Suomenlinna, Finland, with two techniques.

I love Suomenlinna Fortress, situated on islands in front of Helsinki, Finland! Here are two versions, drawn on the very same place on the first island. Uppermost was drawn with ordinary pencil (I prefer HB), the lower with calligraphy felt-tip pens (I apply sizes from 1 to 3 mm). I had certain difficulties with the clouds in upper drawing - today I may draw them differently. I like to add some birds - thank you for the tip, Henrik Tikkanen!

Workshop of old colour pen drawings!

Quiet winter nights of Muuratsalo are excellent for silent work with drawings. I do not paint with oils in our home (poor ventilation, limited space etc.) but drawing on the kitchen table...that is great and very much therapeutic. Like some kind of meditation?

I have several drawings from past years which were not finished. Main reason for this situation is too careful working: what more should be done, what not...?

I follow the guidelines of educational art books and start with light colours which can the be deepened by new colours (this is the opposite way to oil painting where highlights will be set at the end). It is always possible to draw darker lines with pencils but all additions of white is impossible. This is why I always start with light shades.

There are still many dark nights left during this winter time. I love them.

Sunbathing in B&W?

This old charcoal drawing is all B&W. Does it need some colours? What do you think?

R.I.P., "Music Center" Rantala.

RANTALA was an active site for our rock band on 60's and 70's. It was an old, wooden house with two floors in Joutseno, Finland, on the shore of Lake Saimaa. We have spent several evenings, even some nights, there by playing blues and rock. The bands we respected most (and whose recordings were originally published in those years!) were THE CREAM, JOHN MAYALL, KING CRIMSON, ELP, COLOSSEUM, LED ZEPPELIN..."Those were the days", indeed!

This building has been demolished for years ago. Still missing it......

Violet and green....

Christmas time is now over, and I will wish a very good new year 2015 to every one!

The period before Christmas was relatively depressed in our family and I think that the reason was the total lack of snow! What I now wish is more that white stuff, please!

I noticed this combination of colours when checking my photos: GREEN and VIOLET!

The idea to use these two colours was not exceptionally conscious when I started to paint "Grandma's Green Tablecloth". It was a surprise to observe the very same colours on me myself! Mmmm....interesting combination or a total mistake? What do you think?

Minor Winter Exhibition by KOPRU.

A cozy new gallery called GALLERIA KOSKI was opened recently by three members of KOPRU art society, who also have their ateliers there. Eight KOPRU members have installed some of their works on this exhibition area yesterday. Some art and several art postcards are also for sale.

The address of the gallery is Savonmäentie 3, Vaajakoski, Finland. It is open weekly from Wednesday to Sunday, 13:00 - 17:00. Welcome!

- More photos soon in this blog......

Portrait of "Blink Blink Girl".

Night-time is absolutely the best time to focus on new things. Portraits have, honestly to say, not been "my business" but I started to train them last night (I am living during night-time because the darkness of Finnish late autumn - I tend to sleep during day-time).

After drawing landscapes and buildings already over 20 years, I am not afraid to seek the shapes of faces. What is difficult are the shadows and tones.

I tried to finish the shadowed areas by using a heavy pencil hand and then lighten the shadows with an eraser. This technique works but may result an uneven shadow (ref. the left-side cheek of the girl). Very thin lines may be a better solution?

I told my wife this morning that "I have spent my time with commercial girls: they have all the time of the world and they do not get angry if the final drawing isn't good".

Next I try my color pencil. Let's see....