Evening clouds, ITP34

Tropics painting series

The paintings in the Tropics series were all made at my winter home in Sri Lanka. The place is located in the southern part of the island, near Dickwella, in the village of Dematapitiyya. There I live among ordinary people, participating in their everyday life to the best of my ability, and at the same time helping them a little. 

A so-called tsunami village was built near my home, where people who lost their homes in the disaster live. As a development aid, I distribute school supplies to the village’s schoolchildren every other month. I buy the supplies from a local boutique, so the money also goes to the village. For example, a batch of 50 booklets easily disappears in an instant for children when word of their distribution spreads in the village. The residents of the region have welcomed me well and the respect for cultures is mutual. Living in the country, in the country’s way, is the best way to gain the residents’ trust. 

The village carpenter built me a studio table, or “office” as my host calls it. My paintings in the tropics are created at this place. I use local hardboard as a base for painting, to which I have applied a primer according to local materials. The colors are tube colors that I have imported from Finland. They are best preserved in a humid climate. 

The maximum size of the paintings is 40 x 60 cm, because paintings of that size fit well in a suitcase. I have brought some of the paintings to Finland. The host family has two children, whose growth I have been able to follow since they were babies, and they are a kind of godchildren for me.

Artist introduction

Artist A. Bärholm, Taisto Pärepalo was born on 01.03.1945 in Elimäki. Kitee was the playground of my childhood and youth, when my interest in painting arose. My first textbook was “The History of Classical Painting”. Watercolor painting since 1960. Painting with oil paints began in 1961, when I got my hands on a book from which I learned the secrets of oil painting.

I soon switched from purchased colors to oil paints that I made myself. At that time, I could get linseed oil and beeswax from the pharmacy, and I got color powders and turpentine from the hardware store. The finished colors kept well in glass jars under wax paper and water. Sketches were made with charcoal at that time. From 1972, ink sketches and drawings began to appear.

The strong watercolor period was from 1974 to 1977. The next creative period has been from 1987 and continues to this day. During this time, drawings, watercolors and oil paintings have been completed. I studied to be a master builder from 1975 to 1979.

Art studies: self-study from various textbooks and art exhibitions, by studying the working techniques of various artists. The goal is to adopt the proven methods of the old masters, both in terms of quality and durability, and to apply this knowledge to today's materials. The studies are still ongoing. I have not received a single hour of art instruction, because I want to develop myself in my own way.

Exhibitions I have participated in

1963 Student exhibition at Kitee Middle School. Group exhibition where I had watercolors and oil paintings.

1991 Book Café Amanda Porvoo. Private exhibition, with watercolors, drawings and oil paintings.

1990 - 1992 Hakka headquarters. Private exhibition, with watercolors, drawings and oil paintings.

1995 Art Hall Porvoo. Art Association amateur exhibition, with four oil paintings made with a palette knife.

1997 Art Hall Porvoo. Art Association amateur exhibition, with an oil painting.

1998 Art Hall Porvoo. Art Association amateur exhibition, with an oil painting.

1999 Art Hall Porvoo. Art Association amateur exhibition, with two resin oil paintings.

2000 Art Hall Porvoo. Art Association amateur exhibition, with one resin oil painting.

2004 - 2005 Ilomantsi Hattuvaara. Makkola art collection, oil paintings, fictions about the 1944 war events in Ilomantsi. A series of cards for the Fighters' House related to the events.

2005 - 2008 Hattuvaara in Ilomantsi. Makkola House war museum, with the exhibition Mateli Kuivalainen "Finnish Muse"