IN SHADOWS OF TREES

Under tree shadows, on forest paths, on city streets with Canadian jugglers, swimming and reading.

Helmenkantaja by Marja-Leena Mikkola is a sweet but adventurous story about a girl and her journey under summery shiny waters. Cover illustration by me, design by Päivi Puustinen, published by Otava in Finnish. So grateful to illustrate this cover for my own childhood favourite author.

Tickling sun beams!

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Heippa!

"Klassikko tekijän suloinen mutta jännittävä saturomaani ammentaa taitavasti vanhasta suomalaisesta tarinaperinteestä.

Eräänä aamuna Reetta näkee kesäpaikan rannassa suuren pyrstön välähdyksen vedessä. Hän saa viimein varmistuksen sille minkä on aavistanut aina: veden pinnan alla on kokonainen toinen todellisuus salaisuuksineen, aarteineen ja vaaroineen.

Veden väki on ahdingossa. Joku on vienyt Veden emännän kauniin pienokaisen. Reetan on aika täyttää oma osuutensa ikivanhasta ennustuksesta."  Otava

Oman lapsuudensuosikkini Marja-Leena Mikkolan Helmenkantaja-kirja kuvittamallani kannella on ilmestynyt! Design: Päivi Puustinen, julkaisija: Otava.

Leppoisia hellepäiviä!

A SHADOW OF LAST YEAR'S JULY

Sun wakes me up at 6 am. Fetching newspaper from outside, the sun tickles birch leaves. That green happens only for a few days in a year. The green after the spring rain. Drinking tea, reading the newspaper on the floor. Friend knocks on the door, we drink morning coffee, talk about music. Gazing the clouds in the horizon, will they become friendly or not on the way. 


Friend leaves for work, I choose one of the soft cotton papers. Mixing a few spoonfuls of Payne's Grey Blaulich color. Painting a background, letting it dry. Fixing a few clothes meanwhile, sewing machine hums, small details sewing by hand. The background is dry.


Choosing the color buttercup yellow and cranesbill purple. Leaves from different greens. Frozen strawberries and blueberries with ginger and almond milk for breakfast. More leaves of blue tones on the paper.


The clouds appear closer, they are friendly summer clouds. A turtle and a hare at least, in woolen clothes of sheep. On the sky. Floating in the blueness.


Lunch time, carrot coriander soup. A walk. Thinking how to continue the painting. 


The photos are from last summer at grandmother's. More of those July birch tree leaves in wind.

Just an ordinary day.

Happy Tuesday with sunniest greetings!

WIND BRINGS SWEET SCENTS

Breakfast, lunch, dinner, straight from fields and forests to mouth. Mushrooms, berries, fresh herbs.

Raindrops on the roof with dreams at nighttimes. Wind in leaves and hay. The sun glimmering on everything.

A dreamcatcher, inspired by beautiful Jenny, while waiting and playing with an eight-weeks-old puppy. He carried cones and liked my woolen socks. Thread that was used to tie mail together fifty years ago when it was delivered only to one house in this village.

Pink sunsets. Turning head for new fragile flower scents.

NUMBERS II

Numbers I

The weather was exactly like today 28 years ago, told my mother on the phone.

In the morning I cut pecan nuts very fine, mixed them with soft dates and coconut flakes and pinch of salt. Covered a pan with it. Mixed frozen strawberries, half an avocado and coconut flakes and poured over the nut-crust. A circle of raspberries and a dotted circle of blueberries. To the freezer. Forgotten there.

To town. Today I took the bus. Walked around, had a coffee reading the newspaper. Bought olives and salad. Wished that olive trees grew here.

In the bus, grandmother called. Viiru was sleeping by her side while we talked. Grandfather read newspaper. The bus got packed of home-goers. First time that I took the bus home, the first stop after the first traffic lights by the lake.

Sliced, peeled, cut, chopped, sprouted a salad of cucumber, celery, green lentil sprouts, cantaloup melon, pea sprouts. Roasted seeds, olives. A pie of trumpet chanterelles, onion, bell pepper, tomatoes, soya cream. Bread with olive paste.

Ate well with friends. Not before that I remembered the cake. It was frozen, but good with whipped oat cream. More than half left.

A piece for you with a cup of chamomile tea.