Being an Artist Archives - Page 5 of 47

by Marja-Leena

scrunched 3

On this rainy Boxing Day afternoon, I am enjoying some quiet time in the middle of the holiday fun. The younger generations are enjoying playing board games while I wander off to play with some of the discarded wrapping papers and chocolate box liners.

These ‘scrunches’ seem to be turning into a series – here’s the first, and the second.

Hope you are enjoying some quiet post-holiday time too. Like me, are you avoiding all the crazy Boxing Day sales? If we’d been more energetic, we should have gone up the mountain for some play in the snow. I’m sure we’ll do it on another day!

Added January 1st, 2013: For Marly (see her comment below). Happy New Year!

December 26, 2012 in Being an Artist, Culture, Photoworks, Textures by Marja-Leena 6 Comments »

by Marja-Leena

Christmas card

As mentioned previously, my current art work is centered around images of hands with objects. Thus came the inspiration for this year’s Christmas card, with both our granddaughters’ hands holding a Nordic straw Christmas ornament. Giving a gift. I designed, printed and mailed the cards to family and friends around the world. And here is the online version as my gift to all of you, my dear friends and readers, with many thanks for your friendship, support and visits throughout the year!

I plan to keep this on the top of the page until the New Year. New posts that may come forth during the busy holidays will appear below, so please do check back now and then. Enjoy your holiday preparations and have a safe and joyous Winterfest.

From the archives, cards from Christmases past:
2011 – solstice and yule time
2010 – Happy Christmas, Hauskaa Joulua
2009 – happy winterfest
2008 – season’s best to you
2007 – good tidings
2006 – love, peace & joy
2005 – Merry Christmas, Hauskaa Joulua
2004 – My favourite things

December 18, 2012 in Being an Artist, Culture, Current Events, Home by Marja-Leena 26 Comments »

by Marja-Leena

12/12/12

Interesting date today, isn’t it? This sent me for a quick look through my archives for posts on past December 12s. On December 12th, 2005, I wrote about juggling the many roles in my life in this busiest time of the year. Not much has changed though I do try to do a little less. In 2008, I wrote about snow, with a rather lovely photo if I say so myself.

No snow today, in fact we even had some rare sunshine so we were able to put some outdoor lights on shrubs by the front steps and hang the door wreath. I clipped cedar branches to tuck in the wreath and in some pots by the door. Let the snow come at Christmas.

Today an article in our local paper titled ‘Santa butts out’ piqued my interest. To quote:
Pam McColl has self-published her own edited version of the classic ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas, taking out the line about Santa smoking. Now she’s getting international attention and the book is being endorsed by the Canadian Cancer Society.

The two lines that were excised:
“The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
“And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath.”

Read more in the Vancouver Sun (hope you can see it without registration).

December 12, 2012 in Being an Artist, Books, Culture, Current Events, Home by Marja-Leena 8 Comments »

by Marja-Leena

prints, prints, prints

The annual Print Sale is coming up fast at the Studio Art printmaking department at Capilano University. As always it will feature intaglio, relief, silk screen and digital prints created by students, Art Institute members and faculty in the Studio Art program. If you live in the Vancouver area, please come and support the students and get some reasonably priced original artworks for some lucky people on your gift list, including yourself!

Here are directions to Capilano University in North Vancouver. Note also the campus and parking maps.

So the studio is buzzing with everyone doing last printing, wrapping and labelling for this event!

I too have had had a couple of very full days of printing. Yesterday at home I printed more than half of my Christmas cards plus made a start on a small gift print. Today, at the studio, I put in a full day of printing several editions which I’ve been working on this fall. I’m exhausted yet happy to have completed these after a few months of work. Next week I’ll be trimming, signing and documenting these editions. I hope to show them here soon, so watch this space!

November 29, 2012 in Being an Artist, Digital printmaking, Printmaking by Marja-Leena 7 Comments »

by Marja-Leena

month to Christmas

– a locally made replica of a Viking boat in front of the Scandinavian Centre

– the gorgeous stone fireplace in the grand room – note the old wooden skis…

A sunny Sunday! Today we went with two daughters and two granddaughters to one of several popular annual Christmas Craft Fairs at the Scandinavian Center, this one organized by the Finns. Husband bought some pulla and lots of Karelian piirakkas, we even enjoyed some there. We bought hand-made straw ornaments for our trees. I found an exquisite Finnish linen table runner for a dear friend, and some wildly colourful hand knit slipper socks for myself for when insomnia strikes and I wander about at night, read and have sleepytime tea.

Back at home and with the light still good, I took several photos of our granddaughters’ hands holding some of those straw ornaments. I’m going to try making Christmas cards with one of them – wish me luck. I can’t believe it’s a month to Christmas… what a procrastinator am I, every year.

November 25, 2012 in Being an Artist, Culture, Finland, Estonia & Finno-Ugric by Marja-Leena 12 Comments »

by Marja-Leena

scrunched 2

More explorations with torn and scrunched papers, this time from magazines. Quite different from the scrunched print I did recently. Wonder where these are going?

November 21, 2012 in Being an Artist, Photoworks, Textures by Marja-Leena 18 Comments »

by Marja-Leena

in progress

Here’s a peek at some of my work that is in progress in the printmaking studio. These are early trial proofs. More about these later when the series is a bit more finished.

I must get outside to work in the garden! It is a rare day when it is not pouring rain, the morning fog is burning off and it is sunny on a day that I don’t have other pressing commitments. See you later…

November 5, 2012 in Being an Artist, Digital printmaking, Hands, Printworks by Marja-Leena 7 Comments »

by Marja-Leena

scrunched

…. some play with torn and crumpled printed paper

And, wishing a spooky yet safe Halloween, weather and storms permitting. The link has my favourite image for this day.

October 31, 2012 in Being an Artist, Photoworks, Textures by Marja-Leena 11 Comments »

by Marja-Leena

giving thanks

Today is Thanksgiving Day in Canada. I first wrote about it in 2004, for myself as I researched its roots, and for readers unfamiliar with the Canadian custom that is held much earlier than its American version. In our home we celebrated yesterday with a delicious harvest dinner with family that is near us, while missing family not able to be here. Farmers are reaping bounteous harvests thanks to our continuing record breaking sunny and warm weather even as the drought is causing problems in many areas.

Here is an unusual Thanksgiving grace full of delightful humour written by the mayor of Vancouver, Gregor Robertson – enjoy! Some of the local references may elude you so just look him up if you wish.

In the meantime, I’m still alternately too busy then too tired to download the photos and write the promised posts about last week’s events centered around the Japanese art exhibition. Hope to do so very soon.

We are particularly missing our eldest daughter whose birthday is today – happy birthday!***
Happy Thanksgiving to my Canadian readers!

UPDATE October 9th: *** Pardon the little white lie, in case daughter might have been reading this. We did see our daughter on her birthday yesterday – her partner had organized a surprise party for her. It was a success, with many friends and family in attendance!

October 8, 2012 in Being an Artist, Culture, Home by Marja-Leena 4 Comments »

by Marja-Leena

threes

1. Garden: We had a record dry August and September here, and still no rain. I have trouble keeping up with watering. With cooling nights now, the last of the tomatoes were harvested, with the green ones ripening in a basket indoors. The pepper plants came in too. I’m trying to repot houseplants before bringing them inside after a summer outdoors and it is time to take cuttings of tender annuals. I need to find and plant some small trees, shrubs and spring bulbs for a new garden area next to the new neighbour’s wall. The fall is as busy as the spring, mostly in reverse mode.

2. Art: Working hard on a series of prints at home and in the studio. Saw a wonderful exhibition at the Vancouver Art Gallery which I must tell you about when I have time. And tomorrow evening is the opening of the exhibition by Japanese artists.

3. Letters: Busy with correspondence with a cousin in Finland whose brother P. has been very ill. This morning I learned that P. had passed away. Went looking through photo albums from the 70’s when he’d visited us in Canada. I scanned some of those old photos along with a little story and sent it to the family over there. All the older generation in those photos are no longer with us. Sigh.

October 3, 2012 in Being an Artist, Home by Marja-Leena 5 Comments »

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