WINTER BLUES

Happy second of November, filled with the blues from my painting table.

Do you ever get entertained by your dreams? This week I have been seeing some very strong dreams. One was about a volcano, which was a door. To leave a house of a friend I had to swim inside a volcano, dive under to a cave in it that took me to an ocean. It was the only way to get in and out. But the volcano was a friendly one, filled with water only. Very cold water though, I was swimming in my winter clothes!

Dream from last night was about a huge boat, which was more like a moving landscape in a sea. Or a floating city in water that a sailor was navigating. There were streets and parks in that boat, and the boat was floating among a usual sea landscape. Islands and open water. Just before the dream finished, I remember being aft of that ship, where the floor was made of empty canisters (it was kind of difficult to stand on them), caressing whales swimming by. The greatest of adventures, movies or theater plays of night time.

The last weeks I have been awake very early. That makes me very hungry very early. That makes my afternoon break very early. Happy cardamom coffee time with a fresh newspaper! Happy winter time!

Edit: This painting, Frost Garden on My Window is now in the shop as a print.

LIGHT DISAPPEARING, COMFORT INCREASING

Mornings are long, turning my head to see behind the lake once in a while if the day arises soon. The summer room (also known as a balcony) has been changed to a winter room. Spruce branches, moss accompanied with loud singers on the lake, winged ones. They have some new friends and I guess it is just about drawing their lines in the water to show the borders of homes of each of them.

Autumnal book Fridays continue. Yesterday after a slightly rainy bicycle trip with a warmer jacket and a woolen scarf wrapped around, a postman gave me a book, Illustrators Unlimited by Gestalten (, have you seen their space?). Back at home after hanging all those warmer clothes to dry and with a cup of tea in hand, the book took me to many new worlds. Always so much to learn and observe. Pages filled with adventures. First autumnal book Friday here. This Friday continues with binding a new sketchbook, making a new calendar behind it.

Have a good and warm weekend with apple and cinnamon scents.

(Book cover illustration in the first photo by Irana Douer. Paintings in the pictures: Apple Blossom Meadow, Meadow Picnic, Claude Monique, Sipping The Sea Of Green Tea, Garden House, At Pyhäjärvi Lake, Tea For Five, In Feather Islands, Balance, Hairstorm, Dreaming. Some of them are still available as original paintings, Apple Blossom Meadow also as a print in my shop, three prints left.)

SOMEONE SWEET (AND FURRY)

During the weekend a small visitor took care of me. He took me around the lake, every step in yellow leaves. We barked to the small and waved tails to the big ones crossing our paths.

This autumn is the same time very busy and very slow. A lot is happening, the same time there are moments to breath deeply while napping. The town seems to be like that too when its inhabitants collect things and prepare everything for winter. Still no snow clouds in sight. Many candle lights.

Do you owe something to someone? I do. A hug to a friend. Who sent me tea from Iceland.

To you all, hearts.

CLOUDS DANCING

A cake with dates, blueberries, dark chocolate in the oven. Welcome for an afternoon tea. Cold weather, warm woolen socks. Lime green tea. Outside a movie of changing light as the clouds dance by. Light blue with cyan, paper white, cotton yellow, gray of ash. Colors of the sky.

Stay warm, have a calm weekend!

P.s. Some of the prints in my shop are sold out soon. Thank you kindly for the orders so far!

P.p.s. These are the results of printing with cardboard. The plate which was carved and the prints.

WARMTH OF LAST WEEK

Sunsets, Le Havre, early mornings, print making with cardboard, winter birds on window sills, streets to walk endlessly, Bert Jansch.

On cold sunny evenings that lake monster wakes up. It is changing its form now, like the leaves in trees fly away. To winter fur. It is long like a dragon, such a foreign thought up here in the North. Surrounding the lake, as long as the reflection lasts, drawing its lines. Enjoying the sight, before it will all be covered up in a snow and ice blanket. Still a few rowing boats in the middle or on its edges. Is the lake monster sleeping after all, not caring of the rowers.

Last year, two days ago, the first snow landed.

How was your week?

Kind whispers, warm thoughts to your new week!

MADE WITH LOVE, MADE WITH HANDS

Last week a beautiful book was waiting in the post office, on a sunny day, bicycling. The book is The New Artisans by Olivier Dupon, published by Thames & Hudson. It is a collection of artists that do with their hands what they love. So honored to be part of it. Susie Cowie, Siba Sahabi, just to make a curtsey to a few of my favorites on the same pages.

A train ticket in my pocket, going to heat sauna and bake pizza for the weekend. Strong winds, they warn. Have a safe and calm weekend! Hearts to your sweet words!

(The book cover image in the first photo by Puddin'head. Picture in the third photo on the left upper corner by Atsuko Ishii.)

60, GREETINGS TO UNDER PALM TREES

Happy birthday dear Mother! Warm winds there where palm trees sway, the sea is like bird´s milk and olive and citrus trees bloom with their fruits. Pleasant walks, garden dreams!

See you in the weekend!

xxx