Your creative day starts by train taking you to the small but beautiful town of Hämeenlinna with a medieval castle confronting the lake Vanajavesi. Morning is dedicated to printmaking. You will create a unique print by using monotypia techniques. After lunch you will become familiar with the secrets of glassblowing and will blow yourself a unique glass ball in color selected by you.
Hämeenlinna is an old, idyllic town by lake Vanajavesi, 100km from Helsinki, where everything is within a walking distance. During the arts workshop day you’ll get some fresh air every now and then, when moving from one place to another with your guide, who will also tell you about her home town. You will also see a glimpse of the medieval castle, which gave name to the town around it.
Workshop I: printmaking
Paperihuone is not only a gallery of eight local graphic artists but also a work room, where you can try simple monotypia techniques of printmaking. You will create a print by adding water-soluble print color on an engraving made of aluminium. Color is drying quickly and you will get you unique piece of art with you right away.
Midday visit: art rental shop & gallery
Galleria Kone exhibits new modern art at Verkatehdas. As a gallery it is popular among the Finnish artists. There is also an arts library with over 400 works by regional artists including print works, photographs, sculptures and paintings. It will give you a quick overview of the arts in Hämeenlinna region. On Sundays a visit to the Hämeenlinna Art Museum instead of Galleria Kone.
Workshop II: glassblowing
Soda Shop is a studio shop of two local glass artists, Marjut Numminen and Aino Vilpas. Light studio located in an old storeroom built by the Czar Alexander II is filled with bright colors. The skilled glass artists themselves are fascinating personalities, who will open up to you the art of glass blowing and you will have a unique chance to try glassblowing yourselves and create a glass ball, which can be used as a table or garden decoration or with led lights as a lamp. If you are interested in a longer workshop, please take a look at the 4h glass-blowing workshop with a vase as the end result. At Soda Shop you can see and buy many different products from glass jewellery to pieces of art made by Marjut or Aino.
Lunch will be offered at Soda Shop for groups over 5 people. Groups smaller than this will get lunch in Linna Bike Shop vegetarian cafeteria or restaurants Popino or Ginger Bread House depending on weekday.
Menu/SodaShop:
Salmon soup by the glass studio (vegetarian version vegetable soup with red beat yoghurt) with delicious just baked dark bread. As dessert coffee and chocolate.
Meals: lunch
Transportation: train tickets from Helsinki two ways
Guidance: local guide for groups with 8 people or more from 09:00 am to 13:00 pm
Workshops: monotype printmaking workshop, glassblowing workshop
Other program: visit to Gallery Kone (Tue-Sat)
Program: sample timetable (timing can be postponed by one hour, starting place can be also Tampere or Lahti)
- 08.06 Departure from Helsinki railway station (next train 9.06)
- 09:09 Train arrives in Hämeenlinna: guide meeting the group. A short walk.(next train 10.06)
- 09:30 Welcome to the morning monotyping workshop at Paperihuone (in groups 8 or more people, the second half takea a walk with the guide while the others are working)
- 12:00 Walk over the bridge to Gallery Kone (not on Sun or Mon)
- 12:15 Guided exhibition and art rental shop visit and
- 12:45 Walk to Soda Shop
- 13:00 Lunch
- 14:00 Glassblowing workshop
- 15:30 Walk to the railway station
- 15:49 Train back to Helsinki (next train 16.49)
- 16.52 Arrival in Helsinki (next train 17.52)
Please note that the glass products need time to dry. The glass product created by you will be mailed to your home address. For the mailing just a normal postal fee will be charged as an extra cost depending on your home countries as follows: Finland 10€/product, Benelux-maat, Latvia, Sweden, Germany, Danmark and Estonia 22€/product, Spain, Irland, United Kingdom, Italy, Austria, Greece, Portugal, Poland and France 27€/product, USA, Island, Canada, Canary Islands (ES), Norway, Switzerland and Russia 37€/product, Australia, Japan, China, South Korea, Thaimaa, New Zealand 38€/product.
*for 12 persons, please ask us for group under 12 or individual, couple, family…
