Thank-you dear collectors

It's been a very, very long time since I have updated my blog. When you are trying to hold your head above water these types of things tend to go to the bottom of the to-do list.

For those of you that don't know, my family had a disaster happen in spring 2018. Our house flooded in an accident and almost 3/4 of our home was affected and this included my art studio. It took until just before Christmas to have the walls, ceiling, floors, cabinetry and counters replaced. The final issues were fixed after the holidays and I am grateful to the disaster relief and insurance company for the quality work that they did in putting our home back together again. It has been a stressful time and I lost a lot of productivity over it. That being said, I did manage to squeak out a few new pieces of art in 2018 and for those Collectors that purchased from my Home Collection or supported me in any way I wish to say thank-you.

Let me say it again, THANK-YOU!

Thank-you for your loyalty, patience, patronage, offers of help, support and words of encouragement. It means more to me than I can say and I couldn't have stayed creative without you.

It's now 2019 and almost exactly a year to the day that the flood happened. Our house is back together and I have been painting again. In fact, I will have a new collection released late spring/early summer and it is inspired by my epic camping trip to the North shore of Lake Superior last year. I really hope you enjoy it.

I also have a few other art events in the works so make sure you are subscribed to my newsletter to receive updates - my newsletter subscribers are always the first to know what I'm doing and to see my new art.

With Gratitude - Jennifer

When Life Gives You Lemons - Drink Wine?

Wow, where do I begin?

Some of you may have noticed that I haven't been my best self lately. You see, over the Easter holiday weekend we had an accidental disaster happen in our home and we sustained water damage on both levels of our house. This includes where I usually make my art (and kitchen, dining room, living room, family room). Luckily, no completed art was damaged but unfortunately it has considerably slowed any works in progress since I now have to paint outside. It's also caused us tremendous personal stress.

Our house is still in the same condition but we now have a path forward with the insurance company and the disaster restoration companies. Hopefully construction will begin soon.

I hope that explains to you why I haven't been completely on top of my blogging, newsletters and website maintenance.

On a good note, my annual one-day art show with Jennifer Anne Burke is still happening ( 'Home' Saturday July 28, 12:30-4:30pm, St. Mark's Church, Port Hope, ON). Although, I will have less work to show you than I normally do, most of my new work is in oils which will debut at this show!

Thank-you all for your patience and support during this time.

Little Library Update

I was asked to provide an update on the locations of the Little Library Project so that you can take a tour. I've done my best to find out where they are all located and this seems to be one of those projects that has passed many hands and so it is difficult to provide more information. If you can give me more precise locations or addresses, please email me!

Here are the locations for each artist:

Robyn Town's is outside a private residence at 94 Ward Street.

Allyson Demoe's is at the Alfred Street park (take a left on the side street at Petro Can & 28)

Mine is in the Memorial park (where the bandshell is)

Jennifer Anne Burke's is outside a private residence on King Street (I don't have the address, let me know if you find it).

Catherine Lynn's is outside a private residence at Strachan and Victoria streets.

Robyn's second library, unfortunately, has not been placed yet.

The libraries on private properties will be maintained by the house owners, otherwise the public library will be in charge of stocking them. If you see one in need of books please feel free to donate!

Oil paint 30 day Challenge

I decided to give oil paint a try ( a real try this time) and after much deliberation and research decided to buy from Kama Pigments, a small batch company located in Montreal. I also decided that a 30 day challenge would give me the time and consistency to get a feel for my new medium. I will post my progress here, but also on my Facebook page and Instagram accounts. If you are on Instagram you can follow me and my hashtag #trefiakart so that you never miss my posts.

For my first oil painting I thought I'd recreate the moon from a previous painting I did. I had the same colours so I wanted to see how the oils behaved in comparison to the acrylics. All I can say is that they are completely different! Some of my observations while painting this were:

No smell (I really thought there would be odor from the paint or Odorless Mineral Spirits)

The paint goes a LOT farther (literally a dab of paint can do two or three small paintings)

It blends differently. Acrylics don't blend well unless you use mediums (or fluid acrylics, I use heavy body). Oils blend almost too well.

The paint is smooth and creamy. I love the feel of this paint and the vibrancy of colour. I'm glad I went with a high end professional product even though it cost me a lot of money.

White behaves differently. When I paint with white acrylic it tends to brighten the other colours and I don't need much. With the oil it blends into the colour already there and kind of disappears or makes a new colour.

This will take some time. I have to figure out how to make the oils work for me and the style I want to paint in. I can see why landscape artists use it - it blends like a dream. But, for me, I'm not sure yet.

Please follow my adventure with oils. They won't be masterpieces, don't expect that. This is a learning journey for me and hopefully by the end I will have a better grasp of how my new paint works and how it will work for me.

30 paintings in 30 days

This project was never completed due to personal complications. I think I got as far as 10 but never got around to posting them. I would like to try this again in the future and will let you if I do.

January Ups and Downs

Ahhhh the new year. It always starts off so fresh, new and exciting. So many lists! So many goals! I was really kicking it at the beginning of the month. I'd booked my standing art shows and included a new spring one. I figured out my theme for my July show and took lots of photos to support the mood I wanted to paint. My original little inks got an extension to sell at Polish House & Home in Colborne, Ontario.

And then.....

Day after day of snow, cold, wind. The coldest stretch of winter ever? I think it was. That really depressed me. Too cold to walk the dog. Too grey. Too blah. My mood and creative spark went blah too.

I'm still a little blah but the to-do list never gets shorter. So, in the interest of staying accountable, I'm stating my intentions.

It's February next week so I will be posting my Newsletter (you're signed up, right?). I'm writing another two blogs (one on the Little Library update, one on my February project). I'll still be working on originals for my spring and summer shows. I'll be doing a #30in30 (30 paintings in 30 days) in a new medium. Yikes, did I just put that out there.? I'll tell you all my thoughts later in the blog (so. many. fears.)

I haven't been totally idle though. I've been doing some colour studies on paper before I begin my new canvas. Here's a little taste for you (excuse the bad focus, I was too impatient when I took them) :)

All that colour cheers me up! I hope it brightens your day too.

See my art in person!

I have an exciting announcement to make. For the month of December I have partnered with Polish House & Home in Colborne, Ontario, Canada. They will be carrying a selection of my original 5x7 and 3x5 inks. Polish House & Home is a new home decor store in the downtown of historic Colborne. They have a selection of new and vintage items, so grab your holiday shopping list and check them out!

You can also contact me to visit my home studio. I'll show you what I have available and you can see where I spend my days painting. I'll assist you in finding the perfect piece for your home or office. I also take commissions if you want to customize your art further to suit your needs and budget. I'll make the process as easy as possible for you.

I'm getting several appointments a week for studio visits right now as people finish (or begin!) their holiday shopping. If there's a piece you have your eye on then please let me know.

Vast Lands Art Show

Wow, it's been a whirlwind of a summer! Not only did I have to prepare for my annual summer art show with co-host Jennifer Anne Burke and a juried group exhibition at the Colborne Art Gallery but I had been really ill in June with bronchitis. To all of you who came out to either (or both) shows and had to put up with my coughing and gravelly voice - thank-you!

This year's annual art show was as much as a success as last year's Earth & Sky show. A lot of people came out to view the artwork. Some people just came for a chat and to say Hello (which is totally encouraged). Some people came out of curiosity from the newspaper advertisements. Some people came specifically to purchase a piece of art (or to pick one up that was purchased in the show preview). Some people came as a show of encouragement and to give feedback. All of those reasons are acceptable and I encourage it all!

One of the reasons I love this show so much is that it is a chance for Jenni and I to show off a collection of work in one easy to access format. It's all laid out there to see. We, as artists, are also accessible for your feedback and questions and many times it is an invaluable learning tool. I learn something new at every show I do.

For example, at last years show I had people that wanted to pay by credit card and I couldn't accept them. I made sure that I had that option available this year by registering with Square. One of the things I learned at this year's show was that some people wanted art that was smaller (and more affordable) in compliment to my larger paintings, so I am working on a project for that as we speak (stay tuned).

I sold quite a few paintings that day (as did Jenni). Some (but not all) are featured in the photo collage above. There are still some paintings available from the show and you can check them out in the Vast Lands 2017 tab in the navigation bar above. Thank-you for your continued support and encouragement, it means the world to me.

Little Library Project

I'm so pleased to be able to tell you about the project that I recently completed for the Port Hope Rotary Club.

Last autumn my friend from high school, Robyn K Town, was asked to paint some little community libraries for the town of Port Hope. She realized that it was too much work for one person and so she enlisted a group of local female artists from Northumberland County to collaborate.

I was honoured to be one of the artists that was asked to participate along with Jennifer Anne Burke, Allyson Demoe and Catherine Lynn. These Little Libraries will be installed in various locations around Port Hope, Ontario, Canada.

Studio Tour in Northumberland

This weekend I had the pleasure of visiting the Northumberland Hills Studio Tour. It was my first time in many years to be free on this weekend and the thought of seeing other people's work spaces was what really motivated me. Well, that, and art and the chance to speak with the artists. I did not visit every site listed but I marked off the few that were of interest to me, in particular, painters. Since I work out my house I really wanted to have a good snoop around those studios in particular. I was NOT disappointed. We have so very many talented artists in our area and the fact that so many can make a living with their art speaks volumes to the community we live in. I enjoyed every artist and studio that I visited but the following were my favourites (in no particular order):

Stephen Gillberry based in Cobourg, has a beautiful studio built into his home. His work is abstract and in sizes from tiny (bookmarks) to large. I loved looking at his paint splattered floor and easels and was happy to see that I'm not the only artist to get paint all over my bathroom light switch. I was very taken with his use of texture in his beach and water scenes. I also really LOVED that he didn't offer prints but instead does small originals in a 'print-like' way so as to offer more affordable art for those that can't purchase a larger work at that time. I may have to steal that idea in the future!

Betsy Miller based in Cobourg, works from her home like so many of us do. She told me she painted in her laundry room (a perfect spot to make art) and she turned most of her house into a gallery for the studio tour. She paints large pieces in an abstract expressionist style and I very much enjoyed chatting with her about technique and influences. She uses palette knives for her work (yes! one of my loves) and her artwork is as bright and colourful as her personality. (I hope you enjoyed your wine after the show Betsy!)

Dorothy Siemens based in Port Hope, has a studio in her home (or a home in her studio?). It is a beautiful light-filled space that showcases her artwork perfectly. From mandalas to soft florals and natural images, her work reminds me of fabric or tapestry. It is richly textured to the eye but only slightly textured to the surface. I have to admit I was extremely taken with her work. We talked at length and I liked her calm energy as she explained to me how she uses wax, paint, and oil sticks. I urge you to see her work in person and not just on the computer screen, it really looks much different. I am so glad I did!

The next time there is a studio tour in your area - go! Just by attending you are supporting the artists. Go, have fun, make a day of it, tell the artists what you think of their work and ask questions. That is what these events are for. Maybe you will find a new piece to take home (or save up for), maybe you will learn something new, maybe you will find a new artist to follow. You will definitely see some beautiful, interesting, thought-provoking art. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

Gratitude (Earth & Sky)

I want to sincerely thank each and every one of you. Thank-you.

Yes, it deserves a sentence all on its own. When you plan an art show you don't know what to expect. Will people show up? Will they like my art? Will they buy my art? What if they hate it? What if they say nothing? When you make your art you are by yourself. You are creating something with your heart and soul behind it. It feels good but the worry comes when it's time to put it "out there". Suddenly your solitary craft is now public and open to all that that entails. You are also present, available to speak and answer questions. This is never a worry of mine because I love speaking with people one-on-one and hearing what they have to say. But, people being people, one never knows what to expect. I'm happy to say that the Earth & Sky art show was a complete success for both myself and my partner in art, Jennifer Anne Burke.

The crowd started off small but steady and we had a flow of people throughout the day. It was never too empty or too full and the people that visited were full of good vibes. We had visitors that we knew and people that we didn't (thanks to local radio and newspaper ads). We had a wonderfully professional photographer from SNAPD Northumberland (thank-you for the photos Mallory I can't wait to see them). We had surprise visits from family and friends too. I couldn't ask for a better turn out.

When it was time to pack up for the day my helper asked me where 'the rest' of my paintings were. There weren't any more. I sold 8 paintings for the show and I only have two of the Earth & Sky series remaining (and Jenni sold lots of her art as well). I do have to complete a final piece (the work in progress that was on display) but then I will be moving onto the next idea. I'm happy to tell you that my paintings will now be in Toronto, Ottawa, Trenton, Brighton, Port Hope, Cobourg, and British Columbia.

Thank-you for attending. Thank-you for your best wishes if you couldn't attend. Thank-you for asking questions and providing feedback. Thank-you for buying my art. Thank-you. Thank-you. Thank-you.

Earth & Sky Art Show

I have been busy for the past month painting and organizing for a new art show with my good friend Jennifer Anne Burke.

We will be holding our show on Saturday July 30th from 12:30-4:30pm at St. Mark's Church in Port Hope, Ontario, Canada. We have named our show Earth & Sky because we will be displaying art that is inspired by the Rocky Mountains and the Northern Lights.

This art show came as a bit of a surprise to me. It wasn't exactly planned in advance but happened to come about while having coffee and chatting with Jenni. We are both artists and we joke that we can never have a show together because it seems that we are always on opposite schedules. When Jenni is busy painting like mad I will be in a lull and vice versa. At the time of this coffee visit, we were both painting but really just playing with new ideas and styles and we were both enthusiastic about each others work. We decided then and there to have a show despite not having a huge amount of art to display. Kind of like Field of Dreams 'if you build it they will come', we thought 'if you plan it the art will follow'. So, that's what we did. It's a bit of a leap of faith and a little backwards but I've never been one to turn down a challenge and neither is Jenni. In fact, I think we both prosper in the face of adversity and let's face it, creating art, though challenging, is not what one could classify as a hardship - quite the opposite.

So, that brings us to now. A few months have passed by since we had that coffee visit and we are both excited to show our new work to you. I hope that you are able to offer your support by attending and viewing the art. There will be work of many different sizes and price ranges, it's an opportunity to view or purchase an original piece of art from a local Northumberland County artist.

If you 'create' then this is blog is for you

'Painting is simply my vocation.' These are wise words but they are not my own. I have quoted them from an article that I read in the Guardian about an artist who had been painting full time for 60 years and sold her first painting at the age of 89. I have read and re-read the article carefully as I believe there is a lot to learn from her. This is what I have learned about living a creative life from Carmen Herrera in the article:

Show up.

You can't create if you don't put the time in, whether it's art, music, writing or whatever it is you make and create. Carmen Herrera painted for 60 years without selling a single painting. This bears repeating - 60 years! Every. Single. Day.

Don't give up.

You create because you love it, right? If you don't love it then you wouldn't be showing up every day. As Carmen says "Recognition and money have never been an issue, painting is ­simply my vocation." Do what you need to do and maybe recognition will find you. If it doesn't then it doesn't matter because you are doing what you love regardless of the outcome.

Don't be afraid to try something new.

When Carmen lived in Cuba she studied architecture. After she moved to America with her new husband she felt that she needed something more and began studying art. Later, she gave up painting representational art to paint in the abstract. Play, experiment, find out what speaks to you.

Education, while important, isn't going to make or break you.

Carmen studied architecture in Cuba and art in New York. She found art school too academic and because of this she couldn't express herself. After school she says "I had to change my way of ­thinking and feeling about painting, and reject everything I'd been taught." Is going to school good? Yes, it is for so many reasons. Is it the only path to finding your voice? No.

Don't let real world concerns stop you.

Carmen was lucky in that she had a supportive husband to work and provide for them financially. I'm sure it wasn't easy though. She says that they would have to move to cheaper apartments so that she had more space to paint. Some of these homes were in dangerous neighbourhoods. So what's the takeaway? Support your art. If you need to take on extra work to pay for supplies then do it. If you need to find a way to rearrange your day or night to make the time then do it. It's not easy for anyone regardless of circumstances so don't let money or time stop you. Find a way.

Recognition has a price.

Most creative people want the world to know who they are. They want some level of recognition. For Carmen it didn't come for 60 years but while she acknowledges that it is nice she also says that it was a good thing that she wasn't recognized for so many years. Why? Carmen says "Yet perhaps it's been a good thing I was able to work for so many years without recognition. I was left alone to refine and distill my art for decades, paring things down to their essence."

If Carmen has been well known earlier on in her life then she might not have been free to play with her skills and to experiment. She was able to become the artist she is today because she had the anonymity to grow and develop.

Good things take time.

Things worth doing are difficult and difficult things are worth doing. As Carmen says at the end of the article "The world came to me ­eventually – I just had to wait 94 years, that's all."

I hope you enjoyed the article in the Guardian on Carmen Herrera and the YouTube video as much as I did. Keep creating because you love to create and never give up!

Routine, or lack thereof

It's been too quiet here and by quiet I mean creatively dead. You might call it "artists block" but I call it a lack of routine. I simply have not been sitting down in my studio every morning and working, whether that work is painting or staring at a painting (artist secret: a lot of time is spent staring at nothing or a canvas while the mind works out what to do). The work isn't going to do itself and that requires me to put the time in for it to happen.

When you work from home it's easy to allow yourself to become distracted by numerous things, but knowing myself I have learned that I need a routine. I actually like a routine, it helps to keep me on track and accountable.

Another reason for my lack of focus has been that I need a goal. I have learned that I am goal and deadline oriented. The group show that I was hoping to put together hasn't generated enough interest (from the artists) so I am going to have to change my ideas and I am working on how to proceed.

There's so much more that goes into making art than actually making art. But, I cannot let details distract me from the actual purpose of making art - which is making art! So, (if anybody is out there reading this) I am rededicating myself to a regular work habit and routine. It's good for my fans, it's good for my work and it's good for my soul.

Rebirth and Transformation

I am working on a series with the theme of 'rebirth' in mind. To me, rebirth means transformation and this series will feature the circle. Circles begin and end at the same point and this supports my view of transformation - something or someone begins, travels on a path and then comes to an end, or rather, a new beginning. To grow and change for the future you must rely on what you've learned from the past while living in the present moment. While a circle begins and ends - it is at the same time limitless and infinite.

I'll do my best to keep this blog updated on my current project.

How is art like an ashtray?

It's been too long, friends, since I've updated my blog. Before I begin I'd like to remind you to go to my Facebook Page and like, comment, and share. It helps me to make new connections and will keep me in your newsfeed (with content exclusive to Facebook). Ok, done. Now, onto the blog.

I have begun work on a new series. I don't want to say too much (I'm superstitious that way) but I'm experimenting with design and texture and moving away from lines. That's all I want to say for now. It could turn out the way I'd like or then again, it could wind up in my 'discard' pile. Actually, the painting I am working on now is being painted over a previously finished painting that didn't turn out the way I wanted. (My husband says 'you're like Picasso') I wish! But, even Picasso most likely had paintings he didn't like and painted over them, maybe. I like to think so, it gives me hope.

So, how is art like an ashtray?

Well, as Damien Hirst said:

In an artwork you're always looking for artistic decisions, so an ashtray is perfect. An ashtray has got life and death.

Bloggin' it old school

Long time no blog, eh? I have not forgotten about you. I have not been blogging because my desktop computer decided it was going to get sick and shut down. Week by week I am recovering my data but it's been a long haul. I'm almost there but there is still work to be done on it. So, no updates on art yet as they (the pictures) are stored on the 'broken' computer. Once I'm up and running I will be updating the gallery space with new paintings and I will remove those that have been sold or are no longer available. As they say on the help lines: Thank-you for your patience.

Work in progress - sneak peek

Each day I am losing more and more light in my studio and it's all because of snow. Lots of snow. It's been a bit of a snowpocalypse lately, snow fell here for about 13 hrs last night into this morning. As you can see, my windows are almost buried in it. Despite that lack of natural light I have been working on a few new paintings. I'll give you a sneak peek below with some detail photos (excuse the quality). I have two deadlines coming up that I'm working towards but will post the full finished paintings after that.

P.S. It's fun to say snowpocalypse.

Blank Canvas

Yesterday was not a good day. I had one of those 'winter blues' kind of days. I felt like there wasn't anything to look forward to, that I wasn't good in enough, I felt alone in the world and was basically in a foul mood for no particular reason. January is a tough month because it is so slow. It's a time to plan out the rest of the year, fill out those applications for art shows and tours, restock supplies, and plan out the next series of work. I am one of those people that need a deadline and I work best when I have a timeline to work from. Today is blank canvas day, both literally and figuratively. I am resetting my mental outlook and I am beginning a painting that I've been asked to do for an office. The only requirement is that it be the colour red. How cool is that? I'm still thinking of themes for my next project but I can keep myself busy in the meantime with the red painting.

What about you? How do you reset yourself and move forward when you're feeling low?

Back to work - almost (Spotlight on 'The Window')

The holidays are over and everyone is back to work and school today. Well, not quite. Today turned out to be a snow day here with freezing rain and a flash freeze. It seems fitting to tell you about my painting called The Window (see the Gallery tab for a closer look).

The inspiration for this painting came from a a day that we woke up to a coating of freezing rain. No, this wasn't the Ice Storm of 2013, just a regular 'ole freezing drizzle day. I painted the cold, grey world that we saw out of our window while we were nice and cozy warm inside. I hope I captured that feeling and with wind chill warnings in Southern Ontario today, I hope you are staying warm and cozy too.