I expected the iPad to be a revolutionary device and holding it in your hands, interacting with it, really is a revolutionary experience. It’s the computer of the future.

• It’s fast!
• It’s powerful!
• It’s intuitive, responsive, easy and inviting to use
• The iPad with its multi-touch screen and single tasking is the first computer that adapts to how humans work, while other computers expect us humans to adapt to how they work
• The iPad apps I’ve tested embrace the idea of simplicity, beauty, fun and ease. Just like the iPad itself
• The iPad is the first computer I’ve used where reading really feels inviting and user friendly
• This tablet computer is wonderful for a new kind of story telling! The iPad can blur the line between reading, watching films, gaming and I can see how people could invent new ways of telling stories where images, film, audio, text and interactive experiences all blend together into a new kind of multimedia story telling
• The digital environment on an iPad feels peaceful and focused
• The touch screen is crisp and sharp and the book-size feels user friendly
• The iPad lives up to its promise of long battery life
• You need a bag and/or a slip to protect your iPad
• You need a soft, lint-free cloth to remove marks left by your fingers

The iPad and iPhone are innovative devices that bring to mind Think Different, Apple’s advertising campaign from 1997

“Here’s to the crazy ones. The rebels. The troublemakers. The ones who see things differently. While some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.”

Now, what I’m really interested in, is how I can use this revolutionary tablet computer as a digital, portable, creative art studio! I’ll be back on Tuesday with my findings and hope to present a list of 20 outstanding creativity apps for the iPad.

Tags: apps, digital environment, ease, interface, iPad, simplicity, technology

Eyjafjallajökull volcano erupting. Photo by Sverrir Thor.

It all started with a volcano erupting. Our airport closed and so business people were getting taxis to take them further south in Europe (for huge amounts of money) in the hope of catching their flights or getting to their destinations, and because of that, traffic on ground was crazy. Trains, busses, cars and subways came to a halt. So I showed up late for an important phone conference. “I’m so sorry I’m late, a volcano just erupted”.

“No, no, no, thankfully it’s not anywhere close to here, it’s Eyjafjallajökull on Island, but it still has an impact on lives here in Sweden.” I thought about firebirds, the Phoenix and dragons and after the meeting I talked to friends and family who had trips, dreams and hopes planned.

Next there was a power cut. And it lasted a whole day. I couldn’t use my computer to finish my illustrations and icons for clients who were expecting them. And I wasn’t able to communicate with my clients to tell them what was going on. I couldn’t get out on the internet, my cell phone was out of a charge so I couldn’t use that and my phone runs on the broadband so that was out of sorts too. Cut off. No communication. Until late in the evening when I found a wobbly bar stool in a hotel with a broadband connection. By then I could use a drink. Or two.

Then Marmalade Moon went offline. Just to add some spice and excitement to life. And my blog was gone for five whole days. I don’t like to point fingers so I won’t leave an explanation to what happened. Let’s just say the dog ate someone’s homework, and that I’m very happy that I could restore my site yesterday. I felt so disconnected without my blog and missed you all! It was like my window to the world closed. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank you for visiting, and a huge thank you for all your kind e-mails of support when the site was down!

Next, I had to spend the weekend catching up on work, since I was behind on my illustrations because of the power cut. So I couldn’t go to the weekend course I’d signed up to and paid for, to draw and paint dancers in movement.

I almost forgot this, it turns out that I have to buy a new printer to be able to make prints of my new paintings! Why? My five-year-old printer is too old to want to talk to the latest operative system for the Mac…

Oh, and it snowed today! Come on, it’s the end of April!

It’s week seven of The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron hosted by Suzy Greaves on The Big Peace Blog. This week two interesting topics are in focus. Perfectionism and jealousy. And with all the events of the week I can definitely say that I’ve had to let go of any attempts at perfectionism!

Isn’t it ironic that this week when I’ve felt so cut off from the world, we’re recovering a sense of connection? We’ve been learning to accept the possibility that the universe is helping us with what we’re doing and to expect the universe to support our dreams! That’s not exactly how I’ve experienced this week… although the power cut was a reminder of just how much we rely on electricity and how much participating in an online community means to me. I suppose one can say, that I did recover a sense of connection, in a very real way!

Before I sign off, here’s a quote from week 7 of The Artist’s Way that I found particularly interesting. “To the perfectionist, there is always room for improvement. The perfectionist calls this humility. In reality, it is egotism. It is pride that makes us want to write a perfect script, paint a perfect painting, perform a perfect audition monologue. . . . “A painting is never finished. It simply stops in interesting places,” said Paul Gardner. A book is never finished. But at a certain point you stop writing it and go on to the next thing. . . . That is a normal part of creativity – letting go.” What would you do if you didn’t have to do it perfectly?

Tags: communication, community, courses, illustration, imperfection, prints, technology, The Artist's Way

Birch twigs decorated for Easter

It’s been an Easter full of contrasts. Sightings of black bunnies and crocus. Spring in the air. The joy of spending time with family and friends. There’s been egg hunts, reading, iPhone photography, walks and cooking projects (the lemon drizzle cake was delicious).

Imagine my horror when I woke up this morning and found the park covered in snow! And it wasn’t just a sprinkle of snow, it was a complete Christmas card landscape, except for the jingling of bells and singing of carols. I charged out onto the balcony and rescued the daffodils in the nick of time.

This Easter I wanted to spend some time ironing out the technical details for a new online store that I’m setting up for my new series of paintings. Somehow, I messed up big time and if you tried visiting my site during the holiday you will have noticed that Marmalade Moon was gone! What a failure!

I went through a series of emotions, everything from shock to relief to horror, until the site came back, magically resurrected…

Tags: blogging, business, celebration, iPhoneography, spring, technology

Black boots and Italian basketweave scarf.

Autumn. Boots and scarf and hat and gloves. Shiny street, wet from the rain, sometimes black with a little purple or blue.

My head is still spinning from this week’s adventure with natural media software, Painter 11. The way the paints interact with each other and the canvas, the texture and detail is mind blowing! Exploring the brushes, markers, chalk, pastels, watercolor and oil, just to mention a few, and if this isn’t enough you can make your own brushes with the RealBristle tool. You can control the width of brush strokes by the tilt of your pen, just like when you use a real, traditional brush! It’s amazing… You can decide to leave a layer of digital watercolor in wet mode, so that it’s still wet when you continue, whether you continue working on your painting a month or a day later! It’s like having access to all the natural media you can imagine, without having to take it out of storage, wash the brushes or deal with the toxins, mess and expenses! There’s a free demo of Painter that you can download to give it a trial run.

This weekend I’m looking forward to visiting the blogs of fellow artists in The Fish Bowl. Seeing Julie and Julia at the beautiful cinema Skandia, designed by Gunnar Asplund in 1923. Creating a reading corner with a grey sheepskin Lamino armchair in the living room and washing the kitchen floor.

I hope you have a wonderful and restful weekend!

Red leaves and berries.

Tags: art, autumn, black, grey, natural media, orange, Painter, painting, red, software, technology, watercolours