№12 “Dolor Spiritualis” (Spiritual Sorrow) 2025

So, I was pondering the challenges and sorrows of being human.

That is, while working on “Septem Dolores” and I decided to make two separate drawings. One for the more corporal, and one for the more spiritual angle. This being the spiritual part, I aimed the swords at the upper Chakras.

5. Throat Chakra, for truth, expression and communication.
6. Third eye Chakra, for intuition, insight and wisdom.
7. Crown Chakra, for spirituality, divine connection and unity.

The subject represents the balance between being open and protecting oneself.

I guess that the key is balance. Too open and you get trouble, too closed up and you get other kinds of trouble… Made this one bigger for more detail, 32x32cm. Pencil and Copic Ciao markers. Some photoshop tinkering for texture and color balance.

“Dolor Spiritualis” (Spiritual Sorrow) 2025

“Dolor Spiritualis” (Spiritual Sorrow) 2025 – process. Reference images: Gwaschemasch’e, Leila Waddell,

№11 “Septem Dolores” (Seven Sorrows) 2025

I was staring at a novelty ashtray and thinking about the Virgin Mary, as you do.

It occurred to me that the round shape with skeletal fingers would make an excellent frame for an alternative interpretation of the Seven Sorrows theme. So, I got some reference pictures and made a composite layout in photoshop. The swords representing the sorrows are traditionally aimed at the heart, but I wanted to convey a more general message about the challenges and sorrows of being human. Therefore, I aimed them at the lower four Chakras, with four swords to the heart for good measure.

1. Root Chakra, for stability, security, and basic survival needs.

2. Sacral Chakra, for creativity, emotions, and relationships.

3. Solar Plexus Chakra, for confidence and self-esteem.

4. Heart Chakra, for love, compassion, and connection.

The end result could have been more detailed, but the rough lines work fairly well and it was fun to draw even though I spent more time on the composite than the actual drawing.

Pencil and markers on paper, 20x20cm.

“Septem Dolores” (Seven Sorrows) 2025

“Septem Dolores” (Seven Sorrows) 2025 – process

№10 “Angulus Novus” (New Angle) 2025

I find the work of Piet Mondrian fascinating. Not only was the stuff he did strange for his time (early-1900s), it kept popping up in design again and again decades later. One example of this was a collection of Yves Saint Laurent dresses in 1965.

The idea for this drawing started from the thought; what if the pattern had been applied to 50s fashion? So, I chose a few reference images and did a composition in photoshop. I expanded on the the theme of hard angles and solid color surfaces for the surroundings also, and this is how it came out.

Pencil and markers on paper, 11x18cm.

“Angulus Novus” (New Angle) 2025

“Angulus Novus” (New Angle) 2025 – process. Reference images: Brigitte Bardot (50s), YSL Mondrian Collection (60s), Jeff Stanford (2020s).

№9 “Post Procellas Serena” (Calm Before the Storm) 2025

This one was about a return to form. A simple, quick and fun little drawing session.

I had been sitting on the reference picture for a while, all it needed to pop was an altered framing and some color. The name came later, as an afterthought.

Pencil and markers on paper, 11x18cm.

“Post Procellas Serena” (Calm Before the Storm) 2025

“Post Procellas Serena” (Calm Before the Storm) 2025 - process

№8 “Cave Quid Volunt” (Careful what you wish for) 2024

I was inspired by the scenery around the Punta Nariga lighthouse and took some pictures of the surroundings. This one rock formation kind of reminded me of a humanlike shape with detached tailfins, hunched up by the rocks. So, it got me thinking about the tragic story of the little mermaid and more specifically about the moment she transformed.

Be careful what you wish for

The mermaid was giving up her voice, comfort, family, identity, life, and any certainty of the future – by her own will – in exchange for a chance at love. So, as the tail became legs and the fins fell off, there must have been a deeply conflicting sense of joy mixed with the irreversible painful loss of her former self.

An excruciating process

I drew the mermaid and scenery separately. Experimented with different methods of bringing texture to the scenery, one of which was to draw directly on top of an overexposed monochrome print. Then I combined different elements in photoshop and tinkered with them forever. Most of that was not enjoyable, too many changes and unnecessarily ambitious expectations.

Pencil and markers on paper, 30x20cm.

“Cave Quid Volunt” (Careful what you wish for) 2024

№8 “Cave Quid Volunt” (Careful what you wish for) 2024 - process

№7 “Astra Inclinant, Sed Non Obligant” (Inclined, not Bound) 2024

This one was inspired by a midnight swim and thoughts around the nature of free will versus destiny. The name translates to "The stars incline us, they do not bind us" and signifies that while celestial bodies or external factors might influence our lives, they do not dictate our ultimate choices or actions. Just like while cold water might deter you from going in, determination can change the outcome.

The style was inspired by early 20th century Japanese illustrators, more specifically Ichijo Narumi’s Female Nude Seated in Water (1906).

Pencil and markers on paper, 11x17cm.

“Astra Inclinant, Sed Non Obligant” 2024 (Inclined, not Bound) 2024

“Astra Inclinant, Sed Non Obligant” 2024 (Inclined, not Bound) 2024 - process

№6 “Ataraxia” (Freedom from Distress and Worry) 2024

Ataraxia is a lucid state of robust equanimity characterized by ongoing freedom from distress and worry.

I was reading about the philosophy of Epicureanism at the time and got really inspired. It is a form of hedonism, as far as it declares pleasure to be its sole intrinsic goal. However, in contrast to short sighted pleasure driven hedonism, Epicurus believed that the highest pleasure came from Ataraxia.

How to illustrate the concept of Ataraxia?

Well, this time it was to be mostly about the facial expression. I wanted the viewer to be able see ataraxia in her eyes. I sketched the expression with a pencil a few times and did the colors separately before combining both of them in photoshop. The colors came easily and spontaneously, and the whole process flowed quite nicely. No worries, no performance anxiety – a fitting process for a drawing about ataraxia.

Pencil and markers on paper, 10x16cm.

“Ataraxia” (Freedom from Distress and Worry) 2024

“Ataraxia” (Freedom from Distress and Worry) 2024 - process. The model in the reference photograph is Diane Webber (1956).

№5 “Non Tu Insanis - Vita Insanis” (You are not crazy - Life is crazy) 2024

This one was inspired by a conversation about coping with the world around us and life in general.

Sometimes things in life get to be a bit too much, and at those moments it is good to slow down and enjoy a moment of solitude, just soaking in the natural world and leave the crazyness behind.

It was a fun and effortless experience.

I found such a great photograph for reference that drawing this thing was a breeze. The only thing i didn’t like was the two-pole setup. It looked like something or someone was missing from the picture and I wanted the mood to be more balanced and serene, so I moved the subjet to the middle and added a pole.

Pencil and markers on paper, 11x18cm.

“Non Tu Insanis - Vita Insanis” (You are not crazy - Life is crazy) 2024

“Non Tu Insanis - Vita Insanis” (You are not crazy - Life is crazy) 2024 - process

№4 “Arbiter mundi” (Ruler of the world) 2023

This one was inspired by something I heard someone say one day. (paraphrasing)

“No matter the undertaking, the only true motivation for a man is a woman. No matter how mundane or how lofty the goals are - it all boils down to the desire to impress women.”

So, you might say that women make the world go round, in many ways. Therefore, I went for “Ruler of the world” and a femme fatale type of subject to represent the true muse. The miniature format I had been doing would not allow the amount of detail I wanted for this one, so I went for a bigger size than usual (30x21cm).

Most of the picture was fun and reasonably quick to draw, but then I got stuck.

I started making lots of different versions, with ink lines and without, red hair, blue hair, plane background, no background, psychedelic background etc. Like half a year later I finally just stacked a bunch of versions in Photoshop and made a print. And it turned out just fine, even though I had set out not to involve computers in the process.

I had to revise my mission statement.

Hand drawn yes mainly, but photoshop is ok if it brings something to the project. Always draw to enjoy the process, and to impress women apparently…

“Arbiter mundi” (Ruler of the world) 2023

“Arbiter mundi” (Ruler of the world) 2023 - process

№3 "Delectant Mea" (They delight me) 2022

This one was a stydy in depth, light and shadow.

The name comes from “Te tua, me delectant mea” which translates to “You are charmed with yours, I with mine” and is a nod to the themes I described in №0 "The Lost Joy of Drawing" 2020-2021.

“He was in fact we hear an enthusiastic musician, a tragic poet too—how good, matters little; for in this art, more than in others, it somehow happens that everyone finds his own work excellent; so far I have never known the poet who did not think himself the best; this is the way with them—“You are charmed with your work, I with mine”. Cicero, Tusculan Disputations

I wanted to change up the style a bit with stronger colors and higher contrast.

Tried to bring out the shape more with the markers and less with the pencils. And, I do like how the light effect turned out, as I really wanted to convey the brightness and the warmth of the sun against skin.

"Delectant-Mea" (They delight me) 2022

"Delectant-Mea" (They delight me) 2022 - process

№2 “Sicut Cervus” (Like a deer) 2022

So, this one was inspired by a motet / psalm by Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina from the year 1604.

"Sicut cervus desiderat ad fontes aquarum"
As the deer desires the fountain’s water
"Sitivit anima mea, desiderat anima mea ad te"
My soul thirsts, my soul longs for you.

I found it quite intriguing, an expression of deep longing and devotion. Something animistic or mystic maybe… and I also wanted to draw a nude, so I started looking for a reference picture and found one where a woman is holding a skull of a deer.

I think a dead deer makes the longing even more elevated, eternal yet fleeting, and maybe futile…

All this in combination with the psalm, made me want to frame the subject in a somewhat Art Nuveau style setting that creates a mystic, nature goddess like vibe.

This time I made several photocopies of the line drawing, so I could try out different colors for the background (as you can see below). The one I originally chose was a bit odd, with the pink and apple green, so I made a toned down re-coloration. (2025)

I also experimented with watercolor overlay and more texturized leaves, but ended up using just a pencil and Promarker markers on printing paper, just like last time. The size is 12x19cm.

“Sicut Cervus” (Like a deer) 2022

“Sicut Cervus” (Like a deer) 2022 – process

№1 "Formosam Forma Puellam" (Beautiful female form) 2022

It had to be something reasonably quick and dirty.

It was the first new hand drawn thing I’ve made since the early 2000s. So it means more than meets the eye. A curse had been broken and I was drawing again.

The picture was inspired by late 60s pinup photography, more specifically by model, dancer and an actress Michelle Angelo. I wanted to depict a beautiful female form from several angles at once, so the photograph i used for reference fit the bill nicely.

I used an HB pencil and Windsor & Newton Promarker markers on normal printing paper. I was new to this technique, but I love how it turned out. The size is 11x14cm, so it fits nicely in my A6 notebook. The process was simple; lines, subject, background.

"Formosam Forma Puellam" (Beautiful female form) 2022

"Formosam Forma Puellam" (Beautiful female form) 2022 – process

№0 "The Lost Joy of Drawing" 2020-2021

So, I gradually lost the joy of drawing by hand, starting about twenty years ago.

I really enjoyed drawing as a teenager and ended up going to art school where it became an important part of my identity. But as I grew older, I realized that I was not nearly productive enough (or good enough) to make a living as an artist. So, I drifted towards a more practical use of my visual skills, ending up in graphic design, advertising and web design, which became my profession for a number of successful years.

Then came the burnout.

It was around 2013 when I had to take a break from it all. I had also developed a deep hatred for UI-graphics and computer-generated imagery. But after the money ran out, I ended up founding an advertisement agency anyway. Doing commercial marketing graphics again took the last joy out of drawing.

After the advertisement agency thing turned out to be unsustainable, I figured I would do cold hard digital services for a living and draw only for myself, from here on. Or so I thought… It turned out to be really hard getting started with my own art projects.

The visual design part kept popping up at work too, not in a bad way this time. A bit of visual design went nicely with service design in the field of social welfare.

Getting back on the horse

So, I started with a coloring book just to get the feel of holding a pen / marker in my hand again. I was weird, it felt stupid, but it helped. After a few pages I had to do something slightly more me. And, as luck would have it, I had a drawer full of twenty-year-old little black and white drawings.

I started coloring my old drawings, and that took me on an immersive journey through the years back to the time and thoughts I had when I last really enjoyed drawing.

Letting go in order to move on

As much as I liked coloring old doodles, it did not give me anything new. It only reminded me of things that had been forgotten. The real brake through came at a random meeting at work. I spontaneously introduced myself as a FORMER graphic designer. And just like that, I was free. The pressure and guilt of not being a good enough artist/designer was gone. I suddenly realized that it was no longer a part of my identity, nor was I dependent on being a productive artist.

from my Instagram “I Still Work”

From here on out

Nowadays I try to focus on the process, not the outcome. I like exploring and experimenting, leaving room for mistakes and spontaneity. I set small achievable goals, and find inspiration and ideas all around me in my normal life. I have only recently started sharing some of my pictures. I had to be careful not to aim to please others, as it may affect the process and ruin the joy.

So, now I decided to start this blog for the hows-and-whys. A bit about the process and technique, as well as the reasoning behind the pictures and some reflections about the ongoing journey.

It is time to share the joy.

Enjoy!