Just an ordinary day

I'm mostly lucky to have clients (I'm quite selective, after all), but some projects make this site feel so real: Clients from Hell.

Somehow I feel a slight dejavu coming from this:

Client: “I didn’t get anything.”

Us: “Sorry, our email is down.”

Client: “Can you just fax me the animated gif so I can see how it looks?”

Us: “Well, it’s about a dozen frames. (Joking) So we’d have to fax it like a flip book.”

Client: “Okay.”

This made me reflect my projects today to the projects ten years ago. I'm getting it easy these days :D

Ultravox - Thinwall

Oh, Vlad, you say things in your website that I've hoped I had said - just about a million times.

The beginning of the year has started with massive re-design of Alvar Aalto Foundation site - which is not nearly close over. Which makes me a bit anxious.

Also at the working table now are the renewing of Jyväskylä Artist Society site (closer to re-launching than I can bear to think...), english pages for print maker Kirsi Neuvonen and some smaller sites for artists and friends - including Timppa and myself.

And also, the mother of all projects: a massive web exhibition about Uno Cygnaeus and Wolmar Schildt as it is their bicentennary celebration year (from their births if I remember right). Well, not so massive exhibition in contentwise but in realization... Let's see how it will turn out.

I started making some badges already before christmas but since then the time bubble for my own projects just miraculously disappeared. I have to somehow break out from this bubble.

The new year...

...started with a slight panic. I have been sleeping and eating and sleeping and... what the good people usually do in their super holidays. And now I'm standing here with my calendar on my hand wondering: in which moment it already filled?

I really have no time to wonder endlessly: I've been working with renewing of Alvar Aalto Foundation site and that has been a sort of hell. I was first commissioned to renew only the front page and the navigational system but as the navigation changes it affects to all pages. I haven't been with in planning the navigation (or user interface) and it's a bit hard to take in and implement the whole thing wisely. We talked first about a very slight code-based renewing which would help updating the site (which is not using cms) and which would be easy to do, but somehow I ended up receiving a folder full of new documents and updated texts on the site too. I realized today that I will have to start again and re-design the whole site - even though that is not my commission. Let's see what happens. These "one part" renewings has never been my friends, at least when I haven't been on the original team myself.

Uh, and I'll have a dentist next week. Not a good start.

Christmas rush

The year has been busy. I've been planning to update my web site (and Timppa's - which I had promised already before summer) and also start a new portfolio site but somehow time manages to pass us by flying. There have been some action on art front so I won't complain. I didn't sell any works from the Poriginal Gallery exhibition but while the exhibition I got a commission of 85 prints from Central Finland
Health Care District - which was good enough reason to start to plan another trip to Tuscany, Italy. Also, I have some of my prints on "Jouluksi kotiin" (To Home for Christmas) exhibition in Rööperin taidesalonki in Helsinki until January 6, 2010.

I also made some small sites. Jussi Jäppinen ky - graafinen suunnittelu was totally a collect-the-pieces-and-put-them-together gig: the site graphics and user interface as well as the whole content was provided for me by Jussi Jäppinen and his son (working in the same graphic design agency) Juho Jäppinen, so I won't take any credit for web design there. But it was a work project allright.

I still have to finish a layout for an anniversary site for Cygnaeus and Schildt - which is laid out in the cms of the City of Jyväskylä which cuts off a lot of creativity...

So, this is christmas: snow snow snow and it's freezing cold. But candles burning and hot cocoa. And chatting with Ulla who's still couple of days in the residence in Oaxaca, Mexico. It could be worse...

Bookhouse Boys - Dead

Unbelievable - three months have passed since my last blogging. What has happened? Well, we spent the most wonderful two weeks in Florence in Italy in May; in June we took a short trip to see Finnish lighthouses on the west coast, I took part to the Medieval Market in Turku with Värjärikilta (Dyers' Guild); in July we went back to Turku for Ruisrock and on the end of the month I travelled to Evo to spend some days in dye courses etc - and next week I'll be travelling to Estonia. But nothing has happened on my digital web / graphic mastering office. NOTHING at all. (Copy-pasting doesn't really count.)

I'm a bit behind with all of my work projects; many ideas going around inside my head but nothing coming out except blurry versions of them - so there's really absolutely nothing new with my life at this time.

Except: in June I found out that I got accepted in school: in autumn I'll start studying masters programme in media production in Tampere. Not moving there though. That should be interesting...

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*

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.

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...

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.

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

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

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.