Next week will be... FOLK ART WEEK! And I have so much to show you, so many beautiful paintings, drawings and sculptures made by self-taught artists. See you on Monday.

(The Trapeze Toy is made by Earl Eyman, and the watercolor lady is painted by Mary Ann Willson. More of their work next week.)

And this weekend (1st-2nd May, 11 a.m to 18 p.m) there will be a small exhibition in Magasinet here in Mörtfors. It´s a part of the two day long eART22, exhibitions and studio visits along the E 22. Erik Heybroek, Christina Lokrantz and I will be showing some work. (Vi kommer att turas om att vara på plats. Varmt välkommen om du har vägarna förbi!!)

My book TÄNK OM... (WHAT IF...) landed in the shops yesterday. And is available in my webshop. Och så finns den på Adlibris och Bokus. Förstås.

All those animals! They are everywhere. The last days we have met the pine marten, the hare, the roe deer and the common toad. In our garden. On the gravel road I met the ducks and the moose (yes, she´s there, in the darkest part of my photo.) One of our friends saw the lynx! And every morning, the crane couple comes gliding over the fields close to us. They land, wrap their silk scarfs around their long necks and start to walk, in high-heeled patent-leather shoes, loudly reciting Rimbaud.

Days are really exciting this time of the year. A quick walk in the garden, to take a look of what´s growing (and what´s not.) Peaceful and thrilling. At the same time!

Öppet brev till Dagens Nyheter. Avs. Svenska Tecknare.

My new book TÄNK OM... (WHAT IF...) will be out next week! It has been a long waiting, but finally... The writing and the painting have been truly joyful. And I´m feeling so happy when thinking about it. (Publishing house is Rabén & Sjögren.)

About the book (in english)

Läs ett smakprov!

Wishing you a nice weekend!

Look, isn´t it nice! The cover Jakob made for Madame Neruda, the band of my brother-in-law´s. Join Your Voice With Mine contains songs by the British folk singer and performer Ewan MacColl. A great cd!

We are longing for this: a henhouse, four hens and a rooster. The henhouse is on its way, and the residents I´m currently looking for.
I´m hoping to find some Hedemorahöns. That´s my favorite breed.

The henhouse is from the site Marthas HaveHöns.

Linda Fridh is the proud owner of the couple atop. She is also the photographer. (Den vackra hönsrasen heter Dvärg Wyandotte.)

My sister´s book Bergets Döttrar is out as a paperback.
Cover by Sara R. Acedo.

Hectic, hectic, hectic. Dreaming about tiny streets far away, about hours not completely crammed. If I was a bit more relaxed I would read all the blogposts at Pencil & Pipette really careful. I would go out on a excursion without any specific destination or walk in the forest a whole day.

When searching inspiration for a book cover I stumble upon these:

Book Covers Anonymous. The Old-Timey Paperback Book Covers.
Sara Acedo. And The Book Cover Archive!

This Saturday and Sunday (April 17 and 18, 11:00 -16:00) friends will open the doors to their ice cream production, just close to Mörtfors. Wirumglass! If you are in the neighbourhood, stop by and try it.
It is really, really good!
(Jersey cow photo by Johnny Franzén. The milk cans are made by me for Wirumglass.)

I don´t believe in ghosts, but there is something about those ghost photos that appeals to me. They are mysterious, inspiring, sometimes tragical and pretty often comical. These ones are, from the top: Tulip Staircase Ghost, The Brown Lady, Freddy Jackson, Railroad Crossing Ghost and the Haunted Bureau. More on Best Ghost Pictures Ever Taken (where you could also learn how to photograph ghosts.) Did I really say I don´t believe in ghosts...?

Welcome to the Scariest Ghost Pictures on Earth!!

In my last post I forgot to mention that the artist behind this card is the artist Stefan Johansson. When browsing for more information about him, I unfortunately didn´t find much, but I stumbled upon many other great Johanssons on my way through the web. The two first paintings above are made by Annika Johansson. The third is made by Anna-Lena Johansson. And then we have: Peter Johansson. Richard Johansson. Gerry Johansson. And now I have some working to do.

Let´s stay indside today. The sun came and went. If you were passing by on the main road right now you could come in for a cup of coffee! This is where I work.

......

Ok. The last photo is NOT from my own desk. It´s the writing table belonging to Astrid Lindgren. Really sorry, can´t understand how that could have slipped in...

Have a nice weekend:)

Russian animations:

Hedgehog in the fog
Tale of Tales, part 1 and 2

There are so many talented women out there! Take a look at:

Emma Adbåge, guestblogging at Rabén&Sjögren
Elisabeth Björkbom and her blog
Carina Bodström, paintings
Clara Bessijelle, Trying to sleep

More illustrations for the magazine Damernas, this time about our new ways of reading books.

3x3 International Children's Show - Last Call

Food fair in Västervik. And Easter holiday is over. A new work week, but my brain is still on vacation.

Happy Easter to you who celebrate! These boxes I have made for Swedish Posten. As there are no more post offices left in Sweden, you will have to look for them somewhere in the tobacco and gambling section in your local grocer´s store...

Russell Cobb
Bendik Kaltenborn