Introduction:

"This blog is not necessarily for lovers of art, it includes a variety of topics and whatever. I'm a painter who likes to know what's really going on in the world today. So you might find anything from Shamrocks to Salmiakki mentioned here on my blog. There will of course be some boring, factual and informational posts, but I'll keep them to a minimum, I promise!

And I might get a bit nostalgic now and then.

So you have been warned!"


- Alan Hogan



Showing posts with label art. Show all posts
Showing posts with label art. Show all posts

Thursday, November 5, 2020

Calendar 2021

https://youtu.be/qLubDlKPFw0

Here's a preview of my Art Calendar 2021, which is available exclusively from the ArtWanted website. I've collected twelve of my most suitable works for this calendar which focuses mainly on nature and the country of Finland where I live. 

The calendar can be found at this link here: https://www.artwanted.com/alanhogan/calendar

Find more of my art on Instagram: https://t.co/4BAsNay9BQ 

or on my Facebook page:
https://m.facebook.com/hoganfinland

#artist #new #calendar #preview #new2021 #artcalendar #arts #artiste #konst #kunst #taide #irishartist #irishinfinland

Monday, February 12, 2018

Holy Redbreast! ..just sold my Robin design!







Sold!!!... thanks to the person in North Carolina USA who bought this 'Robin' chiffon top design from my Redbubble webstore. This is the first time I've posted details of an art product sold by an online webstore. I hope to do it again. I would be very pleased if buyers could send me photos of my artwork or products so I can share on my blog or facebook. If any of you have anything simply contact me through my Facebook page 












































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Thanks for reading my blog and please feel free to share it with any of your friends.








- Alan











Wednesday, December 27, 2017

My Finland 100 : 81- 90







Finland became an independent state on 6 December 1917. Already there have been numerous events staged throughout the country to celebrate this centenary year. The theme of the centenary year is ‘Together’. 


As I have been a resident of Finland for the past ten years I wanted to do a little something. For this I decided to post 100 images to my Instagram account on social media with the hashtag #finland100_igchallenge .




Anyone familiar with the Instagram application will be aware of the vast amount of wonderful photography posted every day online. There are so many amazing images to be found featuring Finland's stunning nature and landscapes. I imagine my photography may be lack lustre in comparison and as a result may not be noticed. So I decided to simply look closer in and around my new home for another approach. I have posted a variety of images found around my own house and neighbourhood. I didn't know much about Finland before I moved here, so I view this as an opportunity to show others a few things I discovered about or associated with Finland and it's culture. I have included everyday items, nostalgic items, locations, food and also some Finnish-themed artworks which I painted myself while living here. In other words, a bit of everything!!




The images are in no particular order of importance or preference, so I'll continue with 81-90...






81/100
... 'Kivimiehet', aka the Stone Men of Helsinki. This is a graphic impression of Emil Wikstrom's big statues outside Helsinki railway station. 

A post shared by Alan Hogan (@alanhogano) on


82/100
.. these Finnish Christmas pastries are called Joulutortuu or Jultårta, and I'm having a pre-festive #instatasting ! 😊

A post shared by Alan Hogan (@alanhogano) on




83/100
...when summer arrives many Finns disappear to the countryside or out by the sea to a place I call 'The Escape Hut' (acrylic on canvas). A small summer cottage which usually has a sauna, just like the one in this painting had. I took my first finnish sauna in this one!
A post shared by Alan Hogan (@alanhogano) on



84/100
..for that retro look you can't beat Marimekko's classic 1965 'Unikko' design. ...Nice curtains! 😀

A post shared by Alan Hogan (@alanhogano) on



85/100
..clearing snow is part of life in Finland. And like everything else, it's good in moderation! ⛄
A post shared by Alan Hogan (@alanhogano) on




86/100
.. 'Snow Tango' (acrylic on canvas) 👫🎶 - it's not uncommon to see people dancing the tango in towns around Finland during the summer and every year in the middle of winter the world snow tango championships take place in Tampere city, no matter how cold it gets!

A post shared by Alan Hogan (@alanhogano) on





87/100
...originating in Italy, the celebration of St Lucia is celebrated in a spectacular manner at the Helsinki Cathedral Finland every year in December. Here's this year's Lucia leaving in her carriage. ...Bringing some light into darkness! 🌋
A post shared by Alan Hogan (@alanhogano) on





88/100
...having grown up beside the Cadburys chocolate factory in Dublin I've been a fan of chocolate for a long time. I've tasted a lot of it from near and far. This large Finnish Christmas chocolate bar or Joulusuklaa is one of my favourites! ..I used to take several bars of it back to Ireland with me every Christmas for friends and family, and they love'd it too! ..Sadly the bars aren't to be found anymore. Maybe they'll bring them back again. They only have them in sweet form now, but i really miss the big chunky bars! ..💯% Christmas!!
A post shared by Alan Hogan (@alanhogano) on




89/100
...scissorsisters!! ✂✂✂...every artist needs a good pair of scissors and I can honestly say there's nothing better than Fiskars scissors. Their factory a short walk from where I live. A company who now own Iittala, Wedgewood, Royal Doulton, Gerber, Rörstrand and (a piece of my Irish heritage!) Waterford Crystal. 😀
A post shared by Alan Hogan (@alanhogano) on








90/100

Oh..Star Wars, you never let us down! ..Brilliant!! 😀🚀..got to watch it in 3D (recommended!) at the Bio Forum cinema in Ekenäs. It's Finland's oldest cinema, operating since 1912 and it doesn't seem to have changed much since then. No computers, just one old lady behind the desk selling popcorn and tickets while scratching seats off a piece of paper. A nostalgic gem!! 🎥
A post shared by Alan Hogan (@alanhogano) on



Click below for more:

1- 10

11- 20

21- 30

31- 40

41- 50

51- 60

61- 70

71- 80

81- 90

91- 100


















Share this blog!







Thanks for reading my blog and please feel free to share it with any of your friends.








- Alan









 

Monday, December 18, 2017

My Finland 100 : 71- 80







Finland became an independent state on 6 December 1917. Already there have been numerous events staged throughout the country to celebrate this centenary year. The theme of the centenary year is ‘Together’. 


As I have been a resident of Finland for the past ten years I wanted to do a little something. For this I decided to post 100 images to my Instagram account on social media with the hashtag #finland100_igchallenge .




Anyone familiar with the Instagram application will be aware of the vast amount of wonderful photography posted every day online. There are so many amazing images to be found featuring Finland's stunning nature and landscapes. I imagine my photography may be lack lustre in comparison and as a result may not be noticed. So I decided to simply look closer in and around my new home for another approach. I have posted a variety of images found around my own house and neighbourhood. I didn't know much about Finland before I moved here, so I view this as an opportunity to show others a few things I discovered about or associated with Finland and it's culture. I have included everyday items, nostalgic items, locations, food and also some Finnish-themed artworks which I painted myself while living here. In other words, a bit of everything!!




The images are in no particular order of importance or preference, so I'll continue with 71-80...






71/100
..Vikings is back and King Harald Finehair is probably having a drink tonight! ...a selection of the Finnish actor Peter Franzen's movies. #peterfranzen


A post shared by Alan Hogan (@alanhogano) on






72/100
...remembering my first day in Finland and the surprise 'snow baptism' I received. A rite of passage for any new arrivals here in wintertime! 😄❄
A post shared by Alan Hogan (@alanhogano) on




73/100
(Posted on 6th December 2017) 
Happy 100th Independence Day Finland! ...Onnea Suomi 100!!! ...Grattis på 100-årsdagen Finland!


A post shared by Alan Hogan (@alanhogano) on

Here's a short clip from the Independence Day celebrations in Helsinki.







74/100
...perfect weather for a little Independence Day walk in Finland today. Finnish nature can never have enough instagrams!! 🌲🌲🌿❄❄ (click arrow in photo for more)

A post shared by Alan Hogan (@alanhogano) on





75/100
..the Orange Cow made a playlist of tunes from Finland on Soundcloud.


A post shared by Alan Hogan (@alanhogano) on

You can listen to this playlist here!






76/100
...Life's a birch sometimes! 🌲😄 'Connections' (acrylic on board)


A post shared by Alan Hogan (@alanhogano) on





77/100
#flashbackfriday  ..that proud moment when you cut down your first Christmas tree in the land of Santa Claus and he's not around to see it! 🎅🎄

A post shared by Alan Hogan (@alanhogano) on






78/100
..60's pop hits! ..because old Engelbert Humperdinck songs sound so much better in Finnish! 😀

A post shared by Alan Hogan (@alanhogano) on




79/100
..finnish sausages or makkara are normally eaten during barbeque season, but they also taste great out of the oven in the winter.

A post shared by Alan Hogan (@alanhogano) on









80/100
.. a nice place to visit in the summer. 'Åland Landscape' (acrylic-on-canvas)

A post shared by Alan Hogan (@alanhogano) on




Click below for more:

1- 10

11- 20

21- 30

31- 40

41- 50

51- 60

61- 70

71- 80

81- 90

91- 100


















Share this blog!







Thanks for reading my blog and please feel free to share it with any of your friends.








- Alan









 

Thursday, December 14, 2017

My Finland 100 : 51- 60







Finland became an independent state on 6 December 1917. Already there have been numerous events staged throughout the country to celebrate this centenary year. The theme of the centenary year is ‘Together’. 


As I have been a resident of Finland for the past ten years I wanted to do a little something. For this I decided to post 100 images to my Instagram account on social media with the hashtag #finland100_igchallenge .




Anyone familiar with the Instagram application will be aware of the vast amount of wonderful photography posted every day online. There are so many amazing images to be found featuring Finland's stunning nature and landscapes. I imagine my photography may be lack lustre in comparison and as a result may not be noticed. So I decided to simply look closer in and around my new home for another approach. I have posted a variety of images found around my own house and neighbourhood. I didn't know much about Finland before I moved here, so I view this as an opportunity to show others a few things I discovered about or associated with Finland and it's culture. I have included everyday items, nostalgic items, locations, food and also some Finnish-themed artworks which I painted myself while living here. In other words, a bit of everything!!




The images are in no particular order of importance or preference, so I'll continue with 51-60...






51/100
..Helsinki's Pubtram! 🍺


A post shared by Alan Hogan (@alanhogano) on





52/100
..the winter is doing the hokey pokey in Finland this year! 😄 Only yesterday my street was covered in snow and this is the picture today!... Well this is the busy street I live on!!


A post shared by Alan Hogan (@alanhogano) on




53/100
A print of a painting I made featuring a summer landscape scene from the Nivala region of Finland. Original art is somewhere in Helsinki. 🏨
A post shared by Alan Hogan (@alanhogano) on







54/100
3pm and Moomin Mamma is enjoying one last bit of Saturday sunshine! ☀ (click arrow in photo for more)


A post shared by Alan Hogan (@alanhogano) on




55/100
...a photo from Turku city featuring a sculpture of Finnish athlete Paavo Nurmi, one of the most successful male athletes in Olympic history and one of only four athletes to win 9 olympic gold medals. He was one of the Finnish athletic group nicknamed the 'Flying Finns'.
A post shared by Alan Hogan (@alanhogano) on







56/100
'Bromarf Sunset' (acrylic-on-canvas)


A post shared by Alan Hogan (@alanhogano) on






57/100
...angry birds, they're everywhere!! 🐥


A post shared by Alan Hogan (@alanhogano) on






58/100
Vroom!! Vroom!! ..Finnish snow power!!...'just need some snow now and I'm good to go!! 😄 👍 ..Winha Snowmobile.

A post shared by Alan Hogan (@alanhogano) on






59/100
The brown bear is Finland's national animal. This is as close as I've got to one, the sculpture of a bear sitting outside the entrance to the Finnish National Museum in Helsinki. 'Called Karhu in Finnish. 🐻

A post shared by Alan Hogan (@alanhogano) on










60/100
In the town of Uusikaupunki you will find the Bonk museum where bonk machines are on display. Finnish artist Alvar Gullichsen created this peculiar creation.
A post shared by Alan Hogan (@alanhogano) on





Click below for more:

1- 10

11- 20

21- 30

31- 40

41- 50

51- 60

61- 70

71- 80

81- 90

91- 100


















Share this blog!







Thanks for reading my blog and please feel free to share it with any of your friends.








- Alan









 

The Art Garage, Finland

The Art Garage, Finland
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