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.)

BEFORE THE GREEN

The coldness of the first spring swim, the warmth of the first spring summerhouse sauna. Before the green arrives, the colours of yellows and browns are so warm. When the snow really did not arrive, the whiteness of birch trees has been even more dear.

Congratulations to Annabanana, number 21 of the comments, she won the small give-away! Thank you so much dear all of you for playing along, your comments were so sweet! This fifth year that started, surely will bring some exiting news and tummy tickling. Happy that you are with me!

Yesterday the warmest day with short sleeves and small train trips. The setting sun behind balcony windows with fully blooming grape hyacinth scents.

Have a beautiful week!

MEADOW DREAMS

Hello,

What is inspiring you this spring?

For me it is the light that is reaching to every corner and tickling cheeks and wrapping its arms around the furthest of spots. The first afternoon nap in the balcony. The evenings when blackbirds sing in a nearby tree. The wind, even though it blows all the street dust and sand to eyes. Bicycling and the sunset reflection on frozen lakes. Reading about far-away places, checking maps of those places and plans about visiting those same far-away places. The phone calls and little messages. Knocks on the door. Taste of freshly baked bread. The truth that the wind will still turn. Most probably already this weekend. Maybe better not to store away all the winter clothes just yet. 

Waking up with the sun.

Tamah duvet sheet and pillow case designs of my In Meadow painting available at La Redoute. Meadow dreams of sunshine tickling your nose. In Meadow available also as a print.

Soft dreams of early spring!

SOUTH SPRING POSTCARDS I

White Storks nesting, apple trees blooming. Girls and boys bringing their songs and dances from house to house. Lighthouse trips. Sunshine and warmth. Curvy village roads. Curvy hill roads. Neighbours that give fresh spring onions and salads from their gardens. Bird songs, sheep, cows. Goats that leave early in the morning and come back late in the evening. Shepherds. Dogs barking. White Storks talking to each others, the neighbours told that the eggs have hatched already. The sparrows that live in the stork nest too and their little songs.

Suntanned, back home in the Northern spring from the Southern spring. 

Have sweet last days of April.

SPRING, WINTER, SPRING

Many sunny days, afternoon coffee breaks on balcony reading and sunbathing. A pile of newspapers to read through. A circus show that gave shivers and many wide smiles. A little bit of winter returns with a snowstorm, then the spring with a blue sky again. Bicycling all around.

Smiles that appeared on my table.

Sunny greetings, good morning!

...

Huomenta! Hyvää suomen kielen päivää!

SKIING PATHS

Around fields and through forests. On a frozen lake. The place where the first Coltsfoot would appear. Someone who had send pine seeds by wind to the skiing path. Someone who had done other kind of paths by jumping. Over little hills and down again.

A little weekend trip by train to the East with blue sky.

Today on my way back home, a blackbird was singing in a forest.

Happy April, happy spring!

EARS OF A MOUSE

Hiirenkorvilla, we call the little buds on branches as ears of a mouse. Spring inside, sunny outside. The sound of melting snow on window sills. Yesterday the wind turned.

Happy afternoon coffee break greetings!

IN GARDENS, ON WAVES, AND IN FOREST PATHS

Darling friends, I have the pleasure to invite you to my small exhibition about posters made of my paintings to a lovely boutique Design Boulevard here in Tampere. From the 18th of February until the 16th of March, 2013. Welcome! 

Thank you so much sweet Karita for this possibility!

Have a beautiful Valentine's Day! Thank you all friends near and far for the moments together (in Finland Valentine's Day is celebrated more as a day for friendship)!

.....

Rakkaat ystävät, tervetuloa pieneen näyttelyyni Tampereen Design Boulevardille, jossa on esillä ja myynnissä maalauksistani tehtyjä julisteita. 18.2.-16.3.2013. Tervetuloa!

Kiitos suloinen Karita!

Lempeää ystävänpäivää ja kiitos kaikille ystäville lähellä ja kaukana yhteisistä hetkistä!

(Exhibition flyer design by Karita.)

SHE COMES WITH A LITTLE BIT OF DRAMA

Spring comes with a little bit of drama. Sharp edges on her light and shadows. Strong wind. Dribbles of clouds with bright sun. Long breakfasts, walks and many movies in a film festival with friends. Beautiful scenes, long talks. One lighthouse, a bit of snow, a lot of sunshine. Unread newspapers, many lists to remember.

Five flora illustrations for Oh Comely magazine (issue 9) for an article about Thomas Pausz.

Secrets from the 90´s were hiding in a pocket of an old jacket. Two 10 pennies coins from 1991 with beautiful pictures of lily of the valley.

Windy but warmest Monday afternoon greetings.

HOW WE MET THREE CATS

It is good to have friends who like to walk. To see the sunny corners, go through forests and climb small hills. Walk on paths, next to skiing tracks, greet the spring. See the snow forming pillows on tree stubs, the greenest moss. Telling stories. And watching how the rowing boats still sleep under snow.

The sun is warming. Afternoon naps on the balcony. Freckles blooming.

Sunny morning whispers!

A CUCKOO BEHIND STACKS OF FIREWOOD

Waking up with a cuckoo singing, walking barefoot. Falling asleep inside a forest. Mother´s Day and a week at grandparents´. Old treasures, memories and many centimeters of growing color green.

Today raindrops are washing everything. Slowly. Clouds traveling behind the green horizon. Some looking like mountains, some like colorless reflections of forests and lakes. Upside-down. A blue line between them of darker clouds.

Have a mellow new week, with lots of golden circles around clouds.

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!

WATER TREATMENT

Can you hear it? The water. The snow is melting today as small rivers from the roofs, as small springs from the streets. Reading on the balcony between sketching, the sun as a lamp and the sun as a stove to keep my tea warm. The sun as a brush coloring my face. Water and light therapy.

Small people playing together. Various illustrations for The Finnish Association for Persons with Intellectual Disabilities from last year. Now a bit bigger people on my sketchbook to come.

Now the spring wind came. It is singing by gentle howls, bringing the clouds around. Have a cup of afternoon tea with me and the weather.

PARTLY CLOUDY

A lighthouse that appeared while the darkness came. A spring storm was arriving and we were stuck in black sand. Just watching the blinks of the lighthouse over the bay of sea.

Hiking in highlands middle of two glaciers. Wondering if those landscapes still exist after the eruption last year. The warmest day of that summer, bare feet on the softest moss. The coldest water of a glacier spring, tasted so good.

Up in the North in sunset going to see birds nesting by the sea. Partly cloudy six years ago in three different places in Iceland, partly cloudy also today.

More calm winds to the other side of the world, please.

P.s. Thank you so much everyone for your precious words in the last post. I will keep the idea about making the patterns into textiles in my mind. Hearts to everyone!

NIGHTS TO WALK AND PEDAL

Three evenings in sunset. Four hedgehogs, two friends. Three bunnies, hundreds of birds. An old bus, tens of new freckles painting my nose. All of us under the same sky.

That sky is just different to us. Sunny and hot here and cold and rainy in there, cool under the shadows of lilac bushes for the rabbits. I think it will be changed next week. Change is good, grey days are needed. Me and the green things outside we need rain once in a while.

I hear wings, they come and go above the roof. Now someone visits me on the balcony. They never speak there, just on the branches. A pity as I quite don´t get if they want to join for the dinner of champions-, pecan nuts- and zucchini-risotto over apple pancakes (Emilia´s name day celebration of yesterday).

Thank you once again so very deeply for everyone writing to me. It feels so good to hear from you and I think of your words many times through the days.

All my love,

♡

Anna Emilia

PASTEL POSTCARDS

Greetings from sunny Tallinn!

A rainbow´s two ends were guarding the sea trip. The wind was gentle, hems of dresses flew a bit up and down while walking in the pastel town. Sweet Ulla showed me treasures of teashops, a photography museum, a flea market and their always so beautiful home with two cats. It is such a beautiful country, the language is like singing, very melodic.

Today, early morning with painting, early lunch after a weekend food consisting mainly of roasted almonds. Bicycling for noon tea to the town in a small harbor. Happy sunny day, happy sunny week!