In case anyone was wondering what I do at my work experience.

I'm posting a collection of the work I've done. This stuff will all be on sale, although I don't actually know where or when. Click through for larger versions.

And an update for anyone who doesn't already know, I will be moving to Edinburgh in September and studying 'Glass and Architectural Glass' at Edinburgh College of Art. So if I carry on with this blog, I may need to change the name as well as the shade of blue of my colour scheme.

Come Into the Garden

There's currently something of a heat wave in Finland. We measured 34 degrees in the shade. The garden and the green feels so much more intense when compared to a few months ago. Almost 60 degrees and more than a metre of snow ago.


(Brownie points if you noticed the Nick Drake reference)

Something I did a while ago.

It's been pointed out to me that I've been neglecting my blog. And since Emma asked to see the work I did for the Helsinki application, I thought I'd upload pictures of said work for your viewing pleasure. Unfortunately these are in the form of photos of photocopies because the originals are with the university and I won't get them back, but you'll get the idea. Click through for bigger versions.

Task 1: Draw or paint a forest in the material of your choice, size A3

Pretty self explanatory. I used oil pastel, tissue paper, pencil and white paint.


Task 2: Draw a comic strip of your workday in 2021 using pencil or pen, size A3.

Due to a slight fixation with dystopian literature the vast majority of my ideas for this were post-apocalyptic. Which is possibly slightly worrying, but I thought it would make a better comic strip than a regular day. I had some very elaborate ideas and then remembered that it had to be A3 so I went with something relatively simple. The fossil fuels have run out which has lead to a food crisis, so everyone has to farm. It has a variety of flaws on a factual level, but it is a comic strip after all.



Task 3: Design a series of the minimum number of dishes needed in everyday life. Use pencil in the size of your choice.
I decided to go really minimal, with only a cup and bowl. I wanted them to be concentric but not just different sized versions of each other, and still connected. So this is what I came up with; a cabbage-bowl-and-cup. Hopefully this is evident from the drawing or else I haven't done my job properly.


Task 4 was to write an essay with the title 'important object' but I'm not going to post that.

A pretty intense week ahead.

I fly to England on Friday evening. Over the weekend I need to make my Portfolio for my 'portfolio inspection/applicant day' at Edinburgh on Thursday. On Monday I go to Bristol. On Wednesday I fly from Bristol to Edinburgh. On Thursday evening I fly from Edinburgh to London and Saturday morning I fly back to Finland. The total works out at something close to 5000km of distance covered. Add alcohol to the equation and I think I'll be very tired by next Sunday. But it'll be totally worth it to be able to see these wonderful people.


I hope they'll be dressed like this.

And this. Indiana Jones.

This one as well.

Will it ever stop snowing...ever?

It's snowed about 20cm today and it's still going steady. My cousin dug down to the ground in the back garden to see just how deep it was. Turns out it's pretty deep.


After this she dug another hole on the other side of the garden and we built mini fortresses and threw snowballs at each other.

In other news, I bought a pair of ice skates. I'm well on my way to becoming a pro.

It's official

I am going to have a life. Soon. In two weeks to be precise. Yesterday I signed the contract for a government subsidised art work placement thing. It's difficult to translate to English because there is no English equivalent. What it seems to boil down to is getting paid by the government to be arty 8am-3pm, Monday to Friday, which is a pretty sweet deal if you ask me. I start on the 7th of February. There's a month trial period in which all you have to do is show up on time to be able to carry on, then it lasts until June.


I have also applied and sent off a mini-portfolio to Edinburgh for entry into year two on their Art and Design degree specialising in Glass. I'll know by the 5th of February whether they want me for a full interview or not. I'm still planning on attempting the Helsinki application but that's going to be really intense and scary and I don't want to think about it yet.


The pictures are ones that have probably been seen before by everyone who reads this blog, but they give some much needed colour to this post.

No denying its winter

It snowed heavily for most of yesterday. About fifteen centimetres, the first time it's stayed. Which feels far more appropriate for the cold weather and of course looks beautiful. It also makes it lighter since the snow reflects any light, which is always appreciated. My body definitely knows it's winter. I'm constantly hungry, I'm convinced it's trying to store fat ready for hibernation.



I seem to have developed a slight fixation with trees. Sketches at the request of Lottie.


In other slightly belated news, I got my identity card. A lovely little piece of plastic that makes my life a lot easier and makes everything seem a lot more official. It also has no mention of my British nationality, the same as my passport has no mention of my Finnish nationality. Which makes me feel a little like a spy and I'm sure will prove to be useful one day, although I have yet to think of any circumstances in which it might.