Introduction:

"This blog is not necessarily for lovers of art, it includes a variety of topics and whatever. I'm a painter who likes to know what's really going on in the world today. So you might find anything from Shamrocks to Salmiakki mentioned here on my blog. There will of course be some boring, factual and informational posts, but I'll keep them to a minimum, I promise!

And I might get a bit nostalgic now and then.

So you have been warned!"


- Alan Hogan



Showing posts with label design. Show all posts
Showing posts with label design. Show all posts

Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Thank you Helsinki. Kiitos!!



It's been quite a while since my last post here. So I won't delay with this one.
I just wanted to thank all the good citizens of Helsinki and those who came from elsewhere to visit my small art exhibition last weekend at the Cable Factory (Kaapelitehdas) in Helsinki.

Having acquired the standard space for the event I could only display a small sample of my work. I was however very happy with the positive feedback and comments I received from visitors. As this exhibition was part of Helsinki Design Week 2010 I opted to choose some of my more design and graphic-based pieces on this occasion.
One painting I had recently completed was my 'Helsinki Cathedral' which I decided not to include here as I thought it would look out of place at a design fair.
So here's a first webview of this painting.







I did however take two new artworks to the Cable Factory last weekend.

The first painting is titled 'Snowblind' (right) and the second is a tetraptych titled ' Fourteen Angry Trees' which can be seen in the video of the event below.













And finally, here's a few snapshots of the day.
Kiitos!
Tack!
Thank you!!



Thanks for reading my blog and feel free to share with all your friends.

-Alan

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Monday, March 8, 2010

Slow but Sure!








This is a little design I made up for the regional library in Raseborg where I now live in Finland. The library arranged an art contest for young school-children during the holidays in Autumn 2009. This contest was to help towards inspiring and developing a new mascot for the children's library and website. Over 100 children took part in this contest, and 20 of those images entered can be viewed on the video clip below. All of the childrens drawings were excellent, and it proved quite difficult to pick out one from them all.



I was asked to choose just one of the entries which I felt could be used to become their new mascot. I developed this winning entry of a simple snail by Nelly Wallenius into a suitable mascot logo for the Raseborg Children's Library.



I chose the snail for several reasons.
Firstly, it's a very easy image for children to recognise.
Secondly, the snail is too often associated with being slow. But being slow doesn't necessarily mean coming last, as we know from Aesop's fable of 'The Tortoise and the Hare.' With a little more knowledge some things can be done quicker and more efficiently. Sometimes it can be worthwhile to do things at a 'snails-pace' instead of rushing into them and getting it all wrong. Realising and understanding the consequences of their actions is an important part in the development of children I reckon. It can be good practice for adults also. We all know the snail is a slow creature who certainly takes it's time. Reading books can also take a lot of time. But in the end the reward can be all the more worthwhile.
My third reason for choosing the snail was simply it's shape and suitabilty for integrating the colours of the Raseborg crest.


Here's a short video of how I created the new mascot for the Raseborg children's library.




This isn't the only time I have been involved with art relating to children.
While I made this snail design entirely on a computer, I have also hand-painted some children's characters before as part of a Christmas display back in Ireland.
Here are some old photos of those paintings I made for the walls leading to Santa's Grotto at The Square shopping centre in Tallaght, Dublin a few years ago.























































......and here's a few groovey door signs I made for some kids in Finland.




Thanks for reading my blog.
Please share it with your friends.

Alan.


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The Art Garage, Finland

The Art Garage, Finland
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