On a winter walk in Jyväskylä, we saw a small iceweasel in the snow. Its dark eyes, bright against the pale landscape, stayed with me. This painting grew from that brief encounter.
Painting is part of my family life, and I work at a table I share with my children. After earlier studies in the Netherlands under Olga Thorn Leeson, I gradually moved from oils to more lightweight, family-friendly watercolour techniques.
Making of
This work was painted in a small format, 210 × 170 mm, and later framed in A4 portrait format with a white wooden frame. It was completed in Jyväskylä on March 26, 2024.
I used Van Gogh tube watercolours together with gouache for the darker tones and softer shadows. Derwent Inktense watercolour pencils helped to sharpen selected accents, while masking fluid preserved the lightest whites. The painting is made on 180 g Montmartre paper.
The main challenge was the winter whiteness of the animal. In watercolour, white is not painted so much as protected and suggested. Here, the reserved whites, a few Inktense accents, and soft gouache shadows work together to keep the animal light, alert, and close to the snowy atmosphere from which it appears.
Exhibition details
Lumikko (Hermelina) is currently exhibited in the University of Jyväskylä art exhibition Lifelines – Stories from Our University Community.
Dates
4 March 2026, 18:00 – 31 March 2026, 16:00
Venue
Päärakennus (C), läpikulkuaula
Seminaarinkatu 15
40100 Jyväskylä
Finland
Organizer
Communications and Community
Admission
Free of charge
Accessibility
Event space is accessible for all
https://www.jyu.fi/en/events/art-exhibition-lifelines-stories-from-our-university-community
Michael Emmerich 