My drawing table

I will tell shortly about my working manners. I prefer to draw during night-time (whenever it is possible). Day-time is too confusing and I cannot reserve several hours' period for these tasks before midnight.

Drawing with the left hand is somehow challenging because the tendency to progress from left to right (as we western people tend to write). Sometimes it is better to start from the right side of the picture and progress to the left but - very often - I will forget it and need a rubber to clean "extra colors". Drawing gets even more difficult when I use ink-based tools (fountain pen, calligraphy felt-tip pens). Better to remember the working direction and - at least - let the ink on the left dry before the continuation of the drawing to the right. This is why also keep all the pens on the left side of the table.

Some additional tools are also needed: a coffeepot, a cup and a my old SELENA short-wave radio, which has served me in an excellent way during the years gone.

Sketch of a dog

A rapidly drawn sketch of a dog - a study for a more extensive drawing. Night-time is suitable for this kind of precise work, especially during dark Finnish winter time.

Isola, Slovenia

A warm summer day in 2007. The neighborhood of the hotel was hiding behind trees and bushes - everything green! This B&W picture was drawn by me just before the strong thunderstorm attacked the small city of Isola in the evening: lightning and rain vere really heavy!

"Under the volcano cloud"

The last holiday trip to Crete was most exciting because the volcanic eruption in Island happened on the very same week as our trip took place. Total stop of air traffic from/to Crete led to an extended holiday period of 1,5 weeks and allowed some extra walking in the surroundings of the hotel, some 20 km westward from Hania. This color pencil landscape was finished by me not before last week when some small but still importand details were refined. - I will thank my teacher Minna who helped me significantly in this task!

Mr. Pumpkin

A relatively small pumpkin from my garden. Drawing was made with color pencils.

Final step of Slovenia landscape

The long-lasting work with Slovenia landscape is now finished. It reflects the "constructivity" which I try to avoid in the future - much more "impressionism" is needed, I think.

Harvest time has begun!

Harvest time has already begun! Fresh mushrooms are available for free in Finnish forests. Onions and carrots also are soon ready to exit the garden soil. Autumn is coming!

Happy Fisherlady in Finland and Norway

Here are two pictures presenting Happy Fisherlady in Finland (color) and Norway (B&W).
The benefits of calligraphy pens, 1 to 3 mm, are obvious: they are easy to use and they give various widths of lines. Color pencils can then easily be applied to B&W drawings on site or afterwards.

On the southern shore of Crete, "Under the volcanic cloud"

The annual exhibition of KOPRU is now over. Hundreds of visitors have seen a wide variety of paintings, drawings and sculptures by several artists during two August weeks. This landscape was also presented in this event. I will thank Juhani for his efforts to prepare a digital record of it. I am planning to order some postcards of my works where Eira will help me - choosing the right ones will still be to done by me.

The web pages of KOPRU are also under construction; more about this issue in next posts.

There are still summer 2011 days left!

We very often forget to follow the nice details of the nature. I was washing my car (!) when noticed these grasses beneath our parking place. Keep your eyes open...

Pencil, colored pencils, charcoal, felt-tip calligraphy pens...

These are the most common tools of mine when drawing landscapes. This old drawing presents the view from the window of our summer cottage. Reaching westwards, it shows the most impressive cloud formations and sunsets - the colors of this drawing are, by the way, really realistic!

KOPRU Exhibition 2011 in Vaajakoski, Wanha Woimala!

The annual KOPRU exhibition is open until 21.8.2011. Many new pieces of art - with various techniques - are still to be seen on this week. Art gallery Wanha Woimala is easy to reach - just drive to the island Naissaari (some 10 km from the Jyväskylä city eastward). The admission is free, but you may like to by / order something from the artists? You can also win an art calendar by KOPRU for next year by participating in the vote of new calendar images. Welcome!

The summer 2011 has started! Birds are singing during the early morning hours, everything turns green and nights get shorter all the time. It is therefore time to start drawing because the Annual Exhibition of KOPRU will be opened already on the 2nd week of August and something new shall be produced.

A short moment on a busy late autumn day

Late autumn day - first snow has covered the trees on the hills beneath our village. The shape of a lonely birch in front of serious-looking, quiet spruces woke me from my thoughts, however. I stopped my car and took this photo with the simple camera of my mobile phone.

You may not have always time to stop your journey and begin to draw. What you still can do is to pick this kind of emotional views, how simple they may be, and continue with your paints and pencils whenever you have time - still keeping the original emotion of the moment involved in your imagination. This may be the only way during busy winter months but, when the summer begins to knock on your door, you can take all your tools with you again and go to the forests, lakes, rivers...so must it be.