golden girl

golden girl

måndag 26 oktober 2015

I love faces!


Me in my earlier days

I love to draw faces. As readers of this blog well know, I am not always true to the anatomy of the human face when I draw or paint faces. Nor was Paul Klee.


Paul Klee
Senecio, 1922


Erica Stenkrona
Happy girl, 2010
Oil on canvas


Erica Stenkrona
Mathilda, 2011
Oil on canvas


Erica Stenkrona
Your tears won´t leave a trace, 2011
Oil on canvas


Erica Stenkrona
Depression Mode II, 2011
Oil & acrylic on canvas

In 2013 I decided that I would benefit from taking a master class in portraitpainting. The class was taught by artist Farigh Ghaderi. Little did I know that it would change my life in a very profound way. This is my very first attempt at portrait painting:


Erica Stenkrona
Lasse, 2013
Oil on canvas

I realized that I needed to learn the craftsmanship in order to paint the kind of portraits
I wanted, so in an instant I decided to study art at the studio of Farigh Ghaderi. 

  A decision that has open up  a new world  to me, I´ve learned to see  its
inhabitants in a new way.


My teacher Farigh constantly reminds us students about the importance of learning to see
the proportions and construction of the human skull.
These pictures are copied from the book "Complete Guide to Life Drawing"
 by Gottfried Bammes.  An excellent book for any person who is serious about learning how to draw.


"Noses and ears drawn badly because of lack of 
understanding are painful to behold."

Gottfried Bammes

No more distorted drawings?



Erica Stenkrona
Variationer, 2014
pencil on paper




Olof Sager- Nelson (1868-1896)
Fosterbröderna, 1894 (detalj)


Erica Stenkrona
Signe, 2015
colorpencil on paper


Hugo Salmson (1843-1894)
Den lilla axplockerskan
Oil on canvas


Erica Stenkrona
Tanya, 2015
colorpencil on paper



Forgot to document the name of the artist


Erica Stenkrona
Victor, 2015
pencil on paper (quick sketch)

 I will keep drawing faces and human skulls. Yes, skulls. At the studio I am
currently drawing a human skull from three different views. The skull is a very complex form
so I´m borrowing a drawing from the internet because my drawings are not ready yet.

Happy Halloween!


Erica Stenkrona
Copy of  "Tyttö hiekkakuopassa", 1942 by Helene Schjerfbeck.
Pastel, pencil on paper

Next blogpost I will introduce you to some of the artists that has influenced me with their
excellent work. One of them is Helene Schjerfbeck. It would be great to know
about artists that has influenced you in any way. Please let me know!















torsdag 15 oktober 2015

Symbolism and decadence, exhibition at Prince Eugen´s Waldemarsudde





Väinö Blomstedt
Francesca, 1897  (beskuren)



The current exhibition at Prince Eugen´s Waldemarsudde is called 
Symbolism and decadence. The exhibition consists of
over 200 pieces of art; paintings, sculpture, drawings and crafts from public and private collections by well known artists, among others prince Eugene, Richard Bergh, August Strindberg, Hanna Pauli, Paul Gauguin, Eugène Carrier, Edvard Much, Akseli Gallen-Kallela. 
I went wild with my camera to such an extent that the museum guard had to rebuke me twice for being inside the cordons when leaning over to come close enough to get satisfactory image quality.

By the way, symbolism I understand, but why
decadence?? I didn´t see anything that I considered decadent at the exhibition. So I looked up the word decadence in an English dictionary and it had 26 synonyms! Corruption, decay, degeneration, dissolution, downfall, regression and lasciviousness...Well, I get it. It´s

not sex, drugs and rock´n´roll decadence. It´s about death. Decay.



Akseli Gallen-Kallela

Guardian angels (Ravens), 1888



Vilhelms Purvitis
Winter, about 1908




Oskar Bergman
Offerlunden (sacrificial grove) II 1905




Tyra Kleen
Copy of a painting by Puvis de Chavannes , 1897 
Le Pauvre pécheur, 1881





Beda Stjernschantz
Överallt en röst oss bjuder...1895



Ivar Arosenius
Self-portrait with bleeding heart, 1902




Agnes de Frumerie
Immaculata, 1897




John Bauer
The harp player, 1903




Janis Rozentals
Döden (the death), 1897


Hanna Pauli
The Princess, 1896




Johan Valters
Birch grove, 1903


Gustaf Fjaestad
The riddle of life, 1919


Here are some symbolic and decadent art that I made in the 80´s and 90´s.


Erica Hedberg
Hope deferred maketh the heart sick, but when the desire cometh it is a tree of life
(Proverbs 13:12)
Pencil on paper, 1989






Erica Hedberg
Without title, 1989


Erica Hedberg
Without title, 1991 (detail)







Erica Karlsson
After the moonlight party, we went to bed, my shadow and me, 1993





Erica Hedberg
Discover America, work as an au-pair, 1981



Erica Hedberg
Decadent Christmas Cat, 1982 (detail)