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Why not some colour in the background tree also for Misu the cat.
Hyhky Misu, Kissanmaa Misu, Pispala Misu, Haihara Misu.
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In this painting "Not Even the Sky Is a Limit" by a Naïve Artist Petra Heikkilä (b. 1976) from Tampere a cat wearing a ballet dress is riding on a rocking horse. There is a mystic atmosphere in this painting, the sky almost black and stippled by tiny stars, colours are bluish and cold. Still, the cat quite a hilarious character with her stripy tail curled up and her head tilted. There is a small twinkle in the eyes of the cat and horse, and these are probably added lastly.
Leevi-kissakin sai väriä puuhunsa ennen linopiirroksen vedostusta. Nimet näille kuville löytyivät Tampereen kaupunginososta:
Vihiojan Leevi, Ryydynpohjan Leevi ja Olkahisen Leevi
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Leevi the cat got also some colour on her tree before printing the linocut. Names for these pictures I found from suburbs of Tampere:
Vihioja Leevi, Ryydynpohja Leevi and Olkahinen Leevi
Lisäsin muutamaan Viiru-kissaan hiukan väriä puun lehvistöön ennen linopiirroksen vedostusta. Nämäkin saivat uudet nimet Tampereen kaupunginosien mukaan:
Petsamon Viiru
Pohtolan Viiru
Polson Viiru
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I added a bit of colour on the branches before printing the linocuts of the Viiru. These cats got also their name after suburbs of Tampere:
Petsamo Viiru, Pohtola Viiru and Polso Viiru.
"Toinen tasku on tyhjä, eikä toisessakaan mitään ole". (syyskuu)
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The calendar 2023 of my linocuts is already printed. As before Timo chose a Finnish proverb (in Finnish) for every month. This calendar became shaped a bit different and new, 42 x 21 cm. Every page has now quite colourful lino & pastel picture. I was a bit in doupt if the colours will reproduce correct when printed, but the imprint by Printtaamo (A-Print) is quite super. In many of the pictures there is at the bottom a linocut of Pispala, and in the pastel sky there are a moon, birds, butterflies, cats or Northern lights. The calendar is already on sale at my Etsy shop ( https://www.etsy.com/shop/linokissa ), price with pp is 19 € (Finland), 22 € (Europe) and 27 € (elsewhere).
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Inka Hannula & Teemu Raudaskoski's exhibition of acrylic paintings at the Tahmela Villa in Tampere really sparks your imagination. What are the pictures depicting? They have abstract and round shapes and patterns, a bit like in a Rorschah test. Are the images of animals, underwater world, only the imagination and the present mood of the viewer set the boundaries. Or are the pictures presenting an atmosphere created by the movements of dancing. I know, that Inka has made paintings almost like dancing at the same time. You can not separate the maker at all in these paintings, the results are so congruent. I imagine, that when making these paintings they are turning the canvas from time to time, and the other one continues where the other one ended. And the Tahmela Villa with its café is really a nice place by the lake, stop if you happen to move around there!
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It´s still months for Christmas, but rustling paper bags are coveted by cats any time. The texts and pictures on the paper bag, high heel shoes and a shirt are left from a party. Now it´s time for cats to make some noise. The materials are delightful in this picture by Lesley Fotherby (b. 1946): wood grains on a chair, texture of the rug, folds of the paper bag and the striped shirt.
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I added now small linocut birds to this lino & pastel work, also some of the newest small bird stamps. At the time of the death of Elisabeth II I saw in newspapers photos of gorgeous double rainbows over the Buckingham Palace. Those pictures might have given the inspiration for this picture. Well, there is no palace at the bottom but wooden houses of Pispala and the stairway to heaven. The picture id quite large: 50 x 60 cm. The name for this picture is from Juice Leskinen’s song Autumn: ”Oasis in the Wilderness Of Love”.
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A bunch of clouds remained in the sky when I coloured the inner side of the rainbow more bright and yellow that the rest of the sky. Over the rainbow there came birds. You don't always remember with linocuts that when printed they are mirror images. So I modeled birds on the "wrong" side of the sky, the birds flying on the right side are left and vise versa - well, it's easy to mend.
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This stage is always the hardest one when starting to make a pastel sky. It feels like almost impossible, that there would be any real sky. The picture is also rather large, 60 cm wide. But I managed to get the lingonberry porridge coloured sky in pretty good shape - forwards!
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I saw in newspapers during the death of Elisabeth II pictures of the Buckingham Palace, and over the palace there was bending a gorgeous double rainbow. Fine pictures! Why not the same view also over Pispala? Well, to my mind quite many of Pispala houses are just great than the Buckingham Palace. I outlined the rainbow´s shapes in the sky with a piece of thread. Next the pastels!
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In this drawing by Jacky Fleming (b. 1955), a cartoonist from London, a friend on the left has come to visit and meets cat owner. The visitor makes a stupid question:" Is this a child substitute?". The owner the cat answers:"No, it´s a domestic cat".
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I made some new small linocuts of birds for stamps, which I seem often to use with bigger pastel 6 linocut works. A few small ones always fly among the bigger birds. These are sized only about 3 x 3 cm. I clued the linos on the corks of bubbling wine bottles, so they are easier to print.
