I am currently concentrating on developing my style with two main objectives. The first one being that of striving for a sensual and dynamic but also innocent and coquettish female figure. The second a decorative style based on my love for Art Nouveau, Japanese design and Viking and Celtic ornaments.
I draw daily, following my belief that only hard training can lead to mastership, and the sketches I like I keep in files for future reference or ready woodcarving subjects. Every project is unique, and by this I mean that starting from the design all the way till the last chisel-stroke everything is new. In other words, I never work twice from the same design, thus making sure that when a customer takes an art-piece home he will be sure not to find out that the neighbour acquired the same piece a week ago.
I work mainly on Birch, which does not belong to the most prestigious of timbers but which I believe has just the right qualities for my style. I believe its light tone is perfect for enhancing the subtler chisel-strokes and its degree of hardness makes it suitable for detailed work and also decay-resistant.
My finishing is a combination of maintaining the natural characteristics of wood with the use of colour, mostly subtle hues but if and where possible, gay and intense tones too. For larger parts of my art I use different kinds of oils, mainly boiled Linseed oil. It is magnificent because it penetrates the wood rather than creating a membrane over it, thus preserving the wonderful texture of the wood itself. I also use bee-wax, especially when I want the original wood hue to change as little as possible. For the colouring I mostly use oil based colours, this because they have the most intense hues and also because they offer the best protection for the wood.

For further information please contact me at the following addresses:

mikael.paajanen@seamk.fi

Veteraanitie 5 As2 , 66300 Jurva , Finland

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