GOLDEN, SILVER

Everything has been golden lately. Raking yellow leaves at the summerhouse.

Night storm and sound of waves rising the stones. Morning so calm, like mirror the lake. Hello clouds!

Scent of fire and chimneys with smoke. Squirrel on the roof. Swans in the sky and swimming in the lake.

Frost layers. Swimming under a starry sky in the evening. Running back to the warmth of sauna.

Patchwork of trees.

In different patterns. 

Ant paths, pulling frozen mushrooms from soft moss pillows.

Gold on silver layer.

Bagfuls of gold.

Today everything turned to silver. Floating gentle snow. Then real snowing. A light cover of snow here and there. 

Hello winter!

BONFIRE COFFEE, IN FOREST

Autumn, so colourful, pinching nose with some colder temperatures. The sound of yellow and orange aspen tree leaves in wind. Handfuls of lingonberries on soft moss pillows.

Forest paths so inviting. Ceiling so high, walls not existing. Shadows and glimmer of tree and rock fields.

Bonfire to make it a real living room.

On the way, here and there.

Times of ice age and how it formed the landscape.

Secret codes, arrangements. New and old. Growing and fading again.

The stories about swamps and how everything could be lost inside. 

And then this moment. The smell. The taste. The slow rattle of fire. The forest in your coffee cup, the waving tree tops.

Slowly the aspen leaves are flying in the wind and the ceiling becomes more naked and higher. Before the stars are turned on, walking the forest paths back home.

Thank you so much for your kind comments about the Jacadi illustrations!

The mist has wrapped everything inside it outdoors today. Like looking at a white wall. Slowly it starts to open its curtains and colours appear from the other side of the small lake. 

Have a beautiful day!

FIRST WINTER BITES

Last winter, I had the honour to paint winter stories for Jacadi Paris. The collection for little ones is now available. There are a frosty forest all-over pattern and many small little winter animals to accompany the long dark winter months.

The little hedgehog who still is searching for a perfect pile of dried leaves to get cozy for the winter's sleep.

There are four different blouses or dresses with Frost Forest pattern.

One and two.

A little bit of small accessories.

Soft warm sleeves with little forest animals.

The hedgehog walking tiny steps through a forest of rustling leaves.

And the leaves that rustle also on branches. And on someone's antlers.

More soft and warm to wrap around when the colder winds blow.

And a little peek to the future with mountains and snow.

Three and four. Hopefully all the little dancing feet are ready to celebrate the arrival of winter.

You can find the whole collection in the French online shop and partly also in the US online shop.

Can you believe, that it was already snowing here last week? It was such a sunny and cold day. And one moment there were the most beautiful snowflakes floating in the air. It lasted just a little moment. Always magical moment.

Happy October, stay warm!

(The photos by Jacadi Paris.)

CASA DI FIABA, HOUSE OF FABLE

Home is where your heart is. Or your heart is where your home is. Fire burns where your home is, so your home is also where the fire burns. Home is filled with dreams and magic. Home is where it is nice to leave from, but even better to get back to. Sometimes a home is carried with you. A home on wheels.

It is my pleasure to show the first children's book that I illustrated: a poem about homes and different kinds of houses by Giovanna Zopoli, published by lovely Topipittori.

Home, hem, hjem, heim, Haus, casa, kodu, koti, domicile. All so different, but protecting and comforting. Such a big sorrow to loose a home. Such a force to build a new one. All the history of one house and its tenants. Our nests.

Maybe not such a big surprise anymore which kind is my dream home. Friends know it best: "You indeed would be a high and narrow, wooden one!" What kind of house you would like to be?

Thank you, grazie, Giovanna and Paolo for this wonderful journey through homes! 

The book, in Italian, is available here. Hopefully you enjoy!

Sunday, jazz playing in my radio. Sunny rain shower caressing windows. Candles burning, no hurry anywhere. Autumn favourite, pea soup boiling. Home is today filled with a light that has the hues of autumn. Brush strokes with the colour of warm orange and book reading moments on the sofa, wrapped in wool.

Calm autumn coloured Sunday wishes!

P.s. Almost one year ago.

SUMMER CONTINUED II

Observing glimmering particles with friends. Landscape like in space, twinkling everywhere.

Golden sunset fields through bus windows.

Emerald forests of magic.

Reading green scribbles on a glimmering beach.

Water reflections.

More soft woolly underwater carpets.

The wind was strong in a lighthouse that was middle of a city.

Peeking underground gardens.

Dinner by a windy landscape.

Now baskets full of mushrooms and lingonberries, warming fire and the comfort of its rattle. A few golden rays through tree trunks.

Calm forest greetings!

SUMMER CONTINUED

Little travels with dear friends in the North Sea. Sunny, golden sparkles everywhere. Underwater carpets with gentle waves.

Peeking welcomers, white peaks.

Jules, a rescue seal welcoming on the shore. Almost as relaxed as a bit Northern cousin.

A bird island, a lighthouse island. A sunny island. A bunny island.

Golden towers, warm sea breaths.

Miniature forests.

And how it would look like when the sun sets and the storm starts. Fog signals on each end of the island.

Two lighthouses blinking. Messages through storms and darkness.

Still summer, though most of the birds had gone. A few swimmers, shags. A few swallows. Mostly silent.

Meadow island. Sea scents.

And a fresh water loch with a view. Golden glimmering everywhere.

Today the autumn arrived. Soft long sleeves, pitch black starry skies. Swimming in a lake watching the Milky Way. Happy September!

MAY BOUQUET IN A CLOUDY LATE SUMMER'S DAY

Sunny days, coffee in the harbour, long bicycle trips on hills and around lakes. Wrapped inside a woollen blanket when the sun sets, gazing the small lake from my balcony. The scent of fresh late summer evenings, with almost ripen apples from all directions. The scent of fire as people start to heat their houses with fireplaces, smoke curling up from chimneys.

Here the autumn is close, in my summer holiday destination the sun sets for the first time in four months tomorrow. On the other side of the world, the spring arrives. 

The first peonies in old pink and succulents in spring green are colouring the landscape of sunshine and warm winds. Warmest congratulations to R & G in Paris, who ordered this custom painting for their wedding invitation ♥ 

You can find a few prints of this painting in my small online shop.

Clouds on the sky, shadows hiding. Colours of today on my painting table are mint green, ice blue and rowen orange.

Second pot of green tea, calm wishes!