Bulevardi 7 - Gallen-Kallela and Simberg exhibition

Gallen-Kallela and Simberg exhibition
on Bulevardi 7
12.11.-5.12.

If you happen to be anywhere near the vicinity of Helsinki, I suggest you check out this rare collection of works by these great Finnish painters.

Akseli Gallen-Kallela (1865 – 1931)
Hugo Simberg (1873 - 1917)

Gallery was totally packed.


For everyones suprise - The painter himself gave us a visit!
Just kidding, the gentleman here is actually well known Finnish actor.


And because i havent posted anything since my harddrive melted
here is a few works in progress shots.

Plaster carving

I had this wonderfull idea that i could start sculpting marble.. Well a nice block of carrara statuario costs like 2000 spacebucks and so i decided i start with something more cheaper, because i have never sculpted before.
Plaster is super easy to mix and it hardens really fast.
Like in these two, the mold was a bucket and the plaster set like within 2 hours.
I also got a couple of nice claw chisels to feel like Michelangelo himself.
Actually the fine sculpting is made with a flat screwdriver in the need of a better tool. :)




Here is the first attempt. Its supposed to be an old guy with the mustache.

Resting trees

Almost lunch time

"Almost lunch time"
37 x 62 cm
Oil on cavas, 2010

Work in progress

"Enigma"
70 x 78 cm
Oil on linen canvas, 2010

That was fun! Its finally finished. :D

I felt that I needed a brake, so I was off to do some
plein air painting in the nearby forest with my friend.
Hopefully I finish the background soon, maybe even today. :)

Stage5:
I am not out of the woods yet, but I am glad to see the overall figure taking its form :D

Stage4:
I feel that the hands are equally important as the face to communicate the idea to the viewer.
Still a lot of work to be done. Final size of the painting will be about 75 x 80 cm.

Stage3:
I am still andvancing really slow with this. Tendancy to just splash the paint around randomly to see the whole is huge, I do try to resist the impulse because it would be of course unwise to do mindless strokes. And its also fun to mix a new color for every stroke.

Stage2:

I am slowly working down the head and try to keep the overall composition and the value structure intact. These skin tones will not be the lightest ones in the painting.
Plenty of glare in the photo, but I hope you dont mind. :D

I just started this new studio painting. This painting requires very delicate brushwork because of the subject matter and i am really slowly building up the forms. I have allready spent like 4 hours to get it at this stage. No rush.. :)

Plein air painting in Helsinki

The mermaid and the crocodile

"The mermaid and the crocodile"
81 x 115 cm
Oil on linen canvas, 2010

I am back home from the holidays. It was so sweet to visit Norway and spend time on the summer cabin. Nevertheless, I was really anxious to get back in the studio to paint on a larger canvas with big brushes. It was super fun to paint all those ripples.

Progress of a painting

stage 8
Final,
"Girl with dolls"
70 x 115 cm
Oil on linen canvas

I still might do some touch ups in it, but now i need a break to see it with fresh eyes.
Anyways, i declare it final untill i change it :)



stage 7
There is still a lot of glare and its hard to take a good picture with mobile phone.


stage 6
Thats it for today. Tomorrow i will continue my efforts to turn this into a painting :)



stage 5



stage 4



stage 3



stage 2


stage 1

I just started this new studio painting.
But first i had to build an studio easel to accomodate the rather large canvas.
idea was that i post here pictures, so you can participate in the progress and of course tell me if I make a mistake ;)
Stay tuned.

Hot sand

rocks on the shore

Small waves

Its an wonderfull day today. Lovely breeze kept the insects away and i could focus on throwing the paint on canvas. Only problem was that i forgot my brushes and i had to resort the only one i could found from the bottom of the bag. I keep it there if something like this happens. The brush itself is an super-basic-pighair-medium-sized-whatever-brush. :)

Sunny shore

Shallow water

Nightless night

I love this time of the year here in Finland. You can basically paint plein airs around the clock!

Lake Keitele

lonely rock

Its very windy day today, kind of a bad for a landscape painting, but the waves are beautifull. :D

Reflecting sun

"Reflecting sun"

They say that Van Gogh cut his ear off because he could not paint the sun.
Even I knew the risks, I though i give it a shot :)

Boat

Here is this small boat we have at the shore. Its an beautifull sunny day today :)

summer vacation

Here is some lovely roses we have at the summer cabin.
I am on my summer vacation and I try to do these mobile uploads as much as possible,

City of angels

"City of angels"

70 x 115 cm
Oil on linen canvas, 2010

New dress

"New Dress"

115 x 80 cm
Oil on linen canvas, 2010

This canvas is a lot bigger that i normally use.
Never the less it was super fun to throw the paint around with the biggest brushes available... well i didnt resort to the house painting ones. Yet. :)


Here is the shot from the beginning:

Harvest

"Harvest"

100 x 70cm, 2010

This was a quite a challenge value wise. I did had super fun to paint all that foliage. :)

Young pianist

"Young pianist"
Oil on linen canvas, 2010

Still life - Fresh Apples

"Fresh Apples"
2010, oil on linen canvas

I felt like painting something simple in the form and in the color.
And also under the natural eavning light.
So here it is - fresh apples, just for you!

New and old plein airs

Ponytail

"Ponytail"
Oil on canvas, 45 x 69 cm
2010

I was painting today with my daughter.
She painted with water colors and created a pile of works.
I only managed to paint this one.
We had fun. :D

Catch

"Catch"
Oil on linen canvas
65x97 cm 2010

Susan Lyon Figure Drawing Video´s

There is a couple of new videos available from Scott Burdick and Susan Lyon.

I bought the videos of Susan yesterday and i have to say that they are marvelous drawing lessons. I highly recommend these and they are definately worth the money. You also get access to download them instantly.
Susan tells, in a really beautifull calm voice, the thought and measuring process behind her drawings.
She also goes thru the materials and tools used.
Mostly she shows you how to use the pastels (pens also) and charcoals for quick sketches.
I think these are great examples of simplifying the design and keeping the values in order.
I also believe that even those of you who have done a lot of drawing can get a lot out of these.

Check out the trailer from here:
Promo
Order from:
Susan Lyon