That subtlety is quite typical for us ‘Northern people’. Today while doing some artistic research on the web, I came across with lovely paintings by a Danish artist Vilhelm Hammershøi ( 15 May 1864 — 13 February 1916 ). There is more than meets the eye by looking these lovely, but small jpeg files. I hope one day soon to see the ‘real thing’, and to study them.

While keeping an eye on those winds, I have started a new portfolio, ‘Haiku’. I continue explorations with palette knife, oil paint, and small, 6“x 8″ canvas.

I have been drawing new sketches of birds to add to my painted Birds portfolio , and on the side learning, and having tremendous fun with iPhone photo apps.

Here I’m in the middle of a sketch of an imaginary blue bird. Ink and water color.

Could not resist of taking a photograph of the same sketch.…yahoo, applications, I’m thrilled now!

I have been also sketching ‘bigger’ birds…small birds on big piece of paper.  Those will get to be large mixed media finished drawings when the time is right.

View to my 3rd floor studio balcony.….yeah, birds on the wire ink dries faster on the laundry line!

Salted Herring was ‘Gone Fishing’ for a while. Now the blog is getting a face-lift with some fresh ventures. New art is leaving the nest in the form of birds, and more artwork is in the process.…not to forget the photography either. I have been gifted THREE new fantastic tools: two gorgeous, but easy to carry around cameras, one larger with interchangeable lenses, and one fit to the pocket size with super long fixed zoom, plus a mighty iPhone ( thanks again Sam, Cory, and Kalle, love you!). My love with photography is revived!

For the past months I have been painting busily, big and small. My latest Bird Paintings are small in size, but big on textures. They are painted entirely with palette knife for certain abstractness, and definitely for the mighty texture. All oil on canvas.

I have made a pact with myself to update the Salted Herring more frequently. Please be patient.…all takes time. Like it is said “hyvää kannattaa odottaa”, heh, pun intended. I don’t know how the heck it is said in English ( make me wiser, please!), but something like just wait, ‘good things’ are coming…or at least that is the plan.

You know how the birds are.…they can fly freely and fast. This flock is ready to fly  from the nest. Let me know what you think!

Bird Paintings Side Show

Till the next time!

And quite a parade it is, funky, fun, and loud. Everybody seemed to have a huge smile on their face…think of that, dancing and parading 4 and maybe more hours in the full gear under the scorching Mexican sun. Amazing, isn’t it!

The music.…well, is not loco music just because my ears are tired. I find the lovely music by Poetas de la Guitarra rather soothing after the event.

I’m well healed know, thank goodness, and ready to step on the streets again. It took 262 stairs to climb to this view. Well worth of every step.

The walk down is easy if you have good breaks on your shoes. On the way back to town we met two cute burros at work delivering tierra, garden soil. Don’t know what it is, maybe it is the long ears, that makes me smile.

The tradition might be old, but the fashions do change. I share here the latest trend in Loco Shoes.