CATS

This comic strip “Kamut”  in Helsingin Sanomat a few weeks ago made me think once again how extraordinary animals cats are and how much they differ from dogs.  Most dogs are eager to make friends even with strangers and to please you in whatever way they know how. Cats are much more precautious when choosing a person they can rely on. They quite simply ignore you, if they feel like it.

Siiri

   

Ruusu

Siiri and Ruusu are stray cats from a cat protection centre. After a few days in the shelter Siiri gave birth to five kittens, which she nursed till they were old enough to be sent to new homes. Siiri still has  a kind of maternal instinct left, which she sometimes shows towards Ruusu, a bit younger.

Ruusu was a couple of weeks old when she was found half dead in a dumping ground.  It was doubtful, whether she would make it. Against all odds she has grown to be a strong and beautiful creature. She is very shy, though. Perhaps in a corner of her heart she still fears of being ditched.

Today Siiri and Ruusu are the adored pets of a friend of mine, and I sometimes wonder, if they understand how lucky they were having found a butler and staff most cats can only dream of.

Minni

Nemo

Minni nad Nemo are Maine Coons and they know nothing about “a bleak childhood”. They are my niece’s pets and so different from each other that you wouldn’t guess they were born on the same day. Minni is hungry for strokes and praises, so much so that she rapidly covers the tabloid newspaper, if you spread it on the table and start reading. Nemo again isn’t at all like his namesake Captain Nemo. The big cat is so shy that he hides under the bed or in the sauna as soon as he sees or hears a stranger. No calls or treats make him show up until the visitors have left. And even then he waits for half an hour or so to be on the safe side.

The comic strip Mutts (Kamut) I mentioned above is created by Patrick McDonnell and was first published in 1994. The  artist has always had cats and dogs as pets and thus he knows their behavior only too well. Earl (Jalo) is a Jack Russell terrier, ready to please. Mooch (Kati) again shows all the typical characteristics of an ordinary cat and she just can’t miss an opportunity to tease her companion a bit.

Some friends of mine have both a dog and a cat as pets, and it’s usually the cat who is the boss of those two. Dogs are quite simply too kind to fight for power!

Turkey 15.- 20.3.2014

Blue Mosque in Istanbul

Blue Mosque is one of the most famous religious buildings in the world. The mosque is known as  Blue Mosque because of blue tiles surrounding the walls of interior design. Mosque was built between 1609 and 1616 years, during the rule of Ahmed I. It is a mosque with six minarets. Each minarets has two or three balconies.

Pray happens five times a day with the first call to prayer at sunrise and the last one at nightfall.

Before you step in to Mosque you have to take off your shoes and put them in plastic bag. Women have to wear a head covering when entering to Blue Mosque.

Presentation

This is our presentation.

PAINTINGS

When decorating a new flat the most problematic detail has turned out to be how to hang up the paintings. The following four haven’t found a proper place yet. Perhaps landscapes would have been easier.

”The Priest” by Olavi Vaarula  (1927-1989)

Vaarula is often called a naivist and his paintings can be recognized anywhere. His work crosses the borderline between dreams and reality. He painted flying figures – both people and animals – using a mixture of oil and watercolour. This painting in oil is not typical of his artistic repertoire, but the priest with a serous expression on his face may touch your conscience.

”Pierrot” by Taisto Ahtola (1917-2000 )

This painting could actually be called ” The Clown”, because Pierrot was originally a comic character with a whitened face and wearing loose white clothes. Ahtola  painted  a number of clowns in different styles and colours, more and more obscure in his later years

“ The Fisherman” by Nikolai Lehto (1905-1994)

Lehto turned more and more to the naivistic style after trying all else earlier in his career. As a naivist he was actually  one of the first in Finland. This painting shows us a proud fisherman with his catch and we are happy for him. Perhaps Lehto was an optimist by nature, because most of his paintings express certain positiveness and joy of life.

“ A Portrait of a Young Couple” by Lasse Marttinen (1926-2007)

This playful painting reminds me of the framed photos, which could be seen on the walls of well-to-do farmhouses  at the beginning of the previous century. Marttinen painted hundreds of portraits of his contemporaries as well. He founded Espoo Art School and was an excellent and inspiring teacher. In his work we see a skilled colourist full of surprises.

Stockholm 9. - 11.12.2013

I visited Stockholm on December 2013 with my husband. We travelled there by Silja Serenade. In Värta Harbour security gard checked people carefully because there was distribution of Nobel prizes at the same time. 

We made some shoppings which we thought were good as Christmas presents. We visited famous Östermalm market hall and admired different kind of fresh fishes and crabs.

In the nearby nice bistro we ate healthy lunch, fresh salads.  After that we travelled to Liljeholmen because we read about one interesting exhibition there, but unfortunately it was closed already.

Stockholm is a good place to make some special shoppings. The food there is always tasty and more trendy than in Finland.

NK:s shop window before Christmas

                                       Östermalm´s special sausages with Christmas covering

ELLEN GALLAGHER : AxME

AxME, an exhibition of works by African-American artist Ellen Gallagher is open at the Sara Hilden Art Museum. Ellen Gallagher (b.1965) lives and works in New York and Rotterdam. The exhibition consists of paintings, washes and paper cutouts. Her subjects are the difficult past of African-American people, popular culture, fashion and the special quality of the vernacular language.

Ellen Gallagher's method of working is very physical, although she often uses extremely fragile materials such as sheets of penmanship paper and newsprint. Her tools include a surgeon's scalpel, plasticine, hair cream and other materials, both rigid and plastic. Gallagher´s art is characterized by layering, an inventive use of materials and multi-dimensional structure.

Go and see this unusual exhibition at the Sara Hilden Art Museum, it is open until 26 January 2014!

Venice 16. - 21.10.2013

I visited Venice for the second time in my life. This time I spent there five days and saw much more than last time. We flied to Marco Polo airport and continued to centre with water taxi. Venice is situated on one hundred islands, which are separated by one hundred and fifty canals. Three hundred bridges are built to go over these canals. Today there are living about 60 000 people in Venice. Young people are moving away because it is not easy to carry baby carriages there.  Prices are quite high because of tourism. We paid 25 € - 35 € for lunch, consisting pasta, a glass of wine and dessert. You can understand this because you must carry everything by boat.

La Fenice Theater

This opera house was burned down twice. It´s name reflects that it has risen from the ashes. La Fenice theater is one of the most beautiful operas in the world. We were sitting on the third floor and listening opera Madama Butterfly of Giacomo Puccini. The scene was very simple, they had used only white color and besides curtains there were two simple pillows and nothing else. The dresses of the singers were white, too. The singer as the main role was an italian singer Fiorenza Cedolins and she sang and acted very well.

Punta della Dogana

This house was former the customs house.  Renovation was done by architect Tadao Ando in 2009. Permanent exhibition comes from the Francois Pinault Collection. This is a spacious art museum just beside Canal Grande and Giudecca Canal. From every window you can see water. It is diagonal from the Piazza San Marco. The art there is modern and interesting. There is one room, which is full of lamps and the light is becoming brighter and brighter and in the end you look really pale. On the floor in the same room you can see parts of human bodies made from plastic.

We were walking quite a lot in the town looking shop windows and interesting piazzas.
After you learnt the central area, it was not so difficult to walk without map.