*******
We really have got enough of summer rain! So I could not resist the temptation to make a pastel sky with a rainbow over Pispala linocut. The beginning seems quite miserable.
***********
I visited in Haihara Art Center an exhibition in the main building: Riikka Lenkkeri (b.1971) "Afternoon in the Studio". Large paintings of Lenkkeri´s husband were magnificent, fine colours, compositions, beds and the folds of a blanket. There were also at the exhibition paintings of plants, portraits, some of them seemed to be unfinished like in a real studio. And one corner was filled with a stack of paintings or empty backings. In this exhibition you could sense the atmosphere of the studio, birth of ideas, endless over painting, the changing of the painting. When is a painting actually ready? In the barn building (Talli) there were mainly photographs, and they didn´t click after Lenkkeri, but Anni Aapro´s series of syanotypes was interesting.
************
English Astrid Harrisson (b. 1979) has specialized photographing horses on her travels around the globe, but also other animals. In this picture there is a cat Singapura, perhaps from Singapore. The colours are beautiful gray, silvery. The cat is looking a bit frightened Singapura is ready to jump up and away.
****************
I took more my cards to Interi´s summer shop in Haihara Art Center, Kaukajärvi, and at the same time I saw in the back room a beautiful glass exhibition by Tampereen lasikilta ry. Stained glass works were charming, and the green nature of Haihara was reflecting trough the glass. Mirva Hirtolahti had made the spikes in her hedgehog´s back with sticks, combination of sculpture and stained glass. Margit Hakanen´s mosaic sculpture of a fish and her three dimensional light cupboard were delicious. And there were a lot different colourful glass pictures and plates. This must have been the best Tampereen Lasikilta`s exhibition I have seen, and the dark log interior was fit for glass.
**************
I still coloured by hand the linocut bird on the right upper corner of the picture - red. Let this Milky Way be ready now. The bottom part is two linocuts of the bigger four-part linocut Battle Of the Towers. And there are really towers: from Pispala shot tower to Pyynikki observation tower, even the already demolished old jumping hill Hoppa with its control tower.The sky with the Milky Way with the stars is a pastel drawing. This was fun to make, and it was done about the same time when there were pictures from the outer space from a new telescope. The size of this linocut & pastel is 50 x 60 cm. I named this one after Juice´s lyrics from a song Laulu vain (Only Song):
And the song, it flew to the world
it flew, with its own wings
************
I visited again with a small group of friends at the Naïve Artists in Iiittala summer 2022 exhibition. And there still is so much to see! In this exhibition there are works by 50 naïve artists surely almost 500 and the lobby shop is full of naïve art. This is not even the last time I will visit this exhibition this summer - I think.
***********
Two cats are sitting on the arm of an armchair. They are watching clearly in approval at the woman sprawling on the chair. Perhaps she has come from a party with a mask on her eyes and in high heels, even long cloves on her hands. But the evening has ended quite badly judging from bottles and a glass hanging from her hand. Where is the cat´s breakfast? And what are those green labelled and corked plastic bottles, they seem like some bleach.
************
A linocut bird appeared in the pastel sky of the MIlky Way. I think I will still colour the wings of the bird. Continuing...
************
What is a Milky Way without stars. So I added stars in my pastel sky with soft pastel and pastel pens. Big and smaller, now there seems to be enough. Continuing...
************
I printed side by side two upper parts of my linocut of Battle Of the Towers. And here really are some towers: from Pispala shot tower to Pyynikki observation tower. There is enough space in sky even for a Milky Way and a bird. I started to sketch the Milky Way from lighter hues with soft pastels, and then there will be blue and violet shades. Continuing....
**************
************
When visiting Emil Cedercreutz Museum in Harjavalta I bought two cat cards in their lobby shop. They are both silhouette images made by Emil Cedercreutz (1879-1949). Both cats are depicted from behind, and especially the one with a wagging tail is lively. The other one has small patterns on her neck and tail. Cutting silhouette images was popular from the 1700´s before photographing , and some people developed their skill into art and the images were made very fast, they were sometimes competing at the speed. Emil Cedercreutz was Finland´s most famous silhouette artist.
*****************
A soft pink light came into the skyline. There are a lot of small heart-shaped cumulus clouds. Five cats are sitting on a bench in Pyynikki natural part, highest point. The bottom part is a linocut and the clouds soft pastel. I added still a few birds printed with lino stamps in between the clouds. The size of the picture is 50 x 30 cm. The name came to mind from a song by Dave: That's What It's All About... Just Only Love!
Seuraavaksi suuntaan taas Iittalaan iloiseen taidepäivään sunnuntaina 10.7.2022 demoamaan linopiirroksen tekoa ja myymään kortteja ja muuta pikkutavaraa. Päivä on Helena Schjefbeckin syntymäpäivä ja se juhlistaa taiteen tekoa.
*************
 |
| Petra Heikkilä |
Next I´m heading to Iittala again to a fun art day next Sunday, July 10th 2022 to demonstrate making linocuts and selling cards and other small trifle. The day is Helena Schjerfbeck´s birth day, celebrating making art.
 |
Minna Iso-Lähteenmäki |
 |
Luciana Mariano |
 |
Kati Mikola |
 |
Anne Leppänen |
