good morning from Zurich, a day after 11/11.

11/11, here in middle Europe, in some regions at least, translates into “carnival”. I so understand why around this time of the year you need festivities, with laughter and drinks and heavy food: mid November can be so dark and grey around here. So there you go: “party!” our ancestors said, and the more catholic the more party.

That was yesterday. No party in tauerville, though. Today’s picture is a bit odd, I admit.  I took it yesterday , 11/11, before leaving the factory, and it sort of fits perfectly. It shows you things the way they are there, at “tauerville”. I repeat myself here, but you know: Tauerville consists of two rooms down there (packing, storing, shipping), two rooms up here (office, creative space). That’s where I do everything. Boxing, labelling, shipping, you name it. Recently, I was quite busy down there at tauerville, and 2015 will see some adjustments as we sort of grow out of our clothes there.

Tauerville is also funville, although we do not do carnival there: Every day, before leaving after the work down there is done (continued by the work up there, like writing invoices, organizing shipments, answering mails), I try to paint something. Just anything. It is a nice ritual and motivates me being effective with the somewhat boring stuff. Like putting labels on bottles. I did so yesterday, and now that I look at yesterday’s picture, I see the allegory in there. The line of air du désert flacons all point towards the picture ; myself in blue and red.

Actually, this picture was a nice experiment. I used a large format paper and a brush that is flat, round, large and super stiff. It forces you to work in a particular way: Wet. Fast. Resolute. Uncompromising.

Detail of the illustration

When sitting there in the factory, I also work on new scents, all the time, not materialized, yet. Just in my head, juggling with notes and lines. There, I am getting more resolute, too.