Confessional

Hello Friends!  I had hoped to post again before now, but as tends to be the case - I spent that time making things and living life rather than updating my blog.  I need to find a balance in here somewhere.  However, I have a few exciting little tidbits (for me at least) to announce.

The first is that I have finally had a breakthrough - thanks to an incredibly patient artist friend (not mentioning any names.....Kath) who helped me get to the bottom of what was not working - in my work.  Since talking with her, I have completed two more pieces that I am really pleased with, and I think that I have finally found a confident direction to move in.  So please, bear with me while I talk to you about my revelation.  Actually, this might be pretty long (haha)

For those who don't know me well...I will start with a few beliefs that I have had regarding myself and my art when I finished art school.  While I completed my BFA and did incredibly well, I left school feeling like I could not draw.  It was the one thing that I had always wanted to do, and while I worked my ass off at it while I was in my classes, I felt like I just didn't have what it took.  I would constantly compare the work that I was doing to those around me, and to those who were attending ACAD who seemed to have a mastery that I couldn't comprehend.  This was 5 years ago.  It was not until last year that I realized what my hangup was (and its embarrassing that it took me this long, but I think its important to highlight too.)  The ease with which these students were able to beautifully render complicated forms (like an animal for instance) came from their use of a few tools that had NEVER ever occurred to me to use.  They trace.  They use projectors, and they enlarge and downsize their own images to create them on a different scale.  For me, this was a Holy Shit moment.  I do not do any of these things.  Never have.  I just expected that I should be able to draw so that things looked incredibly natural - after all, all these other artists were doing the same thing.....right?  Not. So I just want to put out there....every image of mine that you see, is created without the use of anything but a pencil, a photograph of something, and the thing that I am drawing on.  I learned to draw.  It doesn't always come easy, but it does come, and without the aid of anything akin to tracing.  So there world!  SO THERE!  (This is not to disrespect artists that do work this way, their art, their rendering has a different purpose than mine, which is to explore the actual form.  Its mostly to highlight that I had no idea that was the way that people worked and I thought that I was just a shit artist because of it.)

I also used to think that to be a "good artist" you needed to be able to use the first line that you put down on paper.  Contour was the name of the game, even though my work in school that was the strongest was tonal.... and I felt like not being able to create a perfect contour on the first try meant that I wasn't good at anything.  What a laugh.  I think about it now, and I really am shocked that I carried that idea for so long.  I start with a basic outline....but then I let the shadows and light of the creature I am drawing, tell me where I got it right and where things need to change.  I let one work with the other, and I am pleased with the way that things turn out.  This is not to say that I have nothing left to learn, and that I don't work at my drawing practically daily (I do) - but it is to say that something shifted for me.  I decided one day that I actually could draw - and the world opened up.

From here, I can tell you about my newest breakthrough, thanks to my incredibly talented (and patient, I think she talked with me about this like 10 times before I got it) friend.  So, I love pattern.  But I also am really really loving these detailed and realistic renderings of animals that I have been doing.  I felt like I had to put the two together - for a number of reasons.  Firstly, I thought people would find my drawings boring or uninspired without them.  Secondly, I felt as though drawing was not a legit media (as everyone under the sun seems to paint) and I wanted to pull that into my work.  I did not take a single painting class through my degree, and because of it, I felt like I was not a legitimate artist (jeez, what is with me and all this focus on legitimacy.) Finally, colour and I had always struggled.  I loved it, but I felt like it never enhanced my work.  So I wanted to prove to myself, my viewers, my cats (who knows who!?!) that I could successfully integrate colour into my work.  But there was this weird tension that never quite resolved itself.  By mushing my detailed drawings with these really abstract doily patterns in colour (one in the foreground and one in the background) it felt like I had two pieces on the go in the same image - and they were often very busy.  This is not to say they were bad, I liked every single one of them. But that I am learning and growing as an artist every day.  Okay so.  Here is the deal.  I decided, with Kath's gentle prodding, to not give up on the patterns, but maybe work on them in another context - and really just let my drawings stand.  Well, here is the result.  I think it is my best work yet.

Not the greatest photos, I know.  That is also on my list of things to do (learn to photograph my own art with something other then my iPhone and instagram haha.) But look.  What a difference.  I can't tell you how pleased I am with these two pieces.  I have one more to complete this week before sending them off to Invermere to the Pynelogs exhibition I am a part of.  They are titled "Swiftly" and "Ungulation" respectively.  I was also able to not abandon my idea for patterns....and I came up with this!  I think it a really interesting piece.  Took me way outside of my comfort zone, but I have to admit, I liked it!

The photo isn't true to colour, I am going to have to find a way to photograph it in proper light (darn me and all this working late stuff.  My house lights are so yellow!) I just put the first coat of lacquer on it (which really brings out the wood) so I will post pictures when it is allllll finished.  The idea of absence is really interesting to me here.  What do you think? 

A few technical notes - I am looking for a way to link my instagram account to this blog - does anyone know of a way to do that?  I am also considering popping over to wordpress, as I adore the slideshow options that they have....any thoughts my techsavvy friends?  How do you keep up with your blogs?  What do you use, why and how??  I need advice on how to really take this thing to the next level now that I have a bit of time to dedicate to it.  Just like drawing, its something that once I am in the practice of doing it - its not a big deal.  But when I am not in the habit....its like pulling teeth sometimes! 

Many loves my friends, if you would like more info on any of these pieces (they are all for sale) please let me know. Or if you will be in the Invermere area within the next month or so, I will post the info all about where and when and what!

xoxo

Falcons and Feathers, Oh My!

Hello My Darlings!

Yet another long absence on my part.  School really took it out of me this past semester.  But!  I am done for the term, so it is time to get a few things done that I had been putting off.  Well, more than a few things...mostly art related!


I think that I posted about creating these pieces this past summer, but today, after a visit to Ikea to get the worlds fattest tree (pics to come,) I was able to get frames for these badboys!

 

Wild Turkey 01

 

Wild Turkey 02

 

Wild Turkey 03

 

The Wild Turkey's

I also put some time into creating a new piece of work over the past few days.  It is finally complete....and did I mention that it comes framed?  Well, it does!

This is a Merlin or a Pigeon Hawk, graphite and gouache on baltic birch.

It measures 9x12

I titled it "The Falcon for a Lady" as that is what The Book of St. Albans called the Merlin.

Let me know what you think!

As always, the piece are available at my etsy store - Turn of Phrase

xoxo

Jen

What happens when an artist gets sick of writing papers?

Well, the assignments start to turn out like this:

For this class I was supposed to write a paper 1000-2000 words (or another form of expression) that reflected on my understanding of "learning."  The big quote that stood out for me in our readings was "Learning is expanding the space of the possible." This is my version of that. 

Its an artist book!

Learning is systemic transformation

Learning is non-compressible, sufficient and embodies their histories.

Learning is intertwined and emergent.

Learning is elaborative.  Learning is fixing.

Learning is full of complexity.  Learning is adaptive.

Learning is connecting.

What do you think?  Worth an A?  I certainly hope so.

Also, please excuse the not so great photos - I am without photoshop right now as my computer pooped out.

xoxo

Whats been happening??

I have been consumed in the land of school work and other such excitement - currently working through my first 2 weeks of field experience and loving every minute of it.  It has, however, devoured all of my art time.  

This guy has been in the works for a bit - and I am playing with a title for it that revolves around the idea of a Phase of Parliament (you know how I love a play on words)

It is totally not done yet, I am going to go in and start painting some doileys and see what happens to the piece.  Any feedback my friends?

xoxo

Jen

Brand new

Hello my friends!
I know, it has been bloody forever.  I have been an incredibly busy girl! Without a whole lot to show for it either.  But hey, thats ok.  I have a few new things to report.
I am back in school and oh boy do I ever love it!  Learning about teaching and learning has been an incredible amount of work, but it has also been one of the very best times of my life.  It really feels like I am in the right place.
In other news, gearing up for this Christmas season with Abigail Gingerale and taking little snippits of time to make art when I can.  In Jen Art News, I hung a few pieces (some old and some new) at my favorite wine shop in Calgary, Wine Ink.  I love to go and see them whenever I can, they are dog friendly, incredibly knowledgeable and they are in the old Megatunes building on 17th Avenue SW.  Oh, and they now have some art of mine hanging there too!

My moose here is brand spanking new!  Well, its a piece that I have been working with for almost a year now, and I think it turned out really well. It is a bit of a fusion between my taxidermy work and my new doily bird work.  Fun times!  Perhaps an inside outside animal series is brewing!

That's all for now!

Jen

Windermere wonders!

Well hello my friends!  I recently returned from a rather wonderful 3 days in my favorite place on this earth.  The Windermere Valley.  Ryan and his parents have an incredible quaint little cabin up there, and I cannot think of a more heavenly place to be.

My time spent over my long weekend was quite full - but refueling too.  I was able to visit my favorite gallery there (and the one that happens to represent me) Black Star Studios which is filled to the absolute brim with incredible and creative art from Alberta/BC artisans and artists.  They even have four studio spaces within the gallery, so that you can watch and ask questions while the artists do their thing.  Fabulous?  I think so.  Go visit, or as the girls like to say Get In Here!

They recently said they would carry the line of jewelery that I have been working on with my lovely sister Kim.  You should visit Abigail Gingerale to see what sort of earrings we are making (though below is the newest pair I was able to put together and bring up to Black Star!)

So, pretty exciting right?  Well that surely was not all!  Did I mention that my dearest friends Sheila and Greg were up at the cabin with me?  Along side their pup Ophelia?  We got some great photos of Abby and Ophie playing together in the front yard at the cabin.  I will post those as soon as I can get them from Sheila.  We also spent a lot of time jumping into the lake, on bird watching tours courtesy of my father in law (we saw 8 bald eagles one night!) and hitting some lovely shops.

One of the other important stops that we made was at The Pynelogs Cultural Centre where we were able to see the work of many talented artists including the work of the lovely Cajsa Fredin who is a fantastic artist working in metal.  I have more than a few pieces on my wish list from her.  Did I mention she is also one of the co-owners of Black Star Studios!  A quick photo of one of my favorite pieces of hers, stolen from her Metal Arts Guild website linked above:

She has done them in many different sizes and colours, some larger than a foot across!  Who would have ever thought that metal could be so feminine!  The whole show was fabulous, but it was Cajsa and her work that really took my breath away.

Enough you say? No way!  I was also able to catch the open house of Sandpiper Studio which was a truly fabulous experience.  Now I recently talked about Julie Gibb and her work because I was given a piece as a gift.  I ADORE it.  But as with all of the things I really love - I though it looked lonely.  So I bought another.

I absolutely fell in love with the moose piece - and I thought it would be the perfect compliment to my water tower (and the start of what I hope to be a wonderful collection.)  Though I was also able to see the incredible Julie Gibb hard at work creating tumblers in her studio.  I don't know how many of you have had the ability to peer inside a hot shop to see how glassblowers create their pieces - but let me tell you, its a thing of wonder.  The amount of time and care that goes into creating a single simple vase or tumbler is incredible.  I have only admiration for the duo that run Sandpiper Studio, and I cannot wait to see what they come up with next!

Finally, I would never visit the cabin without making at least a start on a piece of art.  I put gouache and watercolour to work on a gesso printed wooden board.  I will be adding the illustration next.  What do you think?

Well, I think that is probably more than enough for now!  I will post again soon with the finished piece! 

It's me again!

I finished some of the huge tasks that were on my plate for the week, so I thought I might pop by with a few new things to share. 

As you know, one of my jobs has be consulting and odd-jobbing at Mount Royal University in the Archives.  I mostly work with our art collection doing lots of administrative work.  But every now and again I have the opportunity to really work with something cool.  It is MRU's centennial year, and we are working on a number of things, not the least of which is a time capsule.  I was asked to design a project for Calgary History Week that spoke about our 100 years, some of the art we have collected, and give an overview of what we are hoping for the future.  What was the project you ask?  Matchboxes.

I asked each participant to take a matchbox that I had made, and use a multitude of supplies - glue, thread, twine, buttons, vintage book pages, vellum, copies of old MRC photographs, cardstock etc.  Each person was asked to create a memory box, containing a memory of Mount Royal, who they were or a thought they had for the past.  Below is the one that I created as an example: 

The project was a great success, I was really pleased with how well it was received - and so was the rest of the group I was working with.  I was asked to do the same thing again, this time for 70 students in the International Studies program.  So today, I worked with students learning english from Japan, Taiwan, Korea, China, and some Latin Americans as well.  They each made a wonderful box, and they will be placed in our time capsule for people to see. 

Just to give you a sense of scale - here is the actual size of the demo that I did:

It is amazing how creative people can be with such a small small space.  I am so pleased with the results so far, I hope that we continue to have an excellent response.  Art can happen - anywhere and any size.

I have also been plugging away at Kyle and Mels wedding stuff - today I report that I have finished the table markers.  They left me with two sizes of manilla tags, and I went to town.  I tea stained them and then dried them in the oven, got Kim to write out the numbers in pencil, went over them with a brush marker, and then highlighted them with copper ink.  They will be tied on to mason jars and such, so I hope that the rustic charm is what they were really looking for!  What do you think?

Phew, that was a long one! 
Love Always,
Jen

New look, and a new post!

My goodness, it has been practically a month since I wrote here.  What a month it has been.

Not only has Abigail Gingerale really kicked off our summer with a bang - I have art at Resolution Gallery in Kensington, I have been working on projects for Mount Royal and the AGC that have a lot to do with memory boxes (more on that another day) and I have been working on finishing up the last pieces that I need to complete for Kyle and Melissa and their wedding!

This is a Wedding Tree.  It is meant to be stamped by the thumb prints of all of the guests and signed - and then they can frame and keep it afterwards.  Guestbooks do tend to just be tucked away - so with this, they will have a wonderful reminder of a very special day hanging in their home.

I completed this piece on a really lovely artist board that took ink very well, sketched and inked the whole thing.  All told, it was probably 8 hours of work, but I think that it turned out incredibly well.  It is a whopping 18" x 24" so that they would have room for all their guests to leave their marks.  The nest is for Kyle and Melissa to stamp their own thumbs together.  On the bottom, I used my stamping chalk (who knew there was such a thing!) to highlight their names and ground the piece.  What do you think??

I think it looks pretty good, if I do say so myself!!

I promise to update more frequently.  I was doing very well for a while there!
xo
Jen

New media!

Well!  After my vacation to Windermere I came home to find a very special delivery for me from my Auntie Ev.  Her and my mom were visiting in Vancouver and they decided to get some presents for my sister and I!  We were given some absolutely gorgeous beads that will be making their debut in earrings shortly, and I was given a set of gouache paints.  I have been wanting to try working with them so badly, so I was overjoyed that she thought of me and picked them up!

Last night in my 90000 degree studio, I decided I wanted to try them out.  I picked a bird that is regularly seen in Calgary and while my drawing is the pits (I will be redoing this one) I wanted to post about just how much I love these paints.  Don't judge the drawing, I know it doesn't work - but look at the pretty colours!

More of these to come, I think!

But for now, its back to work for me.  Thanks again Auntie Ev!!

xo

Jen

Some pretty new things!

Just a quick little update here, I wanted to share with you something that my dearest friend brought back for me from the UK.  She and I were best art-making friends for many a year, and she went away to Newcastle last year to follow her dreams and complete a masters in Conservation.  Yup, she is just that cool.  I got to see her this past week, as she was passing through Calgary between internships.  It was lovely to connect again (besides just skype or email which really is not the same) and spend a few days with her.  She brought me a belated birthday gift that truly rocked my world.  She knows that I have a love of old beautiful and slightly whimsical things...I think she hit the nail bang on the head.

 

She found these old postal stamps for me, mounted to blocks of wood.  They are made of metal and totally gorgeous.  She told me that they were used in the UK before the advent of paper postage stamps.  So these guys might have stamped thousands of letters before they came to live with me.  Amazing.

My brain is spinning already with thoughts of what I can use them in!  Thank you Emilie!  You are the best.

 

In addition to my awesome new collection of stamps, I was able to get a journal on to my etsy site!  Visit Turn of Phrase - You & Me to find it up for grabs! 

Thats all for now!

xoxo

Jen

Fun in the sun!

I was just fortunate enough to be able to spend two full days up in Windermere - and I can't tell you what an inspiring place that is for me.  I am lucky enough to be represented by a wonderful gallery up there called Black Star Studios and it was so wonderful to see their new downtown Invermere space.  I LOVE it there, they even let me come in and work for a few hours on Sunday.  Awesome.

The weather was quite wonderful while I was there, and I happened to spot 3 gorgeous feathers in the cabin that my father-in-law had collected a month or so prior.  I fell in love, grabbed some paints and started working.  This is the result - I am quite pleased with them.  They are simple, light and I found creating them quite satisfying.

What did you do this long weekend?

xoxo

Jen

It is amazing how just a bit of wax...

can totally change a piece.  While I do really like the work that I did on that poor little juvie bird that failed his first flying lesson - there was something just a bit too brash about all the colours.  I don't really love the plastic nature of acrylics, and they did not lend any of the softness to the bird that they needed to.

So, as all good cakes are better with icing, I slathered some encaustic medium over top of the whole shebang.  It is a nice cold wax formula called Dorland's Wax Medium that I picked up at Mona Lisa.  I love encaustic work, but I am not set up to work in a space with lots of solvents and other such things.  So I decided to try encaustic in a more mixed media capacity.  Using cold wax as opposed to hot, means that I am not heating the damar crystals to make it extra toxic stinky.  As it stands, the cold wax formula just smells a little bit like when you walk by the swimming pool.  I am impressed, and I will use it again.  It went on mega smooth and after two coats, I am really happy with the way this piece looks.

Not sure if the photos will really show how the work has changed, but here they are anyways!!

 Back to the silkscreens I go!

xoxo

Jen