Pirjo Virtanen

Nickname: Pirjo
Country: Finland - Role: Artist
FabrianoInAcquarello 2024 Artist

  1. I find beauty in ordinary things. Looking at the world with an appreciative eye sets a human in a humble position. Capturing those moments in watercolour is for me like collecting memories. Paintings often have to do with the relationships between the nature and the built environment.

Watercolour is my yoga. It provides a sanctuary of concentration and silence in otherwise busy world. Between weeks full of a busy work and family life, a Sunday afternoon spent on playing and negotiating with water and colour brings to life a specific mix of joy, energy, surprise and calmness.

Instead of a formal art education, I have a background as scientist, metallurgist and a career as a manager in a global industrial company. Attended junior art school at school age, and 30 years later started again, first self-learning, lots of Youtube, then Pirkan Opisto evening art school and classes by various watercolour painters.

Living and working in Tampere, Finland. Solo and group exhibitions since 2020 in Finland. Participated in a number of IWS exhibitions abroad. Member of the Finnish Watercolour Society, FWS. Member of watercolour community Akvart.

Learning watercolour is an endless road, I have only just started. It requires both a capability to observe and compose, and indeed a well-functioning control of the brain, hand and brush, but all that can't help if the pool of water and pinch of colour decides otherwise. It is oddly engaging that painting process never stops going out of control. A painter can only aim to nurture a mutually respectful working relationsship with water and colour, and hope for the best.

Most of my art is watercolour, and you can find it in Instagram and Facebook by the pseudonym Akvarellitie - that's Watercolour Road in Finnish. There's also a website www.linktr.ee/akvarellitie with some of links to paintings.  




Summer funeral



Moonlight over Pispala



Underwater Heat Inferno



Curious and friendly



Tiia’s house - in Fabriano 2020-2021



Rajaportti


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