Peony and Parakeet

Fly to Your Inner World and Color the Emotion

Flowers & Plants

Summer Watercolor Art with Origin and Attitude!

This week, I talk about creating summer watercolor art so that it’s fun and interesting. The season that you currently have doesn’t matter. It’s all about finding your origin and attitude!

Summer watercolor art by Paivi Eerola. Kesäkuuman suosikit - Hot Summer Favorites, watercolor, size A3.
Kesäkuuman suosikit – Hot Summer Favorites, watercolor, A3.
>> See more pics at the Taiko online art store!

Although the seasons influence my paintings, I mostly want to paint summer. In winter I yearn for summer, in spring I plan for summer, in summer I live summer and in autumn I remember summer!

Starting Summer Watercolor Art

The best summer month in Finland is July because it’s warm and of course, has peonies and strawberries like in the painting. But when I started the painting, I had no idea what would come up. There were just splashes of color and plenty of water.

Starting an intuitive floral watercolor painting.

I like my summer watercolor art to have this kind of intuitive foundation with exciting randomness.

Finnish Summer

Peonies bloom at the turn of June and July and that is also when the best strawberry season begins. Finnish strawberries are really sweet, because the Finnish summer ripens them slowly. As a child, when asked for a favorite meal, I answered: Strawberries and whipped cream. I guess I was quite a romantic already!

Summer dreaming, childhood photo.

Peonies are my favourite flowers and I have written a lot about them on this blog. Our garden has over ten different peonies and I am eager to see them bloom. I hope that winter has not disciplined the most delicate varieties too much.

Do Tell peony
“Do Tell” is one of my favorite peonies but it’s not very winter hardy.


In summer, everything turns upside down: frost turns into heat, darkness into light, heavy turns into light, and light turns into heavy. Summer makes the big picture blurred and the details become more important. What felt heavy in winter is hardly remembered in summer. And small moments, even small irritations, become more noticeable in summer. This must be the effect of continuous light.

Finding flowers in a watercolor background. Tips for summer watercolor art.

I know foreigners who come to Finland in summer with eye patches. But for me, lack of sleep and summer go together. I am done with the pitch-black winter when morning sleep is still deep. The boring black-and-white sceneries are finally replaced by the rich colorful details that is food for my paintings.

Watercolor painting in progress
Watercolor painting in progress. The importance of details.

Look how the leaves changed when I started adding details!

Finnish Simplicity vs. Central European

When we visited Amsterdam in May, we went to the Antiekcentrum, which is a huge antique flea market.

Antiekcentrum, the Netherlands. Narrow corridors one after another, full of antique mini-shops.
Antiekcentrum, the Netherlands. Narrow corridors one after another, full of antique mini-shops.

If there were a place like that in Finland, it would be full of Nordic design from the 1900s to the 1950s. Finnish high culture has a short history and our taste is a much more simplified version of Central European styles.

Antique flea market at Fiskars, Finland.
Antique flea market at Fiskars, Finland.

Our straightforwardness is not only in design, but it’s everywhere in Finland. We speak directly, often too directly, and value simplicity.

Finnish design ceramics, Toini Muona in the 1950s.
Finnish design ceramics, Toini Muona in the 1950s.

But despite the yearn for simplify, Finland is full of hidden romantics. The inner world of the seemingly rude people can surprise you. Our connection to nature is so immediate that not only strawberries and peonies but all the nature’s treasures creep into our souls so that we are not separate from them. Finnish people are confusingly simple and at the same time enormously diverse.

Details Make Any Peony Your Unique Peony

After the trip, I am increasingly aware that this is a part of Finland and Finnishness that I want to convey to you through this blog and my courses. I am aware that even if we share the love for art, we all have a little different point of view if we pass the big picture and turn our attention to the details. So, nuances in visual language and vocabulary!

Summer watercolor art. A detail of a larger watercolor painting by Paivi Eerola. Painting peonies.

If you look at the world as a big picture, your art becomes too mundane. When a peony is just a flower, art-making gets boring like Finnish winter: “How to draw a peony,” you will google and then draw a picture that has nothing unique.

Instead, think about your origin and attitude! Surrender to the details and let the heaviness of the earth and the lightness of the sky immerse you in what you draw. Maybe there’s a cloud who dreams about staying still, and a peony who dreams about seeing the world from the sky. By taking the creative attitude, the strawberries can grow bigger than their stems can hold.

Summer watercolor art by Päivi Eerola, Finland.

Of course, these are just examples. My point is that in art, you can change everything and make anything possible when you:

  • know your origin: Find what already grows in you!
  • stretch the idea of any mundane thing: Allow imagination and empathy!
  • work the details long enough: Give time for your creativity to find you!

What do you think?

P.S. I am currently recording a new course about watercolor painting. It’s an independent sequel to Freely Grown and focuses on the idea of building a visual vocabulary.

Painting summer watercolor art.

Flower Paintings at Rijksmuseum

Charming and necessary for any artist. Let’s admire the flower paintings at Rijksmuseum!

Seeing flower paintings at Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, Allegory of Spring and Autumn by Georgius Jacobus Johannes van Os in the background
The paintings: Allegory of Spring (1817) and and Allegory of Autumn (1818) by Georgius Jacobus Johannes van Os

This week, I had a lovely time in the Netherlands, where my husband and I spent a few nights. The highlight of the trip was the visit to Rijksmuseum. It’s a huge museum in Amsterdam, and it takes many hours to see even a glimpse of all the artworks. For this post, I took some flower photos for you, as you may, like I do, love flower still lives.

Flower Paintings at Rijksmuseum with Some Notes

Detail of "Flower Still Life with a Crown Imperial Fritillary in a Stone Niche" by Jacob Woutersz Vosmaer, oil on panel, 1613
Detail of “Flower Still Life with a Crown Imperial Fritillary in a Stone Niche” by Jacob Woutersz Vosmaer, oil on panel, 1613

I love these paintings because the flowers are not isolated, but layered, giving a rich effect. Remember, you can paint just part of a flower and then another right next to it.

Still Life with Flowers in a Glass Vase by Rachel Ruysch, oil on canvas, c. 1690-1720
Still Life with Flowers in a Glass Vase by Rachel Ruysch, oil on canvas, c. 1690-1720

We can learn from Rachel Ruysch that part of the flower can be in the shade, making the most important flowers stand out even more.

Flower paintings at Rijksmuseum. Still Life with Flowers by Balthasar van der Ast, oil on panel, c. 1625-1630
Still Life with Flowers by Balthasar van der Ast, oil on panel, c. 1625-1630

Animals are often included in old flower paintings. You can create a miniature world in one flower piece!

Still Life with a Vase of Flowers and a Dead Frog by Jacob Marrel, oil on panel, 1634, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
Still Life with a Vase of Flowers and a Dead Frog by Jacob Marrel, oil on panel, 1634

The dead frog here represents the cycle of nature. Some of the flowers may also be pointing downwards and appear withering.

Flower paintings at Rijksmuseum. Still Life with Flowers by Jan van Huysum, oil on panel, 1723
A detail of “Still Life with Flowers” by Jan van Huysum, oil on panel, 1723

I am also fascinated by the backgrounds of old flower paintings. Even if their color is dark or neutral brownish, the variation in darkness or tone makes the painting feel natural.

Flower Still Life with an Alabaster Vase by Gerard van Spaendonck, oil on canvas, 1783, Rijksmuseum
Flower Still Life with an Alabaster Vase by Gerard van Spaendonck, oil on canvas, 1783
Flower paintings at Rijksmuseum. A detail of Flower Still Life with an Alabaster Vase by Gerard van Spaendonck, oil on canvas, 1783
A detail of “Flower Still Life with an Alabaster Vase” by Gerard van Spaendonck, oil on canvas, 1783

The abundance of details is a challenge for a busy contemporary artist. But on the other hand, one painting can be the source of inspiration for many pieces!

Still Life with Flowers and Nuts by Anthony Oberman, oil on cardboard, 1830, in a frame, Rijksmuseum
Still Life with Flowers and Nuts by Anthony Oberman, oil on cardboard, 1830

Did you notice that we started in the 17th century and gradually moved forward in time? The colors and their durability increase, while on the other hand the detail and abundance of flowers decrease.

Flower paintings at Rijksmuseum. A detail of "Still Life with Flowers and Nuts" by Anthony Oberman, oil on cardboard, 1830
A detail of “Still Life with Flowers and Nuts” by Anthony Oberman, oil on cardboard, 1830

But no matter what century, such beauty is not only charming, but also necessary. When everyday life slowly creates an empty hole inside me, I call the feeling “old art hunger”.

Bouquet of Roses by Jans Frans van Dael, oil on canvas, c. 1825
Bouquet of Roses by Jans Frans van Dael, oil on canvas, c. 1825

Now the hunger is gone and the hole feels filled again for a while. Seeing these flower paintings at Rijksmuseum was both a grounding and spiritual experience.

A Detail of Bouquet of Roses by Jans Frans van Dael, oil on canvas, c. 1825
A detail of “Bouquet of Roses” by Jans Frans van Dael, oil on canvas, c. 1825

Let’s Paint Flowers – Inspiration for Art-Making

I am obsessed of painting flowers and this whole blog is full of inspiration for that. Here are some top picks for old-world-floral style:

Intuitive Flowers with Colored Pencils

This week, we take an intuitive approach to flowers and color them freely with colored pencils. This method can also be easily adapted to watercolors.

Coloring intuitive flowers. Colored pencil art by Päivi Eerola, Finland.

Everyone’s flowers are different, but we can all start with the same steps. I will show you how to start and how to bring intuition into the process, and then you can finish the piece in your own style.

Artist Päivi Eerola and her intuitive flowers.

Let’s get the colored pencils and start intuitive flowers step-by-step!

Step 1 – Background

Start by intuitively picking one main color. I choose a color that I feel strangely drawn to, or a pencil that looks a bit sad and needs some quality time with me. I may sharpen or re-arrange the pencils before I start, so that I feel more connection with them.

With the chosen pencil, color the paper lightly and softly. Leave a part of the center blank so that you will also have white in your work.

Starting a colored pencil drawing without references.

When you feel bored, add other colors for an energy boost and spiciness, but always get back to your main color. The main color sets the mood and makes sure that every flower will breathe the same air.

I use soft-tipped colored pencils, such as Prismacolor Premier and Caran d’Ache Luminance. Thin layers are a joy to color and the strokes are soft. My paper is Fabriano Accademia Drawing Paper (200 gsm/94 lbs).

Step 2 – Circles

Color a new background layer so that you leave round areas uncolored. These are like ghosts that will be turned to flowers in the next step.

In progress. Coloring circles freely with colored pencils. You can change the circles to the flowers in the next step.

Make sure you have big, small, and medium circles, not just one size. Let some circles overlap and some disappear partly near the edges. This step is simple, but not very intuitive, because we tend to create circles of one size and separate from each other.

What does intuitive mean to you?
For me, it’s an emotional connection to colors and bringing out the spirit rather than the material. If you think intuitive is what feels easy, you’re holding back your development in making art.

Step 3 – Notches

Turn circles to flowers by coloring notches with the background colors. Make all kinds of shapes this way. I try to avoid symmetry, because flowers are rarely perfectly symmetrical. The more imaginative the shapes are, the more spirit I see in them.

Adding notches and changing circles to boost the intuitive process of coloring flowers freely.

You can also add some color to the flowers if it helps you to form a tighter connection, but do it only lightly in this step.

Step 4 – Colors

Add more colors – and not only to the flowers but also to the background. I like to think that the spirit of the flower is larger than its outline. The flower radiates the spirit, and the color of the flower is more in its surroundings than in the flower itself. This makes the background as fun to color as the flowers.

Colored pencil art in progress. Coloring freely without photos. Abstract floral in colored pencils.

Make stems thin and curvy when you want the flowers to look delicate.

Step 5 – Repeat!

Add more details with the techniques of steps 1-4: more background color, more circles, more notches, more colors.

What to put in the background? The intuitive coloring process treats it as a spirit.

The more experienced you are, the more patience you have. Intuition is a rusty vehicle. The connection improves with time, and your piece will begin to speak to you.

Colored pencil art in progress.

Grow Your Skills at Fun Botanicum!

Fun Botanicum is a great course for all who want to grow their skills in drawing plants and learning more techniques for florals.

Fun Botanicum >> Buy here!

Intuitive Flowers and Colored Pencils

For me, being intuitive also means being flexible. I cherish every little flower, but also accept that not every flower can remain in the final piece.

Working with details of a flower drawing. Prismacolor Premier soft core colored pencils.

A flower can bloom and give her soul to you, and then become a background spirit only. In this piece that happened a lot.

My drawing took about four hours to make.

Artist Paivi Eerola and her colored pencil drawing.

What does intuitive mean to you? Do you aim for intuition when you are creating art?

Let’s Paint like Emily Wrote – Emotional Connection with Childhood Novels

This week, we are reminiscing about childhood novels while painting naturally with watercolors. Do you have this kind of emotional connection with the books from your childhood?

Myötätuulen suojatit - Protected by Tailwind, watercolor painting by Paivi Eerola, Finland. Painting watercolor flowers freely.
Myötätuulen suojatit – Protected by Tailwind, watercolor, size: A3
See more pics at Taiko Finnish Online Art Store

Now that spring has arrived in Finland and the plants have started to grow, two words have risen above others: “warm” and “natural.”

In January, I decided that my word of the year would be “Release.” This word takes my thoughts to childhood. Again, I want to be a person who is expressive, but also warm and natural.

Can Art Be Natural?

Starting with brave strokes and plenty of water. Watercolor art in progress.
A loose start: “Release!”

I think art can be abstract and original, but still natural. In this introductory video for the course Freely Grown, I open up about this way of creating.

Watercolors are perhaps the most natural art supplies. When a color meets water, it blooms, and as Henri Matisse said, “There are always flowers for those who want to see them.”

Random spots ready to turn into flowers. Painting abstract florals in watercolor.
After the first layer had dried, I turned the paper.

When painting naturally, seeing and creating alternate. A hazy spot that looks like a mistake can be the seed for something bigger.

From blurry to sharp watercolor painting. Random spots become flowers.
Painting floral abstracts in watercolor

Natural vs. What You Expect from Yourself

With the word “Release”, I have been thinking about how difficult it is to let go of conventional interpretations and expectations. Can you paint dandelions – doesn’t everyone want roses?

Adding random spots to a watercolor painting.
To release is to allow random spots!

To some extent, I identify more with the dandelion: persistent, sometimes pushy and overwhelming, often stepping over the borders.

Thin and broad brushes alternate when painting naturally in watercolor.
Thin and broad brushes alternate.

The more I think about my shortcomings, the more I think about L.M. Montgomery’s Emily of New Moon, a brave orphan girl who wanted to be a poet. She felt like a real person to me. Her story was also a growth story of an artist that had a big impact on my life. I recognize this kind of emotional connection with other childhood novels, too.

The Brave Girls of Childhood Novels

As an artist, I feel emotional connection with childhood novels. I want to paint like Emily of the New Moon wrote poems.
First just a big blue splash, then a flower.

In Finland, we had a popular children’s book series written by Anni Polva. The main character there is Tiina, a pretty wild young girl. Tiina isn’t an artist, but an adventurer. Isn’t it so that to release is also to go for an adventure?

Creating art and embracing the emotional connection with childhood novels. Classic books like Emily of the New Moon still inspire us. Watercolor painting by Paivi Eerola, Finland.

What about Enid Blyton’s The Famous Five books? You could also go on an adventure in those, and in good company.

Painting with a nostalgic touch. Emotional connection with childhood novels inspire me to grow as an artist.

I also read L.M. Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables series and Louisa M. Alcott’s Little Women books. Memories of these girls’ books and the word “Release” strongly resonate with me right now. We are living turbulent times, and need to be brave and adventurous – but still in a warm and natural way.

Do you too have an emotional connection to childhood novels?

P.S. I also wrote about children’s books in these blog posts:
In 2023: Watercolor Flowers in Louisa M. Alcott Style
and in 2022: Turning Memories into Paintings

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