I have a beautiful new website!

No one ever said on their deathbed, 'Gee, I wish I had spent more time alone with my computer'.

Danielle Berry

Ahhhhhh y’all! I have been holed up for weeks editing, designing, programming and stressing about my new website.

Why? Here’s the quick version - my old platform was bought out by a Big Corp and as a result they wanted all their users gone so they can absorb the platform and essentially eliminate it. Basically, they kept raising the prices to the point where I didn’t have a choice but to say Buh-Bye. I knew it was coming but still - a month is short time for a programmer, let alone an artist, to rebuild their site. But I DID IT!!!! Thank-you Square Space for having such an easy to use product.

Listen friends, I deleted C records. I added SEO. I made my own 301 and 404’s. I’m sure I’ve missed a TON of things but it seems to be working ok. And if you find something that doesn’t please let know.

I’ve also rediscovered a few blog post gems like this one: What Do Artists Do All Day. (Can you believe someone said that to me? If that happened now I would murder, I swear. I haven’t picked up a paintbrush or beadwork in weeks.)

After manually copying and pasting each old blog post (oh yes I did) I realized I wouldn’t have time to add all the photos. I’ll work on that in the next little while.

Now - onto making ART!

So, what do you think of the new site? Let me know in the comments!

♥Jennifer

How It Began

“The only true limitation is the one you set for yourself.” – Unknown

One question I'm often asked is 'How long have you been doing this?' and I never know how to answer that. I've been doing this since I was a child. But not like this, not exactly. So that's not the answer I usually give because I know the asker wants to know about my art now. But in all honesty, I have been making art and music since I was a tot and I have referenced my box of Crayola crayons in interviews many times because it was such a treasure to me. As for the real answer? Well, here it is:

After I dropped out of post secondary for music performance I moved back in with my parents on Rice Lake in Alderville. Once I was able to land a job and pay my own bills I rented a little house from the Band Council. That house is still there but it looks nothing like it did back then. Back then it was in the boonies surrounded by sumac. It was dark. There was no green mile. Anyone driving that way was either on their way home or on their way To Town. I drove it often at night, on my way home from my job, and most times I was the only car on the road.

I was still making music and in fact was playing more than ever and earning some money from it. But as rewarding as it is to perform it's also very stressful. I needed something to do for relaxation. This was when I mused to my Mom, who was still alive then, that maybe I should buy some paints. She immediately encouraged me to do so. You see, I had taken art classes all through high school in addition to my music classes. I wasn't a naturally gifted artist like some of my friends but I loved it. I loved the history, the architecture, and learning new techniques.

My very first "real" painting was of a yellow finch on masonite panel done in acrylic paint. I was proud of that painting and so I gave it to my Mom for Christmas that year as a teen. I continued to paint and although I never received stellar grades I took those classes because I really enjoyed them. As high school came to an end so did my painting. Not for any reason other than I was making music for hours a day and that's where my focus was.

Make it stand out

So, after college and moving back home, with my Mom's encouragement, I drove off to Curry's art store and bought my supplies. My house was small so I brought my easel outside onto the deck and painted there. The photo above is from that time.

I didn't know what to paint but I was living on the Rez and decided to try a quasi-Woodlands style as a way to begin. Pushing and blending that paint felt SO GOOD. It was meditative and internal. Like music, I could make something from nothing but there was absolutely no pressure involved. It was just for me. Eventually, family members handcrafted a giant easel for me (which I still have today) so that I could paint in the unfinished basement of my house all year long. As I continued painting I made the decision to stop imitating and begin to find my own style of mark making. If I was going to do this for me then it needed to come from me.

I never intended to sell my art. I never intended to have this as my profession. I fully intended to return to post secondary to pursue academia rather than the arts (something I still regret to this day). Life got in the way of that. I was diagnosed with an autoimmune condition during surgery and had years of illness; my cherished mother died suddenly, and I was in an abusive relationship. Let's face it, life happens and changes our course. That's ok because Creator had a plan for me that I wasn't aware of.

I kept painting for myself, for fun, for me. It got me through a terrible divorce, losing a child, and helped me find myself again. Somewhere along the way people asked to buy my paintings. So I began doing church basement art shows and farmer's markets then moved to outdoor art fairs, indoor art events, art galleries, magazines and podcasts. I'm not going to brag or list my accomplishments in this post because one of the 7 Grandfather Teachings is Dbaadendiziwin (humility). But I am proud of how I've grown as a self taught artist and I know there is much more to come. I feel like I'm just getting started - again.

I give you heartfelt thanks if you have stayed with me to the end of this rather long post.

Love, Grief and Everything in Between

To live in this world

you must be able

to do three things:

to love what is mortal;

to hold it

against your bones knowing

your own life depends on it;

and, when the time comes to let it go,

to let it go.

-Mary Oliver 'In Blackwater Woods'

2022.

Not a year I'd like to repeat.

It began extremely well with strong art sales and commissioned paintings. I was excitedly planning my next Thing, as I normally do in early winter. Most of my year is planned out by that time with some wiggle room for spontaneous projects. Then the news came sometime in the spring that my Dad was sick. A week later we learned it was terminal. Everything happened so suddenly that it was hard to adjust and I was a wreck. I finished up the art work I needed to complete and then cleared my calendar as much as possible. My family and I came up with plans for medical treatment, transportation to the hospital out of area, aids to help his quality of life, nursing and care team, end of life discussions. I booked camping nearby his house, as a sort of hotel room so that I could be there to help out.

I wasn't able to do enough. I wanted to do so much more.

The thing about grief is that it allows you to talk about love. Every visit, every phone call, every text, we spoke about the little things. Things like, the cardinals and the deer that I saw on my walks outside when Dad couldn't leave his bed anymore. Things like updates on his grandchildren, what we ate for dinner, how nice the weather was.

We also talked about the big things. What he wanted to do when it was time to die. How to celebrate and to honour him after death. That the Spirit World is beautiful and Mom was waiting for him there. Always, always we ended each talk with I Love You.

Not long after the Apple Route Studio Tour and just a few weeks after I seriously injured my ankle, Dad left this world. Expected and yet sudden after having returned to the land he loved in Alderville. I had a feeling he was waiting to be back home before leaving us. And that's what happened.

Here's what I learned from going through this (which was much different than how my mother died). It's the 'in between' that is the heart of life. Those insignificant every day moments are what bonds us. Sure, the big things are important and memorable too, but there's magic in the every day. Those are the stories. Those are the moments you giggle about years later. Those are the moments filled with the most love.

And so, my dear friends, I hope you have some grace for me and understand why I was inconsistent with my art updates last year. My soul's priority was to love, grieve, and everything in between.

Celebrating Resilience

This blog post was originally published by the Northumberland Festival Of The Arts in 2021 and consecutively published in 2022 by Devour: Art & Lit Canada, issue 013.

Merriam-Webster defines resilience as a noun that means: “the ability to become strong, healthy, or successful again after something bad happens.”

That’s pretty heavy because the events that lead us to become resilient are not insignificant; these are life altering events such as death, job loss, discrimination, illness, abuse, and trauma. What’s interesting to me about resilience is that you don’t know if you are resilient until you’ve come through to the other side; it is a test of your endurance as a human being and a test of your spirit. Becoming resilient is a painful experience.

Just as you don’t know if you’re resilient until you’ve made it to the other side of adversity, you cannot celebrate resilience until you have healed from those moments that tested you. Some moments can never be celebrated at all, it’s enough to make it through alive.

For some of us, the past two years have been a blessing, and for others, it’s been a time of struggle. For the arts sector it has been both.

The arts became a shining light for the world to grasp onto during the frightening beginning of the pandemic when so much was unknown. We felt alone and so we attended virtual concerts, online art openings, and play readings. As artists we had endless time to create and to explore our inner worlds. The arts brought all of us solace and joy when we needed it the most.

The other side to that is that many artists have felt the financial and spiritual burden of the past two years. Those venues that we require to make music, display art, and read poetry have not been available until very recently. We too, have had to adjust ourselves to the virtual world, and for some artists and arts groups that has been difficult or impossible.

As for the spiritual burden, if you do not have an audience you do not have art. If your book isn’t being read, your song is not performed and your artwork not seen, then does the art really exist? Art exists only in relationship to the audience receiving it. At least, that’s what I believe. When we bring art to people there is an energy and a connection which emerges that simply doesn’t exist on a screen.

Slowly, we are gathering the pieces of ourselves and coming together. As we begin to move into public spaces once more, I dearly hope that the individuals who took pleasure and comfort in the arts from their living room couch will support us in person. I also hope that we as artists and arts institutions continue to make our work accessible to everyone.

Which brings me back to the topic at hand, resilience. When I find myself looking for answers I always look to Mother Earth. She speaks if you listen, and resilience is her middle name. When a forest burns there is a period of regeneration afterwards. In fact, many plant species require a fire in order to propagate and thrive. It’s a natural cycle of life and one which Indigenous cultures know well. A prescribed burn prevents widespread and destructive fires with a carefully curated one. Destruction creates resilience, regrowth, and beauty.

I believe that we as an arts community will move into a period of regrowth and beauty, like after a forest fire. Where resilience factors in is in how we move forward. Do we do the same as we’ve always done? Or do we take these teachings from this time period to enhance the experience of our shared love of all things beautiful and compelling? Once you burn you can’t forget. Those seedlings of creativity, so freely shared during the pandemic and carefully tended by those desiring them, will not forget their roots. Those lessons will structure our collective resilience and regrowth. They will guide us into the next phase of art creation and appreciation. Then, we can celebrate.

Together In Solitude, oil on canvas

AGN Spotlight Series 3 is here!

Hello Friends,

I'm so excited to share the AGN Spotlight Series 3 with you. I encourage you to view them all but if you're short on time my mini doc begins at time mark 15:56.

Please let me know if you enjoyed it! If you have any questions drop them in the comments or send via email and I'll put together a Q&A (anonymously) in my next blog post.

Thank-you for sharing in my excitement, my process, and my art work.

AGN Spotlight Series 3
Jennifer begins at 15:56

Please be my guest

The AGN Spotlight Series 3 full version premiere will be held on August 27, 2021 at 7pm at the Port Event Space in Port Hope, Ontario, Canada.

The musicians will each perform and the visual artists will have their art on display. It's the arts event of the year and I'm so excited to chat with everyone, I'll see you there!

Interview with David Newland

Hello dear Collectors!

I recently did a radio interview on Northumberland 89.7 with David Newland where we discuss the AGN Spotlight Series 3, my Alderville First Nations heritage, the Canadian "Residential School" discoveries and awareness, and how art can influence and impact society.

This conversation was spontaneous, unscripted and unedited. David's questions were sensitive and thought-provoking and I'm grateful for his skill in being able to bring out the best in me and allowing me to share what I am all about.

I hope you enjoy it, please let me know what you think in the comments!

AGN Spotlight Series 3

If you do not express your own original ideas, if you do not listen to your own being, you will have betrayed yourself. Also, you will have betrayed your community in failing to make your contribution.

— Rollo May (The Courage to Create)

I need to start this post with a huge chi-miigwech to my community for supporting my artistic career. In some ways it is easy to be an artist - be yourself, make things, repeat. In other ways it can be a real struggle - the admin work, financially supporting your art making, pandemic lockdowns....

I am filled with gratitude for having been approached by The Art Gallery Of Northumberland to be a part of their Spotlight Series 3 - an annual arts education fundraiser known for shining the spotlight on artists from across Northumberland County. This opportunity came to me when I was at a low point spiritually. I was missing my friends and family, all cultural events were on hold, my studio and gallery had to be closed to visitors, and I was beginning to wonder whether my art made a difference to anyone other than me. But, I had begun my new series on community and was excited with how the concept was developing. Interestingly enough, it was at this point that the AGN approached me with their community project. Funny how synchronicity works.

Since that time I have filmed my mini-doc, given radio interviews and news interviews. If you know me, you'll know that I prefer to listen rather than speak. This experience has been WAY outside my comfort zone. But, I also know that if you don't do things that scare you then you are not growing as a person.

The AGN Spotlight Series 3 has given me the opportunity to tell my community about myself and my heritage, how my landscape art speaks to topics and issues I care about, and I've come to learn that it also means something to all of you. That is why I do what I do and am who I am.

A friend of mine, who recently passed away, David Tanner, once told me that to have a talent or a gift and to choose not to share that with the world was to fail both yourself and your community. I feel my included quote above explains what he said to me perfectly.

And so, I make art and share it. Whether it's good or bad (I never profit from anything I'm not happy with). Whether it's in progress or completed. Whether for sale or not. That is my small contribution to my community. And my community decided to recognize my work and share it to a broader audience. I am humbled and honoured to have been chosen, along with five other outstanding artists Kate Boothman, Cale Crowe, Oli Goldsmith, Kate Hessin, and Ian Jack.

I do hope you will come together with me as my community to view these mini-docs. The Northumberland County artistic community has shared so much over the course of the pandemic and has also taken a huge hit. Your love of the arts makes our tiny piece of Turtle Island a vibrant, caring, thriving, compassionate place that I'm proud to call home.​

What’s your style?

”If you could say it in words, there would be no reason to paint."

​Edward Hopper

was asked this question in an interview recently and I have to say I didn't have a really good answer. First of all, talking about myself is not comfortable for me and I feel I'm even more eccentric and awkward by being isolated for so long. As I said to my friend, I don't know how to people anymore.

Here's the thing. When I first began painting I tried out different styles, techniques and subjects. I began painting just for my own pleasure and those early paintings were done in a quasi-Woodlands style with natural elements and animals. I found it quite meditative to paint these thick lines and swirls. As I continued painting and honing my skills I knew I could share my visions with people other than my family. I quickly realized that I needed my art work to look like 'me' and not like Norval Morrisseau or Daphne Odjig (as marvelous as their work is). I made a switch to abstracts and I feel like that really helped my style to evolve. (I've included one of my early paintings for you to see below.) Gestural brushwork and bright colours were a natural fit and an unconscious development. The subjects of these abstracts were landscapes, music, and nature. Not so different from what I paint now.

Today I find myself coming back to a little more realism, interpreting nature rather than imitating it. I still use colour as an element in its own right and I continue to tell stories through my images.

So, what's my style? My style is expressive. My style is emotive. My style is me.

My early work, 2007

Does the title matter?

I think it's really cool when artists have song titles or album names that are a really conversational sentence.

​Billie Eilish

As you'll learn if you read enough of my blogs - I rarely do anything 'all the time' and I say sometimes a lot. I think a lot of creative people are like that, we enjoy playing and experimenting and following a formula just isn't our style.

It's the same way with titling my paintings. Sometimes I title them from the place they are inspired from, other times I don't. It also depends on whether it's a one-off piece or a piece that is part of a series. When I work in series I like to keep a theme flowing and that includes the title of the paintings.

I also find because I paint landscapes that if I choose a title wisely, it can help to convey the underlying theme that I am exploring within the piece or the series.

My favourite way of naming my paintings is to use a snippet from a poem, song lyric or book. Sometimes I will take a word from one source and another word from another to make up my own title. I keep notes on the words and phrases that really light me up or that I think have a good sound to them and would maybe one day be a good title to a painting.

What do you think? Does the title of a painting matter to you? I'd love to know your thoughts!

More than a landscape

Water is living and water is life' - Anishinabek wisdom

I've been painting landscapes ever since I began painting. Sometimes they have been abstract, sometimes not. Some have figures but most do not. If there is a figure it is represented by nature or animal but I rarely paint a human figure. I will expand more on that in another post.

I don't just paint landscapes though. Each of these landscapes has an underlying theme or message that I send into that painting. These themes are central to each new series that I create. I've always told stories in my art work and it used to frustrate me as a child when people (teachers) wouldn't understand my symbolism and story telling.

Almost all of my paintings have water in them. Not all, but most.

​In Anishinabek culture, water is sacred and women are the caretakers of the water.

​In my last series, Hiraeth, you will see in each piece that I have painted GutchiGumi (Lake Superior) which translates to Great Water or Great Lake. I have tried to show you the spirit of the land of my ancestors. I have also woven themes such as climate change, conservation, feminine uprising and power, spirituality, and human connectedness to Mother Earth into these paintings. When in doubt, the titles usually offer a clue. Most of my titles are snippets taken from song lyrics, story or poetry.

Me tenting it near Marathon, Ontario

I suppose I should write a separate blog post for each painting in the series to give you a little insight as to where it's located and what I was trying to say. It's a fine line with art. In one way I think art should speak for itself and you as a viewer should interpret it as you wish. On the other hand, maybe some of you would like to know more about the my underlying themes and what I was thinking about when I made my paintings.

Let me know! Mystery or Story?

I've also had some Collectors inquire about my Indigenous heritage and that is another blog post that I am planning in depth (so many blogs so little time!). For now, just know that I am from Alderville First Nation in Ontario and have an interesting and artistic family history which I am looking forward to sharing with you soon.

Art and Craftsmanship

Quality also marks the search for an ideal after necessity has been satisfied and mere usefulness achieved.

~ William A. Foster

​TLDR: Use the best, be the best. Oil paint is safe. Give your artist friends jars.

This one's a long one and a bit nerdy, you've been warned :)

I've mentioned in a previous blog post (64 Crayons) about the importance of quality. It is important to me (and the artists friends I know in my personal life) but let me tell you, there are a lot of artists out there that either don't know or don't care about quality workmanship.

I'm very fortunate that when I began painting in my teens I was provided with an excellent quality acrylic paint brand. When I began painting again as an adult I bought professional quality paint even though I was only painting for myself without thinking of selling the art. I bought the best I could afford in limited colours and expanded my supply over time.

When I began showing and selling my paintings, I never put a painting out into the world without being completely happy with either the painting itself or the quality. And I began researching paint, substrates, and pigments. Of course, you learn these things over time so my knowledge is much better now than it was even five years ago. To me, painting is not only an art but a craftsmanship.

I'll focus on my oil paintings since that is the medium I'm working with currently (but I maintain the same quality with my acrylics too).

I paint with a Canadian made oil paint that I purchase from Montreal, Kama Pigments, and it consists of pigment and walnut oil. Only the purest light-fast pigments are used. There are no fillers in this paint so a little goes a long way. I chose this brand of paint because after much research I had learned that walnut oil yellows less over time than linseed oil (which is common in many other oil paints) and is safer to use with a higher flashpoint. Since my studio is in my house health and safety is always a concern.

I do use Gamblin mediums in my underpainting but since I have asthma I need to be careful about toxins. Which is partly why I only use odorless mineral spirits in the under layers and not for cleaning my brushes or subsequent layers. It's still a health risk but I try to either do those layers outside in warm weather or I open all the windows while I'm using it. Despite being odorless it's still a chemical. I also use Galkyd medium in my paintings and while not completely safe is much safer. Sometimes I also use Cold Wax medium in the under layers also. Other than that I use walnut oil in the upper layer which is completely safe. Of course, once the painting is dry there is no harm to you as a collector.

There is a way of oil painting in a solvent free manner but I'm unable to achieve the look I want if I paint that way.

The interesting thing is when I paint in acrylic I notice the off gassing of the acrylic paint to be so much more noticeable than anything I use in oil painting. There has been a common misconception in modern times that acrylic paint is safer than oil paint which is completely untrue. There are lots of chemical binders used in acrylic paint and mediums whereas oil paint is simply pigment and oil. Using is a solvent is a choice I make to achieve the look I want and I'm aware of taking safety precautions.

Surface quality is important also. I paint on heavy cotton canvas that has been triple primed with archival quality gesso and is stretched on kiln dried pine stretchers. Some artists paint on solid wood panels, some on linen, some on canvas depending on their style of artwork and medium. I prefer canvas since I normally paint with some texture so a fine tooth isn't of concern for me.

When I do paint sketches with a palette knife either plein air (meaning outside) or in the studio I prefer to paint on canvas boards (canvas adhered to carboard panel or wood panel), or Canson canva-paper (a thick archival paper that mimics the tooth of canvas). Both of those are light weight enough for me to take on my camping trips and if I do a sketch I'm not happy with they are easily disposed. Sometimes I sell these sketches but I always clearly mark the materials used so that as a collector you know it needs framing and a future full sized painting could come from it.

As for quality of paintbrushes and knives? I have my favourite large Escoda brush from Spain that is hog bristle and leaves beautiful strokes in the paint that just thrill me but I also have brushes that cost me $2 with synthetic bristles that also do well for me. I learned early on that you don't need to spend a fortune on brushes, although maybe if I were a photo realist or portraiture painter I would have a different opinion. For me, cheap and expensive alike work depending on the application and use. Also, you can never have too many brushes and artists are fugal. I store them in large empty coffee cans and mason jars. If you ever want to befriend a painter just give them a bunch of clean jars - they are used for everything from storing brushes to mixing mediums and solvents to cleaning brushes.

My palette is a glass kitchen cutting board turned upside down so that I mix on the smooth side. I painted the chopping side a neutral grey so that it's easier to see my paint colours. Sometimes I cover it with wax paper to mix on for easy clean up because I'm lazy.

When I'm finished a painting and it has dried I title the back, sign it, inventory it and wire it. None of my collectors buy a painting without it being ready to hang. I feel that is important.

I always stand by the quality of my work. It means as much to me as the painting itself.

What do artists do all day?

'Must be nice to sit around and paint all day.' - Anonymous

That's actually what someone said to me one time - to my face! I just smiled and said 'Yes'.

But it got me thinking of how little people know about what goes into a creative career.

All artists have different paths but I'll tell you a little bit about what I do, so grab a coffee and read on.

Painting and looking

Well, that one is obvious. I do paint. Some days it takes up a large chunk of time but some days it doesn't or not at all depending on the circumstances of the day. Not because I don't have "inspiration" (more on that in a separate post) but because of other tasks I have to complete.

Looking is an important part of painting. You have to paint and then look. Sometimes you look longer than you paint, sometimes the other way around. If I get stuck I'll leave the painting to look at for a few days while I work on something else. I always work on multiple paintings at the same time.

Social Media

This takes up way too much of my time at the moment and I'm working to streamline it. This includes posting to different social media accounts to make my work more visible and to interact with my collectors and followers. A post will have a photo, some text content and hashtags. This is all created by me. By the way, if you're on Facebook or Instagram you can follow me there, I post pretty regularly.

Blogs

I write these blog posts and they take up a portion of the day that I write them. I make the content, format and edit them. I include hyperlinks when needed and photos. I try to make it interesting - whether I succeed in that is up to you.

Website Maintenance

I created my own website using Weebly (yay for me, cue applause). While it is fairly simple to begin, it really takes a while to figure out how to do it properly and I'm still learning. I can't even tell you how many things need to be done to create a living, working website with a shop. It's just a lot. Every time I release new work it needs to be uploaded to my shop which takes time. Every sale that happens off my website needs to be updated online. Every blog takes time. Everything takes time. I try to schedule things so that I can do it all in one chunk (except for the blogs) so that I'm not sitting on a computer all day. Although, when I do it it does take all day.

Photography

I have to photograph my art for the website and for social media and newsletter posts. I also photograph work when Collector's can't visit the studio and need a closer look. Then I have to edit those - crop, colour correct (because it never quite matches the real thing and it has to). This takes me the most time at Christmas when I have my ornaments for sale.

Emails, sales and inquiries

Yep, those take time. I don't mind! I'm not complaining (I'm super grateful for every comment, inquiry and sale - it's what gives me my mojo). I keep a spreadsheet of my art inventory and that requires updating too. I still haven't updated it from my fall/winter sales so that'll be on my to-do list soon.

Newsletters

Yep, I do these myself too. I maintain the list, create the newsletter with photos and content, update my hyperlinks etc.

Shipping

This takes sooooo long. And can be costly in both time and materials, especially now, so I may have to reconsider how I accomplish this going forward.

Submissions

Those juried shows and gallery submissions don't happen by themselves. There's no art gallery fairy that says 'You're amazing, come work with us'. I wish. And if you are an art gallery fairy then please do that (ha ha). These submissions usually include an application or write up plus good quality photos, biography and/or CV plus an artist statement. I write all of those too and keep them up to date.

Personal Development

For me this comes in the form of reading books, listening to art podcasts, doing mini workshops, making art for my own sake when I'm not working in series, visiting galleries, spending time with other artists and picking their brains, travelling and taking photos of those travels.

Studio Visits/Show Openings/Art Fairs

When this was a thing, you know - in life "before". I love interacting with people and it really makes my day to explain a technique or what a painting is about. This is one of the fun jobs of being a painter and I miss it and I miss all of you too.

There you have it!

There's still so much more behind the scenes but those are the basic business areas that I deal with day to day as a painter. My studio and gallery are in my home and as a mother and wife I have to be careful not to let my domestic life spillover, which happens because I'm human, but I didn't list it because it isn't my job.

Keep in mind that I'm an independent artist. If an artist has gallery representation there are a few steps they won't have to do themselves (but they do come with a cost, well worth it too).

As you can see, it's not just painting. But really, it is just about painting at the end of the day.

There's a fabulous BBC show series called What Do Artists Do All Day? that was the inspiration for the title of this post. I highly recommend it if you need an art fix.

Pandemic planning is an oxymoron

“First there is a mountain, then there is no mountain, then there is.”

​Donovan Leitch

I realize that song is meant to be more existential but I feel like it applies and I can't stop singing it in my mind with the following:

First there is an art show, then there is no art show, then there is (fingers crossed).

Yep, that's the way she be, as my kiddo likes to say. So what the heck is going on?

Well, in 2020 a local gallery booked me for a group art show that was set to open right about now. Then, our government put us on a lockdown for the holiday season so the opening was bumped to accommodate the Provincial order. But THEN a stay at home order was issued which is to last until mid-February so I felt for sure the show would be cancelled.

Guess what? I received an email today that the gallery is still working to make this happen but later in February when the stay at home order is lifted (please please pretty please).

I will give you dates as soon as I'm able but for now at least, just know that this is still going ahead and with any luck you'll be able to see my art in person, hopefully.

​#Gratitude

Year in review

How do you begin your new year?

For me, I like to review my hits and misses. This year was obviously quite a different kind of year and nobody could have predicted a global pandemic. Still, there are things I could have done better. So here is my year in review.

Misses:

I didn't paint as much as I normally do. Having my patterns disrupted really sent me into a funk.

I should have upgraded my website sooner in the year. It really helped for my Collectors to be able to shop virtually and kept me tuned into art on days when I wasn't painting.

I didn't send my Collectors enough updates and I didn't blog. I don't like to send out emails unless I have news but I could've blogged about my experience in lock down.

Hits:

My loyal Collectors! I sold original paintings, inks, and my seasonal ornaments during a pandemic. While it was tough to have all events cancelled, my Collectors rolled with it and bought online or made studio appointments. I'm very grateful, thank-you all - you are the BEST!

I went camping. A lot. 29 nights of camping in various Provincial Parks and I now have a huge collection of photos to paint from and lots of stories to tell you.

The paintings that I did create were only for me and helped me to explore the materials and experiment which I always consider important for personal development.

I managed to book a group art show in 2020 for 2021. A real live art show. Although it has been delayed due to the Provincial lock down - it is still happening. This will be taking place at Northumberland Arts Gallery and Shop in Port Hope, Ontario from January 28 until February 14, 2021.

​How did you do in 2020? Would you like to share your hits and misses?

64 crayons

If you were to ask me how I spent my days as a child this is how I would answer you:

Riding my bike, making up imaginary games, climbing trees, swimming at the beach, playing with my sisters, singing songs, dancing, drawing pictures, investigating nature.

The common theme to all of that is creation and imagination.

Every summer before we went back to school my mom would take us shopping for school supplies. It's still my favourite time of year and has a feeling of Christmas to it. On my first day I would show up with everything I needed including a box of 64 Crayola crayons. You know the one, with the crayon sharpener in the back. It had gold and silver, magenta and turquoise as well as a whole slew of magical colours. They also had beautiful and magical names describing the colours. In my memory, I was one of the few to be blessed with such riches and I gladly shared with my best friends when I had a colour they needed.

I would use those crayons at home and at school. I drew pictures or coloured in colouring books every single day. And every year my mom would buy me a new box of 64 crayons. She never once suggested the lesser waxy brand that would have cost much less. My delight with those crayons were her delight and I gave all of my creations to my parents where they were stuck on the fridge alongside my sisters' creations.

Upon thinking about this story I realized that my parents gave me the best materials possible. It's always the advice of artists to people first beginning to buy the best quality they can afford. After all, there are enough obstacles to creativity without having to fight to get your materials to do what you'd like them to do.

Now that I am a professional artist I still use the best materials available to me (and they aren't necessarily the most expensive). I am grateful that I was given a world of colour in a box at such an early age. Did it have an influence on what I create today? I think so. Even when I paint with a limited palette I just can't stay away from some of those bright bold colours. I am thankful to my parents for not limiting my creative potential and I'm thankful to Crayola for giving me the expressive language of colour in a tiny box.

All about my ornaments

Today I thought I'd share with you my process for my holiday ornaments.

I offer two different types - one is glass and one is art paper mounted to wood. I offer both because due to the fragile nature of the glass ornaments they are not available for shipping. Also, some households have Littles or pets and don't want breakable ornaments. On the other hand, for some people only glass will do, so I make both.

Here's what you need to know:

Each one is hand painted. These are not dipped or water marbled. I use inks (and a lot of gloves!) and I let each ornament dictate what it wants to become. That's part of my intuitive painting process and it might sound hokey but that's how it works for me. I use paintbrushes, cottons swabs and spray bottles to nudge the patterns into place.

Once I've finished painting them and they are dry I apply a varnish to keep the ink in place. After the varnish has dried I apply a UV gloss coat to keep the inks from fading over time.

The final steps are to put the little metal collars back on the glass and add a ribbon to match (or for the wood to add the hanger and hook) and photograph them to list on my website.

I'll admit, it's a TON of work to produce these but you all love them so much that I have to make more every year.

If there is anything I can do to improve them or change them up (maybe tiny originals instead?) then let me know! I always appreciate your suggestions and feedback.

​I'm in the thick of it now so I'd better get back to the studio. Thank-you for your loyalty and support during this difficult year <3

Juried art shows Q&A

What is a juried art show?

Well, it's kind of like a beauty pageant except the painting is the contestant, the jurors are the judges and the definition of beauty is only known to them. That sounds a bit strange to people outside of the art world and actually, it's pretty strange to me too when I think about it. Simply put, a juried art show is a selection of work chosen on their merit by whatever definition the jurors choose which are then presented in a group curation for the viewing public.

Why do artists enter juried art shows?

Here's the thing about being an artist - it's solitary work. Entering a juried show is a way to present your work to experts in the art field and to have them qualify your work. It's great to have friends and family tell you that they love your art but is it actually good and interesting work? Does it have technical skill? Is it collectible? I suppose being accepted into a juried art show is a stamp of approval. After all, the jurors are highly qualified art experts.

Do you enter juried shows?

I do enter juried shows. I didn't go to art school and am mostly self taught so a juried art show is a way for me to add a qualification to my resume. Another reason I like to enter shows is to see if my new work is on the right path. Since you are usually limited to entering work produced in the last two years I find it helpful to gauge my progress as an artist.

How do you deal with rejection?

This one was hard at first. For me, my art has a story and meaning behind it so putting it out there to be rejected was difficult. I remember the first juried show I entered (it was an abstract piece) and I was rejected, rightfully so in retrospect. But a kindness was given to me by the juror. She had written a note and attached it to the back of the piece with a critique and note for improvement. That is extraordinary! Regardless of whether you are accepted or rejected you usually never know why. I took that note to mean I had potential and instead of giving up I kept going. That encouraging note meant the world to me.

Nowadays, I am choosier in what I enter. I try to enter at least one show a year to keep humble (haha) and I look to see who the jurors are and what is their subject of expertise. It doesn't hurt my feelings anymore to be rejected, it's just another part of the job.

Is it worth it?

In my opinion, yes. Not only is it humbling to be rejected it feels pretty darn good to be accepted. As an artist you need both, you paint a lot of crap paintings to be able to paint the good ones and because you are so close to the art it can be difficult to judge for yourself what is what. Also, it raises your credibility and collectability. Your collectors can be assured that their art has value beyond what it meant to them on a personal level. I also really like to have my work shown in public spaces and to chat with people and to meet the other artists in my area.

Are you in a juried show now?

Nope. This year was really weird with Covid shutting down all events and spaces. I did have two different pieces of my Hiraeth series in two juried art shows last year, The Colborne Art Gallery and The Art Gallery of Northumberland, respectively.

​Coming up in January 2021, I will be part of a group art show at the Northumberland Arts Gallery and Shop in Port Hope, Ontario. I'll be telling you all about that soon in a later newsletter and blog. I'm really excited about it and can't wait to share the details!

There you go, I hope that answers some of your questions on juried art shows. If you have more, feel free to drop me an email or a response below.

Why camping is important to my art

I have gone camping since I was a little girl. My parents used to take my sisters and I to Algonquin and we would camp in a canvas tent and do extraordinary hikes. It was much less common to camp back then, almost nobody had a tent trailer and there most certainly wasn't electricity or highways near the campgrounds. We also used to go to Presqu'ile and Sandbanks which always seemed so far away to me. The world is a much smaller place now in terms of travel.

We didn't have a lot of money growing up so these trips served as our vacations and I suppose those adventures seeped into my bones. I also like to think it was a way for my parents to connect us to our Indigenous heritage, in a time when to claim this was exposure for racism.

​My childhood was quite traumatic because my mother was very sick with an illness that doctor's couldn't identify. It took many years for the diagnosis of Addison's Disease to come but in the meantime, we girls were shuffled around and taken care of by our community so that my father could continue to work (often shift work) while my mother was in the hospital. There were whole summers and parts of the school year that we lived with my parent's friends or my extended family and often all three of us sisters were not in the same home at the same time.

So, I think that camping was a refuge for my mom when she was healthy and also a way to bring us all together as a family in times where we were often separated. For me, it has been a refuge as well. The outdoors has always been a place I have gone to heal from trauma and pain but also to find happiness and peace. I used to speak to the trees and birds as a little girl and I felt they understood me and I them. Now, I paint the landscapes I travel to but I like to paint them as I feel them. Each place has its own spirit and they do whisper to you if you are still and listen.

Art in the time of a pandemic

We are approaching the end of 2020 and as we do, I thought I should update you on what I've been up to and some of my thoughts during this strange, strange year. Actually, in all honesty, my best friend not-so-gently reminded me to write a new blog post (thank-you Jenni).

I think in times like these there are two kinds of people:

The first kind are energized into action. They suddenly have more time on their hands and are compelled to create, organize, or tackle a project that they've been meaning to finally begin or finish.

The second kind of person is me.

I lost all momentum with the shut down that occurred with Covid-19. Every single event that I had on my calendar was gradually cancelled and it really bummed me out.

As artists, we normally have a full calendar a year ahead and then fill in gaps as the year progresses. It was really strange to have my Holiday show cancelled in July, but there you go.

And so, after a summer of camping to lift my spirits (and provide art inspo) I have been working away at new oil paintings, updating my website, and planning for my Holiday show which will be virtual this year.

Which type of person have you been during the pandemic? Tell me in the comments are we'll try to get through this stretch together.