new painting

Well, not always flowers...this time a different painting.
Unfortunately online, big paintings don't always come across so nicely :( this one has a lot of nice texture that you can only see from close. I'm a texture freak these days :D

100cm x 120cm, acrylic paint on canvas, year created: 2015

old times

Here is a painting called "old times". The flower paintings are here again :)

Old times, 90cm x 90cm acrylic painting on canvas, year created: 2015

I love you

Another portrait painting I did last summer!
The model is beautiful Anna: deathrideshorse.deviantart.com

50x50 cm, acrylic paint on canvas, year created: 2015, model: Anna

I see you

Portrait painting I did this summer! I'm obsessed with eyes right now!
I loved to paint Anna! She has such beautiful features :)
Here is a link to her model page: deathrideshorse.deviantart.com

I see you, 40 x 40cm, acrylic paint on canvas, year created: 2015, model: Anna

Under the storm

All my life, I've attempted to do realistic art but slowly, slowly the love for abstract art has taken over and nowadays I really enjoy doing big, abstract pieces. Here is a new abstract flower painting. Did I mention that blue is my favorit colour? ;)

Oh, and there are two pretty realistcally painted portraits coming soon :)

Under the storm, 100c x100cm, acylic paint on canvas, year created 2015

photographed by Hannika

Earlier this summer I had a lovely summer day and photoshoot with my friend Hannika
Below is a portrait that Hannika took of me :)
You can see more of her beautiful work here: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Hannika-Photography/1515431632039207?fref=ts

There is a group exhibition in Helsinki that features Hannikas and several other photographers work.
The 23 Anonymous Group Exhibition is still open until the 8.8.2015
http://qhair.fi/gallery/2015/05/23-anonymous-valokuvanayttely-29-5-8-8/

Upcoming paintings

Sometimes it's really hard for me to find the time to paint. But I still try to paint...WHENEVER I CAN!!!! :D

Here are some glimpses of upcoming paintings.
Abstract flowers, that means I'm in a summer mood :)

sometimes I paint with playing cards

Archipelacon weekend (and epic fangirl moment)

I made a fantastic trip to the Åland islands last weekend! I haven't ever been in that part of Finland before and it was beautiful! I went to the Archipelacon scifi and fantasy convention. Fantasy literature has always been the main genre I read.

I was able to get some of my artwork to the "Pirate sf" exhibition and I was very pleased to see that my work was chosen for the exhibition poster! :D
The convention itself was super interesting and relaxing. I'm used to going to my "day job" related conferences which are rather stiff and serious and it was really fun to go to lectures that are not work related but purely for my own interest. I especially enjoyed the comic book lecture by Petri Hiltunen and a panel talk about fantasy/scifi literature and sex!

But to be honest the main reason I went to Archipelacon was to see and hear my favorit author George R.R. Martin. Yes, I've read the books and I watch the show :D it was great to sit at the Alandica congress centre in the first rows and listen to live lectures about the book and the show. Just when I was heading home from the convention I suddenly glimpsed Mr. Martin before the hotel and as a silly fan I just had to approach him and ask for a fan foto :) George was so nice to this silly, nervous fan and even gave me a coin from Westeros!!! :)

So what can I say! My trip to Åland was just perfect! The island is beautiful, the weather was nice, I had an art show and my work was on the poster, I met some really nice new people, listened to some very interesting lectures, got my "Dance of Dragons" signed and even gor a fan foto with George :)

Below are some pics from my fabulous weekend! :D

Me and my favorit author George R.R. Martin

My artwork at the "Pirate sf" exhibition. The show was at the library and in the congress centre.

Alandica culture&congress centre

Marienhamn stadsbibliotek

Hanging out at the Archipelacon, photo by Henry Söderlund

Archipelacon Pirate SF exhibition

I'm happy to announce that my artwork will be on display at the Nordic SF & Fantasy Convention Archipelacon! I will be part of the Pirate SF exhibition that is held in the Marienhamn library.

Pirate sf is a new and exciting category of science fiction and fantasy art. Its roots can be found on the treasure maps of seafaring steampunk adventures and the salty spray of Martian sea canals. Pirate sf takes you on a jolly quest beyond the stars riding wooden rockets on aether vortexes and with the Jolly Rogers hoisted!

The main exhibition on Pirate SF has works by: Petri Hiltunen, Tuuli Hypén, Kimmo Isokoski, Nadja Mikkilä, Marie-Therese ”MT” Olenius, Lasse Paldanius, Julia Savtchenko, Jenny Wiik, Arren Zherbin and Ninni Aalto.

The Archipelacon exhibition is open for members of the con and everyone else during library opening hours:
Mon–Thu 10AM–8PM
Fri 10AM–7PM
Sat 10AM–5PM
Sun closed

To purchase my paintings, please email me (nadja.mik(at)gmail.com). Both pieces are for sale :)

 I will be at the Archipelacon myself from Saturday till Sunday. Come and say hi if you are there too :)

Dressed up to party

I don't usually go out much... I like to stay at home and paint...but whoa! Wait a minute! Look at my Instagram account, it's full of party pics lately ;)

https://instagram.com/nadjamariina/ 

Twin Peaks

There was recently an event called "A Night in Twin Peaks" in Helsinki. I saw Twin Peaks for the first time when I was 12. I was really intrigued by the series... the first episode already grabs you, and you just wanna know what happened to poor, beautiful Laura Palmer. I don't think I have to go on explaining :) the series is just unique and mysterious. It has it's own feel and wonderful characters etc. What made a huge impact for me was the music too, my mom bought me the soundtrack CD as a present for my 13th birthday. I loved the music back then and still love it.

...and agent Dale Cooper! My first and only TV crush ever! I never liked boybands or any musicians in my youth, but agent Cooper was the coolest! :D Smart and handsome as he is :)

Anyway.... "A Night in Twin Peaks" was a wonderful Twin Peaks fan event in Helsinki and I was lucky enough to be a small part of it :) I was one of the working girls from One Eyed Jacks ;)
The guests of the event got the opportunity to be photographed my amazing Atelieri O. Haapala and I got my Twin Peaks image as well. So here are some pics of the One Eyed Jacks Girls at the famous Twin Peaks Black Lodge :)

Here is a video about the event (in finnish)
http://pmd.nelonenmedia.fi/video/video_clip_2028638_free_360p_none.mp4

Below are also some other pics from the event.
(from my Instagram: https://instagram.com/nadjamariina/)

Blackie and the girls. Blackie is Mrs O. Haapala herself :)

Laura Palmer

"The owls are not what they seem"

"He is BOB, eager for fun. He wears a smile, everybody run!"

My beautiful fellow One eyed Jacks girls :)

Me and my "royal flush" headpiece. First headpiece I ever made myself :)

Painted

Last week I received an absolutley lovely surprise! Artist Nina Kuukari did this amazing digital painting of me :D I feel so honored that she chose me as a model for her work :)

You can check out more beautiful artwork by Nina for example here:
https://www.facebook.com/ninakuukari
https://instagram.com/ninakuu/

the painting is based on this photo by my friend Tinttu:
http://www.nadja-art.blogspot.fi/2013/06/rope-photo.html

Transient

I had an unvoluntary break from painting fro a few months. Around Christmas I tried to paint this and that, but it was mostly a struggle. Lately I've been so busy with other things that I haven't had any time for painting anyway. The other day I took one of my terrible Christmas paintings and tried to work on it and voilá it turned out nice :)
Sometimes it's good to get a little distance to everything. I feel like the ability to paint has come back to me :)

Transient (40cm x 50cm acrylic paint on canvas, year created: 2015)

Detail of Transient

a desparate attempt to safe the painting...painting the hands over...

First the painting looked like this, but I didn't like it (especially those bodybuilder arms!)