Plumb - Cut

Photographer Mikko Auerniitty www.auerniitty.fi [December 11 2007]

About Mikko's site (above): I really enjoyed making the simple site with simple solutions for Mikko. The project was fast to execute and co-operation went fluently. Right now we both have images exhibited in the photography exhibition in Galleria Harmonia still a few more days. (This is a funny thing really: I was packing my exhibition works to be removed from the gallery when I noticed that there was an invitation to all photographic based word to be juried to the exhibition. So I left three of my works to be juried and they all made it!)

Some of the other projects I'm working with are a bit heavier and slower to execute. Sometimes it just feels that I would like to finish the projects already. But sometimes I feel that the time has brought up some new and fresh ideas (like with Auvinen's website, almost finished) that I wouldn't have got otherwise.

But what's really irritating are my own projects: I've been adding post-its about my ideas to my wall and now there are about thirty of them. Some of them are a littler harder to start but most of them would be so easy to make when I just would got myself to do so. Grrr. It just feels that when the day's work is done, there's no more mental capacity to do anything else but stare voidly telly and think about nothing. I should organize myself one day at week which would be completely dedicated to me, myself and I.

There's some light at the end of the dark working tunnel though: yesterday I bought a paper cutter (gilliotine type) and I'm seriously giving some time and effort to make these small booklets I've dreamt about. We took also a brochure from the shop and yesterday I noticed that they sell these large envelopes (that the post office doesn't) into which I could fit my large prints. I calculated that I could also fit in a few cardboards to give some strenght. One problem solved; only few - like custom declarations etc. - to solve.

Jeff Buckley - Lover You Should've Come Over

Taitosaari project www.aivia.fi/kadentaitajat [December 10 2007]

Last autumn I was teaching at Taitosaari project in Viitasaari and Saarijärvi on weekends. The courses / lectures were given to the craft makers of that area. The website above, published in December 07, was the final ending to the project. During last autumn I got to know some really nice and talented people and while I taught them about the digital possibilities, they got me inspirated of making things with my hands. I found myself drawing and cutting paper and making all kinds of small hobby crafts. And enjoying it.

My book making enthusianism has gone further: I've made lots of sketches and all kinds of notes about my following projects. I'll be also making I've ordered a paper cutter - which did cost quite much (can't be lazy now) - and I'm planning opening a webshop. Shop opening hoolaballoo will propably take place after we'll come back from Florence at the beginning of June... I'm very hopeful about this whole project and I wish that some day I could concentrate more on graphical designing (and *my kind* of graphical designing) but at the same time I know that work in the craft field can be quite devastating.

Because there are also some sad news: the web site for Eeva Ylönen got cancelled when Eeva decided to end making craftworks. That's quite sad because I was really waiting forward to publish the site - there were many new ideas and small visual effects that would have made the site very interesting (and of course the products themselves).

Klaxons - Atlantis to Interzone

Noramies.com kainoramies.com [November 27 2007]

Last weekend I learnt how to make books. I've taken a similar (or actually two week) course of book binding when I was in school in Tampere but it was ages ago. I noticed right away in the very start of this weekend course that all the old information had vanished from my head. This time I have to take care not to forget this craft because I really enjoy the possibilities of what I could do with book binding skills. I have one idea of making these small 10-page "dye books", each binded using different printed and numbered sheets with image and dye samples; each book containing different leaves. Another idea is making sort of artists books about colour which all will be individual, used both printed material and some collage techniques.

Making prints and books and developing different techniques to complete my art projects have given me enermous amount of energy with my other projects too. Some how making things with your hands and creating stuff makes you even more creative. Odd, but seems to be true.

Small updates to Alvar Aalto Foundation, The Craft Museum of Finland, The Arts Council of Central Finland and satumontanari.com.