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.

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.