Introduction:

"This blog is not necessarily for lovers of art, it includes a variety of topics and whatever. I'm a painter who likes to know what's really going on in the world today. So you might find anything from Shamrocks to Salmiakki mentioned here on my blog. There will of course be some boring, factual and informational posts, but I'll keep them to a minimum, I promise!

And I might get a bit nostalgic now and then.

So you have been warned!"


- Alan Hogan



Showing posts with label nature. Show all posts
Showing posts with label nature. Show all posts

Monday, September 7, 2020

Dagmar's Spring, Finland

Hi,

I'm back on my Blog again!

'Going to be posting the occasional video from a recent project I started called 'My Big Fat Finnish Portfolio'. I've already set up and started this project over on Facebook and Instagram, plus I now have a YouTube channel and Pinterest board dedicated to it also.
'Would be great if you could join, add or follow any of these platforms.

For now here's a little clip I made not far from where I live in Finland. It's a nice little place called Dagmar's Spring, a natural spring with beautiful surroundings and easy-going nature trails.


All the best for now,


your friend, 
Alan.









Monday, December 11, 2017

My Finland 100 : 41- 50







Finland became an independent state on 6 December 1917. Already there have been numerous events staged throughout the country to celebrate this centenary year. The theme of the centenary year is ‘Together’. 


As I have been a resident of Finland for the past ten years I wanted to do a little something. For this I decided to post 100 images to my Instagram account on social media with the hashtag #finland100_igchallenge .




Anyone familiar with the Instagram application will be aware of the vast amount of wonderful photography posted every day online. There are so many amazing images to be found featuring Finland's stunning nature and landscapes. I imagine my photography may be lack lustre in comparison and as a result may not be noticed. So I decided to simply look closer in and around my new home for another approach. I have posted a variety of images found around my own house and neighbourhood. I didn't know much about Finland before I moved here, so I view this as an opportunity to show others a few things I discovered about or associated with Finland and it's culture. I have included everyday items, nostalgic items, locations, food and also some Finnish-themed artworks which I painted myself while living here. In other words, a bit of everything!!




The images are in no particular order of importance or preference, so I'll continue with 41-50...






41/100

The sandwich cake! .. the smΓΆrgΓ₯stΓ₯rta can be found at many celebration parties throughout Finland. This savoury dish has been perfected in Finland, as shown here by a great chef from Bromarf! These two sandwich cakes were made specially for my birthday and were delicious! ..Thanks Tanja!! 😊🍰

A post shared by Alan Hogan (@alanhogano) on






42/100
'Autumn Birches' (acrylic-on-canvas) #finland100_igchallenge 42/100
..posting a series of random images (including some of my own art) from or associated with Finland to celebrate the country's 100th birthday! ...'probably should've posted this earlier, all the leaves have fallen at the stage! ☺🍁

A post shared by Alan Hogan (@alanhogano) on





43/100
..late night snack! A national dish of Finland 'The Karelian Pie'! ..yum!!
A post shared by Alan Hogan (@alanhogano) on






44/100
...in Finland you're never too far from nature. I took this photo only 2 minutes from my house today. 🌲🌲🍁🌲
A post shared by Alan Hogan (@alanhogano) on







45/100
..I was never too fond of mustard back in Ireland except for a tiny bit of Colmans on a toasted ham & cheese sandwich. But the mustard in Finland is more to my liking, especially 'Turun Sinappia' on makkara (finnish sausage).

A post shared by Alan Hogan (@alanhogano) on









46/100
...these ABC service stations are everywhere in Finland, at least everywhere I've travelled. They're a one-stop shop for petrol, grocery shopping and dining! 🚘⛽πŸš˜πŸššπŸš• ... 'took this photo at my local ABC today!
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47/100
...a painting of a house in my neighbouring town of EkenΓ€s in Finland. 'The Green House' (acrylic-on-canvas), ...well it was green when I painted it! πŸ˜€πŸŽ¨
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48/100
.. a crafty old Finn I once knew handcarved these butterknives from old juniper wood. Some say Santa Claus started this tradition but these ones are definately the upgrade! .πŸŽ…..
A post shared by Alan Hogan (@alanhogano) on






49/100
...as world leaders in coffee consumption Finland needs to have the best coffeemachines! That's why you will find one of these in most Finnish households, the 'Moccamaster'. I have this Ferrari red model and it makes an amazing brew! Although the machine is made in Holland I regard it as a part of my Finnish experience! 🍡
A post shared by Alan Hogan (@alanhogano) on











50/100
... throwback Thursday ..the beautiful Havis Amanda photographed last summer in Helsinki.

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Click below for more:

1- 10

11- 20

21- 30

31- 40

41- 50

51- 60

61- 70

71- 80

81- 90

91- 100


















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Thanks for reading my blog and please feel free to share it with any of your friends.








- Alan









 

Saturday, August 24, 2013

More, More, Moher!


Part 3 of my summer holidays 2013 in Ireland, and a visit to the Cliffs of Moher in County Clare. Once again the weather was on our side. A perfect day to see these amazing cliffs. I've been here on a few other occasions when it was always either raining, misty or just dull and cloudy. But I finally got some nice photos this time. Click on images to enlarge!!!

A drive up Corkscrew Hill on the way.






Nice place to dial a pizza!


The Cliffs of Moher
A quick pose with my BK-46 Finnish football jersey!

I took a few video shots of my own while at the cliffs but it looks like I won't get to edit them just yet. Here's one I found on the net.






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This is part 3 of a set of 'Ireland' travel posts here on my blog. Click on the destinations below to read the rest!
























Thanks for reading my blog and please feel free to share it with any of your friends.

You can receive my blogposts direct to your email or facebook profile by pressing the follow button at NetworkedBlogs  and you are welcome to visit my art page on Facebook by clicking the 'Like' button under my signature below.


- Alan 



                     




Monday, January 16, 2012

Daniel's Art Group in Fokus



Last Saturday I had the pleasure of attending a special art exhibition being held at Galleria Fokus, my local art gallery here in Karis, Finland. The organiser of this exhibition was Daniel Enckell, a local and well-respected artist who has set up his own art group classes over the past few years and is now showing the fruits of his teachings at this art exhibition. 

Daniel Enckell stands next to his painting 'Tessi' at Galleria Fokus, Karis.

Daniel Enckell's art group is represented at this art exhibition in Gallery Fokus by a total of eleven fine artists. Visitors to this exhibition have a unique chance to see a sample of Daniel Enckell's artwork also. 
On walking into the gallery last Saturday afternoon I could not help but notice Daniel's stunning portrait painting titled 'Tessi (Terese)'. It is a richly coloured painting of a young woman in a dark baroque style reminiscent of the great masters. What a wonderful showpiece to greet visitors at the gallery!

Solveig Eriksson standing next to her Still-life oil painting at Galleria Fokus.

One of the artists taking part in this exhibition has recently been involved with a book about Helene Schjerfbeck, one of Finland's biggest and best-loved artists. The book titled in Swedish 'Hon drog sina streck' has been translated into Finnish by Solveig Eriksson. As part of this group art exhibition Solveig and her co-artists displayed some fine still-life oil paintings. It was interesting to see and compare the techniques and brushstrokes of each individual artist. 

Fine art and refreshments at Galleria Fokus
From left to right,
Carola Welin - 'Under platanerna i Paris'
Nina Hackman - 'Stenhus'
Nina Hackman - 'KΓ€nsloflΓΆden'

Visitors to the exhibition can find a variety of styles and subjects, including some wonderful landscape paintings. One painting I particularly liked was 'Stenhus' by Nina Hackman, a peaceful scene painted with wonderful attention to depth and light.

From left to right,
Asta-Maria WikstrΓΆm - 'Madonna'
Helena Laitinen - 'Midsommarnatt i Savolax'
Nina Hackman - 'Stenhus pΓ₯ Gottland'

Daniel Enckell's Art Group exhibition continues at Galleria Fokus, in Karis, Finland until the 29th of January 2012. 

The artists on show are 
Asta-Maria WikstrΓΆm, 
Helena Laitinen, 
Solveig Eriksson, 
Carola Wilen, 
Tuula Masalin, 
Christine Oesch-BΓΆrman, 
Rolf Grandell, 
Tor-Bjorn SjΓΆholm, 
Nina Hackman, 
Ann Glader, 
Lauri StΓ€hlberg 
and Daniel Enckell.

Monday-Thursday 11-19
Fridays 11-17
Saturdays 10-14
Centalgatan 90-92, Karis  -  Keskuskatu 90-92, Karjaa



Thanks for reading my blog and feel free to share with all your friends.

-Alan

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Thursday, October 20, 2011

Red Barn Blues!


With the summer a distant memory now, I just wanted to share one of my paintings which reflects summer for me here in Finland. It's a picture of a typical red wooden barn in Finland, with a rapeseed field lingering in front of it. The bright yellow rapeseed fields can be so strong in colour they can only but make you smile!
I usually take a small camera with me whenever I go outside whether in the cities or the countryside. I caught this photograph while passing a field near to village of IngΓ₯ in southern Finland. I was in a moving car, so the quality isn't great. But I knew from the moment I seen it that it would make a nice painting.

Here's the original photograph with my painted impression below it. 







'Red Barn' Original acrylic on stretched-canvas 
for sale from artist, size 50cm x 40cm.
Prints available from Imagekind.com, just click on image above.




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Thanks for reading my blog and please feel free to share it with any of your friends.

You can receive my blogposts direct to your email or facebook profile by pressing the follow button at NetworkedBlogs  and you are welcome to visit my art page on Facebook by clicking the 'Like' button under my signature below.


- Alan 



                     





















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Friday, October 15, 2010

Autumn on the Nature channel!



'The Nature Channel!'
(no subscription necessary)

It's autumn on the 'real' Nature channel and here's a few photo's I wanted to share with you all on my blog. 
I took these photos while out walking in Karis, Finland. 
There are still plenty of leaves left on the trees here, but with the first of the autumn storms arriving last night these nice autumn colours will soon begin to disappear. 






There have been reports of early snow on it's way to this area of Finland, so I'm making the most of the nice autumn colours or 'Ruska' as it's called here in Finland. I haven't seen any real evidence of snow here just yet. It's certainly getting cold enough, with daily temperatures getting quite low. It's presently +1C outside my window. I reckon it's about time to dig out my winter jacket and gloves. 

Look! Even my cat is starting to feel the chill!



Thanks for reading my blog and please share with your friends.

- Alan

ps.- I'll be dreaming of Finnish summer for the next few months!!




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The Art Garage, Finland

The Art Garage, Finland
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