BIRCH WOODEN FENCE

A little snowstorm after sunny days. The light is still so enchanting, even through the snow. Balcony is filled already with grape hyacinths, one crocus and one daffodil. This song is like the weather today, whitening every moment, crispy and soft the same time. Fearless.

Radio is on, it is still early morning where it hums from. Songs for the sea and seamen, songs for the ones behind mountains. Songs that are surrounded by much lower birch trees.

Wooden Fence from a few years back as a wall mural, duvet cover and pillow cases for Urban Outfitters, available now. To make a little birch forest inside your home. Hopefully you enjoy!

A little feature about my work in the new Finnish children's magazine Kidd.O Magazine (in English).

Thank you so much for visiting here and for your kind words! You are so many out there, all over the world.

Springtime snowstorm warmth!


(All the photos are by Urban Outfitters.)

L'OURS ET LE SOLEIL, A BOOK ABOUT A WINTER ADVENTURE

Hello December! Winter is here and the landscape is covered in whiteness, softness and silence. Children play and here and there snowmen appear. Snowmen or snow animals. Small lights appear on windows early afternoon as the darkness arrives. Chimneys on the roofs of houses blow narrow breaths of smoke from warming and glowing bonfires.

It is my pleasure to show you my second illustrated book. L'Ours et Le Soleil is a book about siblings Sigrid and Peter and their winter adventure through forests and mountains. The story is an adapted version of L'ours qui avait pris le soleil by Paul-Jacques Bonzon. The book includes also a cd with the story as a musical fairy tale performed by Domitille and Amaury de Crayencour. Published together by naïve and Jacadi in French.

Secrets of forests in the snow.

A long journey with new friends.

The wintery landscape and the sun shining so low, until it disappears completely. A few festive dresses by Jacadi.

A story for the small and a bit older too. The book is available through Amazon and here too. Hopefully you enjoy it!

What a lovely weekend it has been with friends. Takk ♥ to everyone around! Last night a winter storm was knocking on the windows and this morning many trees seemed to be fallen. Wishing that the weather freezes the ground quickly so the trees with their roots can manage through the strong winter winds.

Happy December playing in the snow, stay warm!


(The design of the book cover by Jacadi & naïve, the 4th and 5th photo by Jacadi & naïve.)

THE KALEVALA, A MUSICAL TOY

In 1835 was published the first version of the Finnish national epic, Kalevala. It is a story about the creation of the world and adventure of witches and nature, collected and compiled from oral folklore by physician and philologist Elias Lönnrot.

He made eleven field trips to collect the stories from people. Väinämöinen is one of the main characters of the epic, singing magically and playing a kantele that he built of the jawbones of a pike. There are also a bear, a swan, boats, the god of the sky Ukko, singing contests, a magical talisman and many great journeys.

In 2010 my friends Oliver Blank and Kalle Karjalainen had the idea about making a small musical toy and interactive painting about this great story. It took a little while. This summer we received a small fund for it, thank you for that Kalevala Korun Kulttuurisäätiö! Today you can finally see the app and download it for free for your iPhone or iPad.

Hopefully you enjoy it! 

Happy melodies of a rainy day. ♥

The Kalevala, an interactive painting and musical toy

Concept and music by Oliver Blank

Illustrations by Anna Emilia Laitinen

Programming by Kalle Karjalainen

(The photos are by Mr. Oliver Blank.)

...

Heippa! 

Pieni sovelmamme, The Kalevala, on viimein saatavilla täältä.

Onnellista sateenropinaa!

SUNDAY SWIMMINGS

In the pool, while swimming, the sun rays were glimmering. Outside snow was sparkling. The sun warmed through windows and the water was turquoise.

Surprise visitors from behind a sea, beautiful music and long breakfasts. Many smiles.

Happy February! Helmikuu, Pearl Month. Helmikuu helistää, February rattles. February is the coldest month in Finland. Pearls appear on tree branches as the sun starts to shine more, it warms and melts the snow to raindrops and the evening cold freezes them again. Ice pearls are hanging on all tree branches.

Have a sweet beginning for the new week!

NORTHERN HUT IN A TREE, IN TENNESSEE

Morning tea in candle light. Yellow leaves glittering on dark wet asphalt. Like reflections of the stars from the sky. Slowly the day breaks. Small patches of pale blue sky. 

Almost a year ago, Erin Rae wrote to ask if any of my paintings were available for her first EP cover. The 16th of October Crazy Talk will be published with Tree House on its cover. Meanwhile you can listen Erin´s music here. Going Away video is like a postcard from Nashville, Tennessee where this small Northern hut in a tree has traveled. Congratulations Erin!

Tree House available also as a print.

Morning bicycle ride to the post office, who did send me a surprise package?

Have a sweet day!

(Painting by me, design by Erin Rae and The Meanwhiles.)

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!

RAINDROP NOTES

The wind and rain outdoors play the most magical instruments. Anything they touch becomes a small echo. Anything they pass, becomes a small note. A cup of tea in left hand, a sketching pen in right one. Light is disappearing, candle flame dances inside shadows. These gray days the colors sleep.

Tiger In A Jar made this beautiful video of a cozy place to spent time, a dinner table. With the first issue of Kinfolk magazine with my painting. Music by Oliver Blank. I think he collects raindrops for his music too.

Silent songs and a little more of apples and that darkest chocolate.

P.s. A small edition of greeting cards is in my shop. A pack of 7 different cards with white envelopes.

(Screenshots from a movie by Tiger In A Jar.)

TASTE OF LAST SUMMER

Strawberries were filled with the sweetness of the sun and they were all around the house. The grass tickled toes while walking to pick a handful or a branch of rhubarb. The water in the forest pond was just perfect to swim and forget the hot air for a few minutes. A few days I was upstairs of my grandparents´ painting a tiger with heterochromia.

Today the postman brought this taste of last summer. It is an album by Lars Ludvig Löfgren and the illustrations are made by me. The originals can be seen here and here.

The winter is still very precious and I want to keep it but it was lovely to feel the summer for a small moment. Happy Monday!

Edit:

P.s. Here is a review of the cd and a nice compliment of my work, thank you so much!

P.p.s The design is by great Häleri.