Gallery Vanha Kappalaisentalo, Porvoo, Finland, 2009
"But there is always some bird living in our house,
they come without asking, for them there's no wall
nor the window's glass
nor any curtain"
(Helinä Siikala, Pysähdytään, anna kätesi, Otava, 1977)
***
The landscapes familiar to me have been the starting point for my paintings. I take several photographs of the same scene and I choose the one that I can feel in my stomach, or sometimes the one that does not interest me at all.
Then, at some point during the working process, I discard the photo and it might even get lost in my studio. By that time there are already things in my painting that far surpass the photo in attractiveness and of which the painting is finally made. I paint in layers, adding colour and scraping it off, sometimes giving up things that I thought were ready. I follow what could be called the will of the painting. The painting is ready when I feel it in my stomach.
I think that the time I spent in Benin has influenced my paintings, too. After my journey they have become more silent.
I paint with self-made oil pastels.