A May Day

May, and only a few days to the opening of the next exhibition. I have been busy! All the paintings are now ready, fifteen new ones, but still there’s a lot to do. Framing, screws to be twisted into wood, bending wire and hanging all the paintings to the walls of the gallery. 

Most of the time this has been fun, and for a couple of moments, pure hell. I fight against my blue moods, I try to conquer this fatigue. Exhaustion has been luring, trying to grab me, sometimes succeeding.

Summer. It’s coming and I’m going to do absolutely nothing.

(Mick, I still can’t leave comments to your blog, it’s so annoying!)

Paint Showers Of April

a detail, unfinished painting

April and sunshine, still cold at nights. That doesn't bother me, I usually sleep all through the night. 

Turned out that my head wasn't suffering from migraine. That was a relief. Instead I had constantly trouble with my right eye, still have, the field of vision is blurry and cloudy. Went to the eye clinic and now I have the diagnosis of posterior vitreous detachment. It’s common among elderly people, damn. I’m now also diagnosed as old!

Well, I still have my left eye, it seems to be in good condition. I’m able to paint and that is what I have been doing. Believe it or not, I’m going to have yet another exhibition in May! Again with my friend Johanna. 

Some could say we’re crazy, some could say we like to have fun. I prefer the latter. 

My paintings are going to be fantasy and magic visions. The exhibition is called Once Upon A Time There Was A Fairy Tale. Sounds good and I do hope it’s also going to look good.

It Is March

photo manipulations from the exhibition

It is March. But where is spring? It has been -15 degrees Celsius in the mornings (5 degrees in F), we’ve had almost every day a little snow. It feels like mid-winter. 

How I have been longing for light and sun! And finally, when the sun came, my head and eyes yelled: NO! TOO MUCH LIGHT! I’ve had migraine. Never, never before. It’s unfair. As you know, my head is all the time a mess enough and now this damn headache! 

The exhibition with Johanna is over. I didn’t sell much, so my home is overwhelmed with paintings and photos. I have my work under my bed, in the closets, under the sofa, on the walls, on the shelfs of my bookcases. In a way it is cozy. And looks like a mess.

Goes with my head.

I haven’t been doing any crocheting for a few weeks. Fingers of my left hand are numb, my hand seems to sleep all the time. Luckily I’m right-handed, so I can still paint. 

More paintings to hide somewhere….

paintings from the exhibition

February

A comment in Mick's blog:

The exhibition I had with my friend in January continues through February. It has been very popular and we were asked to continue for another month. Yesterday we took the sold paintings off the walls and hanged a lot of new paintings. I brought also some paintings, the rest are photo manipulations.

Otherwise, I've been dead tired, doesn't feel so good. My head again, it’s such a mess sometimes.

Susu

Art Exhibition In Eastern Helsinki

preparing the exhibition, Johanna's paintings

On Tuesday was the opening of my second exhibition, together with my friend Johanna. She shows her magnificent paintings, mostly mixed art with fabulous colors and texture. I’ve made photo manipulations and the exhibition is called Window to Dream.

something to eat at the opening

It took six hours to get all the paintings and photos up to the walls, but we had a lot of fun doing it. The exhibition place is Culture Place Mellari, situated in eastern Helsinki. The exhibition is opened from Monday to Friday from 10 to 18. 

paintings by Johanna

As usual I’ll post gradually those works of mine in my blogs and on my homepages.

my photo manipulations

WELCOME!

My Art Exhibition

my friend Johanna

It’s done! The opening of my first ever art exhibition was last week and now I’m dead tired. Pleased, happy, also.

I had an exhibition diary in my Finnish blog, there I wrote about the misery, flow, uncertainty, despair and utter joy, all those feelings that overwhelmed me during the preparations of the exhibition. It was, and still is, quite a process!

The exhibition is called Not Yesterday. Not Tomorrow. Now.

It contains of two parts: Women of Rose Valley, sixteen paintings done with acrylics and mixed media. The other part includes ten collages and its name is Collage Crazy. I used a lot of recycled material in these collages. Also most of the frames were bought from flea markets and such places, I painted and pimped them up.

My dear friend Johanna helped me with framing and putting up the paintings. She was indispensable. She’s a real artist and you can enjoy her paintings looking here. Also all my other friends and all the commentators in my blogs helped me to make this dream of mine come true. 

The opening was a fun occasion. Almost thirty people came and what I heard, people seemed to enjoy themselves.

The exhibition is in Mellunmäki, a suburb in Helsinki, not a central place, but the gallery was free of charge. I’d never have so much money that I could rent space for my paintings. The exhibition is open 2-30.10.2012 from Monday to Friday 10-18.

I’m happy that I succeeded and had the strength for fulfill this exhibition. It was a dream for me. I know what it’s like to live without dreams, without hope, without being able to see into the future. I've had many black years. Now, the colors are different. Now.

So Exciting!

I’m living quite exciting times, I’m preparing my first art exhibition that’ll take place in October. Crazy! Well, that’s what I am.

It’s going to be a presentation of some 25 paintings and collages. I love to paint and such, and I hate frame work. I’m so clumsy when it comes to be handy…luckily one of my friends, a gifted and true artist, has promised to rescue me offering her help with framing. It’s wonderful to have such friends.

So I’ll be quite busy this September. It feels good. This year has mostly been a year of anxiety and depression, and I’ve been a hermit with no flow or inspiration. Now I feel different.

Well, I must be going…see ya! Wish me luck!

My Left Hand

I've been painting with my left hand (I'm right-handed). It has been quite interesting. Look and read more about it here.

So Many Songs I Don't Want To Sing

Birth Of A Painting

please, look here!

Finnish Summer

Finnish summer is short compared with winter. Winter lasts for six months. At least. Summer is short as the flutter of a butterfly.

Summer is the first clear blue sky of May. 

Sitting with a friend in the sun, cherishing the incredible feeling of the first moments on summer terraces.

Seeing new places is a thing to do in the summer. To find light is easy. You just follow the sun.

Sea glitters in the sun. You feel the scent of salt, and the thirst for summer grows in you. You must have more of this: light, warmth, the never sleeping sun.

Bonfire salutes summer. Flames caress your skin, and it’s impossible to dream about winter. Summer is so much stronger.

Wild flowers colorize fields. The number of colors is more than one can realize or count. Every color is the color of summer.

Even black.

And snow white.

Summer is visiting places, seeing friends.

Summer is exhibitions.

Summer is searching for the blue sky among the ruins of oneself, the shattered pieces broken by winter.

Summer is galleries and the thrill of finding perfect lines.

Picking berries, eating them. Swimming, sleeping, drinking, reading, laughing with friends. And so much more. Finnish summer. Not yet at the end.

My Finnish Bikini

Mick longed to see my Finnish bikini writing his comment, so to ease his pain, here is Middle Morbid in her brand new bikini designed by me.

What do you think -should I make postcards of my design bikini and sell cards to tourists ;)

Delight

Depression that has been my true friend for over two years, never deserting me, always by my side, has shown signs of fading away. That feels strange. It feels good.

I haven’t felt pleasure for ages. I’ve done things, but that doing hasn’t made happy, there’s been no joy in completing a short story, finishing a painiting.

Yesterday I felt joy. I was happy. No anxiety, no panic. No wanting to escape away from the crowd that surrounded me. No hyperventilation behind the corner.

I had a sales table in a bazar where I sold my handicraft and paintings. Did I sell much? It’s not the point, the main thing is that I survived the fours hours I sat and stood behind my table. I smiled to the customers, I talked with them. And all the time I felt happiness for my ability to be among so many people.

Pride. That’s what I felt.

What happens tomorrow? Shall I turn again into a hermit? Will my heart pound in anxiety, is it hard to breathe? I don’t care. I won’t think about it. There’s no sense in worrying, which is what I’ve leraned during these two and some years. What comes, it comes.

I’m happy now.

I Dressed Up Just For You!

My blogger friend Mick celebrates his birthday 22.3.2011.

(better too early than to totally forget...)

I Can't Get No Satisfaction

It’s been a long time since I last made a video. That’s not surprising. It seems like a long time since I created anything.

Depression doesn’t allow me to feel any pleasure. I paint, but there isn’t any joy in doing that. I write, I look at the words. I feel nothing. I sit on the sofa with my crocheting, stare at the TV for hours with busy hands.

It feels all the same.

Well, anyway. I made a primitive animation. See you.

Miss Moonlight

Miss Moonlight

I’ve been painting a lot lately, less writing. While painting I don’t have to think about anything else than the next stroke of the brush, colors I’ll use.

It’s relaxing. I’m at ease when I paint. No anxiety, no nothing in my head. That’s a blessing.

Mixed media is something new I’ve tried to do. I have no clue how to work properly, I only put layers of tissue on the canvas, use pearls and buttons, sprays from different bottles, acrylics, glue, nail polish, everything I find.

It’s fun.

I’m a beginner with mixed media, so please, look at SuviAnniinas work. She’s amazing and she’s a friend of mine.

Hospital Diary

My latest book has come out. It’s self-published like the earlier ones. The book is called Hospital Diary –texts and images from the closed ward.

Now I think I lay down and do nothing for a while. Some paintings are on their way, but I’m empty of textes.

If you’re interested in purchasing the book, you can get it via net.

It’s in Finnish, of course, but the images are internationally understood.

Billnäs

"Old industry milieu founded in 1641, Billnäs Ironworks in Raasepori is a centre of various events.

Billnäs Ironworks hosts different kind of events such as public events, corporate events and meetings. In addition to restaurants and cafes also accommodation services are being developed in the area in the near future.

Billnäs Ironworks is a part of the national landscape of Finland. The traditional buildings and the beautiful view to river Mustio offer a unique setting for both small and larger events. "

Quote from here.

I spent a day in Billnäs with my friend (check her fabulous photos!) and made a video of our visit. Hope you enjoy watching it!

Meetings

I’ve been writing very little lately, especially fiction and poems. I’ve craved for something else than words.

Colors.

I’ve been to various art exhibitions and filled myself with colors, textures, tecnics and sensations. It’s good to just look, not to have to talk. Only let pieces of art flow over you.

My art gallery is nowadays the most active of my blogs. I draw a lot, paint a little and sometimes I make a digital picture. I’ve splashed colors on aquarelle paper, loved every moment of it, knowing that result is nothing. Only the process means something to me.

While painting, I’ve met some artists. First there was Picasso. He was surely flirting with me or maybe the target of his glare was the naked woman running around the studio. Don’t know, but he certainly was in a funny mood.

Next I met Andy Warhol. He wanted to make a study of me. I said yes, but didn’t think much of the result. Seen that before. We had some tomato soup, talked about the weather. It was quite nice.

Jackson Pollock’s studio was a colorful mess, and after being there for some time, I was covered with red, blue, black and violet dots. First I thought I’ve got measles, but Jackson assured me that all that is seen is only art. That set my mind at rest, and we continued to sprinkle rainbows on the walls.

Today I had the honour to look at Modigliani in the heat of work. He had a sore throat, so he could only whisper some words. My hearing is not as good as it used to be, so I can’t repeat his words. Didn’t hear a thing. But he smiled nicely and I felt at ease with him.

It’s a miracle to be able to imagine, don’t you think so, too?

(All these drawings have been displayed also at SusuPetal art gallery.)

Happy Birthday, Mick!

Instead of being late, I’m early!

Happy Birthday Mick!