The Ba Gua "Water"

Water on the corners, too, flowing into the nine patch. Little waves and ripples. Water looks black if you look down on it, especially moory water like Loch Ness. This is why black and dark blue are associated with water, "kan", in Chinese mythology. Seen from afar, the water surface reflects the light which will bring us to the Ba Gua chapter "serene", "dui". This is metal element, due to its look like silver. None of these patches in my quilt will be free from the other elements because there is constant exchange between them. Here, added to white for metal, there is yellow for earth, light blue and green for wood, and a little red for fire.

First you create art quilts, then you learn to sew

Wonderful Heike teaches sewing in the same culture center where I showed my paintings,  she saw them and my quilts, and we got connected and started a conversation. I complained about my self-taught, rather poor ability of hand-quilting, and she said something nice about the art qualities of my quilts. So I enrolled for her sewing course to base my work on improved craft knowlege. She asked me whether this style of working might influence the spontaneous and creative side of it, but I don't think I have to worry, I rather see lacking experience as an obstacle to creative work. So I'm happy to learn from Heike. I chose a few fabrics from my favourite stash and decided to do a diagonal nine-patch with triangle corners in the quilt-as-you-go method. This is the start of a quilt I call Ba-Gua, referring to the 8 basic signs of the I-Ging Chinese oracle book. This one is "Water", connected to danger, black color, fish, kidneys, fear and pride.

How many UFOs?

Another version of the UFO theme. Could be a quilt, couldn't it? Painting is faster.

Blue Port

As I reported before, Hamburg people are crazy about their harbour. Now, they have another reason to celebrate parties: The days of the bike races, "Cyclassics" and, during the same weekend, the Cruize Days. And at night, there is a blue light installation named "Blue Port", along with the passing of cruize ships and fireworks. The metro waggons were sardine tins, stuffed with people,  everyone were on their feet and walked along the promenade. Here are the lights and sounds of the place.

Later, when the rush had died down, people enjoyed the view of all these blue lights. It was a miraculous atmosphere, and although I had expected to find the leftovers of booze catastrophes, there was quietude and almost adoration.

Copying my own work

"Director's Cut"

Paintbox

Here is the source of joys for me. At the moment I'm doodling more than starting with an idea or thought. I almost forgot to document this one before it was destroyed in order to become this one:

"Four Beautiful Days" -- dedicated to Martha Marshall

"Inner and Outer Hebrides"

 I started these experiments of water color collage with a larger painting which I did not like in the end; the parts did not seem to match at all. I washed some parts (a fruitful task if you work with best quality paper) and received something like this. Yet, I was not satisfied and did the same cut-and-paste method. After the washing, the colors had become subdued which gave them a sandstone look.

"Under Ground"

"Fault"

You can see, how badly these parts would have matched. I took the brighter snippets and turned them into this collage. My intention was to do a remake for a sold picture. Have you ever managed to copy your own work?
Here is another small watercolor called "Fault", and I think it is pretty boring.
The last one is a new version of the UFO theme, similar to this one.

"UFO II"

Visitors at my exhibition

"Wearable art? No, it doesn't have a back."

"It is a Memento Mori in medieval tradition."

"Watercolor?" -- "Yes, plus color pencil and acrylics."

"A decision of mankind: Nuclear or sustainable energies..."

Waiting for visitors II

 Joseph's Colorful Coat in the café with the related paintings. The red wall was already there; it was obviously the right background.

Some pictures were in the stage room, looking a bit like a cellar. I provided labels with informations on year, technique, and title.
We hat 21 guests for the exhibition; it will be running for 4 more weeks. I sold 2 small paintings.
The director of the culture center held a little speech, he was well-informed about what I do; I could not take pictures during the exhibition opening, I was too busy explaining.

Waiting for visitors

  Yesterday
 we worked all day, hanging the 54 items of the exhibition. The pictures can't be made to hang straight, I do hope the visitors will see the pictures, not how skewed they hang.

In the corridor, I've got portraits from the seventies, then there are pictures from the eighties opposite to the lavatories, hmhm.

The seminar rooms serve many purposes like painting classes and language courses.