Raveonettes - You Want The Candy

This autumn has beed absolute madness. I've never worked as much as I've been doing this few months.

These are finished:

satumontanari.com for textile designer Satu Montanari, published already in August (in Finnish, English and Italian).

kainoramies.com for the Noramies family (about sculpturer Kai Noramies and his daughters Irina and Anita, both artists), published in November 27 (coming soon also in English).

Taitosaari project was a EU project including craftsmen from Northern Central Finland region. I travelled to small towns Viitasaari and Saarijärvi almost ech weekend during the autumn and gave lectures about net and designing and stuff. Website for project was actually opened today at www.aivia.fi/kadentaitajat (only in Finnish).

First autumn layout, and then christmas layout for Taito Shop.

Flash screening project for Jyväskylä Art Museum's window for December.

Websites for f.ex. composer Antti Auvinen, photographer Mikko Auerniitty, artist Anna-Lea Kopper and textile artist Hannele Ollakka are well on their way and so are visual redesign of Säynätsalo, Craft Museum and Jyväskylä Art Museum sites and visual design of the site for Jyväskylä's museums.

And about my own art projects:

The co-operation project Lepidophobia dance piece with Noora Nenonen (dance) (+using Mikko Hietaharju's soundtrack) got its premiere in November 15th. I made a flash piece based on my online Lepidophobia project (which I haven't been able to update due to my technical problems).

The most nerv breaking though is my future exhibition: one month to opening and nothing ready. I'll let you know...

Lancashire Hotpots - Chippy Tea

More illustration, more print...

I did some small illustrations (six) for Craft Museum's following exhibition. I had a small crisis when I started to make them since my hand started hurting and I couldn't draw them as I had originally planned. Thankfully the pain went away nearly totally in less than a week and I could finish the job the way I had planned. (Well, not quite, because I'm not very pleased with all illustrations I made.) I scanned my drawings and then added some ideas with Photoshop.

Today I started day by conversation with Eeva Ylönen / Paperiverstas to whom I'll be making netsite and some printed material (business card and some brochures). I basicly KNOW much about print world but I really don't have that much experience on that area, so I'm a bit excited about the project.

Bat For Lashes - Horses & I

A few weeks ago we took a week+ tour in Iceland. Before that I was overloaded with work and after the trip I've been so empty headed that I can barely write my name anymore. (Images of that fab trip are seen in http://www.coloriasto.net/kuvat/07islanti/ - descriptions only in Finnish but photo
s speak international language... *grin*)

And now I'm back in my own private working factory, here's how it goes - my today's hc-listing:

* Wrote to T.V. and invited him to be one of the guests in Spirited Herring in November exhibition
* Paid my taxes, one invoice and also paid back the loan I took for Iceland trip
* Wrote a short of my colour tree lecture (kept in June on Dyer's Days in Rymättylä) for the Värillä zine
* Ordered some print papers for my new printer (HP Photosmart 9180)
* Got a photo cd from Eeva for her brochures
* Talked in phone with Mikko about the illustrations for exhibition sheets
* Searched image material for projects
* Updated exhibition images to Gallery Becker site
* Small updates to Alvar Aalto Foundation site and The Craft Museum of Finland
* Downloaded new project images for Kirsi Neuvonen, Eeva Ylönen and Papiina to my hard drive
* Made some updates to Papiina site

And that was it. Drop dead tired.

Etta James - Tell Mama

Coloria [Aug 1 2007]

And there it is. My private headbanger's ball. No use for non-Finnish speakers though and not yet so visual... But getting there.

Maximo Park - Girls Who Play Guitars

Värikäsi [Jul 20 2007]
www.varipaletti.com | www.varipaletti.net

Windy and cold outside. It looks and feels like October and it's July. Unless I've slept about three months, which is also possible.

Somehow I managed to pull myself together after a few weeks of boredom, lazyness and just hanging around. Last Friday it totally hit me: I'll do the make-over (that I've been planning about four years now) to Coloria site. I was so excited that I hardly could sleep at all. I spent the whole weekend making the renewing of the site in über-energic mode and then it hit me on Monday: the total tiredness like never before. Yesterday and today I've been trying to catch myself with undone jobs but still my aim is to publish renewed Coloria tomorrow. I know there's not been testing of any kind and there are several hardcore errors but I just can't wait. Otherwise the site would have to wait it's publication for months.

I've been busy. Today I've made a temporary site for textile artist Hannele Ollakka (for now it's saying that the new site will open soon - which hopefully is true) and set a blog layout and instructions for the Dyer Guild. I've also made some small updates f. ex. Kirsi Neuvonen and will make some more updates f.ex. for Alvar Aalto Foundation and The Craft Museum of Finland websites. Back to normal, that is.

Silversun Pickups - Well Thought Out Twinkles

Säynätsalo Town Hall [Jul 16 2007]
www.jyvaskyla.fi/saynatsalo/townhall

I've spent some time dyeing wool this summer and I just came back from Iitti Colour Festival where I learned how to make earth pigments. I'm strongly considering moving my career even more towards colour related stuff. I'm not a craft artist in anyway but I like to give colour related lectures and such. Though it propably didn't proceed my colour career yesterday when one journalist from Yle X radio station asked me to give a radio interview - and I refused. The questions would have been about colour symbolism and such and that's not really my cup of tea. I'm more confortable with the (cultural) history aspects of colour and pigments and such. If she would have interviewed me for f. ex. newspaper, that would have been good since I'd had some time to think my answers. I feel that the radio is not my arena at all.

---

Otherwise this summer has gone fast. I was originally planning to have somekind of holidays but... The beginning of July passed by while recovering from Rymättylä (four days spent dyeing in archipelago) and then with Timppa's and Judith Clute's exhibition (which will end tomorrow.) I've sat beside my c:ter nearly everyday making all kind of projects but somehow I feel that I'm not getting anything done. Or that all projects are just feeling longer and longer and nothing gets finished. If Säynätsalo Town Hall net exhibition hadn't been published last week (it's been ready for publishing since the beginning of June, lacking just a few checkings), I'd propably gone mad with my projects. Not sounding very good.

And now there is Harry Potter, read into half way. Hard to keep myself here, sitting still and making any kind of layouts when I know the book is not finished. (Although, of course I couldn't protect myself of knowing how it ends...)

Go! Team - Grip Like A Vice

I haven't written for so long time that it starts to look like I'm not doing anything. But I am, I am!

I just came from Rymättylä Dyer Days ( :) ) day before yesterday and since them I've tried to make all the little updates that filled my mailbox during my lazy days...

I was actually selected as the Colourful Person of this year - it felt quite funny as I received the nomination in my black clothes (well, my sneakers had white stripes on them). But what a wonderful surprise that was! That kind of small things are the most important things when it comes to inspiration with colour things I'm working with all my spare freetime.

But before Coloria and colourful things: there are zillions of jobs to be done.

Maija Holma's and Kirsi Neuvonen's updates have been waiting for some time now, as well as Välittämö site update. And dozens of smaller updates here and there.

Layouts for artist/painter Virpi Lehto, paper artisan Eeva Ylönen and composer Antti Auvinen are on their way.

Setting up the basic new layouts for the Museums of Jyväskylä, The Craft Museum of Finland, The Jyväskylä Art Museum and Säynätsalo are on their way.

Satu Montanari's and Hannele Ollakka's websites are soon finished as well as Säynätsalo Town House net exhibition which is missing only a few translations.

I should set up a blog for Dyers' Guild also...

But the most topical thing right now is Bazaar of Banalities workshop that will take place next week. The workshop is organized by Live Herring in co-operation with The Jyväskylä Art Museum and the workshop is lead by media artist Outi Kotala. More information soon.

*sigh*

Editors - The Weight Of The World

Back to the reality.

I was planning to keep myself busy working the whole weekend but as I had my birthday yesterday... I had decided earlier that there won't be any kind of party thingies going on (and there wasn't, just an early morning tournee to fleamarket (3 dvd Travolta box just about covers my cultural void for the moment: Saturday Night Fever, Grease and Stayin' Alive!) and some wondering around the town before entering home). However, I received Kingdom Hearts II as present and I just had to try it a little bit. For three hours.

This morning I woke up early and decided to play an hour and only for one hour. Well, I played one and half but who's counting? The important part is that right now I'm working.

---

I've had some interesting new acquaintances lately. Some of them through my new projects (of which I'll raport later when they are more topical).

McQueen - Numb

sisasuomentanssi.fi (published 27.5.2007)

Work + work + gadgets + work = no time for writing down thoughts.

I've purchased new Adobe Creative Suite 3 Design Premium package and I'm so fascinated by it... I've had this terrible urge to make something unreal and untraditional small projects with Flash. Only, I haven't used flash for so long time that it took me forever to make a few very easy fade-ins and -outs to Maijas Tanssiva kaupunki (Dancing Town) project. But I'm optimistic.

On Friday I had a meeting with dancer Noora N. first about our artsy project next autumn, based on my Lepidophobia project and Noora's studies on butterflies. I'm really excited about the project since I've never before done any own projects that are so strongly connected with dance.

I also met composer Antti A. with whom we've had such fun meetings... I can hardly wait to start his homepage project since he absolutely don't want anything ordinary. I know I'm going to challenge myself with this project and I already get some small panic attack symptoms when I even think about the project. But Antti and I think lot alike so I KNOW this project will be absolute fun.

There are a lot of projects unfinished but so near finishing line...

I've already promised to make a few big projects in autumn but from now on I'm going to give a big NO (well, not that loud) to anyone asking (at least for big projects). I'm going to make time for my artsy projects from September to December as much as possible. On weekends I have some teaching projects in Viitasaari / Saarijärvi region but I'm going to bring my laptop with me and have the courses as some kind of retreat also. Also the "students" will be from cultural jobs (artesans & such mostly) and the area of my teaching is very clear for me, so I also expect that the interaction with us will give me some new ideas for my work.

Koko Taylor - Wang Dang Doodle

Something finished... finally


www.taitoshop.fi
Taito Shop site opened April 5th


www.craftmuseum.fi/taitolehti/
Taidon sata vuotta (The Hundred Years of Taito (which means skill)) aka the Taito magazine centennial exhibition opened April 18th

Both sites are only in Finnish (for now).

The spring is here. The sun shines. Angst away and super manic processes turned on. As I didn't have enough in my official works - I still had to begin making (finally) Coloriasto which will be an archive of all kinds of colour related texts...

The Banshee - Talking On The Phone

Detritus exhibition at Walsh Gallery at Seton Hall University in New Jersey, US, has opened today.

I've been back home since Friday. NIN and Ladytron gig was good and the whole week was quite fun... But I'm soooo glad to be home again. Work-a-holic.

As soon as I came home I started working with Taito mag Centennary net exhibition. The project is not anymore in so deep panic mode as one could think - actually, I'm feeling quite calm about it. There's still tomorrow evening - when I can fix the rest of it. Eh.

I've also made dozens of small updates and continued making site for Satu Montanari... And I *should* make few layouts before next Monday and finish the dancer's site before Tuesday. I propably have never had as many unfinished projects at the same time as I have now. Nevermind. I'll survive.

Tomorrow and the day after that I'll be teaching in JAO. Oh, what an evil plan I have on my mind...

Bloc Party - I Still Remember Sebastian Mix

I just got a request to keep one big course about net and its possibilities for craft makers. I expressed my interest towards it since it will happen next autumn. Hopefully I'm finished with all my projects until then...

There *has been* some changes to SARV layout as I earlier jinxed. Not all my design is deleted, but enough: it's not really my design anymore even though the basic scene is still there. I don't mind otherwise (since the very base of this job is to the client the right to be always right) but this time I'll start being quite strict about it that my name isn't mentioned as designer in the cases where I see my design altered too much.

I'm kind of stressing about Taito mag Centennary net exhibition. Or I *should* be. The reality hasn't hit me yet. But I have about two days to finish the project since it's released on April 14 and I just realized that there is Easter first and then I'll be in Helsinki for some days. No time to adjust too much.
But I quite enjoying making the exhibition layout - something different for a while.

30 Second To Mars - The Kill

Not a very good working day. I've accomplished nothing big and there has been dozens of buzzing things and small fast updates here and there. Though my meeting with Ellinoora about dance project website was good (and FUN!) and things are going forward. Ice creamy meetings are always the most succesful ones.

I also saw the first coded template of SARV project. I wasn't quite happy with the result yet. I hope that my layout design is not completely ran over. But I'm already adjusted to the thought that maybe the original layout won't be the one published. Gave up upon that, sort of.

Oh, and just for note: Papiina changed their website look to resemble their graphic design in their printed material. Original print design is made by Leea Wasenius. I still continue updating the site but I have nothing to do with the design of this version!

Elastica - 2:1

No time to blog - too much work to do. This is pure madness. I work my *** off and still it seems that nothing gets ready and the work just doesn't end. The most strangest thing is that when I actually DO work, I have good time and not any kind of anxiety at all. But when I take a break and view my so-called-mission-board with dozens of post-its of what I should do - or rather of what I should have done - it absolutely makes me collapse. It's the amount of those things on my to-do-list, not the content itself.
Although I have a few projects that I'd rather would like to see finished already. These little site projects that show no progress at all after this time. I would like to bang my fist to the wall and shout out to the people about this: please PLEASE make the decisions so we can continue with the project.

No, actually, what makes me mad is my forever battle with my c:ter who hates me more than it's possible to imagine. It crashed again last week and I'm running out of ways to communicate with it. I've secretly planned a new career as a soap maker. ¬_¬
And as it comes to my work, I'm actually at good place with a few projects. Here's what has happened:
I've made a demo layout for textile designer Satu Montanari and we'll continue with the project soon.
I've done demo layouts for dancers (having a meeting tomorrow about how we'll continue).
I've met with textile artist Hannele Ollakka to whom I'll make a small site soon.
Next week I'll start making Taito mag 100 years festitive net exhibition site.

So *there is* something new coming - not everything is on ice.

Features - There's A Million Ways To Sing The Blues

The kite illustrations for the craft museum are now finished... They are a bit laconic and strange, that's all I can say. But I'm quite happy about them. Maybe some of the audience will notice that I'm not very experienced in making illustrations - but hey, WHO cares? You always have to start somewhere.

I'm actually feeling a bit sad (and somehow also a bit mad for myself) about not giving a offer about making graphic design for one big organisation which contacted me a few weeks ago. Not only the graphic design of their website but also their logo and all the printed material from letters to forms. I had some ideas straight away. I really think that I could have managed all that but since I don't have yet so much experience about print designing, somehow the amount of new technical things that I know I should have learned with making that project just laid me down. I have too much projects right now and I just don't want to take anything to learn right now, even if it would be a really small thing.

I also have sent press images for the Detritus exhibition in Walsh Gallery in South Orange, New Jersey USA where Uninvited Words was invited. I'm so glad about it! I've had such a quiet winter and not much energy with my artsy projects but this has boosted me a bit. I've made lots of plans for my exhibition next January. I'll start working with it fully in autumn but maybe I'll make some thingies before that.

Jamie T - Salvador

Savi M www.savi-m.fi [Feb 21 2007]

Savi M web site was finally published yesterday! Minna and Merja brought me a beautiful heart jewellery (and also sinfully good chocolade cakes to be enjoyed with coffee...) which I wore at City Theatre last night (...with my woollen grey knitted shirt. Not a classic high culture outfit but there was about -20 degrees outside, not a place for silky satin creature dresses). We went to the concert of Jyväskylä Symphony Orchestra, a part of Periféria Music Festival whose site I made last week. A most refreshing moment during this week.

For the last few days I've worked with kite illustrations which - right now - is quite fun. I've amused myself by also making some explicit splatter images... for a very closed audience only, not for exhibition use. Hopefully I'll get the illustrations finished tomorrow...

Prototypes - Who's Gonna Sing

Only A True Capitalist sends Happy Valentine's Day cards with a bill - and that's just what I did yesterday... Which was a truly terrible horrible day by the way. Not the day itself though - Timppa made the very bestest food ever and it was a happy-happy day in general (...just read about Winnie-the-poohian language, fascinating - reminds me some way of Buffyanisms...) And not the projects themselves either but the time I had to make them - or should I say the lack of time. I stayed up until 6am (after sleeping about four hours the night before).

Well, I also got some big projects done, f.rx. Taito Shop site is viewed today, only minor modifications left; Savi-M product layouts made and all the images ready; Alvar Aalto press files about the exhibition in Barbican Centre (London) uploaded...

I've been so drop dead tired today that it just got to me: this morning I heard the news that I have received a three month grant for artistic work. I'm actually quite stunned. Maybe I'll realize the whole thing tomorrow.

+ It would seem to me that everyone has woken up this week... updates: Gallery Becker + Alvar Aalto Foundation + The Craft Museum of Finland + Värjärikilta + Kirsi Neuvonen's website + The Arts Council of Central Finland

Lou Martyr - Hand_Grenade

Aikamme Musiikinjuhla Periferia (The Music Festival of Our Time) [Feb 13 2007]

Yesterday I spent the whole day with this computer making hecticly the Periferia music festival site at www.aikammemusiikinjuhla.fi. The festival will open in Saturday, so it was about time the site opened... The layout is based partly on the graphic design of the print material designed by Aino Pajari.

A few days ago I also agreed to give a speech about trees and bushes as a material for dyer next Summer at the Dyers quilt summer event. I'm very excited and started already collecting material. The event will be held in Rymättylä - in where I've never visited before (I think). About a month ago I was asked to give a lecture in September in one event in Helsinki but I haven't heard about the organizer since. I should propably check the situation.

Lamph - Waking Nightmare

INNOfoorumi blog layout [Feb 01 2007]

Last night I hit the total void in my head with the kite exhibition graphics. I made some suggestions though and ended up doing something very conventional but in some way it works... You'll see when the exhibition will open. The problem with those graphics is that I was asked to make graphics for information tables with very conventional and tight subjects (like knots and the physics of kite flying). At the same time they should not disturb the other exhibition architecture. So the graphics should be very clear - and become easily boring. But they are on their way.

I had a meeting with Antti yesterday about Periferia music festival website and today I got the images + print material on which I should base the site design. (The note that came with cd was actually written to the other site of NOTE PAPER... ¬_¬ Composers...)

Spoon - I Turn My Camera On

Väri 07 [Feb 06 2007] (Logo not mine...)

I have been two whole days inside and today of all days I chose to go out... When it's -30° freezing outside. But actually, it wasn't that cold. I was dressed so warm and thick that when I tried to turn around it reminded me about the sweet childhood times when you just had to stand still outside because of the thick winter overalls that prevented to bend at all. Only worry I had was when I bought two more copic pens. I was sure that when I would reach home they would be frozen and broken. But no worries - they are working...

And where did I go? I had a meeting with Mikko about the images for the kite exhibition at the Craft Museum of Finland. (We went to eat in this new small place (can't remember the name) with salads, burritos, fajitas etc. The food was good but the service wasn't very flattering. Mental note: take away food the next time.) I also got me a dvd for Taito Magazine Centennial net exhibition that should be ready in about two months. It's already spring time then!

A new request of making a web site. This seems to be quite small and easy project so I said yes. We haven't yet talked the thing through so it's not 100% sure yet but propably next week.

Killers - Read My Mind

The day started with desperation: trying to connect to the server to update Alvar Aalto Foundation
and The Craft Museum of Finland. They both gave me "not responding" - gave me already yesterday. Luckily I reached Kari who fixed the connection and I was able to update the strange and uncomfortable error I had put accidently in one of these websites (not revealing what and in which site...)

Last days have been updating, updating + updating. Placing Papiina's new products on their website took a while and then there has been some very ordinary updates of new dates etc.

Most of the projects I thought I should have finished in December are still nowhere near to be completed... Many of them, like Taito Shop site, is so near the finishing line that I don't have any problems with them.

I have some layout problems though. I still have to make better layouts for dancers and also SARV wasn't satisfied with my first layout set so I should make some improvements there too. And there are some new designs I've promised to make, such as for a craft artist Satu Montanari and Taito magazine 100 years web exhibition. Hopefully I'll find the long lost flow soon :)

+ UPDATES Alvar Aalto Foundation, The Craft Museum of Finland, Gallery Becker and Papiina

Request Cud - Living In The Past

Feeling quite weak after not eating yesterday (because I had to go to x-ray today). I couldn't get much sleep either. I practically can't watch the screen so it's not the most promising working day today.

I was asked to give a lecture on colours in one event in September. Not sure thing yet, but I'm quite excited.

Actually I'm a bit over-excited right now just about everything. What will the doctor say about my x-ray images, am I able to finish my late projects in time next week, what will Mikko say about my first sketches for kite exhibition, will I get one project I truly truly wish to make... And most of all: will we go visit Iceland next autumn - to see lighthouses there. Jeez. The latter one is the biggest one of all: I've wanted to visit Iceland as long as I remember. We'll know about the situation for sure on the last day of January but still there is almost eight months pure anxioty left - these trips can always be cancelled...

Got to go to get some rest.

New Young Pony Club - Bomb

Where I did put my train tickets from Tampere SARV mission a few weeks ago? I know they are *somewhere* safe, but where that safe is, no one knows. I should send them and get my money. I made the SARV layout proposals yesterday but I wasn't quite satisfied with them.

And speaking of layouts: I had another look to the layouts I made for dancers. I'm so not satidfied with them either. HOW BORING CAN THEY BE? Where was my mind? Luckily, they have to solve some fundamental issues before proceeding with the project which gives me some time to improve my work. I started making some changes and updates already.

--- Oh /&(/¤(/¤###! Today I receided **three** emails complaining that the information they sent to me was not seen on the net site. These were separate messages about different projects but the reason was the same: the information is correct and updated on the net but the viewers hadn't emptied their browser cache. It was quite hard to write them back friendly... I don't mind helping people with this cache thing but things can be said in so many different ways. Expecially one of the messages was so andry and blaming me about not doing my job. It would have made me sad if it hadn't made me mad.

Foo Fighters - Breakout

Väristyksiä colour exhibition has started touring around Finland. Right now it has been opened at Children's Culture Center Villa Arttu at Hyvinkää (Kankurinkatu 4-6). The exhibition is open each day 12-16 until April 15, 2006. The exhibition itself is a compact version of the exhibition that was shown at The Craft Museum of Finland last summer.

Some feedback from Savi-M. They like the front page but the product images should be displayed in some other way. They also don't like the off-white background because it's too boring, instead they suggested f.ex. tiled texture background of their logo or light blue background. I'm willing to continue with the latter one of the options...

SARV layouts are due today and I have a total crisis right now. Where are all the ideas?

U2 - Until The End of The World

Yesterday I finished the demo site for Savi-M. It's so long long long time ago I last used the invisible gif tricks but now I had to. There must be a better solution for making the imagemap effect but somehow my brain just refused to get it. I had to place the fantasy image of the opening site as the background image; I tried to make div layer hot spots upon it but I failed. So, I was tired to fight with the problem and made an easy solution: transparent gif. Only, the good old 1x1 didn't work, I had to make the exact size. Oh, old times... nostalgia.

Today I've been making paper works for Live Herring and Spirited Herring. Not really enjoying nut somebody's gotta do it...

Alvar Aalto Foundation + The Craft Museum of Finland + The Arts Council of Central Finland

Goose - Low Mode

Nerd / Desktop image (close up) - this and other weird desk top wallpapers are downloadable at www.esnips.com/web/desktopimages

Savi-M liked my fantasy layout so much that they are going to use the image in their invitation to craft fair... The site is on its way.

I won't be making Alvar Aalto Design Seminar site this year! I just couldn't make any time to visit Helsinki in January (due to my tight schedule and to my back aches which prevent me from pretty much getting anywhere) and suggested that the organizers would find another maker. This was more of relief than lost this time as I have projects nearly too much right now. Although it's always a great experience to work with a well known and awarded graphic artist (in this case Aimo Katajamäki), in a way it's also a bit difficult as I see me more as a graphic artist myself than a coder. But still I'm kind of sad even though I know that this is far most the best solution - I've made the Design Seminar sites from the beginning.

Elina from Opuskirjat informed me that the drawing book cover is about to be printed soon. They asked me in which format my name should be printed in copyright page but my input in the design of the coverpage is so minimal that it would feel strange to see my name on the cover. I made the concept of "a collage cover" with red outlines but there's so big difference in my suggestion and the final cover that I really don't think I should be credited for it.

I'm so not in the working mode right now. I'm going to skip the rest of the day...

Green on Red - Reverend Luther

Jan 15 07 / Web page of photographer Maija Holma [www.kolumbus.fi/naulasaari]

The mail man just loves to bring me bills. Grrr.

Projects are all late, I know, I know. Wish I didn't.

Today has been the day of "could you put this online today asap thank you" -messages - accompanied with a attachments that could employ about ten people for one week. It's makes me so frustrated sometimes when, after years of collaboration, the same wondering of "this is just a small project" comes up. I wouldn't like to explain for the millionth time how and why it takes so much time.

But I've also received a lot work offers too this week. It always makes you feel good, but at this time (c:ter still at the repair shop) it also makes me a bit unsure. I love the ideas of these projects that I've been offered and I really would like to accept them. I'll have to answer them something.

Yesterday I visited Säynätsalo Town Hall (by Alvar Aalto) for the first time. We had a meeting about Säynätsalo new pages. I've already made a basic layout and it's accepted. Now it's only question about content and some slight modifications.

Layouts for dancers came out wild and strange, layouts for SARV are on their way. Papiina just contacted about a major update in following weeks, Taito Shop site is under construction as well as Savi-M with which both I am going to continue working today. After having a small break. Right now.

Out of songs

At last Wednesday I was at SARV (The Finnish Critics Association) meeting at Tampere and when I came back my computer refused to work. The same problem that I had one month ago. Unbelievable! I took it to the c:ter doctor on Thursday but I've heard nothing yet. I'm late with all the project as if it wasn't broken because it took me so long time to install everything as it was.... I'm a bit devostated.

And this has nothing to do with my frustation: I've totally broke my printer too. I actually hit it with my chair (accidentally... really!) and the feed stand broke a bit. I have to invited some kind of patent to hold up my papers as I print.

Any way, I have my Little Silver II (laptop) here and she helps me through the difficult times :) I've made some updates and such but most of all: Maija's site is almost finished. It still has some small adjustments and some images missing but rightnow it feels really good. It let's me remove one of the post-its hanging on my wall (and leaves only about 30 most essential projects...)

Nada Surf - Popular

Today I've tried to get rid of all my small projects that seem never ending. Those small things that won't take more than quater hour to do but which somehow end up hanging for half a year. F.ex. it has been over two months since I gave a course in JAO and it was today I finally could drag myself to give them grades for their projects. Not a good teacher. Little ol' me. A bit shamed.

I received some images from dancers for their website. I'll try to finish the layouts before Wednesday - which gives me... a whole day. Geez.

It's not the projects themselves but the time table that makes my heart beat a little faster sometimes. I've try to left some empty space in my calendar and I try to think rationally but somehow it always keeps coming back as endless hurrying. ASAP is one of the words I use the most. Which is terrifying.

+ updates: Gallery Becker, The Craft Museum of Finland, Alvar Aalto Foundation & The Arts Council of Central Finland

Art Brut - Nag Nag Nag Nag

Savi-M people really liked my fantasy front page design! I made some adjustments for basic layout due to their wishes and I'm hoping to start coding the project next week. This is one of the projects I had planned to finish before x-mas so I truly wish that I could get it online asap.

I'm a bit anxious about the book cover project for Opus publications. I just can't handle the thing. Today I sent my last version which is done upon their suggestion (which was a version of my suggestion etc) - let's see what they like about that one.

I received lot of material from Mikko from Craftmuseum for the kite exhibition illustration project. It got me totally freezed for a moment. It's always like that when you start something new. Well, not something new, but something with bigger scale than never before and a bit tight schedule. I print the material out and I will start illustration sketches while wathing the Idols tonight... Something light minded for light minded. I'm not too worried though. Yesterday I drew a lot (sketches for the dragon kite) and really liked the outcome even though I still have small problems with aligning the elements in effective and dynamic positions.

Inno Foorumi project reminded me the day before yesterday about the blog I should set up for them. There's also a blog for Väri07 project on which I started working today.
+ updates: The Arts Council of Central Finland, Riiminka, Gallery Becker, Alvar Aalto Foundation & The Craft Museum of Finland

Automatic - Raoul

Last night I made a sort of fantasy collage based front page layout for Savi-M. I just opened the layout again and I still like - but it's kind of radical and some what unconvential layout for a ceramic artist. I just hope the client likes it too - that it isn't too much over the limits. Excited...

I've also made some illustration bases for the dragon kite. I have to get them finished even though there are tons of unfinished (paying) work waiting.

A Hawk and A Hacksaw - In The River

[Taidemajakka.fi released Oct 29]

Managing the little stuff off my virtual desk - like writing the 'read me' files and all for the Taidemajakka project which was published over two months ago...

Yesterday evening I got yet another one request for offer from one craft artist / dyer. I sent her my offer and it seems that we'll start to make a new site soon. Nice!

I got my Illustrator fixed! Now it works! SO fascinating how the poor line arts can be converted to sassy looking vector art... Played with some photoshop actions also.

I've spent the whole day by making layouts for Savi-M, coding Maija's webpage and making some small adjustments here and there. Some new appointments in my calendar (which somehow always opens to show me the first week of June... ) Missing summer here.

Tuxedomoon – The Ghost Sonata

Jieee - a new year, new thoughts. Well, not exactly. I've continued to work with projects I started last year.

Yesterday I pre-coded the Väri07 site. Still some test using (even though it's really small page) and setting up a blog with the same outlook.
Today I sent some layouts of Säynätsalo (the link leads to their current site, not mine). We'll have a meeting soon about how to proceed...

+ Some updates to Alvar Aalto Foundation and The Craft Museum of Finland.
---

I've actually not been feeling very well. Cold and wet weather got me in the beginning of December and since then I've been a bit... My back has ached the whole time and sometimes it's hard to walk. I try to avoid to go out to the cold and windy weather - so actually there is nothing else in my life at the moment than work and tv. No wild benji jumping experiences this time.

But... getting better. I just can't wait when I'll have some time to open my Grease luxury DVD package and start the sing-along/dance-along session. ¬_¬