Gallery

Click on the images to enlarge.

Release me (July 2009) The text is the lyrics to the song "Release me" by Swedish pop group Oh Laura, from a TV commercial in 2007. It went straight to my heart the first time I heard it and I've wanted to letter it ever since. You can see the commercial on youtube.

Writing is a dance of the pen (July 2009) One of the many rainy days of this year's summer vacation was spent making this little piece. The decoration at the top emerged as a doodle some time ago - a happy, dancing little fellow! :-)

Ancora Imparo (May 2009) This technique is called paper casting and the result is letters that almost look as though they are chiselled out of the paper. The latin text translates to "I'm still learning", which seemed to fit very well since this is a brand new technique for me. Warm thanks to Joan Merrell for the help to get me started.

Flourished "R" (July 2009) This is a two coloured paper casting, a method I've developed myself. It has taken a lot of experimenting to get the two colours not to mix with each other, and I've still not found a fool proof method. This one became reasonably decent, even though small amounts of white have "escaped".

Ein wohlgemacther Buchstabe (February 2009) This piece done in a lightweight foundational hand is a result of me wanting to go back to my roots, so to speak. Some 12 years ago this was the first hand I was taught. The letters have gained a bit of personality and character since then, but are still easily recognizeable as the foundational hand that I now teach in my correspondence courses. Copper coloured gouache on black Hahnemühle paper.

Imagination without learning (February 2009) The large letters in this piece are called "Neuland" and are based on a classic typeface with the same name. They work well in the company of Roman Capitals, although these could be a bit better executed.

Things take time (January 2009) Another work done with the ruling pen, but with a bit more thought and effort than the one below. This style of writing may look easy, but just as with everything else in calligraphy it's so much easier if you have a solid knowledge base to stand on BEFORE you start to let go and improvise!

Dreams to sell (November 2008) An experiment with looser letter shapes and a new tool - the ruling pen. Quickly finished without any guidelines (gasp!) and far from perfect, but very fun and very new for me! 50x23 cm (19x9").

Flicka (Girl) (July 2008) I found this sad and unfortunate "proverb" in a magazine from Save the Children, and I felt I had to get it on paper with my feelings (hopefully) showing. It translates to "Letting a girl grow up is like watering a plant on your neighburs farm." A meaningless job nobody wants to do, basically. And this is - in 2008 - according to Save the Children still a common proverb in southern Asia and southern Africa, and being a little girl is worth nothing in greater parts of the world than that. Disheartening. 35x70 cm (14x27,5").

All the letters (July 2008) An experiment with Roman caps with some of the characteristics altered somewhat. Calligraphed with two different gouache colors that blended in the nib as I wrote. 20x48 cm (8x19").

Swedish National anthem (July 2008) Here I was trying to find a way to use an almost dried tube of yellow gouache and some sheets of dark blue paper, and of course our national anthem was ideal to write (our flag is blue and yellow). Pointed gothic. 45x38 cm (18x15").

Now I am a calligrapher (July 2008) This quote is attributed to Alfred Fairbanks, one of the great names in calligraphy. I think Mr. Fairbanks was spot on! "When you are able to write a good hand and know why it is a good hand, then you can say: Well, now I am a calligrapher." Roman caps and italic,  30x40 cm (12x16").

Piet Hein quote (March 2008) This is an attempt at a looser type of calligraphy than I normally do. Not really successful - I realize that there is a lot more work to be done before I can comfortably let go of the guidelines. Piet Hein wrote a number of short and witty little poems called "grooks".

Svenska språket (The Swedish language) (September 2007) In September I started learning "pointed gothic" which is a new hand to me. This is in no sense a finished "piece" but was done after two weeks of practice to get a feeling for how this hand would look when used in a "real" content, not just for practice. There are still quite a lot of details to work on here. 22x25 cm (8,5 x 10").

Birthday card (February 2007) I have not calligraphed very much the last year, but this is one of the few things I've completed - a concertina style greeting card. I think it turned out rather good, actually.

The Lament (May 2006) This is the first of my diploma works (read more here), and the one I'm most pleased with. The next four images below also show diploma works. The acrylic background is really a bit more green-blue than it appears here. The text is visually centred, written with a mixture of gouache and acrylics. 30x44 cm (12x18").

Two colours (May 2006) The colour combination used in the background here presented itself on a piece of scrap paper where the yellow and blue just happened to end up next to each other, creating a rather nice mix. Uncials in red gouache, "sing" is flat gilded on gum ammoniac. Gold does not scan well. 21x26 cm (8x10").

A profitable thing (May 2006) A simple decoration using gold and watercolour in warm and "happy" colours softened the strong Roman capitals and illustrated the quote rather well, I think. These powerful capitals are much harder to execute than they appear. 23x30 cm (9x12").

If you don't know how to write (May 2006) This is one of the largest pieces I've ever done, and it was quite hard to arrange the text into a pleasing whole. Formal italic and foundational letters written using gouache and Mica powder. This scanned image doesn't do the original justice. 70x42 cm (28x17").

They say… (May 2006) Since I can't draw very well, this is my version of a stylized water spring, as the text is about water. The lettering is a personalized italic, wider than normal and with somewhat softer curves. Using watercolour in the pen also illustrates "water" as the letters become semi opaque. 29x33 cm (11x13").

Kalligrafi (Calligraphy) (July 2005) This is the text you find when you look for "kalligrafi" (calligraphy) in a particular Swedish encyclopaedia. Of course this text should be calligraphed! I used walnut ink and FW Acrylics and a personalized, cursive italic. 53x40 cm (21x16").

All the world's a stage (February 2005) This piece was quickly made during a well needed break from another task. The Roman capitals are 3,5 cm high which makes this Shakespeare quote a rather large piece. White FW Acrylic and watercolour pencils used. 63x48 cm (25x19").

Ridi si sapis (July 2004) A Latin quote like this obviously requires Roman capitals, and the piece was made during one of many rainy summer days this year. Black ink and Winsor & Newton watercolour. 43x21 (17x8").

Sisters (January 2004) My sister wanted some "nice writing" for her 30th birthday, and this is what I made for her. The background is made using FW acrylics and cling film in several layers, the text uses white gouache and acrylic gold. 55x45 cm (22x18") including frame.

Calligraphic haiku (June 2003) A rainy Sunday morning I created this little "calli-ku", and for once both the words and the lettering are mine. These five plus seven plus five syllables say quite a lot about how it is to have calligraphy as a hobby :-) 21 x 10 cm (8x4").

Bara en mor (Only one mother) (May 2002) This quote - about a mother - was a gift to my mom on her 53rd birthday. I think she liked it. The background is a simple one-coloured wheat paste, acrylic gold was used for the Roman lettering. 40x60 cm (16x24") incuding frame.

Handmade book (September 2001) The art of bookbinding is closely related to calligraphy for obvious reasons, and something that I enjoy doing from time to time. This book has covers of paste paper that resembles leather and is bound with embroidery thread over thin tapes of "gold". 15x21 cm (6x8").

Der Stift (The Pen) (November 2000) A friend of a friend in Germany wanted this quote lettered, and I was asked to do it. The worst part was to get through the German text without making any spelling errors! :-) A background of watercolour and cling film, lettering in gouache. 56x42 cm (22x16").

Haiku poem (February 2000) I'm definitely not a poet, but sometimes it's fun to make up short little haikus. This one was finished, including the lettering, in less than an hour. 22x12 cm (9x5").

This grand show (May 1999) For my first diploma I entered with this and the following two pieces (read more here). This one was my favourite at the time. A cloudy background made using a sponge and watercolour, gouache and gold leaf for the lettering. 31x44 cm (12x17").

Mother (May 1999) A simple, straight quote - "less is more", right? Gouache on Fabriano Tiziano paper, 20x24 cm (8x10").

You and I (May 1999) A love poem by the Chinese poet and calligrapher Kuan Tao-Sheng. I was rather pleased with this one too. Simple, straight and well balanced. Gouache on Canson Mi-Teintes. 29x42 cm (12x17").

Christmas calligram card (November 1998) Almost all of my handmade Christmas cards are sent abroad, to likeminded people. Calligraphers appreciate a handmade card much more than "ordinary people" do. For this calligram I used white gouache on red Tiziano paper. 11x13 cm (4x5").

Genesis (July 1996) I'm not a religious person, but sometimes I enjoy lettering a passage from the bible. I wrote this one before I had taken any correspondence courses, and I have no idea what hand this is supposed to look like... probably some kind of carolingian. Miscellaneous ink, gold and watercolour on ordinary office paper. 32x50 cm (13x20").

Säg till om jag stör (Let me know if I disturb you) (1984) Well... this must be the first "piece" I ever did, maybe 14 years old, and I kept it on my wall for several years. When I look at it now I see that the technical execution of the uncial letters is... well, not so good, but back then I thought it was a masterpiece :-) 60x30 cm (24x12").