Category: From the artists workshop

The 100 day project is coming to an end!

by artgerritoppellandhampelin Art, From lthe artists workshop, From the artists workshop, Tips for Artists

These days the 100 day project is coming to an end. The 31st ofJanuary was the starting day of the 100 day project – an international digital and free project inviting people around the world to take part in 100 days of creativity. The aim was to choose a personal creative project and dedicate each day a little span of time – something between 10 and 30 minutes – to this project. It was recommended to share the results with the internet community.

At the time when I learned about the project in January I was feeling very low and very uninspired. Probably I was exhausted from a very demanding year with all it’s threats and uncertainties caused by the pandemic and by quite some exhibitions I was taking part in or did organize myself. So my studio was deserted and nothing would motivate me to go in. I was hesitating to take part in this project – would I stand a project that took 100 days? Thats a very long time, more than three months! I decided to go for it, to be generous with myself and be content with what ever would come out of it. What did I have to loose?

The 100 day project starting logo

“Can you think of a better time for a reset, a better time to turn our collective attention away from doom scrolling and to something inherently positive, life and soul affirming?”

This was the  sentence that convinced me in the end! Nevertheless: very unexpectedly the project was a huge win for me! I am back in my studio with new ideas, plans and motivation! What more could I wish for?

As I said, I was generous with myself. I chose a project that was simple, feasible and I was sure, would give me pleasure. Color is my passion. The hashtag I chose for my project is  #100daysofcolourcardsandmore. 
( Meanwhile I learned that they are called color swatches :-))  Under this hashtag you find a lot of my results. 

Opening up for new experience and learning was so rewarding.

Continue reading “The 100 day project is coming to an end!”

A key to break a stressful time

by artgerritoppellandhampelin Art, ART in General, blue, Color/ Farbe, From the artists workshop, green, red, Tips for Artists, Yellow1 Comment on A key to break a stressful time

The 100 day project after 70 days

What I can say from the very beginning, after 50 days and now again after 70 days: Engaging in the 100 day project was my key to break a stressful time. I was exhausted from an intensive year and had lost all my motivation after having presented in exhibitions and after nearly a year in the pandemic. You will know what I am talking about.

Against my personal prediction I stayed in the 100 day project and it became key for not only breaking the mental stress but bringing new initiative and inspiration. The framework of my chosen project #100daysofcolourcardsandmore created a focus. Suddenly there was a thin but strong red threat to follow. It turned out to become a very enlightening and restful time in my studio.

5 Rows of colour swatches
Color swatches of the Zorn palette.

There could have been no better way to stay tuned and get some mental holiday in these demanding times. It turned out to be a kind of self-care time, slowing down, exploring in depth, not hurried by the next event to work for and not under self expectation to create the next fantastic work. I did so many other things and had (and still have) such an entertaining time!

To do simple, but pleasurable work, slow down, break routines, being open for new things was a key to break the stress and get inspired again.

I started the color swatches with a limited palette, the Zorn palette. It is incredible, how many colors you get from only two colors and black and white. In the end I made an inventory of all the colors I found in tubes and pigments in my studio! An incredible mass!
I read books – enjoyed very much the book from Brian Ruthenberg “Clear seeing place” and his videos which I highly can recommend. I did sketching in the nature, I learned how to make tiny artist booklets from one sheet of paper and I learned such a lot about color! And as I was in the learning mode, I even learned how to make home made rolls 🙂

Continue reading “A key to break a stressful time”

How to start an abstract painting

by artgerritoppellandhampelin Art, ART in General, From lthe artists workshop, From the artists workshop, large formats/ große Formate, Tips for Artists2 Comments on How to start an abstract painting

I recently saw, that the question “How to start an abstract painting” got new interest. So I decided to add to this post a video about the process of starting a new large painting. Just watch how the first layers grow. If you want to see the finished painting, you will find it on Instagram here.


An artist friend asked me the other day: How do you start an abstract painting? I didn’t give her an answer yet. Now here is a series of photos that may tell a part of the story. But it is the story of these particular works. It may be quite different with other paintings I do or how others artists design their process. There are so many ways to start a new painting. Not all ways are invented by now.

How do I start an abstract painting?

When I was starting my painters journey about 20 years ago – after some very few lessons in working figurative – I was so lucky to visit a painting workshop by an Austrian artist. Her name was Fria Elften-Frenken. She lived in a beautiful kind of farmhouse on the Neusiedler Lake. She had studied in the academy of fine arts, Vienna and was well known. One of her remembered sentences was: “It took years to forget about what I learned and to start doing my own art.” Consequently she would provide us with materials but not with lessons and ideas. She was always ready to consult when we were stuck. But we had to find our own way.

Some insights into the development of “Thinking of Saint Tropez”

Trust into yourself -its all about you!

I am lucky that I had this kind of start. That was what I was looking for in art. It is this kind of freedom. It allows you to do what you want. In a way, there is no right and wrong. If it is appreciated by others is a second questions. Art is a lot about expressing yourself. Of course there are many of things to be learned. About ways you can take, materials you can use and thousand other things. But what you do, how you get there and what result comes out of it, that is your own art.

How to cope with the „angst of the white canvas“

At the beginning another sentence was in my head about something artists experience: “the angst of the white canvas”. I don’t know where I had heard it and why it stuck in my head. But influenced the steps I took.

Read on how I handled that „Angst“ and watch the beginning of a large painting

Continue reading “How to start an abstract painting”

How to start a new painting

by artgerritoppellandhampelin Art, ART in General, From lthe artists workshop, From the artists workshop, Painting on canvas, Painting on paper, Tips for ArtistsLeave a Comment on How to start a new painting

How to start a new painting?

The other day a friend visited me to have a talk and some demonstrations for painting. My friend loves art and wants to give it a try for herself. She has seen a lot and has a taste for art. But she has nearly no experience with using a brush. One of her questions was: How do you start a new panting?
Actually a good question and a difficult answer.

How to jump on a white canvas?

Starting a new painting is always somehow exiting – at least for me. I never know where this journey will lead me to – and seldom I make plans which I then will not follow. In the end my start is always fed by the impulse of the moment. The most I have in mind is a color direction. Maybe there is even a theme deep back in my more unconscious brain.

Beginnings

There are many ways to start. I paint

Continue reading “How to start a new painting”

Perdidos en el tiempo y perdidos en las galerías

by artgerritoppellandhampelin Art Events, ART in General, From the artists workshop, Lifestyle, Lifestyle, My exhibitions, Painting on paper, shop, special offer1 Comment on Perdidos en el tiempo y perdidos en las galerías

A veces me siento un poco malhumorado.

Olvido los días, las fechas y la hora, vivo sin reloj. Me siento como flotando en el tiempo, no hay direcciones, no hay “límites duros”, no hay citas, no hay obligaciones. Sólo me despierto y repaso los asuntos diarios que todo pasa en la casa ya que no debemos salir de ella. Comencé una serie llamada “Perdidos en el tiempo”. Son sólo dos pinturas todavía, pero parece que podría ser más.

Estoy en una burbuja de tiempo. Por un lado me siento como alimentado por tanto tiempo en mis manos, por otro lado me siento como en un barco sin timón. Estoy a la deriva, pero hay una corriente que me lleva en alguna dirección. Parte de la corriente es la pintura.

  • Perditos en el tiempo 1 sold
  • Lost in Time 2

En este tiempo especial cambié mis hábitos de pintura. Estoy en una burbuja de tiempo. Por un lado me siento como alimentado por tanto tiempo en mis manos, por otro lado me siento como en un barco sin timón. Estoy a la deriva, pero hay una corriente que me lleva en alguna dirección. Parte de la corriente es la pintura.

  • They are building new houses in my garden 2
  • They are building new houses in my garden 1
  • My tropical garden SOLD

Si quieres ver pinturas no ocultas, las encuentras arriba y más en mi sección de arte Artist Support Pledge.

Las pinturas “perdidas”…….

Continue reading “Perdidos en el tiempo y perdidos en las galerías”

Lost in Time and Lost in Galleries

by artgerritoppellandhampelin Art Events, ART in General, From the artists workshop, Lifestyle, Lifestyle, My exhibitions, Painting on paper, shop, special offer1 Comment on Lost in Time and Lost in Galleries

Sometimes I feel a bit moody.

I forget days and dates and time, I live without a watch. I feel like floating in the time, there is no directions, no “hard limits” – no appointments, no musts. Just waking up and going over the daily business that all happens in the house as we are not to leave the house.I started a series called “Lost in time”. Its only two paintings yet, but it feels like it could be more.

I am in a time bubble. On one hand I feel like nourished by so much time at my hands on the other hand I feel like in a boat without rudder. I am drifting, but there is a current that carries me in some direction. Part of the current is painting.

  • Lost in time 1 sold
  • Lost in Time 2

In this special time I changed my painting habbits. I started to paint on paper – only on paper. Canvas, the underground I normally like to use, seems too durable, too long lasting. Paper is light, smaller, drifting, more open, not so serious, qualities that all seem to be more appropriate for this exceptional time. With paper I paint flat on my working table, which faces the window instead of working on an easel that makes me stand for light reasons with the back or the side to the window. So I contemplate for many hours the view, which is beautiful but now it shows a huge building place. They are building new houses in my earlier green zone!

  • They are building new houses in my garden 2
  • They are building new houses in my garden 1
  • My tropical garden SOLD

If you want to look at not hidden paintings you find these above and more in my Artwork section under Artist Support Pledge.

Hidden paintings

The other day I was a bit moody and longing not only for a long walk outside but was missing my paintings. More than 50 percent are locked-in as well, they are in galleries and a showroom! Now they are “Hidden Paintings”! In a little restaurant in Mijas I installed a beautiful wall with some larger paintings. They are hidden since 20th of January!

Paintings in Alboca Gastro, Mijas

Hidden Paintings in Gallery van Gerstel, Marbella

  • „Playtime“
Learn more about the Gallery van Gerstel, Marbella

Hidden Paintings in Gallery Saphira & Ventura in New York

In October 2019 I delivered in person 12 paintings on board in this beautiful gallery in the heart of New York City.

I was so fortunate that some of them were part of a group show in February. Since then they are locked down. Now time goes and all the galleries are closed since long. New York is one of the most hit city by the Corona Pandemie. Who knows, when galleries and museums are opened again?

Want to read more about these exhibitions? Tapp here! About the adventure to take my paintings to New York City? Tap here. See all paintings you can find in NYC here: Click Artsy Website.

Get latest news from my artist journey, life pleasures and challenges! Get new offers first! Join my newsletter he

By clicking submit, you agree to share your email address with the site owner and Mailchimp to receive marketing, updates, and other emails from the site owner. Use the unsubscribe link in those emails to opt out at any time.

Processing…
Success! You're on the list.

New works in the Artist Support Pledge!

by artgerritoppellandhampelin exhibitions I like, From lthe artists workshop, From the artists workshop, Lifestyle, My exhibitions, Painting on paper, Series, Small formats/ kleine Formate, special offerLeave a Comment on New works in the Artist Support Pledge!

Good news! Three – inbetween four (!) – paintings will go to a new home – as soon as the post offices open up again! It’s not a week yet that I sent out my newsletter about my participation in this wonderful initiative! (Want to know more about Artist Support Pledge? Click here!)

My Costa del Arte Collective colleague Annabel Keatley and I, who participate in the initiative of the Artist Support Pledge have event got the attention of the local press! The article is announced for next Friday! Its wonderful that we got so much attention through the internet! Especially as all art shows in Spain are canceled. We had planned and prepared for an exposition in Fuengirola “Sun and Shade” which should have started 20th of April. Of course is not going to happen. Hopefully we can open it in autumn.

We are still in a very strickt lockdown which was just prolonged till 10th of May. I sincerely had hoped for the permission to do some sport for an hour or so outside. But that seems not to be in the new decisions. My rescuer will be the trampoline – finally the new elastic bands arrived! Its a urgent contrast to standing and sitting work at the computer or the easel. So the trampoline is the only possibility to simulate running at the moment!

With the extended confinement I will have more of this special time to contemplate the view from my window – which I often do as it is beautiful – but I never used is as a source of inspiration for my paintings. The stand-still inspired me to do two exercises: a literal-stand still in my place and concentrating on what is in front of me AND to do the opposite of a stand still for my mind: move to do new things. This very special time gives a lot of chances to think about life.

Here they are, the paintings of the series “From my window”. The middle one is one of my rather realistic paintings and features the view. I love the bold colours in the flowers and in the “Building houses”. I am aiming to capture more the spirit of a situation than the real view of it. The flowers are out bursting in the planter of the balcony with the most incredible red and greens. The tropical garden holds a bit of a dreamy landscape (and is sold already to one of my newsletter subscribers). Enjoy!

New paintings

  • Spring flowers on my balcony 200 €
  • Lost in Time 200 €
  • View from my window – 170 €
  • They are building houses in my garden 200 €
  • SOLD – My Mediterranean garden
  • Spring uprising 200 €

Still available

  • Red energy 200 €
  • Still pink times 200 €
  • where there is darkness there is light – 170 €
  • Keep up your good spirit 170 €
  • Flowers for Saint Patricks day 170 €
  • So much in my head 170 €

With a little tear in my eye but with a happy heart I will say “Good by” to these three as they have found very nice new homes:

  • SOLD Spring outbursting
  • SOLD Lost in time
  • SOLD From my window at a blue day

They were the favourite obviously – they would have found other houses as well. This is the wonderful and the sad thing about most art works: they are unique. So if you buy an original painting your are sure to have an unique piece of art in your home or office.

If you like art + puzzles…..here you have a great choice!

More than 8 puzzles easy, medium and rather difficult ones are waiting for you! Each of it an art work from me! You don’t need a huge table, just your computer!

Click onto the painting or the caption to get there!

2018GL03 Pink house at the fjord

Have a good week! Take care and stay safe!