There is something about flowers

Everlasting flowers


It's so long time I have done anything in my blog, but now I have such a wonderful project which I love to share with You.
Last summer I got a ceramic own and I started to make jewelry. It's so fascinating to play with colors and forms.
I started with flowers and now I have something to show you.

Flowers are my endless inspiration 

The first pieces I made last summer

The silken ribbons I have in all the colors and shedes 

I love to tie leaves and colored flowers together

I spent the whole March in Portugal which was a macing trip into a striking colorful world!

Trying all kind of combinations.

I never liked to use red or other bright and strong colors but somehow I absorbed all of it and love it.

After Portugal I made so colorful things.

Look at my shoes!

You can make endless variations with flowers leaves and ribbons. 

Sunset in Azinheida dos Barros, under the olive tree. In Monte das Hortas.

I was so charmed by the handcrafted things. My hand made woolly socks. 

Coffee in our rented old country house.

The spring was early this year. I picked first spring flowers from the meadow outside the garden.

The first step is to form flowers from clay.

Useful tools for working.

Last summer in our country house in Perniö.

THE OVEN. And my little helpers, Vili (in the picture) and Jeppe, Norwich terriers.

Les is not More in my Sister's House

It's all about details

When you step into my sister's house you enter to an other world. You can see so many things from so many countries, times and cultures that you cannot believe your eyes. Most of the items are part of my sister's and her husband's work: Lasse is a documantar film maker and my sister Eila makes animation movies. 

They live next to me in a big wooden house, which was built 1980. The architect Pekka Linkola designed the house both for living and working.

Last week when I visited them the light was so soft and wintery that I wanted to take some pictures. I had only  my iPone, so the quality is not good but never mind. The atmosphere was special. 

Eila promised me that I can show the pics in my blog, 

so welcome!

Big windows open the wiev to the inner patio. Teepots and jugs are for use, Eila and Lasse like to drink  a lot of tea.

 TEila's study wiev. She loves to make ceramics. The old jug she made many years ago.

Eila's study wall is covered with drawings of the coming project. The golden mirror reflects the light beutifully.

 

 A drawing of a garden lion for the next project.

    

The stairs. Upstairs there are liwing and working areas. Downstairs are badhroom, sauna, filmlaboratio and the store. The family has two cats, Tippa and Kuikka.

Upstairs badroom and Eila's litlle things.

Lasse has red walls in his studyroom. Eila has made the paining and the relief is a detail study of my father's relief. 

Lasse's study window. The Tiffany -styled lamp is made by a family friend Annukka Ritalahti

Lasse's old, sweet cat 

Lasse's study is full of newspapers, pictures, children's drawings, books...

Memory from Cuba, Lasse was spending some time there when he was a young documentarist. 

A happy Dolphin on Lasse's table.

Dark side

Winter is coming

This time of the year I usually go down to the deep depressoin. But not this time. I love the darkening evenings and feel supraisingly energetic. My colors are getting also darker and dimmer and it looks so beutiful.

Black is forming figures softly, you can feel the lines and shapes rather than see them clearly.     

Midsummernight

The Summerlight is so mild

These few days at the end of June are so heartbreakingly beutifull and special because we know it's soon over and gone. But now the night is too wonderful to sleep.
These fracile landscape pictures I took outside of my weekend house in Perniö at one a'clock at night.

Back to the basics

Iiris, my new challenge


My retirement period had lasted about half a year when I was asked to do fashion for a new and different kind of magazine.

The concept was so temptating that I couldn't say no. Iiris is a monthly life-time magazine for 50+ people. It's elegant, honest, culturel, clever and very high-profiled. Just for me!

My atelier is a part time photographer-studio every now and then.

For the April issue I painted a background for the white shirt photos, which was our theme that time.

It was a big piece of white cotton! At first, I thought about painting it with latex matte paints, but the watercolors turned out to be the best solution. Even though it took a long time to do it.  

Towards the center I changed the blue tones to shady violet shades and light pink and went back to blue shades at the other end.

I attached the cloth to my father's relief board and painted it while standing on the table.

White with blue... white with yellow, red and black... with lots of water.

My inspiration was the sea, the sky and old walls. It will look great with white shirts.

Sometimes the preparation stage is the best part of it all. 

The fond is about 4 meters high, so I had to paint one end first and then turn it upside down to paint the other end.

The background is working fine. Reija's adding final touches... Our model was perfect to represent a beautiful adult woman. 

Jouni Harala, master of lighting.

Soft light, so right.

Ready to start.

Go to www.iirislehti.fi if you like see the Iiris magazine.

Milky Day

White all around inside out


The winter light in Finland is dim and it makes everything look soft and shady. I love the shades  toned white and gray. Soon the sun gets brighter and this milky world changes bright.

The sofa and cushion

The bathroom details

Light through a curtain

The gym ball

The atelier window

My wool socks