the stingosaurus blog

norway.

2011-07-24T20:36:00.005+10:00

When big things happen in the world, most people say "ah, I remember exactly what I was doing that day when I heard that". For instance, I remember I had just come back home from school and wanted to watch some crap tv before homework, when they showed images of the twin towers burning in New York. This time, when I heard about the terror attack and massacre in Norway, it was different. I heard it two days later, through a costumer at work. As usual, he asked "where my accent was from". I said as always "The accent is a mix of everything, but I (with emphasis on 'I') come from Sweden". The man just went "oh... You guys must be mourning now, huh?" "What do you mean?" I replied, and he told me there had been a bomb and 92 people were dead. I was shocked and had to find out more. When I heard the full story about all those kids being butchered at the summer camp, it was just too much. Felt kinda weird to be happy and smiling with costumers after that. Made me kind of dizzy and sick to the stomach. Oslo is only 4 hours away from my home. Norway is so close, both geographically and culturally. It feels absolutely aweful to hear that something like this was even possible. It's so unreal. So personal. I don't have words. I'm so so sorry for those people who died or lost someone they loved. It's not right. It's sick.

ballet - more than just swan lake.

2011-06-11T14:50:00.002+10:00

Ballet - more than just Swan Lake from Stina Johansson on Vimeo.

Still no ballet for me, with the messed up knee. And miss it a lot still too. For some reason I felt like getting into animation today and made this little video, to honour this amazing artform. Enjoy!

indian summer.

2011-06-10T12:14:00.003+10:00

Once upon a time I almost moved to Philadelphia. It was two years ago, I had just finished my Bachelor degree and lived in miserable Glasgow. One day I received a positive response to one of the thousand job applications I had sent out. This one would give me an opportunity to work in the states, in the fashion industry but with enphasis on what I do best; graphic design and illustration. In other words - a dream opportunity. They asked me to work on a project for them, where I could show them my skills. As for any other project, I took this super seriously. I worked on it as if my life depended on it. In a sense it did, because I couldn't stay one more day in Glasgow, I was so sick of that town. In the end they loved what I had done, said they didn't want to interview anyone else, and was going to arrange a flight as soon as possible. Then it took a week and I didn't hear anything. Turned out they didn't feel like sponsoring my visa and hired someone else. This was of course something that felt like shit, but with time I've come to be quite used to the feeling. Getting rejected because you're not a conveinient choice is very common, and it doesn't mean your work is bad, you were just born in the wrong place or something like that. It's a typical situation that any designer will have to face. It sucks, but it may teach you something as well. In my case, I haven't slowed down in the making of things one bit. When I look back at the large amount of files that I had produced for aforementioned project, I'm quite impressed. The research is there, the experiments and millions of different variations are there. A massive work folder produced in only a few days. I work the same these days, only slightly more controlled and focused. Maybe because I know what awaits after my MA degree is done. Maybe because I know what it's like to be a designer now, compared to living in airy fairy land during my BA's. What I'm trying to say is that you have to always keep working when you chose to be a designer. It doesn't matter if you get rejected. Make a project out of the rejection, like I did in this illustration made from the art from the Philadelphia job.

method cards.

2011-06-06T14:54:00.012+10:00

And for the anoying method cards, we had to find images to visualise the concepts of each method. Sometimes it was a little hard to find a good image for "Closed pile sort" or "Sticky note manifesto", so I made my own images. Here are some of them, used for some of the most useless methods ever.

the role of the graphic designer in a motion picture.

2011-06-06T14:33:00.003+10:00

(Title sequence by Olivier Marquézy)
Another subject that I had this semester was User Centered Design Research. It wasn't super-creative, but extremely time consuming and sometimes very annoying, because we had to produce a bunch of method cards that sometimes were not relevant at all to our research. I found the topic very inspiring though. My reearch subject for this class was the role of graphic designers in motion pictures, which is a topic I choose because it felt useful in relation to my career. I've always been a movie freak, and when I realised that it can be combined with graphic design it became very interesting. People actually do this for a living. For this class I read a couple of books, found some interesting articles and blogs etc, but also interviewed people in the business; graphic designers who work on films. For instance I got in touch with a movie editor who edited and made the awesome title sequence for Blue Valentine; Jim Henton. I also interviewed a French designer who works on title sequences for movies; Olivier Marquézy. This is what he told me:

About You
1. What is your name?
Olivier Marquézy
2. What is the name of your company?
Deubal (but it's not a company, just a name for the studio)
3. What is your official work title?
nothing official. depends on the job: graphic designer, director…
4. For how long have you been working in this company?
i've been working on my own since I left school, ie 1996
5. What did you do before you started working here?
I worked somewhere else! we had another studio with other working mates, but it was the same kind of non-organisation
6. What kind of education do you have?
classical print graphic design
7. What kind of professional background do you think is essential to someone who wants to do what you're doing?
I think studying stills is very important: photos, paintings, layout and typography… I think the most important is not to forget that you make 25 stills per seconds and each of these image has to be nice, even if the conbination of them has to be perfect too… Opening credits are melting graphics, typography, motion, rythm, ciemeatography, tempo… I often think that motion is above but not for the good reason. You have to focus on composition and rythm to have something that gets you into the movie, not just nice for itself. Never forget that you don't work for yourself but that you take part of a bigger adventure.
8. Did you always want to be working with movies?
No, I never thought I could be into this, untill I realised this could mix my love for music (and rythm) and for typography.
9. During your own studies, did you feel that you got enough knowledge about this field in design?
It was not part of my education, I learned all this animation stuff by myself, working with other animation directors. But thanks to my education, I think I have quite good skills in composition and typography.
Now you have a lot of this kind of education, motion design diplomas etc. I think it's a good thing when it's part of a broader artistic education, not just for itself.
10. How did you enter this business? How did you get this job?
My first job as a freelancer was to create an animated opening title for a short movie of a just met friend. At that time I worked somewhere where they had a 35 mm animation stand, so we used it to shoot animated prints. I didn't know anything about stop motion, but convinced everyone that I could do it. And the result was quite fine for a first job.
11. Why do you think that people hire you over others?
Most of the time it's because I've already worked with someone they know (or the editor, or the post-producer…). And of course when people feel comfortable with our work. It's very rare when somebody calls you only because he knows your work. Then I don't know. It's a very peculiar relationship with the director because you work for the final touch, the movie is nearly finished, and usually you're quite short in time. So people have to trust you. Sometimes it must be reassuring for directors to know that others have trusted you.

Your Work
1. Can you give an example of graphic design work in a movie that you have been working on?
Opening credits from Mathieu Amalric's Tournée (On Tour)
2. What was your role in that particular project?
directing the title sequence
3. What other people, and from what disciplines, were working with you on this?
just one fx-composite artist
4. Roughly, how many people usually work on a project like this?
from one to ten, depends on the time and budget. Usually in my case, 2 to 4 people are working.
5. How much did the plot of the movie play a part in your choice of design?
enormous! and the music too
6. Were there any obstacles along the way?
none! from the first feeling to the final cut, it was like an extended improvisation, with a lot of (positive) implication from the director.
7. In what way do you think that your design contributes to the story?
cannot tell really… but I think (the music does a lot in this) it gives a nice kick in the movie
8. Have you received any awards for your work?
none
9. Do you only take jobs where you think that the movie is going to be good?
no… sometimes you have the ability to work freely on a nice idea… even when the movie is baaaaaaaaaaaaaad…
10. Do you feel that you have much creative control over your work, or are you usually directed by someone else?
creating titles is the most free working space for me at this moment, because I usually work directly with the director who wants to be amazed and give the finest final touch to his movie. So it's very motivating and stimulating. There are no perturbing stages like in other motion design disciplines (advertizing,TV identity…)

The Business
1. Do you think that graphic designers in film receives enough credit for their work?
nope! and most of the times they are much forgotten in the production process and have minimum time and money to archieve their work (talking about titles). For the rest, I think France has a lack of culture about the role of an artistic director, that could be involved from the beginning of the process to the poster choice.
2. Do you consider your field of design to be much different from the field of, for instance more print-based design or branding?
25 times per second different.
3. Do you think there's a misunderstanding among the general public about your profession? For instance, what does your parents think you do?
opening credits for Spielberg.
4. If you would educate people about your discipline, who doesn't know anything about it, what work and what designers would you refer to them to look up?
You have to talk about the Pink Panther and James Bond, then you can tak about Saul Bass and others…
5. What kind of design awards are out there for the type of work you do?
I know D&AD award, SXSW festival, and Citrus Cell festival too. There might be others I think.
6. Do you think that people in the movie business (for instance directors or producers) have a good understanding of the graphic designer's creative process?
no. I think they're amazed when it works, but are not into it as image, music or narrative process. Untill they see the results they usually don't imagine the need of a graphic designer.
7. Can you give an example where one designer's work has made the impression of the whole movie much better?
no
8. Can you give an example where one designer's work has made the impression of the whole movie much worse?
no
9. If you're a freelance designer, what do you think is the ideal way of approaching people in the business for potential jobs?
I'm actually thinking about making this easier.
10. If you ever need legal help, is there a specific union for graphic designers in movies?
don't know !

some prints.

2011-06-05T21:08:00.016+10:00

I've also been meaning to show you these photos. You may recognise these prints, I made over a year ago. But not until now did I actually print them and sign them, like a professional artist :)

drawings on postcards.

2011-06-05T19:57:00.011+10:00

Before I went back to uni, I kept myself busy by designing things for fun. Here is a series of postcards I designed from old ink/graphite drawings, printed on an off-white paper stock. The motives are sometimes random and have no meaning whatsoever, while others are tributes to a childhood crush on a certain FBI agent and memories of a scary, old movie.

beyond ballet brochure.

2011-06-02T20:09:00.014+10:00

So, this is the last project for this semester; Beyond Ballet. Again, I've used the photographs of the brilliant Rasmus Malmstroem. The rest of the design is inspired by the typeface Machi. I'm so ready to go on vacation now.

our colour cities.

2011-05-31T22:51:00.010+10:00

I just got back from my final presentation for the User Centred Design Studio class. As I've mentioned earlier, my concept involved taking photos of Melbourne where I captured certain colours and creating a map from that. With these elemants I created a little booklet that comes in a case, with some complementary postcards. The postcards were supposed to be printed with a slogan in clear vanish, e.g no ink - but a glossy effect. It was an absolute nightmare to discover this morning that the printers, who were supposed to do the job, had messed it up and printed the thing in white. Since I had no time to fix it, I had to simply go with it. My heart felt heavy like a stone as I entered the classroom. I'm such a perfectionist when it comes to final presentations. If it's not perfect and out of my control I feel like shit. Of course there was nothing I could do but to go on with my presentation. And yeah, it went pretty well. Very well actually. I had thought of my work as rather crappy when it wasn't perfect. But when I had finished the presentation I realised that had actually done everything I could do and should have done. And from other people's comments it was actually pretty damn good. So maybe I can sleep well tonight, knowing that I did a good job.

party of the decade.

2011-05-30T15:41:00.002+10:00

Önskar så att jag kunde ha varit där...

the prahran date (or ditch) guide.

2011-05-24T21:25:00.006+10:00

Looki looki! This is my group's final brouchure for Information Design class. This brochure takes you through three kinds of dates in Prahran (the area where Swinburne is located, and a lot of hipsters hang out). You can chose to take the Anniversary Date route, the First Date route, or the Desperate Date route. The last one is the kind of date that someone may have set you up on, and you simply just want to escape it. So, in this little guide, we explain just how you can do that. Aren't we just aweful...

miss dancing.

2011-05-18T15:32:00.002+10:00

A Dance For One. from LOVER® on Vimeo.

Having dislocated my knee-cap a few weeks ago, I'm off ballet for about 6 weeks to recover. Excuse the language, but it f***ing sucks! I miss it a lot...

dance of porcupines.

2011-05-17T22:09:00.002+10:00

Just thought I'd share this little clip with you, folks. I saw it for the first time a few months ago, but I keep coming back and watch it from time to time. Simply because I think it's so genius. Elizabeth Gilbert (author of Eat Pray Love) is f***ing awesome.

intangible asset number 82.

2011-05-17T21:39:00.003+10:00

I saw this documentary a little while ago. It's about a Melbourne jazz musician who travels to Korea to learn about rhythm and music, from a completely different view point than what we Westerners usually do. I found it very interesting and inspiring, I definitely recommend it.

stephen baynes illustration.

2011-05-12T17:00:00.000+10:00

These are a couple of illustrations I've done for my Print class assignment. The dude in the pictures is Stephen Baynes, an Australian choreographer, who is the reason for the event that I'm "promoting" in my project. I created this illustration by tracing a photo of Baynes, then tracing the tracing with a fine-liner, then tracing the outlines in the fine-liner tracing. And the rest is Photoshop magic.

colour yellow.

2011-05-06T13:51:00.006+10:00

Some more photos for my Colours of Melbourne project. These ones were taken in Oakleigh.

beyond ballet stuff1.

2011-05-06T13:34:00.003+10:00

Here are some first roughs of how things may look like in my event brochure assignment for Print Technology class. The photos in these collage illustrations were taken by Rasmus Malstroem and the typeface I've used is called Machi (mmm, love it - and it was on sale, how awesome is that!). The whole layout will be based on the lines from this typeface, and is also the guides I've used to cut these images up.

somebody to love me.

2011-05-03T16:33:00.003+10:00

Just came across this video of Mark Ronson's song "Somebody to love me" featuring Boy George. The whole video is shot as a home/on tour-video set in 1982. Diane Kruger portrays Boy George. Pretty well I must say. It's very hipster, but a fun concept nonetheless.

retro illustrations today.

2011-05-03T16:31:00.001+10:00

colours of melbourne. part1.

2011-04-24T21:14:00.005+10:00

I've been around in Melbourne to capture the colours of this wonderful city for a uni project. Yesterday I went to the Yarra river and Chapel Street. Today I've been to the CBD and St Kilda. Coming up next is Oakleigh, Box Hill, Chinatown, Docklands, Fitzroy, Flinders Lane etc. These photos are just some first roughs of how things may look like, but for now just experiments...

the feedback sheet.

2011-04-24T20:00:00.000+10:00

It's wonderful to go to work when you find things like this... :)

northcote (so hungover).

2011-04-12T00:53:00.000+10:00

Got a new project today. We're making maps of a chosen train or tram line through Prahran (the suburb where our campus is located). This brief made me think of a video by The Bedroom Philosopher, who's singing about the 86 tram in Northcote (a cool area in here Melbourne). I just thought I'd show you, because I love hipster-related humour, can't get enough of it.

my wobbler.

2011-03-30T15:53:00.002+11:00

I have a few minutes to spare, so I thought I'd just show you what sort of stuff they get me to work on here at Swinburne. These examples are for the Technology for Print class, and this assignment's aim is to create a shelf wobbler for a product. I choose fresh pasta (because I love it so much) and this is what I'm gonna show to class today.

Planned Obsolescence, Perceived Obsolescence

2011-03-30T15:47:00.005+11:00

Here's a very interesting video about consumerism and how product designers sometimes design stuff to break, so that we'll go and buy a new product.

The makers of this clip didn't want the clip to be embedded anywhere (assholes), so I'll give you the link here.

methods of investigation.

2011-03-18T12:17:00.002+11:00

HDC002 Methods of Investigation: Sean Adams + Design History from Dori Tunstall on Vimeo.

Have been sick with a tummy virus for the last couple of days and spent yesterday entirely in bed. Which meant that I missed class, something that reminded me about being 7 and being upset about being sick from school for the first time. Good thing that uni has Blackboard, an online platform where most things from class and other discussions are available. Apparently, last night, they had been watching this video of Sean Adams. I found it pretty interesting and thought I might share it with you. Enjoy!

oscar predictions.

2011-02-26T15:02:00.005+11:00

Well, just because I'm an Academy Award freak (I sort of have a database of passed winners in my head along with other super geeky facts about the Oscars), I thought it'd be funny to predict the outcome of Sunday night's big event. This is my list of who I THINK is going to win and (in brackets) who I WISH will win.

BEST PICTURE
The Social Network
(I didn't like this movie, it f*cking sucked, but since the Facebook guy became Man of the Year in Time Magazine, I reckon their useless movie about it will win. The real best movie of the year, and possibly of all time is, of course, Black Swan. No doubt.)

BEST ACTOR, LEADING ROLE
Colin Firth, The King's Speech
(He really deserves this, he was beyond amazing in The King's Speech.)

BEST ACTOR, SUPPORTING ROLE
Christian Bale
(I think that Bale will win because he's in a film about boxing, the Academy loves that shit. I really hope that Geoffrey Rush will win for The King's Speech however. The movie would have been nothing without him. He's also from Melbourne, which makes me wanna vote twice for him.)

BEST ACTRESS, LEADING ROLE
Natalie Portman
(Natalie Portman. No doubt. F*cking best performance I've seen in my life. If she doesn't win it's a scandal.)

BEST ACTRESS, SUPPORTING ROLE
Helena Bonham Carter
(This is a tough one, because there are two other nominees from a boxing movie in this category. But I think Carter will win because she's portraying an historic person, and of course she does it pretty damn well.)

BEST DIRECTING
David Fincher, The Social Network
(Bullshit movie, again, but critics seems to love it to bits and its topic is sooooo important, so of course Fincher will win. I hope of course that Darren Aronofsky will win for Black Swan.)

I think it's completely outragous by the way that The Social Network has been nominated in so many categories (Best original score? Are you f*cking kidding me?). If I haven't mentioned it enough, I'm just saying that the plot, idea and movie itself is stupidly pointless. It's a movie about Facebook, for crying out loud! Facebook is not the best invension of all time, people. It's a bloody website! It didn't have enough drama in real life to carry a big movie like this. I saw it at the movies and didn't understand what all the fuzz was about. I then saw it again at home, but then I liked it even less. The Social Network is a hype movie, which is why it will win. It's a motion picture landmark of what was talked about in 2010. But that doesn't make it a good movie. A good movie, in my opinion, is a movie that stays with you, that makes you think. I've seen two movies this year that has left me with this; Black Swan and The King's Speech. They deserve to win, not an unnecessary movie about Facebook.

If you ever wondered how you go about winning an oscar, just watch this trailer. The Social Network has used a lot of these things and actually reminded me a lot about it.

swinburne, here i come.

2011-02-26T14:27:00.004+11:00

Crazy, life-changing things can happen in a matter of days. Just about two weeks ago I found out that the deadline for the Master of Design course at Swinburne University of Technology was on February 16. This gave me about 5 days to prepare a pdf portfolio. Normally I would have just given up and not even bothered the stress. But this time I had a very motivating boyfriend by my side who told me I was better than good enough, and puched me to apply. So I worked by ass off for the application and handed it in in person a few days later. Then a week passed. My hopes for staying in this country were not very bright. But then, when I was on my way home from the city, I received a phone call. The person on the other end told me I had been eccepted to the course. When I hung up I could feel my face radiate such happiness I could not controll myself. I wanted to kiss and hug every single person on the tram. I called my boyfriend emidiately and then Mikaela, who were equally as ecstatic. Then I jumped off the tram outside Spudbar (where I work) to let everyone, anyone know that I had done the impossible, that I had been accepted to study Master of Design. My work-buddie Rick were just as happy; "So this means you don't have to leave - that's AWESOME, mate!". The next couple of days were filled with stressful paperwork, talking to the right people, filling out the right forms, applying for loans, going through medical examinations and even x-ray scans. And finally, yesterday, I managed to enrol at uni. I have still things to do, but the worst is definitely over. Now I can finally focus on getting my Masters. You have no idea what a relief it is to be able to do that. You have no idea what a luxury it is to be able to study exactly where you want to study, to dedicate 1,5 years to exactly what you want to do. For many people, I reckon, studying is something that you just do because everyone else does it and it's part of how we live our lives. For me it means the world. I can finally take back what I felt I lost in confidence and skills while doing my Bachelor in England. I can finally study with a clear and mature focus on what I want to learn. And this time I will study somewhere where I want to live, at a place where I'm inspired and motivated. So, the professional development of Stingosaurus continues... First class starts on Monday. Let's see what happens from there on.

mixed bag stuff.

2011-02-22T22:50:00.006+11:00

Just wanted to show some stuff I've done lately. I designed the logo, the gift certificate and the flyers for Mixed Bag Productions. Pretty sweet, huh? Mixed Bag consist basically of my friend Leonie who is an amazing singer, both in various bands and works as a teacher. In case anyone would like to learn to sing, let me know and I'll pass your details along, she would like some more students.

doll tee.

2011-02-02T17:38:00.004+11:00

I designed this t-shirt for my brother Gustav quite a long time ago as a Christmas present. You know, it's all about the brother-sisterly love. Now, many years later, it has been picked up by an Australian t-shirt company, based here in Melbourne, and you can buy it as a t-shirt or singlet here.

australia day.

2011-02-02T17:26:00.007+11:00

Last week, on the 26th of January, it was Australia Day. I celebrated this by going to a sweet gig where Crazy 88 were playing, with the supporting act of Jude.

great ocean road.

2011-01-31T18:33:00.020+11:00

This is another trip I made recently with my friends. We went west from Melbourne and out to the Great Ocean Road, which is an amazing road to take. We stopped by in Apollo Bay, Torquay, Wye River and Lorne. Along the way we saw wallabies, an echidna, a koala and penguins.

sydney.

2011-01-28T19:58:00.011+11:00

Here you go, folks! Some snapshots from my little trip to Sydney a few weeks ago. I took some lame photos of the Opera House as well, but for some reason I find it more interesting to photograph tourists who in turn photograph this highly overrated piece of archetecture, so no photos of that here... I learned however that the granite tiles that cover the building's roof is all imported from Sweden. Wow. Good to know. This trip to Australia's biggest city (not capital city) was a nice one, but confusing. The roads did not make sense and I constantly felt lost while trying to find the way to places. However nice the city was, I have to say, when comparing Ausralian cities, I'm TOTALLY Team Melbourne.

black swan.

2011-01-10T23:14:00.002+11:00

In high school I used to get obsessed with a couple of movies. They were beyond favourite movies and I could sometimes completely dissappear into them, I guess like a typical teenager who seeks escapism in a small town. I've been longing for a movie like that; a movie that could completely sweap me away, to take my mind elsewhere and send it into a new direction. I've been craving it. Which is why I feel so excited to tell you about this movie I saw the other day; Black Swan. What can I say other than that Natalie Portman deserves at least two Oscars for her performance. The story is quite simple; Nina is a ballerina. She gets the part as Swan Queen/ Black Swan in the ballet copany's new take on Swan Lake. She is the perfect pick for Swan Queen; innocent, perfect and beautiful. But to do the role as the evil twin Black Swan, she has to go into the scary territory of letting loose. Which turns into more than just a role, obviously. What I liked most about this film was the complexed yet simple psychology of Portman's character. I really didn't like Nina because she was so annoyingly weak, but at the same time I felt for her. She works so hard and she never gives up, you see her pain and feel her worries. As the movie builds up toward the end things get crazier and crazier. You wonder what's real and what's not real. Only because it explores the realities of a crazy person, and to some extent the mind of somebody creative who wonders into the darkness for the love of the art. This is a new take on Swan Lake but in the form of a psychologic thriller. Just like when "Oh Brother, where art thou" used The Odyssey as the base for the story. I just love it when movie makers does that; turn old and told stories in a new way and create lovely little analagies. It makes you see things differently. The familiar becomes forreign. As for the hero of this story, she is not sweet and innocent. In my opionion, the greatest moment of this movie is when the Black Swan enters the stage and change our perception of what a hero is.

new year, new adventures.

2011-01-10T21:35:00.003+11:00

Wohoo! Two thousand and eleven. Hells yeah! January. Summer. Hot weather at this time of the year is something that has never accured in my life before. But now I'm in Australia, so anything could happen. I reckon this will be a very interesting year. So many new things, changes and opportunities. I won't tell you what I'm up to this year just yet, because I don't wanna jinx anything. But I can tell you that I'm going to Sydney for a quick visit this week. It's a bit weird that I've been in Australia for almost a year and I haven't been to Sydney yet, so here I go. It's gonna be rad! Photo opportunities, exploration, inspiration, good food, maybe some beach time and meeting up with the best dude in the world. Did I tell you I'm pumped for it!

julafton.

2010-12-26T17:34:00.009+11:00

Christmas Eve (julafton) is the big deal if you're from Sweden. So we gathered some Swedes (and a few Aussies) at my friend Mikaela's place and enjoyed traditional Swedish Christmas food in the Australian sun. It was my first summer Christmas ever and probably not the last. Merry Christmas!

the selfish giving.

2010-12-26T17:24:00.010+11:00

Christmas for me usually means making my own presents for the people I love. This year was no exception. I made almost every present myself, which in a way is very selfish since I love doing it so much. Here are some Thunder & Stingo t-shirts and a photobook I designed for my fam.

god jul.

2010-12-23T16:23:00.001+11:00

Kära familj. Jag saknar er så. God jul på er där borta i snöiga Sverige. Älskar er alla så mycket så mycket.

getting into the xmas spirit?

2010-12-19T18:52:00.005+11:00

I saw this front yard in Brunswick yesterday. Don't really know if a crazy rubber Santa hanging from a tree in a rope around his neck would get me, or anyone, into the Christmas spirit...

harvest market.

2010-12-19T18:48:00.003+11:00

Yesterday, Mikaela and I had our second market as Thunder & Stingo, and our first market with both of us present. It was good fun and we made some new contacts as well as getting inspired for new designs and products. Coming up next year is two months of markets at The Rose Street Market. I'll keep you updated...

all i really want for christmas.

2010-12-18T23:07:00.000+11:00

just a note inbetween craziness.

2010-12-18T00:34:00.002+11:00

This is a little note to my family and friends back home who follow my blog, who might need more updates than youtube clips, and who might actually miss me and want to know what's going on in my life. Well, my life is pretty crazy at the moment. Haven't had a proper day off in almost two weeks and won't have one until Thursday. Every second between shifts at Spudbar (where I have been working for the last 2-3 months or so), is the time when I design stuff. Either as a graphic designer for my own clients or for Thunder & Stingo, which is my little screen print baby with Mikaela. I don't sleep much, I remind myself to eat as regularly as I can and my feet hurts. But the key point is that I'm happy and doing well. There's a differnce between working your ass off and working your ass off with people you love. I love everyone I work with. I'm surrounded by freakin awesome people, which makes everything so worth it. I remember earlier this year when I was working like a slave at a certain café while doing an unpaid placement. It was hell. I wouldn't recommend that to anyone. Sure, I learned stuff. Not so much design stuff, but about self-respect stuff. Sometimes you gotta be able to say "fuck off, I won't do your stupid poster while I'm on holiday!" and "hey, I worked for a whole fucking week, pay me more than 50 dollars, you dick!". That sort of thing. I wish I had said those things to a bunch of assholes this year, but just didn't have the guts. I think I do now. This year has been absolutely nuts. So filled with stress, worries, and hard work. I've had about 7 jobs in the last 9 months. I also did a few trial days at a couple of places and went for heaps of interviews. It's like my mind has adapted for constant change and possible new futures, which has been a really good experience too. I've also learned that when people tell you "you're doing really well, we're sooo gonna call you" on a trial day, you haven't got the job. Also, if the interview is with several people at the same time and they ask you to dress up for the occasion, the job means you have to sell crappy shit in a mall. And cash in hand jobs can go to hell. Ripping people off big time is what it is. Don't ever run if you're late to a cash in hand job. You'd still get the same shitty pay if you're 10 min late. Hmm... sounds like I've just been pissed off this year. It's not enitrely true. Besides all this crazy stress I've found a home in Melbourne and Australia, I really love it here. I've met some awesome friends, who've introduced me to other awesome friends. I've seen some amazingly beautiful places outside Melbourne and can't wait to see some more. I've been inspired and motivated and fallen in love. Compared to all the other places I've been, and the buzz that that place had given me, this buzz has effected me the most. When I write this it's really late and I have to get up early tomorrow. I don't know where I'm going with this. I just wanted to make sure to wish everyone a Merry Christmas while I can. You should know that throughout this crazy year, you've been with me in my thoughts all the time.

folk rythm and life.

2010-12-07T12:19:00.011+11:00

Last weekend was all about the Folk Rythm & Life Festival, which was a pretty sweet getaway from the city. It was a rather small festival of circa 3000 visitors, with only one program that you had to take a picture of if you wanted to know what was on. The weather was perfect, the food was yummie, the music was awesome and the company was excellent. What more could you ask for...

thunder and stingo.

2010-12-06T22:43:00.005+11:00

It's been super quiet around this blog lately. For a good reason though. I've just been insanely busy starting a company. Yes, it's true! Mikaela and I have put words into action and started our own company. We call ourselves Thunder & Stingo and we print fun stuff together, like t-shirts, teatowels, pillow cases and much more. We recently had our first market stall and you will sure hear more from us in the future. A website is coming soon, for now you can follow us on this blog.

november.

2010-11-07T19:25:00.002+11:00

My last entry reminded me about this lovely tune by the likewise lovely Laleh. If you haven't come across her before, just check this video out and she will surely charm your socks off. Cute as a button!

wknd hanging.

2010-11-07T19:10:00.005+11:00

A few things that makes me happy right now:
- Summer in November (how fucking awesome is that!!)
- Mikaela dear is in Melbourne.
- My fear of dogs has suddenly disappeared and all kinds of random dogs has started to like me. They even come up to me at cafés to have me throw sticks for them (ah, but seriously, that dog was a little annoying).

amelie climbs down a tree.

2010-11-02T00:20:00.002+11:00

I was boooooooored. So I put together a little music video of my cat Amelie rocking out to LCD Soundsystem while climbing/ falling down a tree. Enjoy.

dickhead.

2010-10-21T16:19:00.001+11:00

I guess I'm a dickhead for posting this. LOL!

wolfboy the book.

2010-10-19T13:41:00.008+11:00

If I wrote books I'd kick that Twilight lady's ass big time!

if i wrote publishing.

2010-10-19T13:38:00.002+11:00

If I wrote books, this is what my publishing company's logo would look like...

blind.

2010-10-12T13:04:00.001+11:00

This one's an oldie but I heard it the other day and rediscovered how much I like it. The trumpet thing is pretty wicked.

ludde's fisheye went to qland.

2010-10-12T12:21:00.010+11:00

When I brought my Diana, my little brother Ludvig brought his Fisheye. I hope he won't mind me showing you these shots, they are pretty awesome. Ludvig is pretty awesome too. Miss you, bro!

diana went to qland.

2010-10-12T12:01:00.011+11:00

As I mentioned a while back I went to Qland with my family. It was a proper roadtrip in a campervan and involved adventures on Fraser Island and Great Keppel Island, where these photos were taken. You see, no trip is complately awesome without a lomo camera. Mine is a Diana F+ and we've been buddies for quite some time now. She's pretty great. Sometimes she surprises me with total shit photos and sometimes those shit photos are quite delicious and brilliant and I can't believe I was the one taking them. Anyway, if you feel like getting yourself a Diana, you get buy one online here.

finders keepers market.

2010-10-11T22:39:00.009+11:00

Went to a super awesome craft market last weekend. It was organised by these guys and held people like these lovelys.

work in progress: anna paddick band.

2010-10-08T17:31:00.001+11:00

unique & super special*

2010-10-07T19:27:00.007+11:00

I'm not just a graphic designer/ illustrator/ photographer/ dinosaur/ whatever... I'm also an author and motivation speaker. This is my latest self-help book with me on the cover. Oprah liked it a lot. (JUST KIDDING).

hanging in the park.

2010-10-05T12:43:00.007+11:00

Last weekend came with a lot of sweet sun, and that in turn came with some sweet hanging out. These are some photos from a park hang in Fitzroy with live music.

so mindless.

2010-10-04T16:11:00.004+11:00

Random photos + quotes from some weird dreams + retro fonts that you can download here.

work in progress: mixed bag productions.

2010-10-01T16:41:00.000+10:00

home.

2010-09-30T14:41:00.019+10:00

I've just seen the most beautiful documentary ever. Watch Home here for free.

anna paddick at 303 poster.

2010-09-27T23:22:00.003+10:00

work in progress: band of creatures.

2010-09-27T10:47:00.003+10:00

wohoo!

2010-09-26T18:20:00.001+10:00

A little song to celebrate that summer started today. Wohoo! Dance yourself clean, people!

great adventure stories.

2010-09-10T19:04:00.002+10:00

I love books. Sometimes to read them, but mostly to just own them, hold them, look at them. And design them of course, above all. I also like finding old books with funny titles, weird covers and odd smells that I can use in my work somehow. Today's little findings are not exceptions. These examples will be great material for my design experiments. "Money made us" smells like chocolate by the way.

photoshoot with anna.

2010-09-07T22:35:00.004+10:00

Recently I've been helping out my friends with promoting their bands. This is Anna, who is part of Anna Paddick & Band. These are some samples of shots we took about a week ago, which I think turned out really good.

pilot.

2010-09-07T22:26:00.000+10:00

food contest.

2010-09-07T22:25:00.000+10:00

the falls music & arts festival.

2010-09-02T22:58:00.002+10:00

Oh, and another freakin awesome thing is that I'm going to this festival in December with my friends. I'm exhited like you have no idea.

don't change.

2010-09-02T22:52:00.001+10:00

One of my absolute favourite songs right now. It gives me CHILLS! Mmmmm...

yo la tengo.

2010-08-30T23:17:00.002+10:00

This is a little experiment. Sit down, preferably alone. Think about nothing. Then play this song. Look at everything around you, take your time. Then, when the song stops, write down or draw whatever comes to your mind.

self-assessment and things that helps.

2010-08-30T22:59:00.004+10:00

I'm currently doing a bit of self-assessment by going through what I've actually learnt during the last year of supposed "freedom" from academic torture. It's actually very interesting, rather amusing and potentially essential to the progression of my career. My list of advice for graduates (which I blogged about a while back) can possibly be extented with another 40 things, and then be reduced again when I realise it's absolute bull crap. There are simply no easy ways of doing things and I don't know if any advice will ever help. It helps drawing stuff like this in your sketchbook though. It really does. Getting paid helps also. The drawing is obviously for those jobs of the opposite kind.

random answers.

2010-08-28T20:51:00.003+10:00

Where were you 3 hours ago?
Right here, watching The Proposal.

Have you ever eaten a crayon?
No, but I once ate a lip balm by accident while using it as teeth protection when I was boxing. I was 5.

Is there anything pink within 10 feet of you?
Yes, my blanket on my bed and my walls are pink. I like to collect pink things in photographs also.

When is the last time you ran?
It feels like I'm running all the time.

Can you touch your nose with your tongue?
No.

Your dream vacation?
I've been almost everywhere. The only place I consider vacation is going to my parents house back home in Sweden.

Worst injury you've ever had?
Concussion in 6th grade.

Are you the kind of friend that you would want to have as a friend?
Probably, yeah. We'd have the same taste in music.

What song always makes you happy when you hear it?
MMMBop by Hanson

What music are you listening to right now?
Band of Sculls - Friends

Does your pet do any good tricks?
My cat back home is really good at pretending to faint in front of my feet, just to get attention.

What's the farthest-away place you've been?
Here.

Think fast, what do you like right now?
Time.

What do you do most when you are bored?
Watch stupid stuff on youtube and drink instant coffee.

What did you want to be when you grew up?
First I wanted to be a seamstress, then a trumpet player, then an animator at Disney, then a photographer, now I hope I can be a graphic designer without growing up.

Do you have a tan?
Hell no. I think I have a backwards tan, sort of transparent almost. Good thing vampires are so in right now...

guided meditation for sleep.

2010-08-25T19:53:00.001+10:00

Sorry, mate. Ain't working. It was fun though, you beatiful, shiny being.

australia, this is for you.

2010-08-24T23:11:00.001+10:00

This song pretty much sums up my feelings for you.

wolfboy.

2010-08-24T22:15:00.002+10:00

Not cheesy Twilight werewolf bullshit. Wolfboy. A boy who is a wolf.

the hippie stole the cookie from the cookie jar.

2010-08-24T22:12:00.000+10:00

the boardgame got chewed on by an acid cloud.

2010-08-24T22:09:00.000+10:00

the worst thing that can happen...

2010-08-24T21:58:00.002+10:00

...will happen. Yep, two days ago I was faced with the horrific fact that my dear, sweet Macie had died. And in his death he took with him everything I had worked on and had forgot to save elsewhere, as well as a massive library of fonts, some handy programs and about 20G's of life-saving music. I was devistated. Crushed. Heartbroken. Angry. My sweet, sweet Macie... it really hurt when you left like that. So I went to the Apple Store and got myself a new hard drive. It's not the same of course. I still cry myself to sleep. But I'll be alright. One day I will be alright. I hope you're free and happy, wherever you are, Macie. Rest in peace.

nostalgia my ass.

2010-08-20T21:09:00.006+10:00

Sometimes I get overwelming feelings of nostalgia. Usually connected with maple syrup and associations to pancakes in New York, or when it rains on Collin Street it reminds me of when I went to Paris and it rained the entire time I was there. There is also a massive amount of things that brings my thoughts back to England. Not so strange perhaps, after all I lived there for 3 years. But I guess these types of nostalgia separate themselves from the other kind in the sense that I absolutely don't wish I could go back there. Carlisle was aweful. Uni sucked. Just have a look at these photos from a night out in July last year. Half-naked teenage mums and dodgy, desperate men. And this was one of the best nightclubs in town.

hero of the day.

2010-08-18T22:26:00.002+10:00

Dad, you're totally awesome for looking through my entire room and the attic to find a stupid sketchbook. You're the best!

arcade fire.

2010-08-17T22:52:00.002+10:00

Unlike Sia, Arcade Fire knows how to evolve with computers and hip crowds. Their latest album "The Suburbs" is big and powerful and they rock without selling out. Each of the album's 16 tracks feel different from each other but still beautifully combined and fresh. There's electronic influences as well as more organic vibes. There are big sceneries, hopes and dreams, simple everyday stuff and a lot of heart. Usually I associate Arcade Fire with chills. Chills in the sense that they create a rather hollow space of sound that makes me shiver, literally. I'd say it's a little like walking home in cold rain in November in Sweden or possibly scooping ice cream in a cold basement. For this reason I was contemplating switching from this album to something else on my ride to work this morning. Today was an exceptionally cold day. But after giving "The Suburbs" a fair chance, it turned out to have a reverse effect; it provided a warm feeling and sense that I had been in those songs before, a sense of home and familiarity. It worked more like a blanket than a scoop of ice cream. This song "Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)" is my favourite track.

about a boy.

2010-08-17T22:49:00.001+10:00

just chillaxing.

2010-08-17T22:47:00.000+10:00

just hanging out.

2010-08-17T22:46:00.000+10:00

grrr.

2010-08-17T22:44:00.000+10:00

the unthreatening velociraptor.

2010-08-15T19:30:00.003+10:00

the dead lion.

2010-08-15T19:27:00.001+10:00

3 today.

2010-08-15T17:53:00.002+10:00

Number of random costumers today that guessed I was Irish: 3.

Fun fact; I've never even been to Ireland.

sia sia sia... how could you?

2010-08-15T17:22:00.002+10:00

I got really excited when I heard Sia was releasing a new album. Expected awesome awesome greatness. But a few weeks later I heard the new album "We Are Born" at a party and all of a sudden it felt like the party should be filled with baloons and cake and kids drawing butterflies with crayons on the wall. It's ridiculous! I really wanted to like this album. I mean, I'm not against the upbeat change from her previous melancholic pieces. I think it's good that the girl is happy, because she's a very fun-loving person with the energy to carry some dancable tunes. But it's just not right. It doesn't fit. It's like she's high on mushrooms or something and party all night long with the smurphs. There's no depth at all. Just high pitched noise polluted in autotune. I think I know what she's trying to do, she's trying to be hip with the indie peeps, slapping some bass, grooving away with some killer beats. Because that's what people want these days. People want music that has computer skills and attitude. That's how you get played in stores like Urban Outfitters and General Pants. Sadly enough, Sia is more like New Look or Cotton On; the cheaper version, the less daring alternative. I guess that's what happens when you realise that you're great and can work with whoever you want - you just try to make yourself greater than great and end up being something you're not. I'm sorry Sia, but this is not awesome.

i love kobra.

2010-08-15T17:00:00.004+10:00

This is probably the best coulture program on Swedish television and in the world. I've learnt so much from this show and been inspired to stick within my profession so many times. But perhaps more importantly it shows a side of art and coulture that is important, intelligent and educating, and gives tremendous credit to people who devote their lives to this. For all of you who don't understand Swedish, don't worry, a lot of the content is interviews with international artists who speak English. Check out the most recent episode here. It's great!

what everyone wants me to be?

2010-08-08T23:50:00.002+10:00

A very naive and trying-to-be-hip pre graduate version of myself, where I was asked to explain what kind of designer I am. Clearly I have no idea.

this is what i do.

2010-08-08T22:20:00.002+10:00

I DO: Graphic design, illustration, some animation. I freelance, intern and am always looking for exciting new projects.

I DON'T: Work for free, I'm a human being and my life has value. Exceptions; if you're my best friend, a house mate or a member of the Johansson clan.

(Yes, Scarlett, I probably would work for free for you).

the king is the king.

2010-08-08T22:09:00.001+10:00

While browsing away on youtube, I came across this clip of the Swedish king getting cought smoking after the Nobel Price ceremony. Classic. Man, I'm actually really proud to have a king like that. This dude is FUNNY!

the runaways.

2010-08-08T21:22:00.002+10:00

I saw this movie a few weeks ago and it actually rocked balls! I usually don't like musician bio pics (such as Walk The Line and Ray and so on), because they're always about drug addiction and depression with a rock 'n roll redemption in the end. Sure, this one has that too. But in a different way. In some ways it reminded a little about this movie. This movie actually makes me wanna know more about the real band and the actors are insanely good. That Dakota Fanning chick (seen from War of the Worlds and a bunch of other movies) is a-maz-ing! The scene in the grocery store is unreal. The fact that she's only 16 or whatever is just jelousy in its true form.

muse.

2010-08-07T20:07:00.001+10:00

Muse. Are. Great. Just wanted to make that clear.

more diana.

2010-08-07T19:47:00.007+10:00

Yeah, some photos were from Melbourne and St Kilda also. Enjoy.

johanssons.

2010-08-07T19:42:00.003+10:00

I just picked up some Diana photos from the Queensland trip. They were all shot on 120mm film and as usual came out in varied quality. The awesomeness of the Johansson clan still shines through though, so I made this little design to highlight just how awesome we are. It's almost too much, I know.

exit through the gift shop.

2010-08-04T22:20:00.003+10:00

Okay, I guess I'm sort of waking up from my non-posting coma. Here's one I was meaning to tell you about; an awesome movie with Banksy, called Exit Through The Gift Shop. When I went to see it with a friend a while back I didn't expect anything. Little did I know I was going to walk out of that theatre with a big smile on my face and a lot of contemporary art knowledge in my head. Oh, and additional proof of the fact that many many people in the creative business are complete idiots.

owl.

2010-08-04T22:09:00.002+10:00

I just drew this. It took me the entire length of Hot Tub Time Machine to draw, plus some additional Photoshop stuff. Some dude told me that animals are soooo in right now, and especially owls. Well, I don't know... They kind of freak me out. Mainly because I saw this trailer. Freaky stuff.

david thorne.

2010-08-03T23:05:00.002+10:00

Luke at work showed me this website about a month ago. My reaction back then was almost embarrassing. I couldn't stop laughing for 20 minutes. As I go through all the stories on David Thorne's brilliant website I still can't stop laughing. This guy is simply the funniest guy of perhaps all time.

oh! billy, take me with you...

2010-08-03T22:57:00.002+10:00

I found this on the street on my way from work the other day. It was a fascinating read, rather deep for being so short. I mean, you could interpret a lot of deeper meanings into those few lines. Personally I think Billy's gonna sell the cat to some animal dealing pimp and get loads of money and fortune from it.