside of a gallery, a frame or somebody else’s house. I might consider to share some more of that on my blog in future too.

Here are some recent images:

Magic Sticks. I bought myself some funky new colours and had some dried rose stems which needed some love. This is the result. (Posted on FB on 17th of July)

Just finished this one… no title yet.
Mixed Media on 170g/m2 acidfree paper, A4 (Posted on FB, 12 July 2014)

‘I just smell that this is going to be an awesome week! – Can you smell it too?’
Pencil sketch from my sketchbook, posted on FB on 21st July 2014.

New Moon – New Beginnings

But before you expect a whole lot of new posts in the next few weeks, I have to tell you, that it might still take some more time before changes to happen. Because we are moving!!!

We have bought a little house in a little village just outside of Berlin. The house is really sweet, but even better: it comes with a beautiful garden (with a very own cherry tree!) and a lovely outside building and garage, which we plan to convert into a studio. Another absolute bonus is that the area is really pretty awesome and idyllic. There is a large forest just 100m down the road, the Havel river meanders past about five-minute walk into the other direction and there are several pastures for horses in between. We are so excited! And cannot wait to finally get the keys at the end of this month and start moving in and doing some renovations.

I have the feeling this move will be the start of a new magical time in our lives. I cannot wait to be closer to nature again, see how a desert girl can adapt to the forest and real running rivers, picking cherries and planning my own herbs and vegetables again!

Depending on how soon we will have our internet connection installed there and finished the move and the renovations, I will probably write the next blog from our new place, sitting under a tree…

Here is a sneak preview of our new place and surrounding area (click on the thumbnail image to see a larger view):

Our new home!

Surrounding area

The Havel running past close-by

The garage doors, leading to my new studio and will hopefully soon be replaced with glass doors to let in more light.

This is the inside of my future studio, with a view onto the garden.

Such beautiful flowers in the garden. But also lots of herbs and berry shrubs are already there!

The house is heated through an ancient oil heating central ‘Kachelofen’. That will be adventorous, and I hope I won’t freeze.

Our very own cherry tree – well, ok, we will share with the birds and the squirrels…

The back garden with outbuildings which will turn into our studios.

Wishing you all a great start to this new week! May the new moon energy fill you with wonderful energy!

Understanding the Universe

Thought of the night…

One grand thought

summed up

in a handful of

carefully selected words?

Sowing Salt

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Still image from ‘Sowing Salt’ (Art Video / Performance )

Have you ever sowed salt?

No? – Why would you?!?!

Any sane person would know that that would be futile and at the same time dangerous, poisoning and destroying your piece of soil.

But how often have you done something like sowing salt? Investing your energy (or money) and only later realising that you have done more harm than good? And how often did you do something stupid, because somebody told you that “that is what we have to do” or “It is a sure way to get rich (you can substitute ‘rich’ with whatever else you desire)”? I guess we all have at least once sowed salt and been utterly disappointed, asking ourselves why we did not think it through before we invested in an idea, and before it was too late…

It is up to us, to stop sowing salt. Stop whatever “get-rich-quick” scheme you are onto.First think your choices through to the end. Think about the larger picture and what impact it will have on others or your environment. If you are not sure, get informed and educate yourself. It is so easy in today’s world to have easy and free access to information. Share your knowledge and urge people to stop following “get-rich-quick” promises of their leaders. That way we can restore our earth and lives to its natural fertility and beauty.

In 2012 I have made a video art work / performance entitled: Sowing Salt. The work is a contemplation about people blindly following their leaders without questioning if it is right or wrong, and thinking about the long-term effects of their actions.

It was first shown as a video installation in December 2012 at my exhibition “…and I sensed an infinite scream passing through the Namib” (Swakopmund, Namibia). If you have missed the exhibition, you can now get a glimpse of this video work.

To get a brief impression of the original video installation, please follow the link below. In the exhibition the video continued in loop endlessly. Watch the video in the highest quality possible and remember to switch on the sound.

Sowing Salt Video

Sowing Salt (Video Installation, Swakopmund 2012)

Tread Softly

Love is…

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… sharing a parking bay.

: Top view of the busy parking lot, with the beach- buggies snuggling up closely together.

New Year – more fun, more love and more inspiration.

That is my plan. In the past I have hold back on sharing many everyday things which inspired me or made me smile, because I thought that I should stick to only posting things related directly to my art. I have come to realise lately, that in many ways my life is my art and my art is my life, and I cannot really separate the two – or want to anymore.

I want to live and see my life as an artwork. I actually like the German word “Lebenskünstler” a lot. Directly translated it would be: life-artist. I understand it as somebody making his or her life an artwork. Unfortunately it is generally used to refer to people who do not earn a steady income and rely on others for their survival, in a negative way.

So, even if some future posts do not have an obvious or direct link to my art, I feel it is an important aspect influencing my art and who I am, and I hope you will enjoy the occasional ‘non-art’ posts too.

Love is… sharing a bit more of who I am with you.

Thank you for being part of my life and art!