Tom Waits - Rain Dogs

A three days workshop period took finally the whole week of preparing and changing the plans - especially when the target audience was not the original planned. When the workshop didn't sell out to its target audience, the orderer filled the course with its own workers and students. Which is ok otherwise but I had planned the whole three day session to a particular group of people. So, suddenly I stood there with a material I had made for many days and of which I had no use because the basic situation had changed so much. Everything worked out well however, and there were at least few people there who were very positive and thought that they had received a lot from the course. Still - it wasn't my best workshop, not even near.

The exhibition in Lahti will open in beginning of September and all the promo material with press releases and such should be already there. We made posters and invitation flyers and managed to post them on time but I still have to write some texts today and update my CV for the gallery. Actually, I was quite shocked when I saw the invitation flyer printed. I didn't require the proof before printing because I had to be in the workshop and because the image was totally the same as I used in the Jämsä exhibition (with absolutely no changes on the imagefile but the texts) and even the paper was the same. So, when after Timppa had posted all the posters and flyers and brought me one to see, I noticed that it was almost black and white. What the hell? It doesn't actually look very bad, but *it's not the original*. I have no idea if the posters are the same, since I don't have any extra posters myself but everything was shipped to Lahti. I have to go to the print house tomorrow to hear their explanation of this - and hopefully to get some price down.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Zero

My (almost) pro bono -project... I designed the The Craft Museum of Finland website about nine years ago and nothing's changed since then (besides small front page update) - until now! I decided to renew the whole site using ajax and all kinds of small improvements that help generally to keep updated information... well, up to date. The site is still in trial so there are amounts of small things still to be fixed but any way... I still have to design more dynamic background - now the site is too plain and somewhat boring when it comes to its structure. I actually designed the site last winter when there was still the old logo - which was more light and sort of "flying" and created a whole another atmosphere to the site. But anyway: I hope that the functions are now more dynamical and hopefully also the content will be easier to manage.

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Hot hot hot. They promised thunder and rain in the weather forecast but so far only small few drops water have fallen. The air is so sticky and heavy though that I'd be amazed if this didn't lead to a grande thunder storm later today. Hopefully I have battery enough on my laptop to finish all the prints for Lahti exhibition (starting in the beginning of September).

Smashing Pumpkins - Siva

I did it - FINALLY - after so much time just planning! I now have a small shop in Etsy: colorianna.etsy.com where I'm selling my unique colouring pictures and later also some other stuff. Like those monsterous badges I wrote about earlier: I ordered some plastic snap-on badges and I'm planning to make them very soon, after I get some of the most critical jobs done.

I also made another shop in Etsy where I will sell my smaller non-limited edition prints - later. I'll open it after I've got my other shop well running.

...And after I've managed through August. Next week is a bit frightening: at least one meeting a day, three major deadlines, three-day (whole day) course to run and finally: finishing the invitations and posters to Lahti exhibition opening in September 1st. Hmmm.

But nothing feels so bad as long as there are those warm sunny days outside. :D

La Roux - Tigerlily

I've been planning to make Monsterium badges for ages but for some reason I've done nothing to proceed with that project for ages. Yesterday, however, the Riiminka designers were visiting me and we made some badge designs for their collection. They've purchased a badge machine which made me to look around web for some prices etc. The badge machines are a bit expensive (well, in this state when I don't actually have the product quite ready yet and no byers to be seen) but I found some nice looking clip on badges which won't need machine at all. I thought I'll give it a try. If it seems that there is some demand for Monsterium badges, I could always rent a badge machine for a day (and I could borrow one from Riiminka, they promised). I however could first try out some clipping badges and see how they'll be received. (I also found some nice printable puzzle templates etc. Hmmm...)

I've been also making new colouring images. It's easier to find time when the weather is like this: thunder and rain and constantly turning my computer off and on. (A few years back during a thunder storm we took of all the other plugs but the old phone - which was then hit by the thunder. Even though we live in a block of flats in the city, not somewhere in the countryside. That's why I've become somewhat paranoid with thunder - I don't want to buy all the electrical devices. Even if the insurance would pay for them, I couldn't face another installation process of all computer thingies... Grrr.) Anyway, during the rainy thundery days it's nice to sit on a comfortable chair next to the living room window and just draw. Somehow it's always more rewarding to finish something hand made.

(This one in the images is not actually a badge design but part of the Monsterium poster I made last year...)

Royksopp / Robyn - The Girl And The Robot

[Absent 29. Pigment ink print, 15x14cm. Edition of 5.]
I sold one image from Wanha Woimala exhibition (to Canada!) and one from Pikku Galleria exhibition (to Helsinki). But gladly the Poissa - Absent series seems to be quite popular: I've used a couple of days just printing and signing the images... which isn't a lot really: I'm just slow. The hot and thundering weather makes me sooo slow in all possible ways. Anyway, I should only get my new site finished as soon as possible with all the new images and a good catalogue of my work. (*Should.*) I've tried to tell people to request the images via Gallery Becker / The Gallery of Jyväskylä Art Society which also lends out images with small down payments.

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I also got a little surprise a while ago: Matti Niinimäki's and my "Animated movement" project got a small grant for project planning. More about the project later - the workshop (+ sidekicks) will be a part of Tanssin Aika (dance festival) in the end of September.

Mansun - Wide Open Space

Elsewhere - exhibition in Jämsä from June 23rd to July 14th, 2009.
Open daily, free entrance.

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After this exhibition I have a few months break from art exhibitions, hopefully I'm able to finish my print website before the next exhibitions hit. I'm a bit late with my work projects at this time but I just have to put some extra effort... After I've returned from Medieval Festival from Turku where I'll be going for the end of the week...

The Mummers - Wonderland

This has taken my time: making images and all the work projects at the same time. + School.

Hopefully I'll get a tiny glance of the summer at one point...

Timo Sälekivi & Päivi Hintsanen Absent
Exhibitions in Wanha Woimala
(Naissaari, Vaajakoski, Jyväskylä)
10.-28.6.2009
Exhibitions open from Tuesday to Sunday 12-18
Free entrance

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