Here are some new illustrations from this winter. In left there is airbrushed plain colors and right painting with scrathing and coloring.
In this painting ravens will soon get baits from fishing line. Ravens are very smart and this kind of behaviour is normal for them.
This last illustration is hand drawn and then colored in photoshop. It illustrates body lenght + tail lenght.
There was need for simple animal models in one illustration project. I did drawing by and and coloring in photoshop.
My next new project is to practice sketching with paint brushes. I will test these Chinese painting and calligraphy brushes. White brushes are made of fine goat hair, brown is pony and orange is dyed goat. This orange one is so low in quality that it can be used only as decorative item.
I have learned that best brushes for my painting styles are made of Kolinsky Sable. I have variety of brushes and most of the time I use Kolinsky brushes. I like most Raphael (8404) and Winsor & Newton (series 7) brushes. They are pricey, but very durable.
Our mailman knocked to our door and asked (like Santa Claus here) “Is there kind children here?” On his shoulder he had huge Royal mail sack. There were books that I ordered from Amazon.uk. Orders arrived within a week.
Best of these books is clearly Japonisme by Siegfried Wichmann. It shows with more than thousand pictures and descriptive texts how Old World artists did take inspiration and were influenced by Japanese art during early years of 1900. In this book there is side by side original Japanese art pieces and then western art where effect of Japonisme clearly shows. There is lots of paintings, ceramics, jewelry and even architecture included.
Japanese prints (Gabriele Fahr-Becker) was a slight disappointment, because I thought after the cover scenery that there would be lots of scenery prints in this book. In reality most of prints were from humans.
Japanese art and design (Victoria and Albert museum) is great source for different kinds of Japanese arts and crafts. This will bring lots of inspiration for sure!
The laws of Japanese painting (Henry P Bowie) is over hundred years old book, but the laws of traditional Sumi-painting have not chanced during that time. This book gives quite good idea how ruled original Japanese ink painting style is. There are even different kinds of brush strokes for young and old people!
Japanese ink painting (Naomi Okamoto) is clearly a book for beginner. It also tells about there rules that previous books was about. One hundred years has clearly brought some freedom for artists.
Le Japon artistique is a pattern sourcebook of Art Nouveau floral prints from Japan.
Kimono (Lisa Dalby) is good book for those who are interested in of history of Japanese kimono and the sacred messages you can give to those who understands the language of Japanese kitsuke (dressing kimono). I would recommend this book before going to Japan and wearing kimono there.
Sorry, this entry is only available in suomi.
There are lots of people who make their living cheating artist. Here are some examples of their scams.
Many artist have received following letter or similar. This scam works this way: When buyer sends the pay checks it will be for bigger sum of money that was agreed for price. Then artist will send the work and contact buyer for correcting the sum. Artist will send extra money bag to buyer. Everything looks fine until bank finds out that first check was uncovered. Fake buyer gets the money and the art piece is delivered somewhere and might be brought bag to artist with his expense.
Here is the letter with all its spelling mistakes:
Good day to you.
I am so excited that I came across of your work on internet search,I am interested in purchasing these creative artworks from you…….XXXXXX
Let me know their various prices.and how much discounts are you going to give?I will be happy to have these selected artworks hung in our new home in South Africa.As well,I want you to take out the shipping cost.I have been in touch with a shipping firm that will be shipping other house decoratives.
We are traveling from our Seattle home to our new apartment as soon as possible.On Paying for the artworks,I will be glad to pay you with a Money Order or Cashier`s check in US funds that can be easily cashed at your local bank,please let me know on how to proceed for the payment of the creative artworks.
I will await your advise on how to proceed.Have a wonderful day.
Other common scams are vanity galleries and magazines. Artist gets invitation letter and is of course pleased that gallery is willing to show his work. Gallery asks huge sum for this exposition. Inexperienced artist might pay this when expecting good sales. Unfortunately gallery already has the money and they are not interested to work anymore for selling the art.
Magazine scam is similar. They will promise you story in their art/artist magazine if you pay. This magazine they will then send bag to you and other paying artist. This kind of exposure won’t help you as an artist so money is wasted.
This exhibition is first I have in Parikkala. For some reason it has before been easyer to go more distant venues. I will bring birdpaintings and one Lynx painting to Parikkala main library. All these paintings are based on my experiences during birding. Exhibition is open during librarys opening hours.
After the exhibition I have been busy with illustration paintings. Here is few samples of this autunums illustration works.
Birds from under our sun 21.8.- 25.9.
Hanna Aalto, Hillevi Latvalahti ja Risto Lammin-Soila
Pictures from exhibition vernissage 20.8.2011
Gallery Karaija is build to old farm house. Thigh stone walls are great background for bird paintings.
Hillevi Latvalahti makes these clay sculptures.
Risto Lammin-Soila brought oil paintings of African colourful birds.
My paintings can be seen on gallery page. There is also my ethnic jewelry and nature inspired jewelry in the exhibition.
I wore Japanese kimono in vernissage and its story can be read in blog.
Galleria Karaija
Bollstantie 5 10210 Inkoo
GSM 040-5301507
galleria(at)karaija.com
pe/fre klo 11-17, la-su/ lö-sö 11-15
We were couple of years ago birding in Kuwait and there I saw several Redstarts. I got an idea for this triptych. In first painting male Redstart is here in Finland in mid summer. In second painting male bird is in one of our coastal bird islands. Autumn leafs are colorful and grass is yellowed. Last painting has female Redstart in somewhere African savannah bushes.
In this Hawk Owl painting I tested very limited palette. First I airbrushed background layer and shape of this wonderful owl. Next step was drawing shape of the dead pine and the bird over the paint layer.
In third stage I scratched all light areas and birds details. I painted several thin acrylic layers over shadow parts and bird. Result feels interestingly 3D when you look at finished painting.
Ready painting:
Finnish coast has thousands of islands and islets. These kinds of islands are paradise for bird painters. Some of our bird painters have spent weeks or months in small islands sketching, drawing and photographing birds. We went to Utö island for end of summer trip. This island is southern most inhabited island in Finnish coast. Most of time was spend photographing great views and birds, but on ferry and photographing hide there was time for sketching.
My sketches are almost always very quickly done and small. I do them when I want to plan painting composition or when I am building idea for a painting. Sometimes I draw details that I will use in painting. Other Finnish painters make many times more detailed and larger sketches that they colour. I admire their skill but I often would like to start making the final piece right away.
Some of my newest paintings will have original sketch attached on back of the painting.
Detailed story can be found in our birders diary blog
Bird paintings from Hanna Aalto and Risto Lammin-Soila and sculptures from Hillevi Latvalahti.
Our exhibition will open 20.8.2011 in Gallery Karaija. If you are in Finland you are welcome to vernissage between 14.00-16.00 In Gallery Karaija Bolstantie 5, 10210 Inkoo.
Risto Lammin-Soila has made colourful paintings of African birds and Hillevi Latvalahti has nice collection of sculptures of Finnish birds.
Whinchats and thistles occur often together. Thistles grow along field ditches where they provide good places for Whinchats. These plants are a bit higher than others so Whinchats can see crawling insects better.
Low back light is one of my favourite lights. It makes colours of pants glowing and golden rim around everything. I decide to combine Whinchats and these great thistles in this painting. First paint layers are airbrushed and then I continued with scratching and with thin acrylic layers. Painted thistles are bit more lilac in painting but getting same colour to picture is difficult.
When painting is almost finished I put it aside for some time. When I look it again I can see easier if there are areas needing more work or mistakes to fix.
I have seen this year more short-eared owls than usually. They have great contrastic plumage and long wings. Because their interresting look I have made several paintings of them.
In this painting setting sun colors this Short-eared Owl. Wings become deep orange when last sun rays goes trough feathers. I used airbrush in first layer and then I continued by scratching and making thing colour layers. This painting is done to Ampersand claybord with Holbein Aeroflash paints.
