Creative Process Archives - Peony and Parakeet

Artist Vlog – Day in the Life of an Artist

Päivi — Thu, 13 Aug 2026 15:21:25 +0000

This week, you get to see my day from morning to evening! I’m walking the dogs, painting in oil and watercolor, taking care of my orchids, editing course videos, etc. I hope you enjoy this kind of documentary-style artist vlog! The black journal that I used in the video is the Dylusions Creative Journal. Remember […]

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Starting a New Sketchbook with Botanical Art

Päivi — Wed, 29 Jul 2026 12:29:11 +0000

This week, I share how I am starting a new sketchbook! Starting the Dingbats Pro Green Beetle Notebook For a long time, I’ve been looking for a sketchbook that works well with both pens and watercolors. I’ve used Fabriano’s thick (200 gsm) Accademia drawing paper for individual drawings for years. But now that I’m gathering […]

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Layered Painting – The Many Details of Golden

Päivi — Thu, 16 Jul 2026 13:00:00 +0000

Layers make a painting. My newest layered painting, Golden, is surprisingly a rebirth of an older piece of mine. From Gossamer to Golden The painting behind Golden was Gossamer. Gossamer started as a test. I wanted to see if I could finish a painting in one go and with a more minimalist, modern style. I […]

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Drawing a Summer Ornament

Päivi — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 15:01:57 +0000

This week, I want to show that an ornament can be more than just a decoration. An ornament can be a framework for expression in the same way as a portrait, a still life, or a landscape. I love drawing ornaments. It feels as though the universe is shouting at me: “This is right, this […]

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Abstract Composition in Watercolor

Päivi — Wed, 17 Jun 2026 14:08:42 +0000

This week, we create geometric and modern art. Pick your supplies, and make an abstract composition! Lately, I’ve been exploring the extremes of my own style, especially when it comes to visual language. I’ve been searching for something angular and adventurous for inspiration, as my style has recently drifted perhaps a bit too much toward […]

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Ikigai – Making Intuitive Painting Feel Natural

Päivi — Wed, 03 Jun 2026 10:29:42 +0000

This week, I show you my newest oil painting, ‘Ikigai,’ and talk about how intuitive painting can become logical, and how a logical painting can feel natural. There are many extraordinary elements in this painting, but it still feels quite realistic and natural. Find the Guiding Element When you create intuitively, the first layers get […]

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What Tsubaki Stationery Store Taught Me About Making Art

Päivi — Thu, 28 May 2026 16:48:01 +0000

I listened to a wonderful book. It was like a refreshing rain pouring straight into my heart. The book is new and by the Japanese author Ito Ogawa. Its Finnish title is Paperikauppa Tsubaki, and it is also being released in English as Tsubaki Stationery Store (Amazon – affiliate link, Goodreads) Tsubaki Stationery Store The […]

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Artistic Line Drawing – What Do You Think About This Course Idea?

Päivi — Wed, 20 May 2026 13:47:13 +0000

To me, all visual art begins with drawing. When you want to get to know yourself, draw! When you want to develop as an artist—say, as a painter—draw! To draw is to think. Make your lines come alive, and gradually, a whole new world will emerge, even on a small piece of paper. That’s what […]

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Can Playful Art Be Serious?

Päivi — Fri, 24 Apr 2026 11:20:12 +0000

This week, I want to talk about my newly finished painting titled Fauna. This is one of my most peculiar pieces, filled with strange ideas. With this, I want to challenge us to ponder the question: Can playful art be serious? Ideas Have a Mental Age This painting combines many ideas. I tend to come […]

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Exploring Light and Mass When Creating Semi-Abstract Art

Päivi — Thu, 16 Apr 2026 14:16:43 +0000

This week, I show my latest painting and talk about creating semi-abstract art where some details are quite realistic, and others are more abstract. I also give five concrete ideas for creating semi-abstract drawings or paintings. For the past couple of months, I’ve been working on four “sisters.” They are all the same size, yet […]

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I Did the Same Drawing Twice!

Päivi — Thu, 19 Mar 2026 14:26:49 +0000

I rarely sketch my drawings beforehand, but this time I wanted to try something different: creating the same piece twice and recording the process. The first version was done freely with watercolor pencils. The second was a study of the first, but created using traditional colored pencils. These drawings have many kinds of flowers, including […]

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Colored Pencil Tutorial “Limitless World”

Päivi — Thu, 12 Mar 2026 14:41:41 +0000

This week, I have a step-by-step colored pencil tutorial for you. It’s called Limitless World. We color without outlines and end up with something that is partly realistic and yet more creative and limitless than any traditional drawing. Supplies This tutorial uses regular colored pencils, but feel free to try it with watercolor pencils, watercolors, […]

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