It is time to step into the fairy tale world when the midnight sun puts a pink spell on the sketchbook...

This magical fantasy world can be entered only during the summer solstice. Awake and watching that pink reality... And wondering if it´s all a midsummer night´s dream.

Wishing you magical Midsummer´s Eve!

May those fairy tale worlds be open and bring you a lot of magical ideas.

When the escaped character had suddenly returned into my sketchbook…
I could only wonder was it all real - or just a midsummer night’s dream.

And those blooming wildflowers of the character´s floral dress... Could they remember all her midsummer adventures?

The midsummer themed floral dress in the picture above was created with fireweed flowers - and also with both white and red clovers.

And in addition also the upper part of the dress had some more flowers and leaves drawn into it, just in the same style than the ones in the character´s anadem. That way the added drawn flowers became also like a decoration to her dress.

The escaped character had so many dreams of her dress. Could this finished floral dress now describe that magical night under the midsummer sun - and even remind of those sweetest clover fields? All those adventures that the character had during the midsummer.

And because the escaped character had finally returned, maybe her wishes came true in her floral dress after all... Perhaps that dress could now enshrine all the memories of her midsummer adventures forever.

The escaped character was seen near the clover fields in the soft light of the midsummer night.

She was amazed by that light, but at the same time she stood so still that one could barely spot her there in the middle of the white clovers. The crown and leaves of the anadem, which she had colored herself, seemed to suit her disguise well too. Only her white dress was still like an empty canvas.

Then the midsummer night turned into an early morning. Those mesmerizing sunbeams were already welcoming the Midsummers Day. And suddenly shadows of the clovers were gently dancing on her white dress!

And she dreamed of a magical floral dress that could capture that white night… as well as those moments of the midsummer morning.

Which of the clover flowers do you think she preferred? Flowers of the white clover - or the red clover? 
(You can leave your comment on Sandcastle.fi Instagram page).

And I wandered in the clover fields, where those sweetest clovers grow… 
But I didn´t find her there anymore.

When you daydream way too long, and it seems like you would be almost procrastinating! And little by little the character is getting more frustrated…

And then during the midsummer night it happened! She messed up all those clovers – and escaped!

Or maybe she didn´t like my floral designs? I think she also must have used my colored pencils for coloring herself - and then she even tore herself away from the sketchbook!

Well, during the midsummer there can happen so many strange things...

But is there beauty in that chaos?

She left me contemplating a quote by Carl Jung,
"In all chaos there is a cosmos, in all disorder a secret order"

When she was just a sketch...
She dreamed of the midsummer night and those sweetest wildflowers. ?

One, two, three flowers of hydrangea…
And look, suddenly there´s a path to yesterday!

Could one even time travel through that flower path... and then meet the Queen of yesterday?

The work called “Yesterday´s Queen” was created many years ago. This drawing was designed to have vintage style that resembles a bit of those old recolored vintage photos from the past. This work became also a combination of both vintage style and flower theme.

In addition this drawing also had a bit of mythology twist in it. And what an inspiring subject it was! Trying to imagine that Queen of Yesterday when drawing...

This drawing was created with pencils and selected colored pencils like the orchid themed vintage drawing from the previous article (mystic glow of the orchids). Also this drawing is presenting grayscale facial features with colored flowers.

It is always so exciting to see what the partial coloring does to the drawing! The balance between grayscale and color is a great way to affect the atmosphere of the drawing and emphasize certain elements. In this case especially the flowers and the crown were really highlighted by coloring only them in the drawing.

After the drawing was completed, I added some real hydrangea flowers on top of the drawing. That gave then a complete new dimension to this work!

I also wanted this vintage drawing to have light blue color combined with the gray, and hydrangea flowers were then selected to complete this drawing. Not only the hydrangea flowers are blue, but they are also associating strongly with flowering - and that way they are also reminding of those past blooming moments that will become vintage memories.

At the same time the hand drawn flowers in this drawing had a bit different style compared to for example the previous orchid themed  drawing. In this work I was aiming instead more for the look of a bit artificial or "fake" flowers. Like the ones one could see in some of the old vintage photos. I wanted the Yesterday´s Queen to have few of those fake flowers that are a bit "unreal" and ageless, so that they would also symbolize the time that seems to have stopped. In some old vintage photos there´s that mystic atmosphere, like looking into the yesterday - and in the same time not being so sure if the flowers in the picture are real or fake.

For that reason the flowers were also left quite more plain comparing for example to the orchid themed drawing. In the detail pictures below that more rough and almost a bit imaginery style is seen in the approach, for example in the lines and shapes of the flowers.

Following that same mentioned rough style I have also drawn few of imaginery decayed leaves into the drawing that are left gray and uncolored... Those yesterday´s decayed leaves were a little detail and addition into the drawing, telling story of those already faded yesterday´s flowers. They are almost like a hidden message from the past. And in this case that´s also a message from the year 2012 when I created this vintage drawing.

Also the yellow and bit darkened golden crown was a symbolic addition to the drawing. Below in the picture there´s detail where one can see the hand drawn crown, parts of those drawn "fake" flowers and gray decayed leaves - as well as those fresh real hydranges flowers on top of the drawing.

Creating this work was like building a collage. And in those moments, when all the elements are finally coming together, it feels like the real and unreal could merge!

Remembering this work today with you was like walking that path of hydrangea flowers...

And that fragile path of flowers was taking me there again. In to the yesterday.

Wishing you all a wonderful and inspiring moments that some day just might be, your most precious vintage memories.
 

When you just want to stay in your Victorian dreams…

Quick sketch of Victorian dress. The dreamy pink colors were created with colored pencils.

Finnish wildflowers were again giving a lot of inspiration.
Those last wildflowers of the passing summer - and a sketchbook that will hold all the summer secrets...

Sand, sea and sun. Sometimes you just have to take a moment to relax.
Happy moments to all you readers!

I´m enchanted by the magical midsummer in Finland.
Trying to capture those fleeting moments when miracles can happen.

Was it a dryad...? Midnight sun even decorated her dress with the wildflowers.

Magical Midsummer Eve to all you readers!
May the midnight sun bring you light and joy <3