Abstracts Archives - Peony and Parakeet

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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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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You Can Draw Patterned Papers!

Päivi — Thu, 07 May 2026 12:52:35 +0000

This week, I answer the question: “I want to draw, but don’t know how or what! How to start?” My suggestion is to start with patterns. So, draw repeated shapes and make a collection of patterned papers that you can use for collage art, for example. The No-Pencil Approach I usually start my line drawings […]

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Modernistic Style – Create Abstract Art Step by Step!

Päivi — Wed, 29 Apr 2026 20:52:07 +0000

This week, we take a practical dive into modernistic style. My favorite modernist painters are Birger Carlstedt (1907-1975) and Sam Vanni (1908-1992) from Finland. The most famous modernist was, of course, Pablo Picasso, who was Spanish. My piece has some figurative elements. Although it’s abstract, you can also see plants and light. With this technique, […]

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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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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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Video: Artist’s Life and Inner Inspiration

Päivi — Thu, 29 Jan 2026 17:35:55 +0000

This week, I made a video blog post where I share what I have been working on lately. This watercolor piece is one of them. In the video, I also talk about the inner inspiration – that not everything has to come from outside, but there’s a lot within our inner world already. You get […]

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Intuitive Abstracts with Colored Pencils

Päivi — Thu, 22 Jan 2026 13:36:22 +0000

This week, we create abstract art with colored pencils so that we let our intuition lead us. If we only draw realistic art, we miss the layer that is under it. I often call my abstracts “skeletons.” They show how my art is constructed and what its spirit is. By creating abstracts, I can adjust […]

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Making a Creative Impact – My Words for 2025 and 2026

Päivi — Fri, 09 Jan 2026 13:16:24 +0000

I like to choose a word for the year that guides my actions. In 2025, it was “Release”. This year, it’s “Impact”. I think that Impact is a natural continuum of the word Release. Once you have learned to release a lot, it’s time to learn more about making a creative impact. Have You Chosen […]

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Building a Mystical Course with Hilma, Georgiana, and Virginia

Päivi — Thu, 11 Dec 2025 12:26:49 +0000

Usually, after making a course, I think: never again! It takes time to get new ideas and energy. But this time, after finishing Wild Garden, I had a new idea right away, and it felt like someone was talking to me: “You must do this, Päivi. If you don’t, nobody else will.” The upcoming course […]

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