Winter has come, TOT50

Experiences along the way

This series has collected all the oil paintings, watercolors and ink works that do not actually belong to any other entity. The works are not necessarily in chronological order, because not all of them have dates. Some of the works are not in this compilation, because no photographs were available. 

The watercolors were made with either translucent colors or acrylic colors. The drawings were made as charcoal, pencil, or ink drawings. Some of the works were made as sketches for oil paintings. Sometimes the course of the artwork was such that first a sketch was completed in charcoal, ink, or pencil, after which it was the turn of the watercolor sketch before the oil painting. In later production periods, this did not necessarily happen. 

As the dates show, I had long production breaks in painting, because normal work took time and energy. After an accident at work in 1986, production has been more regular. I spent a couple of months in Porvoo Hospital and a couple of weeks in the then Invalidisäätiö sanatorium. While in Porvoo Hospital, I started painting with watercolors while lying on my back in bed and also made drawings in marker and pencil. This activity helped me to start my recovery. Since then, there have been project-like production periods in the 1990s and 2000s, as can be read in the list of topics.

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"