Leaving

It's our last day in Kokkola and we pack our bags and clean up the cottage.
It's the last day we can enjoy the sea and the silence of the wood before we return to the noisy city in southern Germany.
I also clean up the studio and think it's so sad that I am one of the last artists to work here. The AIR program is closed for the next season and it's uncertain what happens here in future. I hope the Drake Arts Centre is able to find  a new partner.

Good bye Kokkola, it was a nice time to stay!

If you are interested to follow my work you can visit my website www.meike-lohmann.com and follow me on instagram https://www.instagram.com/meikelohmann/

  

white nights

Studiotime

work on paper

The last week has come and we will leave Kokkola soon. The time of the white nights have begun and we are witnessing endless days that don't want to end. There is just a very short time of darkness. The lighting mood is significantly different than in my home country but I enjoy it.

While I'm working on my painting, my partner is making an augmented reality project. I've just uploaded a videostill but you should check out this work by Tobias Ziegler at his instagram account https://www.instagram.com/dasbomm/
This Adobetool ist absolutely incredible and I can't get enough.

Adobe project aero

Hike and work

a part of the forrest

 Lichen

We are now in our third week at Kokkola. Fortunately, it got warmer and we also used the nice weather to do a little hike.
We have discovered a small lake on the map and have laid a route through a fairytale forest.

Striking for me was the strong spread of ice blue lichen on the forest floor, a slow growing plant that covered a large area.
It looked so beautiful that we stayed here really long until we went to the lake.
It has rained so much the last few days our path was very muddy and our feet were pretty wet at some point.
(Maybe we just started a little bit naive and you should always pay attention on good shoes).

the sea at Kokkola

Finally we reached the lake and a few distance ahead the sea.

Slowly it is a pity that we are not very mobile. Although there is a bike but you can not really drive long distances. And I would like to drive to one of the other cities and the public transport is not very well equipped and very expensive.

A painting of the forest - Crayon and Aquacolor on paper

Studioview

Nevertheless I found a lot of inspiration and I love the forest. I had a good week at the studio and painted a lot.

Impressions

Two women, crayon/ aquacolors on paper

Time and memory are central aspects of my work. Memories are a jumble and never completely clear; they are subjective and solitary impressions. Memories travel with us throughout our lives, telling us stories about desire, doom, and prospective.






I was very curious what Finland can offer me on this subject and, in fact, I came across an old ethmythological book right at the beginning.
I found some interesting pictures of people who also gave me an impression of folkloristic clothing.

wooden house, crayon and aquacolors on paper

As so often, I also took a lot of pictures myself and started some small paperworks. I've experimented a lot with watercolors but also used crayons and vinyl paint.

The result is a very light and airy work with which I am quite satisfied.

Hello Europe

Soon will be elections in Europe.
I’ve already voted before my departure because I am not only German but also European. Europe is great and I enjoy being able to travel to Finland without borders to discover this beautiful country.

What I noticed soon is how relaxed Finns drive car.
Germany could learn a lot. Great are the bike paths resp the walkways are so wide that it’s comfortable and safe to drive there. In addition, the Finns drive unbelievably relaxed car. While the Germans drive often enough w
ith their armored cars over red lights, the Finns think for a pedestrian even if there is no crosswalk. 



I've already done some small artworks and will report a little bit about it next time.

At the studio

Studioview Nordic Art Centre

After some days I feel now very comfortable with my new studioplace and even painted much more than I thought.
An Artist in Residence is always a great chance to turn old proven things upside down. Mostly you have to restrict yourself in the material and can not take everything with you or buy locally. Just the transport limits what you can do.
I decided to work on paper and took colors with me I never used so much before: Watercolor paints and crayons, but also some vinylcolors and tiny acrylics.

Eggtempera

Usually I'm used to make my colors on my own with pigments and I even embroider the canvas.
I've taken some embroidery threads with me but I'm not sure if I will use it here.

Embroidery                                                        

Breaking your routine is a precious experience to focus on the essential of your art. It gives you the chance to deepen your art and find new ways to tell what you want.

Meike Lohmann - New month new artist

The sea

Hi,

I'm Meike Lohmann and I'm taking residence with my family at the Drake Arts Centre. I'm a painter from Germany.

The first few days we used to explore our new residental area.

It's unusual cold and we are happy to catch some sunbeams today.

                                                                        

Nordic Art School

Today I went to my temporary studio at the Nordic Art School.

This incredible beautiful building houses an art school for children and adolescents. Unfortunately it has shut down but I have the permission to use a room as a studio.