KAIKU AWARD, SMILES

The last days have been so pretty and warming. Flowers, phone calls, messages of congratulations, hugs. So wide smiles. 

This is me on Tuesday evening in beautiful Helsinki. Behind there is a beautiful street leading to a beautiful church. In front of me is beautiful Eili-Kaija that took this photo and behind her is a lovely square market and the sea. On my left, in this beautiful orange old house, there is a gallery, where an exhibition opened just before this photo was taken. In that exhibition opening, I received the Kaiku award, an award of a remarkable breakthrough as an illustrator by The Association of Finnish Illustrators.  So grateful, thank you, thank you! Receiving such an award from own colleagues means so much. They know the best how this work is.

Also, two other wonderful illustrators were awarded too. Laila Nevakivi got an award of distinguished teaching material and non-fiction illustrations and Kristiina Louhi received an award of remarkable life's work as an illustrator. 

In the exhibition there are works of us all three, original paintings, books, tableware and clothing. The exhibition is open until the 31st of May, 2015 in Virka Galleria, at the Helsinki City Hall. Hopefully you can visit! Please remember to sign the guestbooks if you go.

In the exhibition you can also see three documentary portraits of us three. The small videos were made by Kari Kuukka from DocImages. Here you can see a few screenshots from my video. If you are not able to go to the exhibition, the videos luckily can be watched also online, mine is here, the videos of Kristiina and Laila can be found here.

So happy! That is me on the left, Laila Nevakivi in the middle and Kristiina Louhi on the right. I love their works. Can you imagine, we all work with watercolours on such digital times.

Oh, all these pretty flowers! Thank you Kuvittajat ry, colleagues, friends and family! 

Smiles!

♥


(The first photo is taken by Eili-Kaija Kuusniemi, the 2nd, 3rd and 5th photos are screenshots of a video made by Kari Kuukka, the 4th photo is by Anna Kähkönen.)

——

Heippa! 

Voi onnellisuutta! Sain Kaiku palkinnon Kuvittajat ry:ltä tiistaina. Näyttely on auki Virka Galleriassa, Helsingissä Sofiankadulla aina 31.5.2015 asti. Siellä on myös palkittujen Kristiina Louhen ja Laila Nevakiven töitä sekä videot meistä kolmesta. 

Lisää voi lukea Kuvittajien sivuilta.

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 WAVES

Summer nights. Thunder storms and the scent of rain on dry asphalt. More sunny and warm days. Train trips, dear friends, sailing boats, parks, cafés by the sea, sunsets. Gazing the sun to rise above the city lights.

A few rain drops today make the summer to scent more magical. Birch trees.

Sweet Tuesday greetings!

HE WHISPERS THROUGH PINE TREES

It was very quick, the book fair. Smiling. People coming and going, talking or just watching me drawing. An older man showing his pictures (of sheep, goats and countryside homes). He had started to draw and paint in age of 75, I was happy. Listening his story I almost forgot that I was there to work. I drew a small forest, kids around me drew on the wall their names.

Then there was a happy lunch in the city, two cats and a girl behind one window, friends around till the last train home. The last train home broke down, but I was happily asleep as long as it was working again and making its lullabying melody of going home.

Today a long bicycle trip in town. Passed a beautiful graveyard, there was a small flower shop open. They luckily had also candles there. One I lit in the graveyard for my grandfather, who surely is sitting in top of a pinewood tree now and whispering his words when the wind flies through the branches. Of fishing luck, stacks of firewood and berry picking. "I am just listening to the radio," I remember him saying the very last time we met some years ago.

Squirrels were there too to lit the candle.

Originals of these photos were taken by Darren. He is going to travel almost around the world (in my mind). Bon Voyage dear, come back home safe!