NUMBERS: THREE, MELODY OF THE RAIN

The spring rain arrived. The frozen lake became a huge mirror with a layer of water on the ice. Little streams here and there, puddles. First snowdrops. 

On Friday my small company turned three years old. Thank you everyone for your words, commissions, orders, greetings. The third year brought so many new ideas, lovely people, exhibitions, so kind words. A humble curtsey! Numbers: Two and Numbers: One. 

Sunday, radio plays mellow songs and rattles once in a while in the middle. The eagerness of springtime and all the plants to arrive one by one.

Have a sweet start for the new week!

GRASS UNDER A TEACUP

Dear all,

How are you? How is the season treating you?

Here, it came summer. At least for a few days. Summer birds are here, the lake melted in moments. Gentle waves are floating and water birds diving through them. Eating on the balcony, drinking tea on the grass. Visitors and many sunny moments. A cat visitor too. Sprouts of green mint, basilica and lavender are bending their heads towards the blue sky.

Back to brush strokes and sketching, with happy hands.

Have a good week.

ICE FULL OF LEAVES

After the noon news, I lay my brushes and pens, papers and scissors away, hop into my boots and go outside to check if the postman was busy for me today. Yesterday he was, with a book Vieläkö kukkivat omenapuut? (Are the apple trees still blooming?) which cover I illustrated last spring. It is a book about the history of North Ingria by Helena Miettinen. It is filled with images of old houses and people, their memories about leaving home and finding a new one where ever they were allowed to stay. Written in Finnish. Where old homes used to be, there are now dense forests, but there might still be old apple trees, blooming during springs and dropping apples on the ground during autumns.

A small plate for my cat that I did maybe 15 years ago, or even longer. For Kisse Karvinen. A cat that slept in an onion basket and middle of the lilacs bushes, the warmest and best scented places.

A small ice rink just next to my home. If there was a machine to move a huge brush, I would try to paint that ice full of leaves. And those winter trees wearing white, I would melt small dots of dark wood with fingers.

♡

P.s. Thank you so much for your orders, they surprised me! Thank you so much! Also for your comments and emails, once again!

FIREWOOD AND FOREST SOUNDS

The weekend was still with cool air, a bit of rain, a bit of sun. The weekend was a cat, a summerhouse, a book, sauna. The weekend was walking bare feet, swimming in a lake, walking through forests. Landscapes turned gradually more green on my way back on Monday.

Today is very warm, today is very sunny. Today is a bicycle trip to eat an ice cream. Today is color green and today is happy.

Hopefully your day is too!

LITTLE DISAPPEARANCES OF TUESDAY

Everything is hiding today. The sun behind clouds. The new balcony flowers inside from the cold. Bird songs. The rosa thread I wanted to use for sewing this morning became brown instead. One of the rabbits hid inside a lilac bush this morning. Postman is hiding too, should bring some small news.

Maybe I could hide a bit too. Inside my jacket and a big scarf from the coldness while bicycling to the town to find some bigger painting paper. In a café from home. Inside magazine spreads from the café. Into new lands from the travel magazine spreads.

These images you may have seen earlier in my Flickr. They are from Reykjavík from the summer 2006. The girl living upstairs was hiding inside a tiger gardener. The wind hid in the grass and a small cat was hiding too but had left some small paw steps at least as the first walker on the new concrete.

Where do you like to hide today?

Lunch time, from that I do not want to hide. Bon apetit and Cheers with a tea cup!

Happy May, happy day!

NUMBERS

Every photo of me as a child has marks of cats in them. In my face. Our first cat was called Miisu, but I kept calling him Voihan Harmi, "Such A Pity".

27, still very young and still very happy. Waving to you all kind and warm greetings!

P.s. A song for a happy day (thank you Arna).

TICKLING WHISKERS OF THIS CAT

Viiru is a good guard for birds. She sings as long as someone comes to watch her and only then comes down. She shows the way to the forest and starts singing again when we are too far and it is time to turn back home. When I paint, she sleeps on my paper block or points with her paw what part should be done better. Now she takes care of my grandparents and for sure is a very happy countryside cat even though it is -20°C there. But surely she feels the coming spring as sun rays on her whiskers.

The painting was a gift for my aunt and the photos are from last May.

Hopefully you too have sunshine on your fingertips, frost blanket outside and a beet root soup boiling for lunch! Have a good Tuesday!