Colours of autumn. In the kitchen garden the sunflowers have fainted, the squashes are heavy as 2-month-old babies and most of the tomatoes are still green. And the carrots are full of carotene and humor(?)! Right now, I want this season to last forever...

Martin Wollerstam, from my home town Sandviken.

Searching for pictures like these three above, for a children´s book illustration (last picture is a small detail from my rough as it looks for the moment.) Somewhere while browsing I stumbled upon this site that I wish I had found earlier this year, when looking desperately for a swimsuit.

Astrid och Allison, P1.
Om konstnärerna Astrid Sylwan och Allison Gildersleeve.

An exciting book project I´m participating in, is this Exquisite Book, launched by ALSO (Julia Rothman, Jenny Volvovski and Matt Lamothe) and published by Chronicle Books. 100 artists play a collaborative game! ("Back to nature" is my contribution. Other illustrators on the shown pages are: Austin English/Eunice Moyle, Joe Mclauren/Betsy Walton/Liz Zanis, Me/Mike Lowery/Ellie Curtis/Lorena Siminovich. Links here.)

Exquisite Video

More about the process behind the book; here, here and here. From Book By Its Cover.

Och på Bokunge ges tips på bra barnböcker som motgift mot främlingsfientlighet. I svallvågorna efter ett tungt val...

Illustrations for an article in Tecknaren (nr4/10), about the Swedish Social Insurance Administration. (Klicka för större. Bilden längst ner fick inte plats i tidningen, vilken också innehåller spännande läsning om Beata Boucht och Jane Bark. Bl a.)

Some pictures just speak to you. This is an old favorite of mine. I found it in a box in my grandparent´s house, and I like it so much.

Lothar Osterburg and Felix Blommestijn

both via Accidental Mysteries

In these days of Swedish election time, I often think of actor and songwriter Allan Edwall. His songs are just... necessary.
Lyssna på Allans Allra Bästa på Spotify. Eller Familjeporträtt på Youtube. Eller Baciller.

(Sorry, don´t know the name of the photographer behind this Allan-picture.)

Jacob and his chicks are always nice company, but especially at the weekends when everyone in the family is at home. We work side by side, with different projects around the house. Everyone is busy.
(The cake is from an outdoor-fika with a friend last weekend. The autumn is the best time for having coffee outside!)

Hope you have had a nice weekend!

On the walls, the floor and the desk. Some books for inspiration, for example; with illustrations by Alžběta Skálová, Torsten Bergentz and Kaj Beckman. The small photo/drawing on the last picture is made by Mia Mäkilä.

Sac Magique. Characters for NK.

Och Lisens blogg är tillbaka!

Still trying to get hold of something. Don´t know what that something is, yet. Trying new lines, new pencils, new colors, new computer functions, new fikabröd, new drawing paper.

Bead art! (Pärlplattor!) I try everything.

This is my new book! Kalla fakta om is (Cold facts about ice). It´s my first factual study book, with both plenty of research and a scientific check-up:) (Remember this early picture for inspiration? From "Our Friend the Atom" by Heinz Haber, Walt Disney.) The making of this ice-book has been such fun! And I hope it will be interesting for many different ages. For children AND grown-ups. The book is printed, but not out in the shops and libraries yet. It will be released in the very beginning of frostbitten October.

KALLA FAKTA OM IS (Opal) can be pre-ordered (for shipping in Sweden) here or here.

Could live in the forest/garden these days... Before I put on my rubber boots and leave, some links I fancy:

Masahiro Minami, especially like his Peafowl screen.

More Minami here, on the Japan Design-blog.

Masahiro Minami Laboratory. Multifunctional Furniture for Green Kids, made by Michiko Eguchi. (Found on Inhabitots.)

Searching through the bookshelves for inspiring covers. Looking for bookbindings and embossings. Ritförlaget has kindly asked me to do a small book with drawings:) We´ll see what happens...

Euro-orphans, Uppdrag Granskning, svtplay!