Waiting for the Spring by Satu Vartiainen

Really effective Satu - happy new year to you

I love this one Satu, it has a beautiful soft feel to it with the muted background and the colours are very effective. I have promised myself that I will have a go with oils this year and your painting has reinforced this. Hope you had a lovely Christmas and all the best for 2014.

Thanks Satu, happy new Year to you too! lovely painting, love the splashes of colour. Thought it was pastel at first.

Beautiful and all the other superlatives I can't think of at the moment. Happy New Year to you and yours too. I just need to get over having to use a daylight bulb and get on with it now that all my cooking and hosting duties are over! I feel twitchy having done no painting for two weeks.

An absolute stunner, Satu! So much beauty and variation in the brushwork and so much vibrance in the painting as a whole! What a way to start off the new year with a bang! Happy new year!

Beautiful, all the very best for 2014 x

Thank you Michael, Christine, Carole, Gudrun, Seok and Lesley for your good wishes and kind comments! We had ten lovely days in Lisbon with family over Christmas, the weather was good and food excellent. We lived in the old, hilly part of the town with loads of tiny basement shops and restaurants and can you imagine that an absolutely perfect meal was under £10, wine included. Good to back home though and start painting again seriously. ( Babysitting duty still on for one night but tomorrow afternoon!)

Satu this is beautiful! I love the diffused background which the bird seems to be emerging from in all it's spendour. It reminds me of the Red wings which devour the Hawthorn berries at this time of year. Gorgeous! Every good wish to you and your family for 2014.

I love how loosely you've painted the bird, and the slight touch of red which creates a sense of depth in the bird and makes it 3d. Also like the abstract background, well done.

Thank you very much Fiona for your good wish and lovely comment. Thank you Kevin for your comment, much appreciated.

Very effective Satu, super colour with that splash of red. Happy New Year to you!!

Very effective. I love your light touch

Thank you very much Louise and Diana for your kind comments and wishes!

Stunningly gorgeous! I love it when oils are used lightly and delicately like this - just perfect. Happy New Year to you also, Satu, and may 2014 see you continue to go from strength to strength in your art work.

Kevin has said it all for me. That splash of red really calls out. A lovely little painting.

Thank you so much Thea and Marjorie for your lovely comments and good wishes!

Just found this little gem Satu. This has a beautiful softness about it and, as others have said, that splash of red is a master stroke. Happy New Year to you.

Thank you Val so much for your kind comment! Happy New Year to you too!

Your comment on my work caused me to look at yours and I have really enjoyed the vibrancy and variety of all you paintings. I am presently trying to break out of my usual 'tight and detailed' mode so your work can inspire me!

Your comment on my work caused me to look at yours and I have really enjoyed the vibrancy and variety of all you paintings. I am presently trying to break out of my usual 'tight and detailed' mode so your work can inspire me!

Hi Satu god knows if you will get this comment i love this one .help i feel lost