La botta subita al Referendum sulla giustizia è stata di quelle pesanti e la signora Meloni sta tentando di correre ai ripari mettendo in atto il più classico dei “ vai avanti tu e vediamo che succede “.
Ma c’è un distinguo notevole da fare sulle richieste di dimissioni ottenute nel giro di poche ore dopo la disfatta del SI, e sì perché le dimissioni di Del Mastro e Bartolozzi erano un atto dovuto già da prima della chiusura delle urne elettorali e soprattutto i loro comportamenti non in linea con chi svolge un ruolo di governo si sono manifestati nel caso della Bartolozzi e invece scoperti nel caso di Del Mastro nel pieno della campagna elettorale.
La logica, il buon senso e il rigore istituzionale farebbero pensare che un Capo di gabinetto di un ministero e per di più del ministero titolare del quesito referendario si dovrebbe astenere dal fare campagna elettorale attiva partecipando addirittura a trasmissioni televisive, come se fosse non un funzionario dello stato ma un esponente di un partito politico.
Su Del Mastro credo che non ci sia nulla da commentare in quanto qualsiasi commento volto a giustificare il comportamento tenuto da un vice ministro della giustizia suonerebbe come una vera e propria presa in giro, per carità chi non ha mai commesso in vita sua una leggerezza, ma poi viene fuori che la leggerezza l’ha commessa con altri tre compagni di partito, tra cui la vice presidente della regione Piemonte e se questi ultimi possono essere ritenuti dei bonaccioni o dei creduloni che si sono fidati della bontà dell’affare proposto dall’amico per Del Mastro vice ministro della giustizia è impensabile che prima di entrare in qualsiasi tipo di società non abbia fatto una piccola verifica non tramite i servizi segreti ma semplicemente digitando su Google il cognome dell’unica persona al di fuori del suo giro di conoscenze politiche a cui avrebbe poi affidato il ruolo di amministratore unico della società che sarebbe andato a formare.
Ben altro discorso è quello che riguarda la signora Garnero in Santanchè perché quello che oggi per la signora Meloni non va più bene è sotto gli occhi di tutti da almeno due anni e se per tutto questo tempo ha goduto della fiducia della capo di governo come mai oggi le vengono chieste le dimissioni ( ricordando che la coalizione che governa ha respinto a più riprese almeno tre mozioni di sfiducia presentate contro l’operato non etico della signora Garnero in Santanchè ) e il motivo è semplicissimo serve qualcuno che faccia da capro espiatorio per la disfatta patita al Referendum.
E’ più che logico che la signora Garnero in Santanchè punti i piedi, perché lei non è proprio apparsa nella campagna elettorale referendaria e non ci sta a passare alla storia come quella che avrebbe fatto perdere il referendum al centro destra.
Comunque vada a finire la vicenda, che non potrà che finire con un passo indietro se non altro per evitarsi una sfiducia parlamentare che questa volta arriverà di sicuro, una cosa è certa la vita politica della cuneese è arrivata al capolinea perché per potersi ripresentare in qualsiasi tornata elettorale futura non potrà più farlo se al comando della coalizione ci sarà la signora Meloni.
Se la cuneese non se la passa bene non è che la romana della Garbatella stia meglio perché il giorno dopo la botta ricevuta dal popolo italiano del No tutto cambia e nulla sarà più come prima.
E’ venuta meno la fiducia di 15 milioni di italianiche non è poca cosa e comincerà a venir meno la fiducia di personaggi che gravitano all’interno della coalizione che regge la sua maggioranza che già pensano alle prossime elezioni e soprattutto al dove e come collocarsi per non andare a casa.
Non vorrei essere nei panni della signora Meloni che da oggi più che mai avrà un chiodo fisso a cui pensare ( non certamente diminuire le accise, rimettere a posto la sanità, intervenire sugli aumenti energetici che mettono in ginocchio gli italiani – su questi problemi non si è fatto nulla in tre anni e mezzo e meno che mai lo si farà da qui in avanti ) andare a nuove elezioni subito o aspettare il 2017?
Nel primo caso ci vuole quel coraggio che mi sembra le sia mancato quando avrebbe dovuto chiedere queste dimissioni in tempi non sospetti e fatto non secondario il coraggio dovrebbe farsi doppio per andare contro a tutti quei suoi alleati che non hanno nessuna intenzione di lasciare una poltrona già sapendo che potrebbero non riaverla.
Nel secondo caso si lascerà avvolgere dai pifferai magici che la convinceranno a soprassedere alla possibilità di elezioni anticipate e così facendo darà il tempo e la possibilità ai suoi avversari politici di organizzarsi e si sa che in politica quando si fiuta odore di possibilità di vittoria i campi stretti fanno ben presto a diventare non larghi ma larghissimi imbarcando dentro anche una marea di Pinocchipur di arrivare a sconfiggere il nemico che era al Governo. Una cosa è certa, ne vedremo delle belle!
Winteris the longest season in Finland, lasting about 200 days in Laplandand 3-4 months in the southern part of the country.
Temperatures in the north of the country are usually below freezing for most of the winter, providing a sense of absolute peaceand crystal-clear air.
A fairytale landscape will unfold before your eyes, with abundant snow, frozen lakes, and the chance to admire the Northern Lights, the icing on the cake.
In Lapland, everything seems muffled, with the snow reflecting an almost unreal light, even illuminating the polar night.
The first snow of the season, “ Ensilumi” in Finnish, is always a very exciting moment, eagerly awaited by Finns, and its arrival, given the large size of Finland, which extends for over 1000 kilometers from north to south, can vary depending on where you are.
In Lapland, which lies mostly above the Arctic Circle, the first snow arrives as early as September, although I happened to encounter it many years ago in late June during the car transfer from IvaloAirport to Inari. Finlandis a wonderful country that I recommend visiting in any season, but if you want to see it at its most elegant and fascinating, choose winter!
Thinking about Finnish winter I had the idea to ask twelve incredibly talented Finnish artists to show us “ Suomen talvi “ through their eyes, and I must say, the result of this experiment is truly astonishing, as you’ll see
In the article, along with a brief introduction to the artist, you’ll find two paintings: the first is her “ Suomen talvi “ and the second is one of her favorites I invite you to visit their social media pages and websites to better understand their talent.
If you are interested in some of their works, the artists could reserve a small discountfor the readers of my Blog
To Satu Kekäläinen, Mari Knuuttila, Meria Q, Paula Mikkilä, Milla Piirainen, Taru Rouhiainen, Minna Scheinin, Saila Seppo, Kaisa Sirén, Maj Sjö, Martina Uthardt, Liisa Viima, I extend my heartfelt thanks for making my idea possible
Satu Kekäläinen
Satu Kekäläinen, she was born inHelsinki, but after living in various places acrossFinland, she currently lives in Lieto.
Ice is a sort of common threadthat has accompanied Satu throughout her life, but artistically it all began in 2015 when, needing to find strength and breathe fresh air, she immersed herself in the nature of nearby Lake Littoistenjärvi, and since it was winter, she began photographing with her camera the figures she saw in the lake ice.
You can see her works on her Instagramand Facebookpages and website
For Suomen talvi , she presents: Winter Fairy – aluminium print 30 × 40 cm edition 1/10 – photographed under a blue sky in the sunshine with a macro mirroring function from ice collected from Finnish winter nature
As a second works, she presents: The Soul of the Water – aluminium print 30 × 40 cm edition 1/10 – macro photography of ice collected from nature in winter in the colors and energies of blue anemones in spring
Sagastina – Winter Fairy
Sagastina – The Soul of the Water
Mari Knuuttila
Mari Knuuttila born in Lapua, a town located in Southern Ostrobothnia and where she currently lives and creates her works in her studio. Marihas been painting for about seven years, although her main profession is that of Chief Inspector at the State Administrative Agency, a role that requires strict compliance with laws and regulations.
Through painting, Mari has found a way to give free rein to her visual art, free from rules or pre-established patterns.
You can find more information about Marion her Instagramand Facebookpages andwebsite ForSuomen talvi she presents:Winter Silence – acrylic / mixed media on canvas 89 x 115 cm – this work captures the quiet strength of the Nordic winter – a frozen horizon where light and shadow meet in stillness. Layers of texture reflect frost, earth and the silent breath of the northern landscape. As a second paintingshe presents: With You – mixed media on canvas 80.5 x 65 cm – a layered field of ochre and shadow speaks of intimacy, memory and silent strength. The surface carries traces of time, emotion and the quiet power of being together. Both paintings are available for purchase on her website.
Mari Knuuttila – Winter Silence
Mari Knuuttila – With You
Meria Q aka Merja Sipiläinen-Kuhlberg
Merja Sipiläinen-Kuhlberg was born inArtjärvi (Lake of Artin english) but lives in Turku, a beautiful city on the west coast of Finland. Meria Q became interested in art as a young girl, sketching evening dresses in her notebooks, and she cultivated this interest as a teenager by designing fabric prints.
As often happens, life sometimes takes strange turns, andMeria Q, abandoning her passion for art, took a different direction that led her into the world of marketing and business.
However, in early 2010, her artistic creativity reawakened and has been unstoppable ever since.
She held her first solo exhibition in 2018, followed by numerous others.
You can find more information about Meria Q on her Instagram page and website For Suomen talvi she presents: First snow on the mountains –watercolour 19×14 cm, 2020 – this wonderful painting, which is a hymn to the joy of the first snow falling on the mountains, is part of the series that Merja Q has dedicated to Lapland. As a second paintingshe presents: Poppies – watercolour 28×38 cm, 2023 – these wonderful poppies are fragile red spots, which in the middle of a field can give the hearts of sensitive people incredible emotions. Both paintings are available for purchase on her website.
Meria Q – First snow on the mountains
Meria Q – Poppies
Paula Mikkilä
Paula Mikkilä born in Karvia, a hidden pearl of Finland surrounded by the wonderful rural landscapes of the Karvianjoki river, but resident in Tampere for over twenty years.
She graduated from the Department of Teacher Education at the University of Jyväskylä as a teacher specializing in fine arts and has dedicated a good part of her life to teaching as an elementary school teacher sharing much of her creative moments with children and teenagers.
In the 80s she created a considerable quantity of oil paintings, then after her move to Tampereshe devoted herself to bronze sculpture and for almost twenty years in the evenings after her school work she went to the foundry.
Working with bronze is not easy, but it’s incredibly rewarding, like the material itself, which, once transformed into a work of art, can convey incredible emotions. Pauladraws inspiration for her works from her surroundings: home, nature, animals, and people, who, once part of her creative process, tell stories and fairy tales that take on an imaginative life of their own.
You can find more information about Paula on her Instagram page and website For Suomen talvi she presents: Two white spruces –acrylic, 40×40 cm, 2020 – this very beautiful painting is part of the series “Sheltered by the Forest” As a second workshe presents: Two spruces– bronze, 29/26/13 cm, 2018 – a beautiful bronze statue depicting two spruces Both works are available for purchase on her website.
Paula Mikkilä – Two white spruces
Paula Mikkilä – Two spruces, bronze
Milla Piirainen
Milla Piirainenis a Helsinki-based visual artist.
Her work is characterized by a versatile use of colors, materials, and techniques, through which she portrays human experiences and natural phenomena.
She works with acrylic, oil, and mixed mediaand primarily uses a palette knife, with which she has created her distinctive, layered, and vividly textured painting style.
Her works do not settle for a merely aesthetic impression but invite the viewer to explore deeper meanings and emotions that art can evoke.
She is primarily a marine painter, and the seais a subject she returns to again and again. Flowers are also part of her artistic expression. The interplay of the characteristic colors and forms of the sea and flowers offers her endless possibilities for creativity
You can find more information about Milla on her Instagram page and website For Suomen talvi she presents: Purpura – oil on canvas 82 x 92 cm (with frame) – in this stream flowing between snow-covered trees, Milla used shades of violet and purple to paint the shadows on the snow and the reflections in the icy water. At first glance, we are greeted by a magical atmosphere where light plays a fundamental role. A very beautiful painting! As a second paintingshe presents: Light– acrylic on canvas 70 x 60 diptych – This work is a treatise on light and shadow. While painting, she tell the viewer stories about the beauty that surrounds me. Light and shadow go hand in hand like lovers. This story is about love. Light, light. Both paintings are available for purchase on her website.
Milla Piirainen – Purpura
Milla Piirainen – Light
Taru Rouhiainen
Taru Rouhiainen born inHyvinkää but currently lives in Vantaa. Taru’s is one of those stories that shows us how not only painting, but art in general, can be the best medicine for overcoming difficult times.
In 2020, after the crisis,Taru found herself needing something that would allow her not only to stay busy but also to process and express her feelings.And so, making a life-changing choice, she enrolled in a painting course and fell in love with art!
Before discovering painting, she had always appreciated colors and, above all, their effect on our emotions, bringing joy into our homes.
You can find more information about Taru on her Instagram and Facebook pages and website For Suomen talvi she presents: White noise – mixed medium in canvas90×70 cm – in this abstract work Taru makes us understand how she loves to play with colors, layers and textures that make her work full of emotions, stories and energy. As a second painting she presents:Waterlilly –mixed medium on canvas 73×60 cm – this painting is part of the “Lummelampi” series and is inspired by the famous Water Lilies series by Monet, reinterpreting the theme with a material and contemporary style, depicting pink and white water lilies floating on a pond in blue and green tones, with bold brushstrokes that create a sense of movement of the water. Both paintings are available for purchase on her website.
Taru Rouhiainen- White noise
Taru Rouhiainen – Waterlilly
Minna Scheinin
Minna Scheinin was born in Turku, a beautiful city on the west coast of Finland, where she lived for a long time before moving toKaarina, where she currently lives. Minna often visitsItaly, where she has a home onLake Iseo, and she says this Italian experience has greatly influenced her artistic development.
She worked for many years as aforeign language teacher ( Swedish and English ) and was responsible for pedagogical development and online teaching at her University of applied sciences.
In 2011, she successfully completed a professional photography course at the New York Institute of Photography( online ) and in 2013, she earned a degree in editorial graphics.
Since then, her photographic work has transformed into an artistic journey where her creativity has finally found a way to express itself through her art. Minnaexpresses her art through photography, which plays a primary role, but also through painting and mosaics.
In photography, she began studying theICM( Intentional Camera Movement ) technique, which began a journey that led her to essentially paint with the camera, intentionally moving it during the exposure. Nature is her greatest source of inspiration, and the deepest essence of her images is the beauty that surrounds us and often goes unnoticed.
You can find more information about Minna’s artistic work on her Instagram page and these are her email addresses : scheinin.minna@gmail.comminna@scheinin.fi For Suomen talvi she presents: Winter night – acrylic painting, 42 x 29,7 cm – with this painting, Minna managed to recreate the magical atmosphere of a Finnish winter night and embellished the painting with small fragments of glass capable of giving it a natural brilliance typical of the wonderful polar night. As a second work she presents: Snowballs – photograph– with this very suggestive image Minna has captured a winter phenomenon in which small accumulations of snow or frost settle on the tips of common reeds (Phragmites australis) that emerge from partially frozen bodies of water with bright reflections created by the sun Both works are available for purchase on her website.
Minna Scheinin – Winter night
Minna Scheinin – Snowballs
Saila Seppo
Saila Seppowas born in Kouvola but moved to Sastamala at the age of 1 or 2.
She studied in Espoo and currently live in Helsinkifrom a long time.
She worked at theKemira factory in Pori and has worked and continues to work for the Research Council of Finland.
She is a member of the Helsinki Art Association, Espoo Art, and the Finnish Artists’ Association. Sailais undoubtedly a multifaceted artist, and for her, the most important thing in art is the ability to create a new, diverse, and colorful work of art. Sailaholds a PhD in chemistry and a degree in technology, and thanks to these studies, she has a deep understanding of materials and pigments. This offers her a wide range of artistic possibilities, which she translates into herworks, which closely resemble naive art, but in this case, I would saytechnological.
Thanks to her research, Sailacreated Sisusavi®, a material developed from natural ingredients that works well with all types of dyes, giving paintings a vivid surface and vibrant colors. Sisusavi®is a soft, water-based, moldable mass that can be colored with pigments or vegetable dyes and hardens at room temperature through water evaporation. Sisusavi®is a natural microcellulose material that contains no clay or plastic dyes, and the mass reproduces even the smallest details.
This product, entirely developed bySaila, is available for sale on Greenbutton.fi. More information about Sailacan be found on her social media pages, InstagramandFacebook, and on her website, sailaseppoart.fi, For Suomen talvi she presents: Snow – Sisusavi® and pigments on canvas, 47×55 cm – this large snow-covered tree, surrounded by a blanket of snow and kissed by the sun, has a naive, almost artisanal feel and the cracking effect due to the use of Sisusavi® makes it almost look like a material mosaic. As a second painting she presents:Flowers on Display – Sisusavi® and pigments on canvas, 40×59 cm – this work is part of the Sisusavi® project which stands out for its naive and material artistic style, characterised by a vibrant use of colour and three-dimensional textures that convey a sense of joy. Both paintings are available for purchase on her website.
Saila Seppo – Snow
Saila Seppo – Flowers on Display
Kaisa Sirén
Kaisa Sirén lives in Rovaniemi, within the Arctic Circle of Finnish Lapland, where she works as a freelance photographer and artist.
She is a photographic artist who makes the landscape of her soul visible with Intentional Camera Movement, using the northern landscapes of Finlandas a backdrop.
She focuses on themes related to the seasons of Laplandand the delicacy of nature.
She selects subjects from nature and transforms them into elements that were initially absent, thus visualizing the invisible.
She is the co-founder of the ICM Photo Academy, where she teaches ICM photography courses both in person and online.
She has held several solo and group exhibitions in Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Scotland, the United States, and Germany, and since 2017, she has run an art gallery called Villa Vinkkeliin her hometown.
Her artistic focus is entirely on ICM photography and artistic creation. ICM offers a way to make invisible feelings and repressed emotions visible.
When taking a photo in ICM, camera movement can create elements that were initially absent in the scene, making invisible elements visible.
This technique possesses the same randomness and element of surprise that have always accompanied Kaisa throughout her life.
More information about Kaisacan be found on her social media pages, InstagramandFacebook, and on her website For Suomen talvi she presents: First Snow – acrylic painting, 2025, unframed 60x80cm – in this Arctic landscape, Kaisa captures the magical moment of the first snowfall covering the autumn vegetation. The contrast between the warm tones (red and pink) of the earth and the cold tones (blue and grey) of the sky is her stylistic signature, with which she seeks to make visible the “invisible” emotions and sensations of nature. Also noteworthy is the vegetation (the red and purple marks in the foreground) which are transformed into abstract shapes. As a second work she presents:Solitude – photograph, 2025, unframed 30x40cm – this beautiful photograph by Kaisa, where the minimalist aspect of the scene prevails, leads us to a reflection on solitude which is not necessarily a negative feeling but in this case a condition of deep connection with the wild nature of Lapland. Both works are available for purchase on her website.
Kaisa Siren – First snow, Ensilumi
Kaisa Siren – Solitude
MAJ SJÖ
Maj SJÖ, born in Helsinki, where she has a studio space in Kaapelitehdas, Finland’s largest cultural centre, but currently lives in Espoo where she also creates in her home studio.
When I first saw MaJ’sworks, I immediately understood how she managed to capture and convey in her art all those small and large miracles that life can give us day after day.
Her collection of works on the Archipelago and in general on everything that is sea or water (after all, her surname SJÖ in Swedish means lake/sea) can convey incredible emotions and for those like me who have experienced the magic that Hankocan convey, looking at her paintings that portray her means reliving moments of indescribable joy and serenity.
You can find more information about Maj on her Instagram and Facebook pages and website For Suomen talvi she presents: Winter Magic – oil on canvas, 2022, 100 x 80 cm – this painting features an ethereal, almost magical style, typical of Nordic illustrations, where snow and soft light create a suspended, enchanted atmosphere. The almost monochromatic choice, with a strong emphasis on white and elongated shadows (like that of the fox in the center), is a distinctive element that evokes the silence and solitude of Nordic winter landscapes. As a second painting she presents:What a Lady! – oil on canvas, 2023, 50 x 50 cm – in the background of this painting you can see a famous Helsinki landmark (Havis Amanda), which makes it very Finnish. Both paintings are available for purchase on her website.
Maj Sjo – What a Lady
Maj Sjo – Winter magic
Martina Uthardt
Martina Uthardt, born in Malax, where she currently lives in this big village and welcoming of about 5000 inhabitants in Southern Ostrobothnia, whereSwedishis spoken rather than Finnish (about 6% of Finns speak Swedish)
After a 10-year stint running a photography agency specializing in portraits, Martina has dedicated herself fully to painting professionally since 2021.
She has experimented with various techniques but currently prefers acrylic painting with its possibilities for layering and variations that make each painting alive and unique in different lights.
When I first saw Martina’s paintings, I was struck by how this artist was able to perfectly represent theFinlandI love so much.
You can find more information about Martina on herInstagramand Facebookpages and website For Suomen talvi she presents: Just Breathe – acrylic on canvas, 2021, 65 x 81 cm – this painting is intended to evoke a moment of pause and awareness, an invitation to slow down and take a breath of fresh air through the delicate pink and white tones contrasted by bold graphic lines. It is part of her abstract art collection, characterized by a style she herself defines as “mindful” allowing colors and shapes to play freely on the canvas. As a second painting she presents:Togetherness – acrylic on canvas, 2025, 100 x 81 cm – the painting depicts two swans swimming side by side under a large full moon in a Nordic landscape at night. The artist has described it as a “must-see” subject, conveying feelings of calm and beauty. The work explores the theme of connection and harmony, using swans as symbols of loyalty and enduring love. Both paintings are available for purchase on her website.
Martina Uthardt – Just breathe
Martina Uthardt – Togetherness
Liisa Viima
Liisa Viima, born in Ouluand currently based in Espoo.
Although she began painting as a teenager and dreamed of becoming a professional artist, she chose a more conventional path, earning a master’s degree in economics and dedicating herself to her family, including raising two daughters and caring for horse – her lifelong passion.
After facing significant life challenges, Liisa experienced a personal transformation that led her back to her original calling: painting.
Her mission became clear – to bring joy and beauty into the world through her art. Liisa’s style is contemporary and abstract, often infused with elements of realism, surrealism, and even whimsy.
Recurring themes in her work include humanity, love, and forgiveness, expressed through symbolic imagery such as faces, hearts, stars, hands, the moon, pigeons and also horses.
For Liisa, horses represent courage and nobility values that have guided her life and artistic journey.
You can find more information about Liisa on herInstagramandFacebookpages and website For Suomen talvi she presents: Mattitja– mixed media. Acrylic, oil, plaster reliefs, brick, mica pigment and epoxy, 2025, 90c90x4cm – from her Modern Icons collection – This painting explores the identity and deep awareness of being and includes some recurring symbols in the works of this artist, such as the dove (symbol of peace), the burning heart and floral motifs that evoke themes of spiritual awakening and love. As a second painting she presents:Ani Or – mixed media. Acrylic, oil, plaster reliefs, brick, mica pigment and epoxy, 2026, 90c90x4cm – from her Modern Icons collection – this painting features a central figure with a golden halo, surrounded by purple roses, a dove in her hand, and a pulsating red heart on her chest. Liisa’s style, characterized by an expressive use of color, bold textures, and the integration of symbolic and spiritual elements, truly emerges. Both paintings are available for purchase on her website.
Premetto di non essere tra quel 30% di italiani che non hanno visto il festival di Sanremo ma tra quelli che in quest’ultima edizione hanno contribuito a collocare il dato Auditel relativo allo share poco al di sotto del 70% ( 68,8 % il dato medio complessivo dell’ultima serata ).
Per dovere di cronaca devo confessare che lo vedo a modo mio e cioè non in diretta ma registrandolo e poi passando oltre su tutti quei momenti per me non interessanti, ma ascolto almeno una volta nelle quattro serata tutte le canzoni in gara e tutte le 30 esibizioni delle cover.
Certo così facendo i tempi da dedicare al festival si riducono notevolmente e sicuramente molto al di sotto di quelle 3 ore e 20 minuti che l’Annuario 2025 Auditel stima sia il tempo che ogni italiano passa giornalmente davanti alla tv.
Rimanendo ai dati è interessante sapere che l’Annuario 2025 della TV italiana patrocinato da AGCOM stima che la Tv nel prime time sera è vista giornalmente da 19,6 milioni di italiani e quindi ecco arrivare il primo dato comparativo sulla serata finale del festival che di fatto ha raccolto poco più di 11,2 milioni di spettatori sui 16 milioni incollati davanti alla tv ( con 3,6 milioni di italiani che non si sono avvicinati alla tv).
Bisogna poi dire che dal dicembre 2024 i dati Auditel sono diventati Total Audience aggiungendo ai 45 milioni di apparecchi tv presenti sul territorio italiano anche i dati di altri 75 milioni di schermi (Tablet, Smartphone, Smart TV, PC, etc.) che producono ascolti generati tramite browser e App.
Premesso che ho sempre creduto a questi dati un po’ come agli esperimenti illusionistici di Giucas Casella non fosse altro perché il sistema lineare si basa sui dati rilevati da poco più di 5000 meter impiantati sui televisori di altrettante famiglie per un totale di circa 16.000 spettatori stimati a cui vanno aggiunti quelli rilevati in modo statistico dagli apparecchi digitali che rilevano gli ascolti di 5 editori che hanno proprietà digitali tra cui è presente ovviamente la RAI.
In buona sostanza i dati dello share servono non agli ascoltatori per capire il gradimento ottenuto dai vari programmi ma a chi fa soldi attraverso il mezzo televisivo vendendo spazi pubblicitari.
L’ultima edizione del Festival ha incassato oltre 70 milioni di pubblicità a fronte di costi di produzione che hanno di poco superato i 20 milioni e allora poco importa la qualità del prodotto perché il Festival è diventato un carrozzone pronto ad ospitare al suo interno tutto e di più, spot a nero ( durante le interruzioni ) da 150/300 mila euro per pochi secondi, per non parlare poi degli spazi promozionali all’interno del programma da 1 a 2 milioni di euro, senza dimenticare la nave crociera ormeggiata di fronte alla baia di Sanremo che ancora oggi qualcuno deve spiegare cosa c’incastra con il Festival.
E’ chiaro quindi che in un carrozzone del genere tutto cambia e il Festival potrebbe benissimo chiamarsi Tale e quale show o The Voice senior o generation perché all’interno della categoria Big ci sono personaggi che vanno sul palco dell’Ariston per fare una comparsata sponsorizzati e fatti diventare Big dalle case discografiche che devono ottenere per i loro performer il massimo della visibilità e allora ecco che sul palco si arriva nella maggior parte dei casi non per cantare ma per fare uno spettacolo che possa venire amplificato a dismisura sui social attraverso post, video e quant’altro sia utile a far vedere che sul palco dell’Ariston si è depositato un caco per far schizzare i punti del Fantasanremo … ma per favore, se volete bene alla musica ridateci il festival della canzone, quello vero!
La ciliegina sulla torta in una serata in cui si è entrati a cavallo sul palco dell’Ariston non poteva che essere l’annuncio del passaggio di consegne tra Carlo Conti e Stefano De Martino come conduttore e direttore artistico per l’edizione del 2027.
La RAI è di tutto e di più e poco importa che negli ultimi 15 anni il Festival sia stato condotto e diretto artisticamente da cantanti come Morandi e Baglioni o Dj come Amadeus e Conti, mentre ora ci tocca un esperto di pacchi e chi meglio di lui potrà condurre Festival senza sapere da che parte cominciare.
Today I have the pleasure of introducing Finnish artistMinna Scheinin. She was born in Turku, a beautiful city on the west coast of Finland, where she lived for a long time before moving to Kaarina, where she currently lives. Minna often visits Italy, where she has a home on Lake Iseo, and she says this Italian experiencehas greatly influenced her artistic development.
She worked for many years as a foreign language teacher( Swedish and English ) and was responsible for pedagogical development and online teaching at her University of applied sciences.
She became interested in photography at an early age, thanks to her mother’s passion for photography; Mom took a lot of photographs and in doing so she passed on the same passion to her.
Her career and the growth of her family left little room for creativity and art, although the camera has always been a faithful friend to Minna.
The turning point came in the 2000s when she was able to take a gap yearfrom school to devote herself to studying photography.
In 2011, she successfully completed a professional photography courseat the New York Institute of Photography( online ) and in 2013, she earned a degree in editorial graphics. Since then, her photographic work has transformed into an artistic journey where her creativity has finally found a way to express itself through her art. Minna expresses her art through photography, which plays a primary role, but also through painting and mosaics.
She came to painting thanks to the evolution of her artistic mindset, which also led her to try her hand at painting after long thinking she couldn’t draw. From what can be seen in her works, abstract painting is for her a moment of experimentation in which to study contrasts and chromatic values, as well as shapes and compositions.
In photography, she began studying the ICM( Intentional Camera Movement ) technique, which began a journey that led her to essentially paint with the camera, intentionally moving it during the exposure.
While photojournalism requires an authentic and therefore sharp image, in the ICM technique, blurring is the element that allows the viewers to distance themselves from the real subject, leaving room for their own reflection and, consequently, a personal interpretation of the work they are observing. Minnaconsiders herself not only an omnivorous but, above all, passionate experimenter, and in her works she loves to create unique atmospheres, often very tranquil and permeated by a persistent and reflective atmosphere where colors, light, shadows, and contrasts play a primary role. Nature is her greatest source of inspiration, and the deepest essence of her images is the beauty that surrounds us and often goes unnoticed. However, she also embraces urban environments, where, with the ICM, she manages to capture moments and moods that allow the viewers to form their own personal interpretation.
For Minna, the starting point of her photographic art is to create an understanding of the simplicity and complexity of life.
On this fascinating topic, Minnasought inspiration in Voltaire’s Philosophical Dictionary, which revealed that many of life’s great questions have remained the same and unchanged for centuries: what are equality, vanity, morality? Minna then wondered if photography could be used to obtain answers to these questions, demonstrating that happiness does not come from matter, but from a good life, where things are in balance, both for better and for worse. But a good life doesn’t mean an easy or always happy life. All life also includes pain, worry, anxiety, sadness, anger, disappointment, and despair. They are the opposite of positive things, whose value is difficult to see or understand without this framework.
With her current photographic project created using ICM technology, Minna is trying to interpret all emotions from one extreme to the other, when the different extremes find a balance in everyday life, or not. Minna has held a number of private and group exhibitions, mainly in the Turku region, but also in Rovaniemi.
You can find more information about Minna’s artistic work on her Instagram page and these are her email addresses : scheinin.minna@gmail.comminna@scheinin.fi
Dalla Finlandia le emozioni visive dell’obiettivo di Minna Scheinin
Oggi ho il piacere di presentarvi l’artista finlandeseMinna Scheinin che è nata a Turku una splendida città sulla costa occidentale della Finlandia, qui ha vissuto a lungo prima di trasferirsi a Kaarinadove attualmente vive. Minnaviene spesso in Italiadove ha casa sul lago d’Iseo e questa sua frequentazione italianaa suo dire hamolto influenzato il suo percorso artistico.
Ha lavorato per molti anni come insegnante di lingue straniere ( svedese e inglese ), ed è stata responsabile dello sviluppo pedagogico nella sua Università di scienze applicate.
Ha iniziato ad interessarsi alla fotografia molto presto, grazie alla passione per la macchina fotografica della mamma che scattava molte fotografie e le ha fatto da apripista in quella che nel tempo diventerà una vera e propria attività artistica.
La sua carriera lavorativa e la crescita della sua famiglia non hanno lasciato molto spazio alla creatività e all’arte anche se la macchina fotografica per Minna è sempre stata un’amica fedele.
La svolta è avvenuta negli anni 2000 quando ha avuto la possibilità di prendersi un anno sabbatico dalla scuola per dedicarsi allo studio della fotografia.
Nel 2011 ha completato con successo un corso di fotografia professionale al New York Institute of Photography (online) e nel 2013 ha conseguito una laurea in grafica editoriale e da allora il suo lavoro fotografico si è trasformato in un percorso artistico dove la sua creatività ha finalmente trovato il modo di esprimersi attraverso la sua arte. Minna esprime la sua arte attraverso la fotografia che ha un ruolo primario ma anche con la pittura e i mosaici.
Alla pittura è arrivata grazie all’evoluzione della sua mentalità artistica che l’ha portata anche a cimentarsi con la pittura dopo aver pensato per lungo tempo di non saper disegnare e da quello che si può vedere attraverso le sue opere la pittura astratta è per lei un momento di sperimentazione in cui studiare i contrasti ed i valori cromatici così come per le forme e le composizioni.
Nella fotografia ha iniziato a studiare la tecnica ICM (Intentional Camera Movement)con la quale ha iniziato un percorso che l’ha portata in pratica a dipingere con la macchina fotografica muovendo intenzionalmente la fotocamera durante l’esposizione.
Se nel fotogiornalismo c’è la necessità di avere un’immagine autentica e quindi nitida nella tecnica ICMla sfocatura è l’elemento che consente al pubblico di allontanarsi dal soggetto reale per lasciare spazio alla propria riflessione e di conseguenza ad una interpretazione personale dell’opera che si sta osservando. Minnasi considera una sperimentatrice non solo onnivora ma soprattutto appassionata e nelle sue opere ama provare a creare atmosfere particolari, spesso molto tranquille e permeate da un’atmosfera persistente e riflessiva dove colori,luci,ombre e contrasti giocano un ruolo primario
La natura è la sua più grande fonte di ispirazione e l’essenza più profonda delle sue immagini è quella bellezza che ci circonda e che spesso passa inosservata, ma non disdegna però anche gli ambienti urbani dove con l’ICM riesce a rubare con il suo obiettivo momenti e stati d’animo in cui l’osservatore può arrivare ad una sua interpretazione personale.
Per Minna il punto di partenza della sua arte fotografica è creare una comprensione della semplicità e della complessità della vita.
Su questo tema appassionante Minna ha cercato la fonte nel Dizionario Filosofico di Voltaire, dal quale traspare che molti dei grandi interrogativi della vita sono rimasti gli stessi e immutati per secoli: cosa sono l’uguaglianza, la vanità, la moralità? Minnasi è quindi chiesta se la fotografia possa essere usata per ottenere risposte a queste domande, mostrando che la felicità non deriva dalla materia, ma da una buona vita, dove le cose sono in equilibrio, sia nel bene che nel male?
Ma una buona vita non significa una vita facile o sempre felice. Tutta la vita include anche dolori, preoccupazioni, ansia, tristezza, rabbia, delusioni, disperazione. Sono l’opposto delle cose positive, il cui valore è difficile da vedere o comprendere senza questa cornice.
Con il suo attuale progetto fotografico realizzato con la tecnica ICM, Minna sta provando a interpretare tutte le emozioni da un estremo all’altro, quando i diversi estremi trovano un equilibrio nella vita di tutti i giorni, oppure no. Minna ha realizzato un buon numero di mostre tra private e collettive, principalmente nella regione di Turku, ma anche a Rovaniemi.
Potete trovare maggiori informazioni sull’attività artistica di Minna sulla sua pagina Instagram e questi sono i suoi indirizzi email: scheinin.minna@gmail.com, minna@scheinin.fi
Photographs taken using ICM technique
Asunheinikossa – Minna Scheinin
Auringonlasku – Minna Scheinin
Morning – Minna Scheinin
Tikkumetsä – Minna Scheinin
Magic moment – Minna Scheinin
Myrskyn – Minna Scheinin
Aallot – Minna Scheinin
Blue Venice – Minna Scheinin
Venice – Minna Scheinin
Venice – Minna Scheinin
Venice – Minna Scheinin
Venice – Minna Scheinin
Burano – Minna Scheinin
Burano – Minna Scheinin
Butterflies – Minna Scheinin
Colours – Minna Scheinin
Happamia – Minna Scheinin
San Antonio – Minna Scheinin
Olive tree – Minna Scheinin
Mysteeripuu – Minna Scheinin
Olive tree – Minna Scheinin
In the evening – Minna Scheinin
Lights – Minna Scheinin
Lights – Minna Scheinin
Watercolors
Hauskuutus – Minna Scheinin
Tivoli – Minna Scheinin
Vuorilla – Minna Scheinin
Iloinenaamu – Minna Scheinin
Kuutamo – Minna Scheinin
Tulppaanit – Minna Scheinin
Kuutamo 2 – Minna Scheinin
Riippuva_puutarha – Minna Scheinin
Vihreähetki – Minna Scheinin
Kaikki_kukat – Minna Scheinin
Vihreät_perus – Minna Scheinin
Kukkapelto – Minna Scheinin
Mosaics
Geisha_suojaruukku – Minna Scheinin
Tivoli_suojaruukku – Minna Scheinin
Rannalla_suojaruukku – Minna Scheinin
Tivoli_tarjotin – Minna Scheinin
Planeetat_tarjotin – Minna Scheinin
Puutarhassa_tarjotin – Minna Scheinin
Puutarhassa 2_tarjotin- Minna Scheinin
Hedelmätarha_vati – Minna Scheinin
Greece – Minna Scheinin
Palmut – Minna Scheinin
Kalatarjotin – Minna Scheinin
Japan_suojaruukku – Minna Scheinin
Mosaic Mural – Minna Scheinin
Minna and the ice
Minna Scheinin at work 2025
Ice – Minna Scheinin
Ice – Minna Scheinin
Ice – Minna Scheinin
Ice – Minna Scheinin
Ice – Minna Scheinin
Ice – Minna Scheinin
Minna Scheinin – Exhibitions
Minna Scheinin – Exhibitions
Minna Scheinin – Exhibitions
SOLO EXHIBITIONS 2024 Colours Matter – Colours Matter, Brinkhall Manor, Turku 2023 With Glass and Lenses, Waudevilla, Parainen 2018 Nature Pictures, Joutsen Medical Clinic, Loimaa 2017 Unreachable Stories – Encounters in Ecuador, Café Art, Turku 2012 Natura II: Galapagos – Fearless Islands, Pulssi Window Gallery, Humalistonkatu 9-11, Turku 2011 Natura I: Poetic Images of Nature, Turku University of Applied Sciences ICT Building
ENVIRONMENTAL ART 2025 Happiness, mosaic mural, 9m x 1.5m, Kaarina
GROUP EXHIBITIONS 2026 Imaginary Worlds, Mökkigalleria, Kaarina 2021 A House Full of Artists. In conjunction with the Konstrunda and Rovaniemi Week events. Rovaniemi 2017 Time – Nature as a mirror of time, Kuusisto Art Manor, Kaarina 2012 Periscope, Workshop series and exhibition organized in connection with the 20th anniversary of Turku photography education, Photo Centre Peri, Turku 2011 2000 & 11 self-portraits, Turku Capital of Culture project, Finnish Museum of Photography, Helsinki 2011 2000 & 11 self-portraits, Turku Capital of Culture project, Turku Art Academy Cable Car Gallery 2011 2000 & 11 self-portraits, Turku Capital of Culture project, Turku University of Applied Sciences language teachers’ self-portrait exhibition, Turku University of Applied Sciences ICT building premises
Today I have the pleasure of introducing Finnish artistPia Zettinig from Turku, where she was born and lives, working in her art studio, “Tierra Finlandia.” Pia is a visual artist with a strong, but I would say above all natural, ability to shape clay into forms that contain space for life, death, and the transitions in between.
Her practice ranges from public art to sculptural reliefs and ecological cremation urns: works that blend craftsmanship, ethics, and emotional intelligence.
Clay entered her life very early, having grown up surrounded by art since she was a child when she began modeling clay on her mother’s pottery wheel and spent time in the studio of Finnish master ceramistAbbe Kantor.
For Pia, clay was never just a material; rather, it became a language through which she connected with the world, reaching out to her inner self.
This connection has always accompanied her, even when life took her elsewhere.
Before dedicating herself fully to art, Pia studied healthcare and worked for over twenty years as a physiotherapist, therapist, and guide in various parts of the world, meeting people at their most vulnerable moments: on the margins of pain, illness, birth, loss, and transformation. This background has profoundly influenced her artistic approach.
Her works are not just objects, but genuine emotional encounters that exude the experience of a lifetime, where a human being is more than a body and life is much more than individual, measurable moments.
Life has taken Pia to Canada, the United States, and New Zealand, but it has also brought her profound loss and hardship, including a fire that destroyed her home and nearly all her material possessions.
Through these trials, Piahas come to understand that nothing is permanent, and that is precisely why everything matters. Pia’s life and work have grown in layers, just like the earth she shapes with her hands. Her path has never been linear or pre-planned, but rather has formed layer by layer through experiences, losses, encounters, and an inner calling that, at a certain point in her life, she could no longer ignore.
At the heart of Pia’sartistic practice is raw Finnish clay, completely biodegradable and returned to the natural cycle.
Whether creating large-scale public installations using ancient excavated soil or intimate hand-sculpted urns, Piaapproaches materials with profound respect because for her, ecology is not a trend or a marketing value but an ethical foundation: what is taken from the earth must be returned with care.
Urns entered Pia’slife not by design, but through seemingly random intersections (a moment in Italy, a call from an old ceramics teacher) that led her on a path where everything she had experienced and learned found its place.
Becoming an urn maker wasn’t a career choice; it was the answer to a calling. Pia doesn’t create urns as objects, but as gifts, each urn slowly crafted by hand and guided by intuition rather than biography, allowing form, symbol, and material to convey a meaning beyond words.
She uses raw Finnish clay, which is completely biodegradable and returns to the natural cycle, because clay and ash nourish the earth and sustain new life.
A personalized urn is born not from facts or biographies, but from what Pia has intuited after listening to an emotion or perceiving a recurring image that will guide the creation process, which can only be intimate and profoundly human. The urn encapsulates a life lived, love, and memories in a way that words can’t always capture.
For those grieving, the urn holds profound meaning because it’s often the first object they touch after a loss, and many speak of receiving more than they expected: comfort, peace, and the feeling that the bond isn’t over, but has changed shape.
As an artist, Pia also works in public art, and her works literally emerge from the ground, like the reliefs created from millennia-old clay excavated beneath Turku’s Market Square. These works connect the city’s archaeological layers with the present moment and the movement of people. They are silent reminders of time, continuity, and the awareness that we are only one layer in a much longer journey. Pia’swork isn’t limited to an urn, a work of art, or a single moment, but lives on in people, in memories, and in the earth itself. Through clay, she makes visible what we often forget: that life is limited, incomplete, and imperfect, and therefore beautiful. That death is not the opposite of life, but part of it. And that love doesn’t disappear, but continues its journey. Pia’surns are internationally recognized for redefining how death can be approached: with dignity, beauty, and honesty. Piais also a death awareness advocate and a founding member and president of Pro Morte, an organization dedicated to reshaping the way societies talk about death, grief, and remembrance.
She firmly believes that the more courage we have in facing death, the more deeply we learn to live. As a mentor and guide, Piaopens clay to the living as well. In her workshops, clay becomes a tool for emotional expression, liberation, and the search for one’s inner voice.
You can find more information about Piaand her artistic work on her social media pages Instagram, Facebook, Linkedin, Youtube and on her website, tierrafinlandia.
Pia Zettinig con Tierra Finlandia plasma la vita attraverso l’argilla
Oggi ho il piacere di presentarvi l’artista finlandesePia Zettinigdi Turku, dove è nata e vive lavorando nel suo studio artistico “ Tierra Finlandia ”. Pia è un’artista visiva con una spiccata ma direi soprattutto naturale capacità di plasmare l’argilla in forme che contengono spazio per la vita, la morte e le transizioni intermedie.
La sua pratica spazia dall’arte pubblica ai rilievi scultorei e alle urne cinerarie ecologiche: opere che fondono artigianato, etica e intelligenza emotiva
L’argilla è entrata molto presto nella sua vita essendo cresciuta circondata dall’arte già da bambina quando ha iniziato a modellare l’argilla sul tornio della madre e ha trascorso del tempo nello studio del maestro ceramista finlandeseAbbe Kantor.
L’argilla per Pia non è mai stata solo un materiale, ma anzi è diventato un linguaggio con cui lei si è connessa con il mondo passando attraverso il suo io interiore.
Questa connessione l’ha sempre accompagnata, anche quando la vita l’ha portata altrove.
Prima di dedicarsi completamente all’arte, Pia ha studiato in ambito sanitario e ha lavorato per oltre vent’anni come fisioterapista, terapistae guida in diverse parti del mondo, incontrando persone nei loro momenti più vulnerabili: ai margini del dolore, della malattia, della nascita, della perdita e della trasformazione e questo background ha influenzato profondamente il suo approccio artistico.
Le sue opere non sono solo oggetti, ma veri e propri incontri emotivi che trasudano il vissuto di una vita intera, dove un essere umano è più di un corpo e la vita molto più di singoli momenti misurabili.
La vita ha portato Piain Canada, negli Stati Uniti e in Nuova Zelanda, ma le ha anche portato una profonda perdita e momenti brutti, tra cui un incendio che ha distrutto la sua casa e quasi tutti i beni materiali.
Attraverso queste prove che le ha riservato la vita, Pia ha compreso che nulla è permanente e proprio per questo tutto conta.
La vita e il lavoro di Piasono cresciuti a strati, proprio come la terra che plasma con le sue mani e il suo percorso non è mai stato lineare o pianificato in precedenza, ma al contrario si è formato strato dopo strato attraverso esperienze, perdite, incontri e una chiamata interiore che a un certo punto della sua vita non ha più potuto ignorare.
Al centro dell’attività artistica di Pia c’è l’argilla finlandese cruda, completamente biodegradabile e restituita al ciclo naturale.
Che si tratti di realizzare installazioni pubbliche su larga scala con antichi terreni di scavo o di urne intime modellate a mano, Pia si avvicina ai materiali con profondo rispetto perché per lei l’ecologia non è una tendenza o un valore di marketing ma è un fondamento etico, ciò che viene preso dalla terra deve essere restituito con cura.
Le urne sono entrate nella vita di Pia non in modo pianificato, ma grazie a quegli incroci apparentemente casuali della vita ( un momento in Italia, la chiamata di un vecchio insegnante di ceramica ) che l’hanno condotta su un percorso in cui tutto ciò che aveva vissuto e imparato ha trovato il suo posto.
Diventare una creatrice di urne non è stata una scelta di carriera, è stata la risposta a una vocazione. Pianon crea urne come oggetti, ma modella dei doni, dove ogni urna è realizzata lentamente a mano e guidata dall’intuizione piuttosto che dalla biografia, consentendo a forma, simbolo e materiale di trasmettere un significato che va oltre le parole.
Utilizza argilla finlandese cruda, completamente biodegradabile e che ritorna al ciclo naturale, perché argilla e ceneri nutrono la terra e sostengono nuova vita.
Un’urna personalizzata non nasce da fatti o biografie, ma da quello che Piaha intuito dopo aver ascoltato un’emozione o percepito un’immagine ricorrente che guideranno il processo della lavorazione che non potrà che essere intimo e profondamente umano. L’urna racchiude una vita vissuta, amore e ricordi in una forma che le parole non sempre riescono a raggiungere.
Per chi soffre, l’urna ha un significato profondo perché è spesso il primo oggetto che tocca dopo una perdita e molti parlano di aver ricevuto più di quanto si aspettassero: conforto, pace e la sensazione che il legame non sia finito, ma abbia cambiato forma.
Come artista, Pia lavora anche nell’arte pubblica e le sue opere nascono letteralmente dal terreno, come i rilievi creati con l’argilla millenaria scavata sotto la Piazza del Mercato di Turku. Queste opere collegano gli strati archeologici della città con il momento presente e il movimento delle persone. Sono silenziosi promemoria del tempo, della continuità e della consapevolezza che siamo solo uno strato in un viaggio molto più lungo.
Il lavoro di Pia non si esaurisce in un’urna, un’opera d’arte o un momento, ma vive nelle persone, nei ricordi e nella terra stessa, perché attraverso l’argilla, rende visibile ciò che spesso dimentichiamo: che la vita è limitata, incompiuta e imperfetta, e quindi bella. Che la morte non è l’opposto della vita, ma parte di essa. E che l’amore non scompare, ma continua il suo viaggio.
Le urne funerarie di Pia sono riconosciute a livello internazionale per aver ridefinito il modo in cui la morte può essere affrontata: con dignità, bellezza e onestà. Pia è anche una sostenitrice della consapevolezza della morte e membro fondatore e Presidente dell’associazione Pro Morte, un’organizzazione dedicata a rimodellare il modo in cui le società parlano di morte, dolore e ricordo.
Lei crede fermamente che più coraggio abbiamo nell’affrontare la morte, più profondamente impariamo a vivere e come mentore e guida Pia apre l’argilla anche ai vivi e nei suoi workshop, l’argilla diventa uno strumento per l’espressione emotiva, la liberazione e la ricerca della propria voce interiore.
Troverete maggiori informazioni su Piae la sua attività artistica sulle sue pagine social Instagram, Facebook, Linkedin, Youtube e sul suo sito tierrafinlandia
Builder: Man who build for calling ( buildersbelt in the urn)
Kauri: The Strong one (hands holding black ball)
Roses: Wisdom of power (golden roses)
Golden helmet
Siika: Dreamer of a free spirit (Silver fish around the base)
Red Magic: World within ( Red urn covered with feathers and etc.)
Pia: Nature is my garden (little birds in nature)
Harkka: Traveller of the nature realms (ginko biloba leaves)
Today I have the pleasure of introducing Finnish artist Saila Seppo, she was born in Kouvola but moved to Sastamalaat the age of 1 or 2.
She studied in Espoo and currently live in Helsinki from a long time.
She worked at the Kemira factory in Pori and has worked and continues to work for the Research Council of Finland.
She is a member of the Helsinki Art Association, Espoo Art, and theFinnish Artists’ Association. Saila is undoubtedly a multifaceted artist, and for her, the most important thing in art is the ability to create a new, diverse, and colorful work of art. Daughter of a greengrocer, she began creating flower bouquets as a child, and thus understands the importance of colors and their combinations. Sailaholds a PhD in chemistry and a degree in technology, and thanks to these studies, she has a deep understanding of materials and pigments. This offers her a wide range of artistic possibilities, which she translates into her works, which closely resemble naive art, but in this case, I would saytechnological.
Curiosity has accompanied her throughout her life and has been a sort of common thread that has followed her on all her travels, which have seen her reach and visit 47 countries!
For Saila, experiencing cultural differences is enriching, and being constantly on the move can only fuel creativity towards generating new ideas and inventions.
Throughout her artistic journey, Saila has never remained in a comfort zone through her travels, but rather has continually challenged herself, creating well-rounded art and even publishing four books, with a fifth soon to be released.
In the past, she has presented her technological inventions to Marimekko’s head of design. Regretting that she didn’t have an open position as an artist, she encouraged her to organize an art exhibition, considering Saila’s works to be pure art.
And so it was, Saila followed the path indicated to her and began organizing several solo exhibitions with the aim of offering the public the opportunity to enjoy them.
The spark that starts the process of creating a new work has always been the most important moment, followed by the execution, which can take a long time but not always, and the gradual development of the idea, which must transform into an engaging work, capable of repeatedly attracting the viewer’s attention, repeatedly conveying important moods such as playfulness, joy, calm, nature, and unity.
Thanks to her research, Sailacreated Sisusavi®, a material developed from natural ingredients that works well with all types of dyes, giving paintings a vivid surface and vibrant colors. Sisusavi®is a soft, water-based, moldable mass that can be colored with pigments or vegetable dyes and hardens at room temperature through water evaporation. Sisusavi®is a natural microcellulose material that contains no clay or plastic dyes, and the mass reproduces even the smallest details.
This product, entirely developed by Saila, is available for sale on Greenbutton.fi.
The paste is also used in watercolor art, and casein or glue can help the paste adhere to paper or fabric; Saila uses glue. Sailacollects wild plants and has cultivated marigolds, for example, to isolate their color in an aqueous solution, which is stored in bottles and used as a color in some of her works.
Speaking of curiosity, some of Saila’s paintings, in which she has used food coloring, become edible, much to the delight of children in particular.
More information about Sailacan be found on her social media pages, Instagramand Facebook, and on her website, sailaseppoart.fi, where you can also find her works for sale.
Saila Seppo quando l’arte naif diventa tecnologica attraverso un’esplosione di colori che trasmettono gioia
Oggi ho il piacere di presentarvi l’artista finlandeseSaila Seppo che è nata a Kouvola, ma si è trasferita a Sastamala all’età di 1-2 anni, ha studiato a Espoo e vive da molto a Helsinki.
Ha lavorato nello stabilimento dell’azienda Kemira a Porie ha lavorato e lavora tuttora per il Consiglio di ricerca della Finlandia.
E’ membro dell’Helsinki Art Association, dell’Espoo Art e dell’Associazione degli Artisti Finlandesi. Sailaè sicuramente un’artista poliedrica e per lei quello che più conta nell’arte è il saper creare un’opera d’arte nuova, diversa e colorata. Figlia di un ortolano ha iniziato a creare bouquet di fiori fin da bambina e quindi ha ben chiara l’importanza dei colori e del loro abbinamento. Saila ha conseguito un dottorato in chimica e una laurea in tecnologia e grazie a questi suoi studi conosce molto bene materiali e pigmenti fatto questo che le offre un ventaglio non indifferente di possibilità artistiche che trasferisce nelle sue opere che ricordano molto da vicino l’arte naif ma in questo caso direi tecnologica.
La curiosità l’ha accompagnata per tutta la vita ed è stata una sorta di fil rouge che l’ha seguita in tutti i suoi viaggi con i quali ha raggiunto e visitato ben 47 paesi!
Per Sailavivere le differenze culturali è qualcosa che arricchisce e l’essere sempre in movimento non può che alimentare la creatività verso la generazione di nuove idee e invenzioni.
Durante il suo percorso artistico Saila grazie ai suoi viaggi non è mai rimasta in una zona confort ma al contrario si è messa continuamente alla prova creando arte a tutto tondo e arrivando anche a pubblicare quattro libri, mentre un quinto è in uscita.
In passato ha presentato le sue invenzioni tecnologiche alla responsabile del design di Marimekkoche rammaricandosi di non avere una posizione aperta come artista l’ha incoraggiata a organizzare una mostra d’arte, considerando i lavori di Saila a tutti gli effetti arte pura.
E così è stato, Saila ha seguito la strada che le è stata indicata è ha iniziato ad allestire diverse mostre personali con l’intento di poter dare la possibilità al pubblico di godersele
Da sempre la scintilla che dà inizio al processo di creazione di una nuova opera è il momento più importante a cui seguono l’esecuzione che può richiedere molto tempo, ma non sempre e lo sviluppo graduale dell’idea che deve trasformarsi in un opera coinvolgente, capace di attirare più volte l’attenzione dell’osservatore trasferendogli a più riprese stati d’animo importanti quali giocosità, gioia, calma, natura e unione.
Grazie ai suoi studi Saila ha creato Sisusavi®, un materiale che ha sviluppato a partire da ingredienti naturali e che funziona bene con tutti i tipi di coloranti conferendo al dipinto una superficie vivida e con colori che appaiono brillanti. Sisusavi® è una massa morbida, a base d’acqua e modellabile, che può essere colorata con pigmenti o coloranti vegetali e che indurisce a temperatura ambiente con l’evaporazione dell’acqua. Sisusavi® è un materiale naturale, micro cellulosa e non contiene argilla o plastica coloranti e la massa riproduce anche i più piccoli dettagli.
Questo prodotto interamente sviluppato da Saila è in vendita su Greenbutton.fi
La massa viene utilizzata anche nell’arte dell’acquerello e la caseina o la colla possono aiutare la massa ad aderire alla carta o al tessuto, Saila usa la colla.
Saila raccoglie piante selvatiche e ha coltivato ad esempio la calendula per isolarne il colore in una soluzione acquosa conservata in bottiglie e utilizzata come colore in alcune sue opere.
a proposito di curiosità, certi dipinti di Saila in cui ha utilizzato coloranti alimentari diventano commestibili per la gioia soprattutto dei bambini.
Maggiori informazioni su Sailasi possono trovare sulle sue pagine social InstagrameFacebook e sul suo sito web sailaseppoart.fi dove troverete anche le sue opere in vendita.
Paintings
Saila Seppo – Our SunSaila Seppo – Floral DressSaila Seppo – House of RomanceSaila Seppo – Clouds, Flowers and the shimmering sea
Sculptures
Photographs
Next Exhibitions 2026
31.1. – 5.2.2026 Finland in Tokyo Design Festa Gallery in Tokyo 2.3. – 23.3. 2026 Espoo Artin 50-vuotisjuhlanäyttely Kaapelitehdas Puristamo, Helsinki 14.3. – 2.4. 2026 Lintutarha Galleria Art Frida, Korkeavuorenkatu 25, Helsinki 2.9. – 6.9. 2026 Habitare Messukeskus, Helsinki
While Denmark is saying goodbye to traditional mail and will definitively cease the delivery of paper letters from 31 December 2025, in Santa Claus’s country, Christmas greeting cardswill continue to be a real must.
I know that Finns use Christmas greeting cards with great pleasure and many are handmade by themselves.
Sending and receiving these greetings by post is an integral part of Finnish Christmas tradition, a symbol of love, peace and friendship, and strengthens the bond with the legendary figure of Santa Claus
Thinking about Christmas atmosphere I had the idea to ask eight incredibly talented Finnish artists to show us Christmas atmosphere through their eyes, and I must say, the result of this experiment is truly astonishing, as you’ll see.
In the article along with a brief introduction to the artist, you’ll find two paintings: the first is her Christmas atmosphere and the second is one of her favoritesand both are available for sale
I invite you to visit their social media pages and websites to better understand their talent.
To Satu Kekäläinen, Mari Knuttila, Ella Petman, Meria Q, MaJ Sjö, Martina Uthardt, Ulla Väisänen and Liisa Viima a heartfelt thank you for making my idea of presenting Christmas atmosphere in a slightly different way possible.
Santa Claus Post Office has been operating since 1985 and receives over 2 million letters a year – for more information see website
Satu Kekäläinen a fairy tale born from ice
Satu Kekäläinen, she was born inHelsinki, but after living in various places acrossFinland, she currently lives in Lieto.
Ice is a sort of common threadthat has accompanied Satu throughout her life, but artistically it all began in 2015 when, needing to find strength and breathe fresh air, she immersed herself in the nature of nearby Lake Littoistenjärvi, and since it was winter, she began photographing with her camera the figures she saw in the lake ice.
You can see her works on her Instagramand Facebookpages and website
For Christmas atmosphere, she presents: Christmas tree light
As a second photos, she presents: Fairy Cow This ” Fairy Cow “ will be included in Kaarina’s upcoming group exhibition from January 10 to 26, 2026, at Mökkigalleria(Cottage Gallery).
It is photographed in nature, with ice. The colors in the image come from the flowers and the light from the sun. Both photos are available for purchase on her social media pages.
Satu Kekäläinen – Christmas tree light – Valokuusi
Satu Kekäläinen – Fairy Cow – Keijulehmä
Mari Knuuttila when painting becomes poetry
Mari Knuuttila born in Lapua, a town located in Southern Ostrobothnia and where she currently lives and creates her works in her studio. Marihas been painting for about seven years, although her main profession is that of Chief Inspector at the State Administrative Agency, a role that requires strict compliance with laws and regulations.
Through painting, Mari has found a way to give free rein to her visual art, free from rules or pre-established patterns.
You can find more information about Marion her Instagramand Facebookpages andwebsite For Christmas atmosphere, she presents: Ornament Glow As a second paintings, she presents: Shadows in Flame Both paintings are available for purchase on her website.
Mari Knuuttila – Ornament Glow – Joulupallojen hehku
Mari Knuuttila – Shadows in Flame 81cm x 100cm
Ella Petman after a long journey she found her paradise
Ella Petman, born in Jyväskylä, central Finland, where she has lived most of her life, except for the period when she moved to Tampere while studying to join the police.
Since May 2023,Ella has begun to devote herself entirely to painting and has begun producing her works, which are mostly semi-abstract, leaving the observer complete freedom to interpret the painting according to their own vision.
You can find more information aboutElla on her Instagram page and website For Christmas atmosphere, she presents: Lights of the North As a second painting , she presents: The Tale of the Nebula Both paintings are available for purchase on her website.
Ella Petman – Lights of the North
Ella Petman – The Tale of the Nebula
Meria Q aka Merja Sipiläinen-Kuhlberg, a mysterious artist who believes in miracles created by the free flow of the mind
Merja Sipiläinen-Kuhlberg was born inArtjärvi (Lake of Artin english) but lives in Turku, a beautiful city on the west coast of Finland. Meria Q became interested in art as a young girl, sketching evening dresses in her notebooks, and she cultivated this interest as a teenager by designing fabric prints.
As often happens, life sometimes takes strange turns, andMeria Q, abandoning her passion for art, took a different direction that led her into the world of marketing and business.
However, in early 2010, her artistic creativity reawakened and has been unstoppable ever since.
She learned acrylic painting during an astronomical painting course, and thanks to the guidance of excellent professional teachers, she acquired skills in mixed media and watercolor painting.
Once her artistic streak was rekindled, she began painting and drawing as much as possible.
She held her first solo exhibition in 2018, followed by numerous others.
You can find more information about Meria Q on her Instagram page and website For Christmas atmosphere, she presents: Peace on Earth As a second painting , she presents: Can you hear the water flowing? Both paintings are available for purchase on her website.
Meria Q – Peace on Earth, watercolour size A5water
Meria Q – Can you hear the water flowing? – 27cmx35cm, mixed media
MAJ SJÖ from Finland comes with a breeze of positivity
Maj SJÖ, born in Helsinki, where she has a studio space in Kaapelitehdas, Finland’s largest cultural centre, but currently lives in Espoo where she also creates in her home studio.
When I first saw MaJ’sworks, I immediately understood how she managed to capture and convey in her art all those small and large miracles that life can give us day after day.
Her collection of works on the Archipelago and in general on everything that is sea or water (after all, her surname SJÖ in Swedish means lake/sea) can convey incredible emotions and for those like me who have experienced the magic that Hankocan convey, looking at her paintings that portray her means reliving moments of indescribable joy and serenity.
You can find more information about Maj on her Instagram and Facebook pages and website For Christmas atmosphere, she presents: Many reasons to smile – Acrylic on canvas, 70cmx70cm As a second painting , she presents: Room of Vision – Oil on canvas, 40cmx40cm Both paintings are available for purchase on her website.
MaJ Sjö – Many reasons to smile – Acrylic on canvas, 70cm x70cm
MaJ Sjö – Room of Vision – Oil on canvas, 40cmx40 cm
Martina Uthardt from Finland send a hymn to the joy of living
Martina Uthardt, born in Malax, where she currently lives in this big village and welcoming of about 5000 inhabitants in Southern Ostrobothnia, whereSwedishis spoken rather than Finnish (about 6% of Finns speak Swedish)
After a 10-year stint running a photography agency specializing in portraits, Martina has dedicated herself fully to painting professionally since 2021.
She has experimented with various techniques but currently prefers acrylic painting with its possibilities for layering and variations that make each painting alive and unique in different lights.
When I first saw Martina’s paintings, I was struck by how this artist was able to perfectly represent theFinlandI love so much.
You can find more information about Martina on herInstagramand Facebookpages and website For Christmas atmosphere, she presents: Joyful Christmas – 61cmx50cm As a second painting , she presents: held by Light Collection, ” Breeze-kissed waves “, 120cmx100cm Both paintings are available for purchase on her website.
Martina Uthardt – Joyful Christmas – 61cmx50cm
Martina Uthardt – “Breeze-kissed waves”- 120cmx100 cm
Ulla Väisänen from Finland between dream and reality!
Ulla Väisänen, born in Nerkoo, Lapinlahti, a small village in central Finland. Ulla currently lives in Jyväskylä, a beautiful city that offers the opportunity to live what I call “a Finnish life” where quality of life is definitely at the top of the scale of values for living a good life.
Studied atKuopio Academy of Design (Textile art, designer) and pedagogy atTampere Open University
You won’t believe it but when she was young, after watchingFellini’s film “La Strada”, she fell in love with Italy and even started studying Italian.
I don’t know if the vision of this masterpiece by Fellini, where fantasy and reality often alternate, has somehow influenced the artistic vein of Ulla who began drawing and painting as a teenager, certainly her art is a well-calibrated mix of symbolism, surrealism and a bit of realism.
Her works can be viewed and requested through her social channels, Instagram ( ullamirjam ) andFacebook( Ulla Väisänen )
For Christmas atmosphere, she presents the card : ” A Christmas elf girl sends greetings in the form of stars“ As a second painting , she presents: ” Angry birds ” – 90cm x70cm, she painted it in 2003 and finished it by adding more birds in 2025 The painting is available for purchase on her social media pages.
Ulla Väisänen – A Christmas elf girl sends greetings in the form of stars
Ulla Väisänen – Angry birds – 90cmx70cm
Liisa Viima – It’s never too late to bring joy and beauty into the world
Liisa Viima, born in Ouluand currently based in Espoo.
Although she began painting as a teenager and dreamed of becoming a professional artist, she chose a more conventional path, earning a master’s degree in economics and dedicating herself to her family, including raising two daughters and caring for horse – her lifelong passion.
After facing significant life challenges, Liisa experienced a personal transformation that led her back to her original calling: painting.
Her mission became clear – to bring joy and beauty into the world through her art. Liisa’s style is contemporary and abstract, often infused with elements of realism, surrealism, and even whimsy.
Recurring themes in her work include humanity, love, and forgiveness, expressed through symbolic imagery such as faces, hearts, stars, hands, the moon, pigeons and also horses.
For Liisa, horses represent courage and nobility values that have guided her life and artistic journey.
You can find more information about Liisa on herInstagramandFacebookpages and website
For Christmas atmosphere, she presents: ” Liisa ” 2022 – 60cm x90cm x2cm, it’s a Finnish horse that pulls logs with twice its weight in the cold and the painting is based on “Liisa“, the family mare from Mikko Niskanen blockbuster film As a second painting , she presents: ” Coeur des Coeurs ” 2023 – 90cm x90cmx4cm, represents Christ after suffering, when everything has been done and forgiven. Both paintings are available for purchase on her website.
Liisa Viima – Coeur des Coeurs – 90cmx90cmx4cm
Click on the photos to enlarge them
Satu Kekäläinen – Christmas tree light – Valokuusi
Mari Knuuttila – Ornament Glow – Joulupallojen hehku
Ella Petman – Lights of the North
Meria Q – Peace on Earth, watercolour size A5water
MaJ Sjö – Many reasons to smile – Acrylic on canvas, 70cm x70cm
Martina Uthardt – Joyful Christmas – 61cmx50cm
Ulla Väisänen – A Christmas elf girl sends greetings in the form of stars
A Monaco di Baviera celebrano l’October Fest, Asti e il Piemonte puntano sul novembre dedicato alla Bagna Caudacon una punta d’ironia a cominciare dal logo: Bagna Cauda Day si può leggere anche Bagna Cauda d’aj, cioè d’aglio in piemontese. Astie dintorni ospita l’evento (che quest’anno spegne tredici candeline) promosso dall’Associazione Astigiani con lo scopo di mettere insieme la tradizione del più famoso piatto piemontese con la novità di un incontro che diventa festa, un po’ happening, un po’ evento a sorpresa, BCD(l’acronimo di Bagna Cauda Day, gioca tra il piemontese e l’inglese) è convocato via Internet e aperto a tutti i fans della Bagna Cauda nel mondo
Quest’anno per i tantissimi bagnacaudisti che vorranno degustare questo piatto prelibato la manifestazione si terrà in due weekend, dal 21 al 23 novembre e dal 28 al 30 novembre quando in più di 150 ristoranti, vinerie, cantine storiche ( per oltre 30.000 posti a sedere ) ad Asti, in altre località del Piemonte e del Mondo verrà celebrata la Bagna Cauda, il piatto della convivialità, con la possibilità di scegliere a seconda dei propri gusti la versione più indicata a ciascun palato: Rossa: “Come Dio Comanda” (ricetta tradizionale), Gialla: “Eretica” (poco aglio),Verde: “Atea” (senza aglio)
Cuochi e cuoche dell’Astigiano, Langa e Roero proporranno la loro Bagna Cauda tradizionale e la fortunata formula non cambia, con un prezzo di riferimento del piatto in tutti i locali che sarà di 30 euro, mentre il vino doc e docg verrà proposto al prezzo di 15 euroa bottiglia, direttamente dai produttori nei locali aderenti.
Molti locali aderiranno anche alla Bagna della Merla, dal 29 gennaio al 1 febbraio 2026.
Anche in questa edizione si potrà ordinare la bagna cauda da asporto, grazie al servizio Sporta a cà.
Le prenotazioni possono essere fatte telefonando direttamente ai locali indicati sul sito web della manifestazione, dove sarà possibile verificare in tempo reale la disponibilità dei posti ancora liberi per ogni singolo ristorante aderente all’iniziativa.
I bagnacaudistiriceveranno in omaggio il bavagliolone d’autore, firmato da Raffaele Iachetti in tessuto, con logo del Bagna Cauda Day e ben visibile la scritta ” Usiamo la testa! “da usare e tenere a ricordo dell’evento.
LA RICETTA della BAGNA CAUDA
Esistono varie ricette per realizzare la bagna cauda, a libera interpretazione del singolo cuoco o secondo tradizioni famigliari tramandate di madre in figlia o di generazione in generazione.
Tra tutte, l’Accademia Italia della Cucina ne ha depositata una, registrata il 7 febbraio 2005, ritenuta dopo vari assaggi la più affidabile e tramandabile.
Ingredienti per 12 persone:
12 teste d’aglio 6 bicchieri da vino di olio d’oliva e, se possibile un bicchierino di olio di noci 6 etti di acciughe rosse di Spagna
Tagliare a fettine gli spicchi d’aglio precedentemente svestiti e privati del germoglio, quindi mettere l’aglio in un tegame di coccio, aggiungere un bicchiere d’olio e iniziare la cottura a fuoco molto basso rimescolando con un cucchiaio di legno, senza fargli prendere colore.
Aggiungere poi le acciughe dissalate e diliscate continuando a rimescolare, quindi versare il restante olio e portare l’intingolo a cottura a fuoco basso per circa mezz’ora evitando che la bagna frigga.
Al termine della cottura si può aggiungere a piacere un pezzetto di burro freschissimo per dare un gusto più morbido alla bagna.
La bagna una volta pronta va versata negli appositi “fujot” (forellini di coccio) e accompagnata con le seguenti verdure: crude:cardi gobbi di Nizza, topinanbours, cuori di cavolo bianco, indivia e scarola, peperoni freschi e sotto graspa, cipollotti inquartati ed immersi nel vino barbera crudo; cotte: barbabietole rosse, patate lesse, cipolle al forno, zucca fritta, peperoni arrostiti.
La tradizione vuole che alla fine lo “spesso della bagna” si raccolga strapazzandovi dentro un uovo
In the two last weekend of november in Piedmont the “Bagna Cauda Day” is celebrated, this tasty and very particular sauce will be served in many restaurants
The bagna cauda typical winter dish of the Piedmont region (in Italian is called “hot sauce“) is history, tradition, encounter of cultures and flavors
The preparation of bagna caudais based on a few basic ingredients (garlic, extra virgin olive oil and anchovies) and then the classic seasonal vegetables to dip in the wet come on the scene: cardoon, pepper, topinambur, cabbage, fennel, celery, artichokes, spring onions, beets, etc.
My recipe adapted for Finnish friends is this: remove the inner core from the garlic so that it is more digestible and soak it in milk for 1 hour, then finely chop it
Fry the garlic in an earthenware pot (or in a normal pot) in plenty of extra virgin olive oil and then add the desalted anchovies or those in oil
When the anchovies begin to melt, add 100 ml of cream, mix well and serve hot in single portion cups where everyone can dip the various raw and cooked vegetables (the delicious Finnish potatoesare also perfect )
Today I have the pleasure of introducing Finnish artistMerja Sipiläinen-Kuhlberg, who was born in Artjärvi (Lake of Art in english) but lives in Turku, a beautiful city on the west coast of Finland. Meria Q became interested in art as a young girl, sketching evening dresses in her notebooks, and she cultivated this interest as a teenager by designing fabric prints.
As often happens, life sometimes takes strange turns, and Meria Q, abandoning her passion for art, took a different direction that led her into the world of marketing and business.
However, in early 2010, her artistic creativity reawakened and has been unstoppable ever since.
She learned acrylic painting during an astronomical painting course, and thanks to the guidance of excellent professional teachers, she acquired skills in mixed media and watercolor painting.
Once her artistic streak was rekindled, she began painting and drawing as much as possible.
She held her first solo exhibition in 2018, followed by numerous others.
She is currently exhibiting her work at the exhibition “Art. Peace and Meditation” at the Ecumenical Art Chapel of St. Henry in Turku, until November 30th.
In her stage name, Meria means happiness and sun, while Q stands for the moon, an important guide to other worlds and feelings.Initially, she signed her works with the MSK symbol, but gradually a new logo emerged, in which many people have seen an angel or a butterfly, both elements are luminous and beautifully reflect the energies that move Meria Q’smind in her creative state.
If we were to define this artist, she could be considered an intuitive painter of mental images, a true communicator of art. Meria Q visualizes the subconscious, and by doing so, she manages to transfer images into her works that we cannot see with our physical eyes, thus becoming a sort of interpreter of the invisible that dwells within us, both in the present and the past.
The messages, emotions, and stories Meria Qconveys in her paintings manage to convey a sense of peace and tranquility to the viewer, almost to the point of becoming healing.
The viewer’s eyes magically find themselves in a place where the mind can rest.
Art, upon closer inspection, is the primary place where meditation dwells, and Meria Q’s works are a true invitation to meditate, allowing one to fully understand the messages they emanate.
Almost like a flow of wonders, a work becomes predestined for someone who can fully grasp the artist’s message. Meria Q has received a description of herself from the world of astrology: “A mysterious artist who believes in miracles.”Looking closely at her works, it’s not hard to see her in this description.
By letting go of the free flow and letting things happen, miracles are created, and a new world opens up before us with all its colors, moods, and details. This, no doubt, is the art of Meria Q!
She is a member of NAS Nordiska Akvarellsällskapet. Meria Qdoesn’t sell paintings online, but you can view some of her paintings on her website, www.meriaq.art.
If you’re interested in any of them, you can contact her through the websiteitself.
Meria Q alias Merja Sipiläinen-Kuhlberg un’artista misteriosa che crede nei miracoli creati dal libero flusso della mente
Oggi ho il piacere di presentarvi l’artista finlandeseMerja Sipiläinen-Kuhlbergche è nata ad Artjärvi( lago d’arte in italiano ), ma vive a Turku una splendida città sulla costa occidentale della Finlandia. Meria Q si è avvicinata all’arte già da ragazzina quando disegnava abiti da sera nei suoi quaderni e ha coltivato questo interesse da adolescente disegnando stampe su tessuto.
Come spesso succede la vita a volte fa dei giri strani e Meria Q tralasciata la passione per l’arte ha preso un’altra direzione che l’ha proiettata nel mondo del marketing e degli affari, ma agli inizi del 2010 la sua creatività artistica si è risvegliata e da allora è diventata inarrestabile.
Ha imparato la pittura acrilica durante un corso di pittura astronomica e grazie alla guida di bravissimi insegnanti professionisti ha acquisito un ottima preparazione nella tecnica mista e nella pittura ad acquerello e una volta che la vena artistica si è rimessa in moto, ha iniziato a dipingere e disegnare il più possibile.
Ha tenuto la sua prima mostra personale nel 2018 a cui ne sono seguite numerose altre e proprio in questi giorni è presente fino al 30 novembre con la mostra “ Arte. Pace e meditazione “ presso la Cappella d’arte ecumenica di Sant’Enricoa Turku.
Nel suo nome d’arte Meria significa felicità e sole mentre Q è la luna che è un’importante guida verso altri mondi e sentimenti.
Agli inizi firmava le sue opere con il simbolo MSK, ma a poco a poco è nato il nuovo logo in cui molte persone hanno visto un angelo o una farfalla, entrambi gli elementi sono luminosi e riflettono molto bene le energie in cui si muove la mente di Meria Q nello stato creativo.
Volendo dare una definizione di questa artista, la si può considerare una pittrice intuitiva di immagini mentali, una vera e propria comunicatrice d’arte. Meria Q visualizza il subconscio e facendolo riesce a trasferire nelle sue opere immagini che non si è in grado di vedere con i nostri occhi fisici, diventando quindi una sorte di interprete dell’invisibile che si alberga in noi, sia al presente che al passato.
I messaggi, le emozioni e le storie che Meria Q trasferisce nei suoi dipinti riescono a trasmettere a chi li osserva un senso di pace e tranquillità fino quasi a farli diventare curativi a tal punto che gli occhi di chi li guarda si ritrovano come per magia in un luogo dove la mente può riposare.
L’arte a ben vedere è il luogo principe in cui alberga la meditazione e le opere di Meria Q sono un vero e proprio invito alla meditazione per poter ben comprende i messaggi che emanano, quasi un flusso delle meraviglie che fa diventare un’opera la predestinata per quel qualcuno che riuscirà a cogliervi appieno il messaggio che l’artista ha voluto lanciare. Meria Qha ricevuto una descrizione di se stessa dal mondo dell’astrologia: “ Un’artista misteriosa che crede nei miracoli” e a ben guardare le sue opere non è difficile ritrovarla in questa descrizione perché lasciandosi andare al libero flusso e lasciando che le cose accadano, si creano miracoli e un nuovo mondo si apre davanti a noi con tutti i suoi colori, stati d’animo e dettagli, e questa non c’è che dire è l’arte di Meria Q!
Fa parte come membro della NAS Nordiska Akvarellsällskapet Meria Q non vende quadri online, ma attraverso il suo sito webwww.meriaq.art potete vedere alcuni dei suoi dipinti e se interessati ad alcuni di questi prendete contatto tramite il sito stesso.
Solo exhibitions:
Raisio Museum Harkko/ Aulagalleria (Hall Gallery), Raisio 2024
Arbis Turku, Galleriväggen 2023
Brinkhallin kartanon Kahvila (Brinkhall Manor Café), Turku 2022
Brinkkalan Outolintu, Turku 2022
Hemmotteluhuone Sinulle, Turku 2022
Turku City Main Library, digital exhibition, Turku 2022
Hemmotteluhuone Sinulle, Turku 2021
Hemmotteluhuone Sinulle, Turku 2020
Brinkkalan Outolintu, Turku 2020
Hemmotteluhuone Sinulle, Turku 2019
Tierra Finlandia, Turku 2019
Arbis Turku, Galleriväggen 2019
Restaurant Prego!, Kaarina 2019
Tierra Finlandia, Turku 2018
Duo-exhibition: ”Art.Peace and meditation”with Victoria Björklund at Ecumenical Art Chapel of St. Henry, Turku until November 30th, 2025
Meria Q – Coming home, 56×76 cm, 2025, watercolourMeria Q – Love planet – 56×76 cm , 2025, watercolourMeria Q – Looking back, 38×56 cm, 2022, watercolourMeria Q – Dates stuffed with cream cheese and wrapped in prosciutto 30×40 cm, 2024 watercolour
Acrylics
Meria Q – Woman sitting in the wind, 70×70 cm, 2024, acrylic
Meria Q – Birches in the forest, 40×40 cm, 2020, acrylic
Meria Q – Lion’s Gate, 65×90 cm, 2019, acrylic
Meria Q – The singing sparrow’s home nest, 25×30 cm, 2020, acrylic
Meria Q – Would you go with me, 60×60 cm ,acrylic
Meria Q – Invitation to the Snowfields, 70×80 cm, 2025, acrylic
Birds
Meria Q – Kingfisher, 16×13 cm, 2020, watercolour
Meria Q – Seagulls, 35×25 cm, 2021, watercolour
Meria Q – A little bit of Västäräk, 28×19 cm, 2020, watercolour
Meria Q – A rare bird guest appears, 14×19 cm, 2020, watercolour
Meria Q – Bird of the mountain birch, 14×19 cm, 2020, watercolour
Meria Q – Chirping, 27×35 cm, 2023, watercolour
Meria Q – Wader, 28×19 cm, 2020, watercolour
Watercolour
Meria Q – Crumbed Cod with Tartar Sauce, 30×40 cm, 2025, watercolour
Meria Q – Dancing Northern Lights, 14×19 cm, 2020, watercolour
Meria Q – Drop your mask and remember who you are, 38×56 cm, 2021, watercolour
Meria Q – I’m cackling at the chicken, a little girl’s yoik, 14×19, 2020, watercolour
Meria Q – Sunset in the archipelago, 34×25 cm, 2021, watercolour
Meria Q – Born Deep, 30×40 cm, 2024, watercolour
Meria Q – Clouds, 35×25 cm, 2021, watercolour
Meria Q – Flying high in the shades of blue, 28×19 cm, 2021, watercolour
Meria Q – Island Summer, 28×38 cm, 2021, watercolour
Meria Q – Love Tree, 38×28 cm, 2023, watercolour
Meria Q – Midsummer, 21×29 cm, 2023, watercolour
Meria Q – Overtone, 15×21 cm, 2022, watercolour
Meria Q – Poppies, 28×38 cm, 2023, watercolour
Meria Q – Sailing, 28×37.5 cm, 2023, watercolour
Meria Q – Summer Night, 21×15 cm, 2022, watercolour
Meria Q – The first snow fell on the fell, 19×14 cm, 2020, watercolour
Meria Q – Vibrations, 15×21 cm, 2022, watercolour
Meria Q – Winter, 33×17 cm, 2020, watercolour
Mixed media
Meria Q – A mouse in a pillbox hat, a squirrel and a few other animals, 60×80 cm, 2021, mixed media
Meria Q – Dreamer, 35×26 cm, 2020, mixed media
Meria Q – In the Golden Nest, 70×50 cm, 2018, mixed media
Meria Q – Running feet, 30×40 cm, mixed media, 2024
Meria Q – Vortex of Life, 70×70 cm, 2023, mixed media
Meria Q – A little girl’s big journey, 50×70 cm, 2020, mixed media
Meria Q – Adventurers, 40×40 cm, 2024, mixed media
Meria Q – At the Edge of the World, 60×80 cm, 2019, mixed media
Meria Q – Birth, 50×70 cm, mixed media
Meria Q – Cinderella puff, 50 x70 cm, 2018, mixed media
Meria Q – Contemplator in the lap of nature, 50×70 cm, 2020, mixed media
Meria Q – High in the treetops, 36×46 cm, 2022, mixed media
Meria Q – Himalaya, 40×40 cm, mixed media, 2024
Meria Q – On a bike ride, 50×70 cm, 2020, mixed media
Meria Q – On an evening walk, 36×46 cm, 2022, mixed media
Meria Q – Pike jawbone, 50×70 cm, 2020, mixed media
Meria Q – Pond ice chips , 36×46 cm, 2022, mixed media
Meria Q – Raindrops, 30×40 cm, 2022, mixed media
Meria Q – Spell, 60×80 cm, 2021, mixed media
Meria Q – The Sea’s Embrace, 40×40 cm, mixed media, 2023
Meria Q – Towards dreams. 50×70 cm, mixed media, 2024
Today I am pleased to introduce you to Finnish artistAnne Saarinen, originally from central Finlandwhere she still lives in Jyväskylä, a city of 150,000 located north of the beautiful Lake Päijänne. Anne, a painter and art teacher, studied art education at the University of Jyväskyläand has worked as an art teacher for over twenty years.
Her art studio is located in Kuhankoski, at Laukaa Art Studios, in the main building of a former girls’ school built in 1927 in the Jugend style, on the shores of Lake Kuhajärvi.
The studio’s unique location, in a quiet rural setting, allows for intense creative work. Annealso spends a lot of time at her vacation home in the Sabina region, in the mountains of central Italy, where she draws inspiration from the light, intense colors, and palpable layers of history, from ancient Rome to medieval monastic life.
In this context, where nature becomes a concrete model and metaphor for her paintings, where plants and landscapes embody memories, experiences, and cultural meanings, Anne manages to reinterpret everything around her through painting.
This results in works in which reality, history, and imagination intertwine in artworks with a vegetal and divine theme. Anneis deeply fascinated by the aesthetics and value of everyday plants, which we often overlook.
The beauty of everydays plants is often overshadowed by that of flowers, and in her body of work, Anneexplored the aesthetics, texture, color, and contrast of a useful garden.
Her goal was to capture the impression created by sunlight on a bright summer day, pursuing naturalism, but rather expression and maximal colorism, based on the creation of intuitive and physical signs and the interplay of contrasts and colors.
On canvas, she presents them with vibrant colors, often supported by structure and repetition, such as the rows of vegetables in a vegetable garden.
For Anne, in her work, plants represent resilience and a strength that brings joy to the viewer.
Exploring the relationship between women and gardening, a social theme emerges: the appreciation of femininity, where the cultivated plant becomes a symbol of tenacious women, often taken for granted throughout history, yet there is a universal and silent strength within women, present for centuries.
Another dear theme to Anne is that of the goddesses of the past.
Through her works, she seeks to create a mental landscape born from the encounter between Finland and the goddesses of the past.
Through this connection, a universal landscape is created, where divinity can be present anywhere, on the shore of a lake or in the forest, drawing inspiration from layers of myth, folklore, and archaic imagery, but also from ancient narratives that still resonate today.
Her beautiful Northern Goddesses are the three Roman goddessesDiana, Feronia,and Aurora, whom she depicts as fused with Finnish nature.
These goddesses symbolize important things in her works, aiming to describe the landscape of the soul, which is created in the mind when reality encounters a sense of universal connection, regardless of time and place.
Painting for Anne can be both a personal and a political act.
Through plants, she wishes to express the strength that often goes unnoticed in the frenzy of everyday life, while through figures of divinities, she seeks connections between cultures and their universal narratives.
Her works, upon closer inspection, combine direct observation of nature, historical narrative, and an experiential and personal perspective. Anne follows a physical yet intuitive working process, painting with both acrylics and oils.
Her paintings take shape quickly with large, rough brushes that create a powerful line.
Painting in Italy, Annenoticed her palette becoming brighter, while in Finland the tones she uses are softer and more muted.
Her working process is based on a dialogue between truth and expression, colors, shapes, and subjects, which translates into an expressive result.
For Anne, Italy is not only a constant source of inspiration, but its light, colors, and cultural layers open up new perspectives for her artistic expression.
The nature and history of both Italyand Finland are intertwined in her paintings. Annefeels that Italy has strongly influenced her visual thinking, and her art resonates particularly well in the Italian context.
She therefore hopes to present her work in Italyin the future.
For more information, to purchase her work, or to collaborate, please contact her at: Website and online shop:annesaarinen.fi Instagram: @annesaarinenart WhatsApp: +358407417140
Anne Saarinen e il suo viaggio tra Italia e Finlandia attraverso piante utili e Dee Boreali
Oggi sono lieto di presentarvi l’artista finlandeseAnne Saarinen, originaria della Finlandia centrale dove tuttora vive a Jyväskylä, una città di 150.000 abitanti situata a nord del meraviglioso lago Päijänne. Anne, pittrice e insegnante d’arte ha studiato educazione artistica all’Università di Jyväskyläe ha lavorato come insegnante d’arte per oltre vent’anni. Il suo studio d’arte si trova a Kuhankoski, nei Laukaa Art Studios, nell’edificio principale di un’ex scuola femminile costruita nel 1927 in stile Jugend, sulle rive del lago Kuhajärvi.
La particolare posizione dello studio, in un tranquillo ambiente rurale, consente un intenso lavoro creativo. Anne trascorre molto tempo anche nella sua casa per le vacanze nella regione della Sabina, tra le montagne dell’Italia centrale e in questi luoghi trae ispirazione dalla luce, dai colori intensi e dagli strati palpabili della storia, dall’antica Romaalla vita monastica medievale.
In questo contesto dove la natura diventa modello concreto e metafora per i suoi dipinti, dove piante e paesaggi incarnano ricordi, esperienze e significati culturali, Anne riesce a reinterpretare tutto ciò che la circonda attraverso la pittura.
Nascono così opere in cui realtà, storia e immaginazione si intrecciano in opere d’arte a tema vegetale e divino. Anneè molto affascinata dall’estetica e dal valore delle piante di uso quotidiano, che molto spesso trascuriamo.
La bellezza delle piante utili è spesso messa in ombra da quella dei fiori e Annenel suo corpus di lavori, ha esplorato l’estetica, la struttura, il colore e il contrasto di un giardino utile.
Il suo obiettivo è stato quello di catturare l’impressione creata dalla luce del sole in una luminosa giornata estiva, con l’intenzione di perseguire il naturalismo, ma piuttosto l’espressione e il colorismo massimale, basati sulla creazione di segni intuitivi e fisici e sul gioco di contrasti e colori.
Su tela, le presenta con colori vivaci, spesso supportati da struttura e ripetizione, come ad esempio i filari di un orto.
Per Anne nel suo lavoro, le piante rappresentano la resilienza e una forza che porta gioia all’osservatore.
Esplorando poi il rapporto tra donne e giardinaggio, emerge un tema sociale: l’apprezzamento della femminilità, dove la pianta coltivata diventa simbolo della donna tenace, spesso data per scontata nel corso della storia, ma c’è una forza universale e silenziosa nelle donne, presente da secoli.
Altro tema molto caro per Anneè quello legato alle dee del passato dove attraverso le sue opere cerca di creare un paesaggio mentale che nasce dall’incontro tra la Finlandiae le dee del passato.
Attraverso questa connessione si viene a creare un paesaggio universale, dove la divinità può essere presente ovunque, sulla riva di un lago o nella foresta sulla base di una ispirazione che arriva da strati di mito, folklore e immaginario arcaico ma con un collegamento con antiche narrazioni che risuonano ancora oggi.
Le sue bellissime Dee Boreali sono le tre dee romaneDiana,Feroniae Aurora che ha raffigurate come fuse in un tutt’uno con la natura finlandese.
Queste dee nelle sue opere simboleggiano cose importanti, con l’obiettivo di descrivere il paesaggio dell’anima, che si crea nella mente quando la realtà incontra un senso di connessione universale, indipendentemente dal tempo e dal luogo
Dipingere per Anne può essere sia un atto personale che politico.
Attraverso le piante, desidera parlare della forza che spesso passa inosservata nella frenesia della vita quotidiana, mentre attraverso figure di divinità, cerca legami tra le culture e le loro narrazioni universali.
Le sue opere a ben vedere combinano l’osservazione diretta della natura, la narrazione storica e una prospettiva esperienziale e personale. Anne segue un processo di lavoro sia fisico che intuitivo e dipinge sia con acrilici che con oli.
I suoi dipinti prendono forma rapidamente con pennelli grandi e ruvidi che creano una linea potente.
Dipingendo in Italia, Anne ha notato che la sua tavolozza diventa più luminosa, mentre in Finlandia i toni che usa sono più morbidi e tenui.
Alla base del suo processo lavorativo si crea un dialogo tra verità ed espressione, colori, forme e soggetti, che si traduce in un risultato espressivo.
L’Italia per Anne non è solo una fonte costante di ispirazione, ma la sua luce, i suoi colori e le sue stratificazioni culturali aprono nuove prospettive per la sua espressione artistica.
La natura e la storia sia dell’Italiache dellaFinlandia sono intrecciate nei suoi dipinti. Anne ha la sensazione che l’Italiaabbia fortemente influenzato il suo pensiero visivo e la sua arte risuona in modo particolare nel contesto italiano, e quindi nutre la speranza di poter presentare in futuro le sue opere anche in Italia.
Per maggiori informazioni, acquisti delle sue opere o collaborazioni non esitate a contattarla attraverso: Sito web e negozio online:annesaarinen.fi Instagram:@annesaarinenart WhatsApp: +358407417140
Exhibitions La Fiaba, Eloa 2025, group exhibition Peurunka, Mental Spa 2025, group exhibition Konstrundan, Laukaa Art Studios 2024, group exhibition Peurunka, John Smith Goes Art 2024, group exhibition Arte Laguna, Venice – Deae Borealis 2024, virtual exhibition Gallery Popper, Lannoitettu 2024, solo exhibition Hoikkassali, Äänekoski 2017, solo exhibition
Anne Saarinen – Beets, 2023, acrylic on spruce plywoodAnne Saarinen – Onion Bench 2024, acrylic on canvasAnne Saarinen – Castelluccio Flowering
Anne Saarinen – Feronia, 2024, acrylic, 150x100cm, canvas, deep edge 4.5 cm.
Anne Saarinen – Diana, 2024, acrylic, 100x150cm, canvas, deep edge 4.5 cm.
Anne Saarinen – Aurora, 2024, acrylic, 100x150cm, canvas, deep edge 4.5 cm.
Anne Saarinen – The windowsill begins to fill up
Anne Saarinen – Window parapets part 3
Anne Saarinen – Window parapets part 2
Anne Saarinen – Window parapets part 1
un giornalista in viaggio che non sopporta gli ombrelli