"The White Vase"
In the grand scheme of things, I am that drop in the ocean, flower in the vast meadow, tiny star in the night sky; one little unit, one small link in the chain of creation.
To me, that is what it is all about, to be that link between the past and the future; to explore the unconscious, to dwell among old things, to feel the ancient beliefs without recognising them until they emerge in my painting, or in the balanced form of a fragile mobile, like signals twinkling from afar.
I am grateful to receive them, to let them live again to light the path of those in search of it.
I live by a lake in the forests of Finland, where people have always revered nature. My ancestors were people of the forests, and they listened to the spirits of the trees. In every culture there are things unspoken, forgotten, unseen.
"The Web"
I place these pictures on the internet with hope they will give fellow travellers a glimpse beyond the surface, underneath the hectic pulse of modern life, to a better understanding that we are all part of the same web of life, with our DNA strands spinning new twists to old stories.
"The Dance"
The value of art is not measured by its cost, but by its benefit to the receiver. An elderly lady recently purchased three of my mobiles for three young friends she was visiting; she is also an artist, and thought my price was too low, so she gave me one of her own paintings to balance the transaction in her own mind. That thoughtfulness (and the painting) delighted me more than the money I received!
Sometimes people ponder a painting a long time before reaching the decision to purchase it! After an exhibit last year, I put "The Lady in the Night Sky" under my bed, where I forgot about it.
"The Lady in the Night Sky"
Some time ago, a young lady came to my door and asked if I still had the painting because she couldn't get it out of her mind. Now it hangs on her kitchen wall (where she spends most of her time at home) as a daily reminder of her link to the web of life.
Art is not about money nor quick decisions. Art is about shared feelings!
Recently I received a wonderful book about bronze artifacts made by kinfolk in Siberia before Christian missionaries arrived. Oh, how I love the beauty of those items depicting elk, bear, hawk, and swan in harmony with humans! How I admire the skill of these ancient makers!
Their world was expressed in totemism and shamanism, and that was the real world to all Finno-ugrian people (Finns, Estonians, Hungarians, and many other tribes scattered around modern Russia), many of us almost extinct races today. The same motifs can be traced to our ancient crafts and jewellery.
Today I am wearing earrings fashioned after a Saami pendant which was attached to a cradleboard to frighten evil spirits away (it still works!). These same motifs haunt our modern art, and our music. It is the voice of our ancestors, the spirits of our lakes and forests.
Touch the flight feathers of this snow-white dove, and your comments and questions can fly through time to me. . . .
You may better understand the spirit of Finland's lakes, forests, history and people by visiting my other pages, listed below:
