MEADOW HOUSE

A winter storm. Cold and sharp wind and snow on the way to the postoffice. Lady there asked if I really have so many friends all around the world, she remembers all my packages. I wish I do. A long queue behind me, but she continued talking and asking and in the end she wanted to see my work. Maybe there is something we can do for you. I wish they can, or maybe I can do something for them.

At home waited a letter from sweet Anthea. Spoonful zine, issue 3, has a small painting by me, Meadow House, in it. There is, for example, also sweet Melissa with her beautiful fragile flowers. So happy about it. Many winter woolen warm greetings to Australia and thank you Anthea!

Dried strawberries, nuts, dark chocolate and Finn crisps after an early sunset. Always Finn crisps and tea for me please. Cupboards start to be empty, end of this week I will move. Packing huge piles of cotton watercolor paper and house plants mainly.

A lot of wool around me, the wind dances through the windows. I wonder from how far it comes from this time. How many times around the Earth.

Have a good evening!

GREETINGS, A BOAT

Dear Monday,

At home, the secret message is scribbled with a very secret language by my brother´s handwriting. Boat, games, hamburger, Greetings: Boat. Turquoise slipper friends met other childhood friends. White snow reflected the light of a full moon at midnight, and the yard birch tree crossed the whole yard with its shadow. The next day a wolf was seen on our fields. Just that the wolf turned to become a dog with a closer look. Birds, they flew around an oak tree catching a seed or three and enjoying them on branches of bare neighboring birch trees. Not cross-country skiing yet, but hopefully soon.

Just a moment ago, I have emailed to the ones receiving some winter postcards (or made a comment on your blog if you did not leave your email address): Tanja, Carolina, Sarah, Heather, Susan, Darcy, Rotaeffchenundich, Pamela, Yelena B., Barbara B., Polly, Gise, Alexa, Millie and Jennifer. Hopefully you will like the cards!

White snow blanket covering all around. Busy hands painting and packing, new tea is soon brewed.

Have a warm week!

HELLO, IT IS WINTER

Hello dear all of you,

This bear hugs the winter for good-bye. Here, I hug the winter for welcome. It has been snowing the whole morning and noon, sounds are becoming soft and distant, everything still. Blinking lights of small trucks pushing darker squares on the snow for passengers. Many times they need to push the same area today. Emptying an area and making frames on the sides of streets with those heaps of snow.

The bear cub smiles because something is tickling it. Maybe that he gets to eat soon fresh leaves and berries, honey and spring fresh water. Or that there is still a little while to sleep a bit longer. "Winter Is Ending" -print is added to my shop.

Today, watercolor brushes are tickling the soft cotton paper and a small train trip tomorrow is tickling me. Hopefully the giveaway is tickling you, it is open till Sunday the 21st of November. Thank you to everyone who already participated, you are many there, happy to hear from you!

Tastes of lime green tea to your Thursday,

Anna Emilia

WINTER BITES, A GIVEAWAY

Dear dark November,

It is dark and wet. Mostly a very dark month here. The snow is melting. But I am very well, got soaked on my bicycle trip, but now again I am warm inside and brightened with watercolors and your words.

A parcel arrived with a smile and doorbell ringing, full of postcards that I made with a winter theme. Not the one above, I cannot show the picture as it would not be anymore a surprise for my friends then anymore. But the first batch of the postcards had some beauty mistakes. Still they are very fine, I am the only one to see the mistake I think. Still I don´t want to throw those winter postcards away. Maybe you might want some of them. A giveaway. Fifteen small piles of six postcards will be sent to some of you. Please, if you like to play, just leave a comment here with your email address. Sunday the 21st of this dark November is the last day to participate.

When the rain falls, I imagine the drops being small clover leaves. Fresh and soft touching on their way. In a big crossroad, where all the traffic lights are always red, there are street lamps higher than anywhere else. There in the light I can see the rain and how huge it is. Still very soft those invisible clover leaves. A hint of summer in dark November. I am not good in using an umbrella. But it usually rains only on my way back home. Where woolen socks are waiting. Lucky.

And now, cups of tea!

P.s. The Apple Blossom Meadow -print is back in the shop!

Edit: P.p.s. Yes, anyone anywhere can participate :)

COUNTERS OF RAINWATER AND HEIGHTS OF FIREWOOD STACKS

Happy Father´s Day isi and pappa!

Forests, lakes, fields. Of those are these men made of. Of coffee in a thermos bottle, newspapers and radio. Firewood, summerhouses and sauna. Rocking chairs, birds and squirrels. Blue skies. Pine wood. Of early mornings.

That alder tree orchard is a field of green grass now. Those two little eskimos are a bit older now, me and my brother. They tell that it will be the winter of the winters this year. Maybe I should keep the knitting needles more busy and make hats like those. A Sunday is good for that, for every layer of paint drying.

Thank you for all your orders (and emails and comments) once again, they make me so happy! The Apple Blossom Meadow -print is sold out at the moment, but I will make some more during the next week.

Sunday of blue music, date-blueberry-cake and frost blue paint.

All my love,

Anna Emilia

IT JUST HAPPENED ONE EVENING

On Sunday evening. The winter. Radio was on and I was painting, the next moment I watched outdoors in the darkness, everything was white. It just happened. With its colors and light. Tastes and pinches on cheeks. Waiting for a new snow storm to arrive. The wind is already here, scratching the corners. Better to hurry to the post office.

Scents of green tea with apple, cardamom and coriander, happy Tuesday, so glad to have you here!

TINY TICKLES

Layer of snow landed this morning. Ate breakfast in candlelight watching snowflakes dancing, roofs of the small allotment houses were soon white. Smiling to yesterday. What a humble and kind man.

They are small but itchy, still harmless. The louse and pinworms. Itchy illustrations for Kaksplus 11/2010, magazine for parents of small children.

Going to bicycle around the small lake. A small house to be seen on the way with a lake sight and towers of the town. Could it become a new roof for my paintings and myself?

Fluffy cold colored clouds travel over the sun, lights on, lights off.

Warmest smiling weekend greetings,

Anna Emilia

WINTER WINGS

Dear November, dear you,

Morning of fog and frost, morning of a favorite kind. Changing table to paint with the whiskers of the sun through that milky mist. And then, drops two envelopes from the mail box.

The other one was from Poland. Pure Magazine is a bilingual magazine (Polish-English). This issue emphasizes Finland (with amazing Marja Pirilä, Jimi Tenor, Klaus Haapaniemi, Laura Laine, Sanna Kannisto, Janine Rewell, Helsinki Dance Company, Kari Piippo). Very honored I am to be part of it with a few paintings of mine.

There are some small winter butterflies flying in my tummy. Tickling nicely, touching gently with their curvy peaks of wings my tummy. I wish it is a good winter house for them and they do feel themselves home there. They live inside me because of some lovely news from Milan, Italy. It will be busy and happy hands painting houses the whole winter through.

From my mail box has been dropping lately heart-warming envelopes, postcards and emails. I thank you deeply for every one of them, they mean a lot.

Hearts and candle light from my painting table,

Anna Emilia

(The cover illustration in the 4th photo by Janine Rewell.)