People and houses in Nõmme
At the end of 2020, I was asked to illustrate the annual calendar of Nõmme district. I immediately seized this opportunity because I knew Nõmme well as an ancient heath. While walking around Nõmme, I admired the beautiful architecture of Nõmme and felt a sweet longing for several buildings. However, the drawing of these buildings made me happy. Wendach and J. E. Kuusik et al. and to show all the works and deeds that characterize us, the heaths. I positively hid our globalization and modern way of life in the pictures, but at the same time I also valued old customs and works that could be a part of Nõmme's identity.When depicting people, specific people were not taken as an example, except. August picture when I thought of Elo and Friedebert Tuglas. In some places, I have used my family members as a prototype. The similarity between another person and the drawn character is accidental. With that, I almost left the cars out of the drawings to show my car opposition and protest silently against the massive transit traffic through Nõmme, which significantly deteriorates the environment for all of us. On the other hand, in each picture, in addition to people, I also depicted animals and plants that can be found in Nõmme. Now the calendar is ready and you have probably already popped up your inbox. An exhibition of calendar drawings is also expected at the beginning of 2022.
Here's a little background on each image:
Everything is new and fresh in January, so it was good to picture good new architecture next to the old, well-restored building and, of course, the expectation of all of us for a good winter - lots of fresh snow. The beginning of the year is a time of hope and good thoughts. Helpfulness and positivity and a lot of movement in the fresh air are good promises for the new year. (I got inspiration from Hiiu-Suurtüki street)
This month's keywords are newcomers and the anniversary of the republic. Creating a festive and cordial mood is a great art and requires some effort. The presence of instrumental friends at such events is of great value. For me, patriotic architecture is functionalist. The minimalist and white architecture that came from the times of the first republic fits perfectly under Nõmme pines. In this picture, there is also an animal hiding, which can be surprisingly met in Nõmme. (The house on the right is Sihi 83, designed by architect E.J. Kuusik, and Nurme 46 on the left, mentioned in all works on Estonian functionalist architecture) Unfortunately, I do not know the architect of this building)
March is a time when people are already getting tired of winter and diseases tend to plague. Nõmme has always received comfort and medicine from the pharmacy on Mai Street, which has now closed its doors. The green house at the bottom of the picture is a tribute to the old pharmacy on Mai Street. Most of the houses in Nõmme are wood-heated, and March is the month when it is worth ordering the trees for the next winter so that they can dry in the line until August. March is also the month of sledding thanks to the slippery streets, and on March 8, all men have flowers. (The foreground of the picture is inspired by Mai Street, the back half of the building on Idakaare Street.)
April and December are the months when you can meet supernatural beings. In April, they are Easter bunnies and Easter witches. Since it was all a bit mysterious, the house had to be mysterious. Here I wanted to demonstrate the romantic towers and verandas so characteristic of Nõmme. Finding eggs on Easter morning is one of the fondest memories of childhood. (I tried to depict Nurme street 43 wonderful wooden villa and stone gate of Vana-Mustamäe 25 here)
In May, the month of Estonia is ideally such that the first outdoor parties can be organized. At the time I drew these pictures, spring was changing so fast that I couldn't draw all the flowers here. But the house was supposed to be in May from the street, and the lover, May 11, is for me, as a romantic, a real treat. Garden parties are one of the privileges of the Nõmme´s people. The parties where several generations get together are especially nice. Yes, this is a beautiful month for walk with love one!
Still on the wave of garden parties! The most important event in June is undoubtedly Midsummer's Eve. White summer nights are a time to recharge for the winter darkness. The party company sitting by the white of the campfire seemed to be the most suitable to depict in the most rural background of Nõmme. The group and layout of the houses designed by the architect Erika Nõva on Tähetorni Street is quite special in the context of Nõmme, because there was also a possibility to keep animals next to these buildings. In the household that was the model of the drawn house (Kadaka pst 120), I remember a long time ago I kept horses. Driving by bus, I touched then always see the horses. This house also has one of the few thatched roofs in Nõmme.
Summer heat is sure to come this month. The windows can be kept open all night and day and there is no more comfortable transport on a hot summer day than a bicycle. Then, after the dusty pines bloom, the windows can be washed in Nõmme. It's a great job to work with your family. And again, this is one of the warmest memories of my childhood - eating fresh strawberries from the Nõmme market with milk and sugar (models Sihi 24 and Sihi 11).
At the end of the summer, all the decent gardens in Nõmme have dried to crisp. The most suitable type of bed in Nõmme garden is a rock plant - its plants tolerate dry and recover quickly after drought. August is a kind of gloomy time, everything matures and ages in its beauty and grandeur. That's why I wanted to portray peace and idyllicness here, which can only be achieved through life experience. For inspiration I used the house and garden of Frideberg and Elo Tuglas, which belonged to Marie Under and Artur Adson before the war. Let the fine arts and the art of building a garden close to nature be a part of the heathland!
The coziest school building in Nõmme and probably one of the most beautiful in Tallinn. Architect Friedrich Wendach.
This picture is a tribute to my first school. It is valuable for me that the children go to school on their own, either on foot or by bicycle. Another really nice community custom is sharing apples. I was the first to see it in Viljandi and now fortunately it is also common in Nõmme.
Among the architects of Nõmme, my undisputed favorite is the author of Edgar Velbri, who is the owner of this house, Kastani pst 9. And the chimney sweeps are undeniably honored among the Nõmme peaople. Due to such a large number of chimneys running from autumn to spring, Nõmme is not really a very green place at all in the global sense. But the warmth of a wood-burning wood oven is so pleasant in winter, and the dishes in the oven pot also turn out well in a wood oven. I was also asked to draw the flag of Nõmme in October, but I forgot about it. However, the retro beetle bus came in the colors of the Nõmme flag and then I placed the flags on its sides.
We cannot talk about Nõmme without mentioning Nikolai von Glehn. The garden house and the romantic tower at Lossi Street 15 are one of the buildings in Nõmme that are associated with von Glehn. The large creature that opened the door could be he himself. The tower was so well suited for romantic moonlight and fun shots. Unfortunately, the custom of santimization has begun to sink into oblivion.
At the beginning, I planned a picture for December for a gorgeous Christmas fair and merry-go-round. When I told my partner about it, he thought we already had too much. Christmas have to be quiet and thoughtful. Then I decided to listen to his advice and tried to make the picture cozy and flat, even though the chosen house is located in the largest traffic junction in Nõmme (Pärnu mnt 322). There are few people in the picture, but there are a lot of birds there - cute helpers in our garden. Thank you! A man in a red hat could be Santa? However, he can to be
also just a homecoming. After all, Christmas is a time to get home.
Thank you, dear NÕMME!