Set of illustrations about different “argument types”. Knights represent different ways of arguing. These three are:
1: Besserwisser, one that knows everything better
2: Explosive type, one that, you know, explodes easily
3: Digger, one that never forgets anything and brings same old things to every argument
Monday, January 24th, Finnish Post will release first new stamps of 2011 including miniature sheet of five Valentine’s day postage stamps, named “Ystävyyden oksalla” (Branches of friendship), designed by me.
Every year Finnish Post asks one artist to design special set of five Valentine’s day stamps. I got this job in the end of 2009 and sent the package to printing in june. Stamps were announced in october. I had to sign a non-disclosure agreement and therefore I could not tell anyone about this exciting job I was doing. By the way: Valentine’s day in Finland is called “Day of Friends”, it’s not only about love, but also friendship.
In the stamps there are five birds dreaming in their trees. I wanted to include a story to this stamp-sized medium. I am not the one who tells that story though, people, sender and receiver can have their own story of what birds are dreaming about.
Shape of stamps is free, it follows the outer edge of trees and birds. Not traditional squares, maybe even something that hasn’t been done before. Stamps are printed in Hexachrome that really makes colors to pop out.
I also designed First Day Cover (FDC) and postal cancellation:
In the morning of 24.1., at 7.20, I’ll be interviewed in Finnish MTV3´s morning program Huomenta Suomi (Good Morning Finland)
From 12.00 to 14.00 I’ll be signing stamps and First Day Covers at Pääpostitalo.
Stamps, First Day Covers, cards and magnets can be ordered from Posti’s web shop.
I was asked to design this set of Valentine’s day postcards in addition to Branches of friendship -stamp set. It’s the same birds in their trees again, but this time their eyes are not closed any more.
First one os an A4 combination of all birds. Next five are individual birds in their own trees, about A5 size, cut to keyhole shape.
Editorial illustration about cleaning the sauna for christmas. Voimatori-magazine.
“Aira Savisaari & Janne Harju’s “Dame Cochon, Messire l’Ours et le Lynx Chanteur” will soon be published in French, just in time for the Paris Book Fair!” –Wsoy Foreign Rights
Yes, children book illustrated by me will be published in France this spring by French publishing company Le Petit Lezard (Little Lizard)!
It’s a very nice company, they publish children books, but they have a dark side too: Le Lezard Noir (Black Lizard) which publishes adult manga. Here’s their site Le Petit Lezard / Le Lezard Noir and their blog (both in French)
Here’s my previous post about this books Finnish edition: Children book illustration: Possu Annikki
Two covers for novels of Kalle Isokallio.
First: Vesimeloni (Watermelon), a hard cover, first edition.
Second: Putkimies Pietarista (Plumber from St. Petersburg), new design for paperback version.
Both are funny stories about small businessmen trying to find their way in world where politics and business are twisted in endless ways.
Published by Tammi, 2011.
Cover illustration and design for novel by Vesa Sisättö: Matka postimerkkien maahan (Journey to the Land of Stamps), story about a philatelist boy who falls in to the land of stamps.
I was asked to design a cover for this book while I working on stamp design (see post about my Branches of friendship -stamps). It was funny coincidence but I couldn’t tell anyone: stamp job was secret (I had signed the Non-Disclosure Agreement).
Illustration about envy for Finavia -magazine.
Here’s a big set of illustrations I’ve done for Anna magazine lately.
