Live Herring 08 print design

How did I end here? My first ever printed two-sided REAL brochure (not those copied ones), a poster and a flyer...

The brochure design is a doubleside A4, folded in three parts, the inner sleeve showing the main works of the exhibition. The poster is very simple A3 size poster.


More about Live Herring and the exhibition going on right now (until November 23rd) from www.liveherring.org

The National - Fake Empire

Documenting work days, project continues:

(~10am) Started the day with answering some emails with full coffee cup on my side. The exhibition place for next June is now reserved for Timppa and me - this was truly good news since we were already thinking that the place wasn't available anymore. The meetings for tomorrow confirmed. Sent some Project X ideas to be read before the meeting. Requesting about one missing url for one net exhibition (of which people are starting to be mad to me even though its not my project at all... Grrrr.)

Some photo searching and photoediting for Swedish Taito Shop site (to be open soon).

Some wlan modem configuration... (ARGH!)

Received a letter with intranet passwords from school. Wrote some stuff for school.
Started making demos of the Craft Museum one page shop layout but couldn't get too far when I had to leave.

Went to computer shop to ask about the missing bioprotection of a new laptop / notebook. (Where I met one friend from a looooong time ago - who actually doesn't live that far from here. Promised to send him Facebook inv. but this day it just didn't happen...)

(~1pm) At about one met with A in café. Discussed about some personal stuff + some design/art related possible projects (for the next year).

(~2pm) because of cancelled meeting ended up to the Central Finland Arts Council to have more coffee and to read some encyclopedia. Wrote down some ideas for following meeting and some ideas for the art project next summer.

(~4.30pm) Project X meeting in Sohwi - where I also had my meal.

(~5.30pm) Live Herring project meeting with only some things to talk about.

(~7pm) Home, downloading some press images for a couple of projects. Sending my comments of the flyer of Live Herring / Arctic & Fabulous / Jyväskylä Art Museum / Jyväskylä light event. Forwarded dates for Art Fair in Helsinki.

(~8pm) Some small updates for Swedish Taito Shop demo. Also some product updates for Finnish TaitoShop.

(~9pm) Setting up the wlan for new laptop / notebook. (Hallelujah, it's now working. So proud of myself.) Continued a bit with Craft Museum shop layout but still didn't finish. Thank God for coffee.

(~11pm) Working with if you just project.

(~1.30am) Small updates to Värjärikilta site. Sending blog invitation to one dyers' guild member.

(~1.50am) Updating Savi-M site.

(~2.30am) Still some adjustments with if you just project.

(~3am) Writing this. Very tired. Head filled with stuff.

Come - Bell

I haven't been to Estonia since 1990 (for a few days in Talling in some strange rock / punk festival) when it was still part of Soviet Union. Except for a short drive through via Via Baltica in 2002 when Timppa and I drove with Sebastian B. to Vilnius, Lithuania in one day and then Timppa and I returned for about week later from Vilnius to Tallinn by bus in one night and then right across the sea back to Helsinki without seeing anything. So, the former is a whole different story and the latter doesn't really count.

When textile artist Ulla Lapiolahti told me last autumn about this potato print festival that she had heard of, I was ready to go right away. So, when the middle of the August finally came, we packed out bags and after one night stay in Helsinki we crossed over to Tallinn, took the train from Tallinn to Türi and continued from there to the Laupa mansion. The whole festival was organised very freely without any timetable stress or pressure to do everything in a strict way or order which suited me more than well. We even worked in my normal day schedule (breakfast in 10 or 11 ... or at 1 pm...).

Since I find myself sitting in the front of my computer monitor 24/7, the festival was really a refreshing break to my usual life. I found also the place, the Laupa mansion and its peaceful surroundings, to be absolute meditational heaven. The mansion, which works as a school these days, was under renovation and everything was piled and wrapped - the pianos for example were wrapped in plastic foil - which brought more of the surrealistic clang to the place. I enjoyed sitting around the building just feeling the atmosphere. There were many empty spaces and I was a bit frustated that I *didn't* pack Zoom (digital sound recorder) with me - there would have been many strange and beautiful voices and soundscapes to save...

Anyway, I really didn't get as much images done as I had planned but I got some new ideas to my future art work and other work projects too. I wrote many pages to my memo book after arriving home at Sunday night / Monday morning at about three/four am, before going to sleep. I'm absolutely enthusiastic right now! Ulla gave a lecture of natural dyes and pigments and for the first time I tried printing with natural dyes - I did most of my prints with soot black (which is pigment) and cochenille and madder tinctures mixed with gum arabic. This is the thing that I must continue to do. (I still have to find more detailed info about concentrating the natural dyes into inks and paints though.)

Sadly I noticed that I haven't got any images from the lecture of potatos (changing the world) by the director of London Print Studio, John Phillips, which I found really interesting and entertaining. Lecture by Phillips was not the only thing I didn't take pictures of. I'm quite angry with myself for not taking more images from the event generally, since there would have been so much to document. When I looked through my photo files I found mainly images from the Laupa mansion rooms and little details all over... Well, it's the organizers' fault really: why do they find such an interesting place to have the event... :)

Anyway: new ideas, new working methods, new techniques and most important: new, interesting contacts. People taking part to the festival were with various backgrounds which made the festival more interesting. I hope to be in contact with those people in future too.

More about the festival: www.printpotato.pri.ee Festival works will be exhibited in EKA Galerii (Eesti Kunstiakadeemia, Tallinn) September 3.-15, 2008.

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...

Css - Rat Is Dead

Eemil.fi www.eemil.fi [January 2008; graphic design]

It's soooo beautiful outside that it almost hurts. Well... It hurts. As I am sitting inside trying to finish some projects off so I can have a few nice holidays without worrying unfinished projects.

The spring has provided me some lowest lows and highest highs. I won't talk about the lows more than that it was something to do with my health and everything is ok now, nothing to worry anymore. But more words about the highs: the absolutely highest point of this season was when I received the Cultural prize of The Jyväskylä City. It was given me in the ten year anniversary seminar of the Jyväskylä Art Museum April 22, 2008. I learned about the prize already in February but I had to keep it hush-hush until the prize giving day, but because my spring has been so full of things to think about, I actually realized the whole thing after the prize was given to me and partying happened. Feels quite strange. Nice but strange.

---

Lately I've been working with my portfolios. I decided to apply to a school - to get me an upper level degree. I *did* fill all the forms needed and I *did* made myself a portfolio of my recent doings, however, I'm not here when the interview part of the process is going on. So, let's see how it goes and can I fix something up.
I updated my work-o-matic and simplex a bit but there are still some projects missing. I'm hoping to get myself pulled together to make a proper portfolio and also a new art site. But this has to wait for some time...

Marit Bergman - Out On The Piers

The Finnish Critics Association www.sarv.fi [2007/2008; graphic design]

Spring is the time for endles copy-pasting. New spring collections for both Papiina (the site design is not mine but I've been updating the site anyway) and Riiminka are now online.

This last week I've been having a short easter holidays and then a few day trip to Kuopio (not really recommending for spending more than one day in winter time; propably nice town to live but not for city tourist). I've done some projects that have been hanging there for a while, f.ex. Värjärikilta (Dyer's Guild) logo and new site layout which I hope to realize in a few weeks time.

I've also been fighting with composer Antti Auvinen's website. I've liked that project from the beginning because Antti had such strong opinions and wishes of how the site should be and I've had some challenges that I've really like solving - like a large puzzle mystery. But now it's finally starting bugging me a bit because nothing works like I've planned. The very same thing is happening with Jyväskylä Art Museum site.

Then there is co-operation project with dancer Noora Nenonen (If you just...) which is a cross media art project. I should finish the website this weekend... Another project that I don't know yet how to execute the whole thing.

So off I go. To scrub my head.

ps. About the SARV project of which the image is from... The final layout is a version of my layout. Originally there was quite different navigation font, a little bit lighter (not due to colours but not so heavy).

The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus - Misery Loves Its Company

Textile Artist Hannele Ollakka www.hanneleollakka.fi [December 11 2007]

I've been passive onliner for a couple of weeks: I've read a lot blogs and just wandered around the net but haven't written anything or finished any work projects. I've just put things to be done further away. Some kind of overload.

Beginning of this year - so far - has held the deep lows and highest heights, the both at same time. There were some serious things happening in my life - still are, but things are looking much more brighter at already. Although I'm not writing about anything devastating, somebody passing away or anything like that, there are sometimes these small defining moments when you just stop and look around and notice where you are and what you've done.

My moment turned out to be good: a new start really. I decided to put more effort to the visual design, illustration and design thingies in general. Maybe those zillions of post-its will get to put in "projects done" file instead of "projects that will never be realized".

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.

Don Fardon - I'm alive

Textile Artist Satu Montanari satumontanari.com [August 2007]

Unbelievable how the time flies. I generally find blogging a way to sort of "empty my desk" after a workday or after an extensive project but somehow I seldom blog these days. Maybe there's just too much happening and I'm starting to avoid nerdy life style. Or maybe there's just nothing going on with my life... Anyway, I notice that my English is getting rusty. Have to start practising again.

Actually, there has been something going on: my exhibition will go on still + one week and I've already sold two works! Last week I received a grant for update/developement project for Coloria and Coloriasto, and also a new project with dancer Noora Nenonen and I ...If You Just Asked got a small grant.

Also, my Grande Art Project News is definitely the most biggest artwork order this far: before christmas I got a call from the Jyväskylä Municipality which wanted to order 90 prints from me to be given as gifts. Of course I said yes. So, it was a bit hectic for a while when I tried to make both these commission works and my exhibition + all the work projects. Right now it starts to look good. I've already delivered some of the artworks to my client and there's not much left to finish.

At the same time when I'm feeling absolutely exhausted, I'm very enthusiastic too. Positive comments from my works lately have really swinged my mood up and given some extra energy. I would so much like to do something completely new and different design projects right now - something more graphical and powerful. I'll have to sketch something down soon - maybe using Illustrator again after a while. Would do good. Some practising there too...

Displacements - Lazy Bones

Once Upon A Time...
Galleria Harmonia Jan 10 - Feb 10 2008
(Hannikaisenkatu 39, Jyväskylä; across the road from the railwaystation)
Welcome to exhibition opening
in Jan 10 at 6 pm

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. ¬_¬

Mastodon - Sleeping Giant

Jyväskylä City Theatre

After a total crash of my c:ter I've finally managed to get it some what together again. I also purchased a laptop as my secondary c:ter - when the next catastrophe hits at least I'm able to do something with it. Except: I couldn't install my Creative Suite even though I should have enough RAM. Luckily I also have Photoshop CS as a separate purchase and could install that one. Dreamweaver and flash are also already installed and I've tested that the web connections work and all. So... Hopefully I can stop myself from working during the xmas holidays - little bit of workholicing here.

I've had my hands full of jobs. During the last few weeks I've made layouts for Väri07 (colour competition for architects and such) and some layouts for Savi-M (ceramic artist). I've had a meeting with dancers about their website, meetings with Sirkka at the Theatre of Jyväskylä about the content of their site (the site was actually published Dec18; though not quite as I had been planned - there's still some layout fixing to do), a meeting in Jyväskylä Art Museum about their future site and a meeting with Maija and all stuff for her web site is soon collected.
I've also designed a xmas image to screen in the window of The Jyväskylä Art Museum (I'll make that one to the ecard also) and some christmas cards to some museums and some firms.

And here's mine: for those who aren't yet feeling the magic of xmas (...*hmph*...) (change it to the xmas mode by moving your mouse upon image) coloria.net/xmas/06 / and to those who already are in christmas mode http://www.coloria.net/xmas/06

Sunshine Underground - Panic Attack

Last Saturday I had one day off - I can't remember the last time... We left to Espoo to see EMMA museum + exhibition. I didn't really expect a lot - just a day without computer and brain activity. But I the video installations by Shirin Neshat did really make an effect. And the famous Black Square (although not really the most original) by Kazimir Malevitsh was not so bad either... :)

I really shouldn't get any day-offs. The last nail on my coffin was last week when my computer broke down. It was away only for about 24 hours but enough to completely mess my time table. So many projects on their way it's hard to even start... Some Live Herring stuff is still unfinished which takes my time a bit but there are a lot of new projects waiting! More about them later... The main thing is - I really like what I'm doing right now...

Today I've used my time mainly to updates: Alvar Aalto Foundation, The Craft Museum of Finland, Kirsi Neuvonen's and Riiminka sites.

Oh oh oh, I forgot this one too: skullstation.org has opened (a few months ago) with a temporary site. This is quite far about the layout I had planned but since it takes forever to complete anything in my universe, I just decided to put some stuff there already. No so scully though. Just a few irritating backgrounds downloadable for web pages. I drew them about a year ago and some of the elements have already introduced themselves in this site... The skull station will present some skull related stuff in the future but also my line art graphics + stupid downloadables made just for my own therapy... Eh.

Cat Power - Wild Is The Wind

Iron Maiden – Phantom Of The Opera

Today I made the first book cover suggestion that I'm myself totally pleased with. Let's see what happens.

I can't update any sites on Jyväskylä site (Aalto Museum, Craft Museum, Arctic & Fabulous...) because there's one essential gadget down. So, I'll just have to lurk around for a while.

I got some very positive feedback from Papiina today - funny how some little thing can make you so happy. *-*

A little bit of sleep would do wonders right now. I still have a few sites to update and some Live Herring stuff to do and tomorrow I'll have to wake up early (well, relatively early at least). Slave to the system.

Thom Yorke - Analyse

Today's hc-listing:
* Call about sponsorship for Live Herring breakfasts (no go)
* Call about unknown number that has called at morning. It was the transport services: the Osram DOT its have arrived! We'll get some Osram powered light to our Live Herring exhibition!
* Call about silk screen minimum print txt size
* Sent an offer about netsite for one ceramic firm
* Sent an offer about netsite for one artist
* Mailed to Maija about changing the next date date. (+ later some mails the new date and about the possibility to go to InnoForum)
* Another call about sponsorship for Live Herring breakfasts (maybe; calling back in the beginning of next week)
* Sent request for grant payments for Live Herring to Arts Council
* Mailed to Kirsi about next weeks InnoFoorumi meeting - will she drive me if I can go. Whooo, exciting.
* Some heavy mailing about Live Herring + Arctic & Fabulous press releases
* Received those Osram DOT its! Fantastic!
* Mailed to Vakiopaine Bar about Vadelma Club and to Vadelma people about Vakiopaine Bar. And then to Art museum about screening things in Vadelma Club.
* Mailed to my friend how sorry I am since I didn't find time to meet her today even though I had promised earlier. Feeling a bit sad.
* Made a suggestion for a book cover for Opus
* Some additions to Live Herring site: Arctic & Fabulous logo, press release + some downloadables added.
* Some usual updates - to 15 sites...

...

Life?

Billy Talent II - Pins And Needles

Forgot about this. Lakes Woods Artists is an English site about artists in Central Finland by The Arts Council of Central Finland. The artists will be added to the site monthly. More information at the site soon.

---

All my off-work time I have spent with Live Herring. It really takes my time and wear me out a bit but it's soooo nice to see how everything clicks to its place. We have a few sort of major problems but nothing that would ruin the event completely. At least I want to believe so.

I'm having a lot of projects going on right now. Hopefully I'll be able to update this blog a bit more often than what it has been lately. It's nice to just sit down after these hectic times and just scroll down the blog entries - I really don't remember half of the stuff I've made this autumn.

Tilly And The Wall - Sing Songs Along

Arctic & Fabulous now online: www.jyvaskyla.fi/kulttuuri/ngfest. Although it's so largely based on graphic design by Mikael Korpela that I can hardly say it's mine... Well, I copy pasted the words online. *grin*

There's one project that really brings me down. It makes me sad when I notice that I'm hired to be graphic designer but still someone has always something to say... And when the project has too many people saying their opinions... There will be always someone against and some one agreeing and you just can't please everyone. If you start that way there's no stopping.

It's like, I'm not making my graphic design decisions just to tease people, there is reason why there is some air in the designs, around the logo & such. It makes me sick to see my designs rushed into one pile that looks really stupid. And it really doesn't help the readers when all the things are pushed against one another like in an oldfashioned Pravda. Argh.

This really makes me angry. Better to stop before I'll explode. Glad it's all over.

Beta bad - Broke

I was so frustrated last week that I focused all my energy into my blogs. (Yeah, secondary things rules always in ultimate panic). I moved all my blogs to a new beta version and

I also updated some small thingies to periferiadesign.fi site (designer Simo Heikkilä's site - he has an exhibition in Alvar Aalto Museum right now). Basicly soooo small thing but in reality it took me some hours. I had removed the whole site from my hard drive as I though that I wouldn't be the one to update it anymore. I finally found it from one of my very organized (*sigh*) cd's and then I had to make the whole site definitions again. Which of course would be very easy if you had any idea of where all the passwords and such are. Anyway, the small updates are now online (the actual updating took about 10 minutes).

---
I've been panicking a bit with Live Herring. Deadlines for brochures was some time ago and I'm still missing things. This year the event has been much easier to organize though. It's not the experience of organizing last year's event (well, propably partly) but mostly about these people - like Heini, Mikael and Soile - who have been organizing with me. I'm tired with the project but quite happy at the same time. And things seem to go well...

Klaxons - Magic

*Sigh*. I just found about twenty work related emails in my draft folder - I thought I had sent them but it must be the broken network thing... One of them being the theatre layout/coding project. I just mailed to one inquire about the project that I've forwarded the files and everything is fine. Well, it wasn't.

One other project that is shading my days is the book cover project - still on its way. I have these ideas that I think are great, but I lack the ability to bring them alive like I see them...

I'm not actually this depressed. I sound more down than I really am. I just lack a bit time.

Cramps - Human Fly

My net Elisa connection kills me. Online/offline/online/offline/offline/offline... The situation changed from critical to catastrophical when I was updating Riiminka site and the connection just suddenly went offline. I'm so bored with this... I phoned to Elisa again and maybe something will happen in this week. Crying silent tears here. And in this doomsday athmosphere - what do I receive? The phone bill from Elisa.

Tomorrow we'll have a Live Herring meeting. The whole project has started slowlier than I planned because of the offline thing - how can I find *good* Scandinavian net art to show or even send email when my net line is dead? I'm starting to build up some stress due to that.

---

My brother always sends the strangest links: www.kk.org/streetuse/archives/ 2006/08/ jazz_on_bones_xray_sound_recor_1. php

Magazine - Permafrost

It's getting dark and it's not yet 7pm. And it rains. And less people wear t-shirts than thick jackets. The summer is officially over.

Yesterday it was my first joga session. Today I was wondering what is that strange feeling - related to pain but not really - in my stomach... until I realized that it must be my muscle(?) Uh, I'm really in bad shape.

I had a Creek lunch with Anssi at noon which was really nice after soooo long time. We should meet soon again and discuss about The Online Gallery Henkevä Silakka / Spirited Herring - I've designed a new layout, not ready yet though.

I've done some small projects since I came back home but nothing really big. Actually, I've emailed + phoned a lot. First I mailed to Adobe and asked why I hadn't received my free registration gift as promised. Grrr. Then I phoned to out general manager about some fixing in the wall next to our door. Then I mailed to one critic/reviewer about one Moomin DVD that is practically impossible to find. And then some stuff about Välittämö project - we are ending the project due the lack of our resources.

What I really should do is the dozens of small updates waiting in my email. And I should make some new layouts for Viipuri Library site by the end of the week. Well. I've opened the images + all the other material I have. Almost there.

I'm not really in work-mode but I really should do something. Grrr.

Metallica - Ride The Lightning

I've been a bit tired lately but I hope it's getting easier soon. I've tried to have some free time also but I know I'm still working a bit too hard. It's not the work actually, but all my projects that are pressuring me. I should really give something up. Thinking about it.

Last week I met some people in Jyväskylä City Theatre. I'll make a makeover to the site. All the Jyväskylä City sites will be emblied into a new publishing system, so that will give me some work. Nice. There are also other projects on my to-do-list. A lot of new layouts, that is.

And one fast temporary site: Alvar Aalto Design Seminar 2007 - based largely on the graphic design by Aimo Katajaniemi. So, not any achievement of mine at all. *sigh*
+ The usual updates: Alvar Aalto Foundation + The Craft Museum of Finland + Gallery Becker.

I would sooooo much like to make something mind blowing for a change.

Clash - Magnificent Seven

Days have been so beautiful and warm that everything seems so much easier and lighter than at the beginning of this week. Yesterday I spent some time at the office of The Arts Council of Central Finland (reading dictionary - but that's another story). After just hanging around for a while I left for home but as it felt so good just to be I stopped in Gallery Becker and called Timppa. We went out to eat (in Sohwi). It was pretty much a perfect day.


Today I made an exhibition poster and an invitation to an exhibition for Timppa (+ then the new invitation here). Actually, *we* made. Timppa took largerly part in designing the whole thing - maybe the next ones will be his design from the beginnig to the end. The biggest problem we had was the size of the original photo's of painting. We need A3+ size and their resolution at A4 size is 300dpi. So, for poster purposes there is only about 170dpi availability. Not very good and really makes me a bit anger. But we'll wait and see... The printed stuff will be in our hands next week.

As I'm thinking of starting to print some of Timppa's paintings to posters and postcards, I'll propably will order new photos which are all taken in a proper studios with a right kind of equipment. I'm a bit excited about that plan - to go and do something I really don't have any experience with. Whoooo.

Right now I'm coding Taidemajakka ('Art Light House') project site. I actually just found a few technical solutions to the layout - propably very simple but for me it was like I just invented a wheel. These kind of small thingies give some power to go on...

+ The usual updates: Alvar Aalto Foundation + The Craft Museum of Finland + Gallery Becker.


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edit (a bit later): We'll propably cancel the Välittämö exhibition we have planned to organize. I haven't been really active in this project and I wasn't planning to exhibit anything but still... I'm not disappointed or anything like that but still there is some kind of void feeling. More about the whole project later.

Stereolab - French Disco

Live Herring bubbling under. Next meeting next week but before that still some calls to make and some questions to be asked... Need some money. All the rich people, please, contact us!
Also, Välittämö exhibition is coming up. I'm ashamed of how lazy I've been with that project but I've been rally tired - this one week offline thingie wasn't helping the situation.

As I was offline I managed to develope some kind of overflow with my work - now the situation is finally - slowly - normalizing. There are still some unfinished businesses but I think I'm copeing with them now. Nothing new online though. But soon it will be: last week I finished making the coding of the Taidemajakka ('Art Light House') project site. Content's still missing but at least the groundwork is done. The site should be published on September 2 - I'll get the contents propably tomorrow or on Friday.

I was just making my to-do-list and I noticed that there are too many projects 'almost there'. Like The Arts Council of Central Finland site, which is still missing "panic button" I was planning to put at the front page. When it comes to the other contents still missing - I'm waiting for the material...

Hope of The States - Left

Offline and helpless. I haven't been able to use internet fully since Wednesday last week. I'm starting to be a bit desperate here. Even though I can make most of my work offline, there are a lot of small thingies I have to get to net for - and of course the actual update thing. Right now I'm waiting on phone on online error/help line (whatever) for somebody to shout to. Grrr. *sigh*

Last week I finished a lot of layouts. But somehow my work enthusiasm dropped to zero when I got offline. Ideas are really somewhere else and somehow my concentration is too.

I have made a deal to make one new layout and there are a few more that I'll maybe make in some point. This sort of scares me right now since I'm afraid my creativity doesn't really take me to finish line.

I'll get enourmous phone bill. I'll make a personal bankcrupt. (My personal phone record: 25 minutes and holding...)

Spinal Tap - Stonehenge

I've been getting good feedback about Coloria site. It's so shame that this year has been most devastating with that site: I've done so little updates and even less new stories... It's really starting to annoy me. So I made me a Coloria blog. It was so nice to make something completely different with layout! Unfortunately for non Finnish-speakers, it's only in Finnish. But there are/will be some colour related links and some of them, like in my entry today (about old American colour films) are quite intriguing.

I've actually worked a lot with layouts. Currently I'm making a new layout for The Craft Museum of Finland and first layouts for sculptor Anne Alho. I've finished making layouts for Taidemajakka project but there's some fixing still left to do.

I also was asked to make some sketches for one book layout and I have made some with Photoshop (yes, I have InDesign). Today I opened them to continue my work and noticed that all fonts are missing!? But only for these projects. I can use any font I want in any other project I'm doing. What the h***? Well, I simply haven't got time to worry about this now. I'll send the layouts forward today and wish the best. One thing I have learned this far: I really lack a lot of information about this kind of work and right now I'm having my creativity somewhere hiding.

Need sleep.

+Some regular updates (Alvar Aalto Foundation + Gallery Becker + Papiina + The Craft Museum of Finland)