Quite a couple of days have passed since I returned to Holland and I carried a lot of things, thoughts and impressions with me back home.

My “Finnish Production” -15 pieces of textile and mixed media Art – are now hanging on the clothesline which has the impressive length of 10 meters.

Not all pieces are finished yet …

The daylight in Finland

From my very first visit to Finland and every time since then I have been fascinated by the (day) light here. In summer, in winter . . . every season has its own typical typical light where colors are influenced by clouds, fog, reflection or even lighting.

The direct sunlight seems to be sharper, brighter, clear and crispy like ice crystals while the blue color of the sky is much deeper and intense than we see at home. On a sunny day ….

For Sunday 24th a workshop on textile arts was planned and announced through local papers and the Hovinkartano Facebook page. The workshop was to be conducted by myself and Pirjo Heino (curator of the exhibition) would support (translating Finnish <> English) in the event.

It was my objective to make the participants acquainted with the materials and methods I apply in the pieces of art I make.

How do you spend a day in Finland when you are not working, “a day off”?

Go fishing on a lake, paddling a canoe, doing some shopping at Prisma’s, at the local S-Market, buy gardening stuff at K-Rautta.

So this day off it should be something else ….

As soon as I got into the place where I am working with my textiles and mixed media I got distracted.

And how !!!

All the materials that the former “Keramist” who used the Ateljee and all the other artists that lived and worked here for longer or shorter periods have left “something” behind.

Several days of working at the ‘Ateljee’ are now gone by and I must say that I really enjoy this.

Every morning starts with a lovely cup of cappuccino in the neighborhood. In Hämeenlinna there is a place called “Laurel’s” where you can buy the most delicious pies, cookies and cakes …

All the materials and supplies I brought from Holland (by plane!) have been unpacked. Everything I need to make my ‘Artist in Residence’ period successful is there…., well that’s what I hope.

The big black suitcase that travelled all over the world already …

During the noble period (1600 – 1800) ownership of the manor was with the Godenhjelm-, Gripenberg-, Leopold-, Engström- and Furuhjelm-families, reporting to the Kingdom of Sweden.

The Hovinkartano area was founded in 1786.