THE SAME, SO DIFFERENT

It is a windy and a rainy morning, quite mild air. Melodies of drumming on window sills. Days are getting so short and when the clouds hug, they seem even shorter.

Lingering in a few weeks back when frosty air covered everything in glimmer. How the day was so pastel and when the night turned on its lights, the landscape became so huge. 

Two photos from the same place, same day. Oh how small we are and how beautiful our planet Earth is.

Star shines and fresh winds!


(The second photo is taken by my brother.) 

SEA ADVENTURES

An archipelago, a home island. Next to seventy or eighty volcanoes, above and below the sea.

Once one of those volcanoes started to erupt during night time.

That volcano in sunset.

Between the main island and home island, a little escape island. During summer also about eight million puffins nesting around.

The home island, so pretty, on so dangerous grounds.

But so pretty and calm. Windy too. I like wind. It is a weather that you feel.

Home island.

The blues.

The good-byes.

And the quickly changing weather. Waves.

♥

SOUNDS OF WATER

A little spring trip. Seven years and I haven´t been there. Oh, so beautiful it still was. The sounds of water in its all forms. So much sun, so strong wind, so warm sunshine (hello new freckles!), so perfect when swimming in hot turquoise water while it gently snows. The beautiful language that rolls nicely in mouth, makes to smile.

A second home, so much missed.

And now, it is finally starting to look a bit more green here. Today a small herb garden was planted to the balcony, still thinking of ice, ocean ship travels, mountain tops. 

How are you and the season around you?

Sunset bird songs.

(Some photos also at Instagram.)

NOVEMBER WINDS

Hello November and the disappearing peeks of sun rays! Hello Monday and grey weather with the warmth of the weekend of jazz concerts still caressing. Hello end of the year with still so many possibilities, chances. 

A calendar for the coming year is published by Frankie Magazine, month of October with my Morning Frost Meadow.

The new issue 56 of Frankie includes The Scribble Club to keep hands busy. Five pretty much grown-up illustrations to colour-in. Strawberry Path next to a wild person's portrait by Irana Douer, happy to be in the same publication with her again.

The cover image of little lullabying cat in the girl's arms is by Anke. Loving it so much. ♥

Some days the little lake behind my windows has forest islands floating across after very blowy nights. The other days they are gone. Today they are gone.

The small online shop is updated with some copies of the Casa di Fiaba book, a few postcard sets and prints.

Sweet melodies of raindrops!


(In the second photo illustration on the left is by Ilana Douer, on the third photo the magazine cover illustration is by Anke Weckmann.)

SUMMER CONTINUED

Little travels with dear friends in the North Sea. Sunny, golden sparkles everywhere. Underwater carpets with gentle waves.

Peeking welcomers, white peaks.

Jules, a rescue seal welcoming on the shore. Almost as relaxed as a bit Northern cousin.

A bird island, a lighthouse island. A sunny island. A bunny island.

Golden towers, warm sea breaths.

Miniature forests.

And how it would look like when the sun sets and the storm starts. Fog signals on each end of the island.

Two lighthouses blinking. Messages through storms and darkness.

Still summer, though most of the birds had gone. A few swimmers, shags. A few swallows. Mostly silent.

Meadow island. Sea scents.

And a fresh water loch with a view. Golden glimmering everywhere.

Today the autumn arrived. Soft long sleeves, pitch black starry skies. Swimming in a lake watching the Milky Way. Happy September!

♥

Polar summer holiday greetings. 

My heart, I think, was left somewhere there in the middle of glaciers, mountains, Greenland Sea, Arctic Ocean, blue sky, fossils, long rubber boat rides, fog, puffins, seals, arctic foxes, reindeers, cool breezes of the wind and the sun that shone all the nights through. With 3000 polar bears.

♥

SAILING AROUND ISLANDS

Cloudy sky and rain far-away. As we depart from the dock, a few raindrops caress. Two rainbows and the sunshine arrives. 

Birch trees everywhere, bowing towards the mainland. Wind is low, but the sails take us further for a while.

The fortress is in its summer dress. (And in its winter dress.)

There, far-away in the horizon, a ferry and the lighthouse Harmajan majakka. Rain and sun. The patchwork quilt of the waves, the sound of them.

The beautiful wooden sailing boat, starting to understand how wonderfully human beings have learnt to use the wind, to built and to sew the sails. To navigate. Sailing dreams came true.

At home, bicycle trips around curvy forest roads. Lupine meadows.

Lakes that are patched with yellow water-lilies and reflections from the forests and sky. A moment of mist.

Have a calm Midsummer with a little bit of magic and dreams, small expeditions!

SUNSET, SUNRISE ON MIDSUMMER NIGHT

With music and friends watching sunset by a lake on Midsummer's night. Small garden ferry floating with a bonfire on the lake. Guitars, ukuleles playing. Singing. 


Bicycling up the hills and down again. On the other side of the city, by another lake with a small lighthouse, watching the sun rising again.


Seven flowers of last year. Bonfire last year.


Sunday for listening to the rain by a third lake, the small one behind my windows. Two swans are my new neighbors.


Have a good last week of June, filled with fresh tastes and sun kissed cheeks!

ISLAND

A long weekend at my parents with baking (peach and lemon pie), reading and watching squirrels on the yard. Sauna in the summerhouse smelled like summer already. Crocuses and anemones slowly rising, turning their heads towards the sun. Daylight lasts so long, the full moon was like an orange of an exotic sky.

The first Scandinavian illustration festival, Helsinki Illustration Festival 2012, from 13th to 15th of April in Designmuseo. A few of my paintings can be seen there. Full program here.

Island painting for the new album by Holmes. 13th of April Burning Bridges will be released, you can find it here.

Tomorrow a small train trip back to home.

Afternoon coffee time greetings (with piece of that peach and lemon pie) from Eastern Finland!

...

Heippa!

Pohjoismaiden ensimmäinen kuvitusfestivaali, Kuvita! Helsinki Illustration Festival 2012, 13-15.4. Designmuseossa. Siellä on esillä muutama maalaukseni. Koko ohjelma löytyy täältä.

O-HOY THE SEA

O-hoy the sea, the soon leaving ice, snow, the small island with wooden houses. The boats on the yards (and on window sills) waiting for the open waters. The songs of seagulls, a far away cargo boat middle of the ice. The small lighthouse and a small castle. O-hoy, a good small weekend trip to a neighbor town. A report of our snow and spring development by the sea.

Hello a new week, hello you!