... with Marika Maijala. On Saturday, February 6 at 11 AM ET, join us for a virtual visit and workshop with award-winning author and artist Marika Maijala! In todays program, Marika will invite us into her studio on Harakka Island to introduce us to her art-making and drawing process, which uses a distinctive oil-pastel technique. She will also discuss how the technique was used for one of her recent picture books Rosies Journey (Ruusun Matka), followed by a virtual reading of the book.
An illustrator of childrens books for all of the major publishers of Finland as well as worldwide, Marika Maijala has received awards including the 2020 State Award for Illustration Art, and was chosen in 2021 as one of the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Awards candidates of Finland. She currently practices in the Harakka Artists House on Harakka Island, located in Helsinki near Kaivopuisto Park, which was previously used by Defense Forces before opening to the public in 1989 as a popular recreation area. The Harakka Artists House was created by the Helsinki City Cultural Centre in the islands main building, a former chemical laboratory, and currently rents out studios to 30 professional artists and artisans.
Her book Rosies Journey follows a very special trip made one day by Rosie the race dog, and was released in October 2018 by Etana Editions. Illustrations from Rosies Journey were selected in The Bologna Illustrators Exhibition 2019, and the book was also nominated for The Nordic Council Children and Young Peoples Literature Prize 2019.
