All Kinds of Trees by Sirkka Jalava

It`s gone a long time since I last had a posting here. Now I came to see, what you are doing and saw, that the theme now is all kinds of trees.- I was out last spring and made plein air painting with some others, it was early spring, mars or begin of april, so there were no leafs in the threes yet so they looked like ghosts. You can see that with own eyes.
An an other drawing of trees which already have some green, but the light gets down free.

Pets / Animals, Sirkka Jalava Dog Trixie

I would take part in this periods theme with a couple of pictures. I have two cats but I noticed, that I have not painted them at all, yes done a drawing in pastel. But once I had a dog by me when the owners was travelling. I did some some aquarelles of this dog.

Thank you Lynn and Ann for hosting this blog. 

Water, Sirkka Jalava

I was sketching outside, the weather was beautiful with sunshine. But not very warm, the wind from north. 

 

I sketched water, it is not often I do, should do it more for getting exercise. Used dry pastel this time.

Water, The Winter, by Sirkka Jalava

Water in the frozen form, And a little unfrozen.  

Water, Kastelholm, by Sirkka Jalava

The theme is water this period. I use again a painting I made before, last autumn in november. I seem not to have time and energie to make any new painting. Now, I hope later on. In november our group were to this place and painted. Mostly we took photos and painted later however.

Here is the old castle Kastelholm in the morning light, when the sun is rising.

Landscape,A House, by Sirkka Jalava

This house is a challenge to paint. I took the challinge and tried to get everything on its right place and relation. It is not an art work, I can say. But I am glad I have done it and have learned a lot of house painting. It is spring here now and it is lovely.

Spring, Hepaticas, Sirkka Jalava

It has been stormy weather several days, to day  its raining too. And +3C. The spring is on the way. Hepaticas are there, but not yeat really open. So I take a painting I made last yer, the day was 29.3.2014, so the spring was a little earlier than it is now.

Spring, Spring signs, Sirkka Jalava

Still no more flowers this year, the spring is later than last year.
I have seen more crocus are on the way up, also tulips.
I took this sketch from last year at eastern to show some spring signs.
 Found this vase with lilies-of-the-valley also made last spring.
I hope they give a little spring feelings to all of us!

Spring, Springflowers, Sirkka Jalava

Spring is so hopegiving theme so I will participate in it. This spring  has been so cold, but also warm. Warm on daytime, therefore we have no snow more on the ground. Warm means some degrees on + side C. But  nights are  cold, with -5 C. So only snowdrops are in bloom and some crocuses.

But last spring they were blooming very good. I was out in the garden and painted them with watercolours.

This year I have not had time. And to day its again raining with a little snow too.

Fantasy Destination, Sissinghurst, Sirkka Jalava

Now I have a little more time, when my challenges are done: #onehundredfaces and #29faces in februari 2015.

I read of your new theme, place you dream to see. I have for long time dreamed of to see Sissinghurst Castle with all the gardens, for ex. the white garden.Both are my dream object, the castle and the garden.

I drew the Sissinghurst castle with dry pastels.You see the famous white roses in front of the building.

                                  

Odd Characters, Columbo by Sirkka Jalava

I came to see, how you are, saw the theme and thaught that maybe I have something to participate with if it is ok for you.

I hope it reminds you of detective Columbo, because I have tried to do him.

Here he has the cigar in his right händ although it is difficult to see.
My regards to you all, Special regards to Lynn and Ann, who are keeping the blogboat in right course.

Sunrise Sunset, Sunset by Sirkka Jalava

The sunset tonight. Acrylic. After 15.00 the sun ges down. To day it was especially colourful and beautiful. To morrow we have the last day of the year.

Sunrise Sunset, Sunrise by Sirkka Jalava

A simple dry pastel drawing of a sunrise.  which I have in imagination. The place and sunrise are real, but I have drawn from memory.

Sunrise Sunset, Sunset by Sirkka Jalava

Sunset - I used Ann´s photo as reference for this painting in acrylic.

Sunrise Sunset, Sunset by Sirkka Jalava

A sunset  at home. I can see this from my window when I am working with my computer.  I have painted this in acrylic from a photo I took earlier in this autumn. Yesterday was the darkest and shortest day of the year, light only appr. 5 hours. From now on are the days becoming longer again, 

The winter has come here now. Yesterday we have got the first snow for this winter. To day there was ice on the see already.

Sunrise Sunset, A Sunset by Sirkka Jalava

Thanks Ann and Elaine for sharing your photos. This time I don´t use them, but a sunset photo I have taken in summer.

The colours are not so bright as they are in the original. I did it in acrylic. 30x40 cm.

Sunrise Sunset, Sunrise in Kastelholm by Sirkka Jalava

This theme seems so interesting and while I have a sunrise painting in acrylic, which I made in this autumn with our group  in the series of the castle Kastelholm, so I will show it for you here,  So you don´t forget me, It is acrylic in size maybe 50 x70 cm or bigger. I have it not at home now, We had an exhibition in this castle at the end of the term.

Monuments, Light House, by Sirkka Jalava

Hello again everybody! The time flies, it is a long time I not have been here. I have visited and looked at your wonderful artworks now and then, but have not had time or more energie to paint anything suitable here. No the theme is monuments and that is interesting. We in Finland have the Independence Day to day and we remember all who have been loost in the many wars our land has got to go through. We have monuments in every village that reminds us of our passed time. But I have no photos of them now. In stead of that I think on other monuments, the many lighthouses around the land. They are so beautiful, bastant reminding of old times seafaring. They were placed on small, tiny islands, almost only rocks coming up from the sea. In old times there lived people watching that everything functioned. Whole families could live on the light house islands.  Now lighthouses do not have people permanent there, they are automaticly functioned. And they are popular tourist objects. People can take a regular boat to the island out in the sea, spend a day there, even stay over nigth.

This light house is special therefore, that the border of two states Finland and Sweden goes over the island, one part of island  belongs to Sweden one part to Finland. I will remember, that the lighthouses stay on the finnish ground. It takes one hour to get to the island with a fast boat from our island. The sea is surrounding the island, you sea only water, water and probably a boat far away. You can imagine how it was in stormy weather, and winter. and when the water was high it could come in through the walls. Only seals live and visit the rocks today.

Fruits, Fruits by Sirkka Jalava

I am sorry, but I have not been able to paint any fruits now. Instead of a new painting I will show an older painting, that I have hanging on my kitchen  wall. I painted it 2010 . 

Fruit, An apple, by Sirkka Jalava

It is a long time I have not been here. I am sorry for that, but I have had so much other duties here, that I have not had the energie to paint other things than those I have had to do.I have missed you all however and now I want to participate in the fruit-challenge at least with a one painting and here it comes: an apple on a plate with a fruit knife.

It is an acrylic painting ca 15x25cm in size.