My own roots have had a great impact on me as an artist. The contrast at home between what was Karelian and what was varsinais, or
Finnish. Shadow and light, colors and contrasting colors, form and negative form. The signifi cance of color and the simplicity of form. To
become one with painting, to feel a sense of involvement, to be genuine, to experience the joy of new discoveries. The smell of oil paints,
the sensuality of the pigments, the brushes. The process is more important than the result.