MORNINGS OF COLOR COPPER

Early sunrises with mystical mist. It hides everything, the world ends behind the balcony if being early enough, tiptoeing to wake up with the mist. One can imagine that the balcony is a boat, drifting on an open sea, in an unknown world. Where would it crash?

Stretching while tea water boils. Breakfast of blueberries, raspberries, apples from an apple garden next to a yellow house, and seeds. Bread of my mother. Stretching a bit more and then eating with a huge newspaper on the floor. Mailman is very kind, I never ordered the newspaper.

Painting. Packing books. Having tea in the square market café when dropping the parcels to the post office. Talking about the pollen of bees with a bearded man selling honey in another square market. Another tea in the market hall with a lingonberry-lover-boy and his mother to prolong the visit in the town. The sun shines lower than a few weeks ago and turns everything in copper. Streets filled with chatter again, is it the new season making people happy?

Old work published in a book, finally arrived. A letter from a dear friend is read many many times. Can you see the crocodile under the bear? Hugs to dear both of you U & V, a letter will arrive to you soon.

Hugs to everyone else too, have a happy Tuesday!

FOREST TEAROOM

Good morning dear all of you,

Wind is making somersaults and blowing in cold whispers. Light has vanished from early mornings. The first layer of yellow leaves is softening steps on afternoon walks. Evenings come with a candle light.

My book, Proof of Winter is added to the shop. “I started to battle against winter because I wanted to be friends with it. ...As preparation I cut a wind-proof haircut. Wherever it would blow from now, my hair would not be on my face.” More pictures of the book in my Flickr.

Have a small walk in the forest and find to my small tearoom. Have a cup of tea and enjoy the landscape and the warmth of firewood with me. Have a good September, have a happy weekend!

SCENT OF HARVEST

Postwoman has been ringing my doorbell with parcels this week. The first one came over the seas and oceans from Kerstin. Books and a soft treasure to keep company for my teapot. Thank you! Second one came from Sweden, a Finnish magazine Maalaisunelma (Nr 7 2010) featured my sprout paintings (1 & 2).

Balcony door stays closed, yellow leaves cannot be counted anymore. Birds are flying more, practicing for longer journeys. Singing of jackdaws is back, loving it as afternoon surprises. After summer´s bicycle trips, now walking is the nicest way to reach tea, markets, post office and this evening maybe a concert, the last outdoor movie and an exhibition. Clouds covering the sky, walking makes the world visible only piece by piece, more concentrated, more comforting.

Tomorrow a train trip to the strawberry fields. The season is over, but hopefully there are lingonberries in the forests around. Continuing to knit a huge pile of black wool, reading a book. But before that, an unfinished painting is waiting.

Forest scent weekend wishes to you, thank you for stopping by!

With paintbrush strokes,

Anna Emilia

(Photo in the third picture by Shari Altman.)

PATHS TO WONDER, TALK, AND SEE, OR TO BE SILENT

Good morning dear all of you,

This morning is very cold. Nose is frozen. Autumn is for walks with a hot cup of coffee or tea in hands. With my dear friend we have done that a lot the last years, in different countries with wonderful views on the way. Cats, birds, trees, ponds, parks, forests, hills, sleeping beaches snoring. Villages, gardens, farms, business streets. Dogs and markets. Always sketchbooks in our bags with some provisions. To walk I could forever.

These pictures are from Reykjavík in 2006. A bright orange coffee house was our living room, hot pots with old men boiling in them like soups in the swimming pools for the evenings or early mornings.

Maybe I am a bit too early with the autumn, it is still August. At least two layers of long sleeves can be finally tried on in the early mornings. The sky is also changing its palette to a bit colder tones.

Have a walk, a long one today!

Hearts,

Anna Emilia

A CROW SITTING ON THEIR SHOULDERS

Surprised by someone from childhood. An old neighbor of a neighbor of a neighbor of a neighbor said hello on Friday. I did not recognize him, but he recognized me. To think about it, I probably look exactly the same as 15-20 years ago. They were three boys and one girl, a crippled crow was their pet, we raced bikes on the sandy roads and ate tens of cinnamon buns as our parents were talking about things in our small village. Days were always sunny.

Reading by the lake of Pyhäjärvi, yesterday being surprised by another friend by accident. Unplanned tea in the arboretum, bicycling under clouds, eating in a house where leaves covered one of the high walls outdoors.

An allotment house for rainy seasons. An end of summer bracelet of clovers and other grass plants tied under a birch tree on another Sunday.

More clothes to be wrapped inside for todays tea under the windy birch tree, accompanied with knitting needles and sketch book.

Have a warm Sunday dear all of you!

YELLOW ON ITS WAY

Hello dear all of you,

It was one more weekend of summer, bicycling up and down, around lakes and to a touching outdoor movie under dark blue sky with starlight on a hill of pastel colored wooden houses. Dark nights feel like a soft cotton cover around, it makes everything comfortable and silent after the summer light. Everything goes to sleep again. This morning the wind was very cold. A few leaves of the birch tree nearby have turned to yellow. Bye bye color green, it has been wonderful to have you around!

Last spring while I was waiting the first rain to arrive, my brushes were painting portraits, bonfire, handwriting and driftwood. There were "dark" and "fire" to be followed, I thought of nightly lakes. It all became album art for Holmes.

How was your weekend? Have a comfortable new week of August!

BLACK AND WHITE UNDER A STARRY NIGHT

Last night in a backyard of a café, just when the stars started to blink on the darkening sky, an old movie projector was turned on. Rattling and stopping a few times, hands holding a heating drink. It was a very beautiful outdoor movie moment and the first time to wrap the most comfortable scent of woolen clothes around shoulders.

This morning a second breakfast in the allotment garden after bicycling with a new flower, cyclamen. Drawing and feeling the summer of the days, thinking of the autumn of the evenings.

From Orchards, Fields and, Gardens by Kerstin is available very soon, I am honored to have my painting and handwriting on its cover. Thank you Kerstin! There are many beautiful thoughts and talented people enclosed inside these covers.

Sweet Jenna made an interview with me, thank you so much!

Early mornings with many new thoughts, stretching and dreaming about a house in a tree, a boat or on wheels. Blueberries and red currants.

Afternoon tea break greetings!

(First image and design by Kerstin Svendsen.)