drawing pen Archives - Peony and Parakeet

Remembering Collageland

Päivi — Thu, 24 Sep 2026 12:51:15 +0000

With this spread, I say farewell to a course called Collageland. Yesterday, when I was making backgrounds and decorating handmade papers for this spread, I looked back on my artistic journey. Three Stages Stylistically, my artistic journey can be divided into three main stages. The first stage began around 2010 when I created decorative collages. […]

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Make Old Art Journal or Sketchbook New Again

Päivi — Thu, 27 Aug 2026 13:09:17 +0000

This week, I have a 1-minute video about revamping my old art journal! This sketchbook is from 2018, back when I was practicing different portraits and creating a course called Innovative Portraits. There’s still plenty of empty space left in the book. My Old Journal and How the Cover Was Decorated My old art journal […]

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A Dot That Went For a Walk

Päivi — Thu, 20 Aug 2026 10:51:15 +0000

Paul Klee said: “A line is a dot that went for a walk.” I would continue the conversation about the line:“Art is a line that was freed to play.” Everything starts with a single line. When people say they can’t draw, they simply haven’t made friends with their line yet. Art doesn’t start by comparing yourself […]

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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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From Drawing to Style

Päivi — Thu, 23 Jul 2026 14:56:55 +0000

I know there are plenty of art courses out there advertised with slogans like “find your style” or “discover your inner artist.” To be honest, those sound like pretty big words to me. Maybe it’s because we Finns tend to be quite modest—and sometimes so brutally honest it makes you want to shake us a […]

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Finding Your Soulful Line

Päivi — Thu, 09 Jul 2026 07:38:09 +0000

This week, I am excited to talk about the soulful line and share thoughts behind the new course Drawing Soulfully. This blog post can be watched as a video here! We want to achieve something grand with art, but in reality, art begins with something so small it almost goes unnoticed. Art begins with a […]

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Sneak Peek at The New Course

Päivi — Thu, 02 Jul 2026 09:31:39 +0000

This week, you get to see a sneak peek at the upcoming course! The course is about expressing yourself through drawing. It’s a journey into your artistry and teaches a way to work towards your style. We will draw mostly with black pens, and then color some of the drawings with watercolors and colored pencils. […]

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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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Dramatic Peonies with Colored Pencils and Black Pens

Päivi — Thu, 11 Jun 2026 14:05:56 +0000

This week, I have a free video for you. Create these dramatic peonies with me! Use colored pencils to add the softness and color, and black pens to bring in the drama! I used regular colored pencils and two black pens – thick and thin. My thick pen is the Copic Gasenfude brush pen, and […]

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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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