It's All About ART

Blog 20


Shortly after my 30th birthday, I immigrated to Canada from Germany. Despite an English and Spanish language and business degree, I was afraid to speak English. I felt stupid because I could not express myself with the subtleties of my mother tongue.


After my move, I became an outsider. I was not allowed to work during the first year while I waited for my permanent resident papers. I felt very alone and homesick without support from my family and friends. I craved connection. I returned to art, my first love, to express myself and to find new friends.


Art has always had a role in my life. Sometimes the part was bigger, and other times life events took precedence. I have created art since I was a child. I remember a visit to a large construction site. My father, an architect, took care of work while I drew his office from all directions.


Art allows you to express yourself in a non-verbal way. However, art is not only used to capture the beauty of our environment, our dreams or visions of our imagination. Art helps people deal with traumatic experiences and is a fantastic visualization tool.


When people think about art, they often think of the beautiful nature paintings of the Group of Seven, van Gogh, Monet or any other master painter. Others might think of art as a means to address and capture social issues and wars or a way to process personal experiences, like the art of Frida Kahlo.

 

When many people think of art, they don’t consider the everyday use of drawing and sketching as artistic. However, when you create a map for someone, a drawing to describe an object, a pattern for a sweater, the shapes and forms used in geometry or the illustration of mathematical divisions, these are all based on visual communication using art. 

The definition of art can describe the

1) creative visual expression in paintings, drawings or sculptures to capture the beauty of life

2) various creative activities like painting, music, literature, and dance

3) skill you achieved through practice doing a specified activity, the art of small talk, the art of cooking

I capture the beauty of nature in my artworks to provide joy and a piece of outdoors for the living space. As a German instructor, I use art to help my students visualize new materials for faster and longer-lasting memorization.

My art has helped me cope with difficult situations in my life, like the terrible fall last year that bound me to a wheelchair for weeks and made it impossible to leave the house for months. I don’t know how I would have coped with the pain and frustration without immersing myself in my world of art. Despite the pain, I started drawing on the first day in my hospital room and continued with daily creative projects.


I want to inspire you to see more ways to use creative expressions. I want people to see their creative potential and embrace their uniqueness. Art and language go hand in hand to enrich our lives, provide relaxation and build bridges of understanding. I aim to bring people to support and inspire each other. 

 

 

If you are intrigued and want to bring more art into your life, contact me at info@KerstinPeters.ca. I offer needle felting sessions and German Through Art courses

Here are my current specials if you want to join my needle-felting workshops:

Does an Artwork Make a Good Gift?

 Blog 19
 

 
It's the time of year again when we think about buying gifts for Christmas. If you love art, you might wonder if an artwork makes a good Christmas gift for a loved one. When considering which gifts to buy for our loved ones, we all want our presents to cause an emotional response. However, figuring out the perfect gift is sometimes challenging and frustrating, even when we know the other person's interests.

Even though art is a very personal gift, it is not exclusive to the rich. You can find very nice pieces from emerging artists at very reasonable prices. The increasing number of online galleries makes buying art in all price categories easier from the comfort of your home.

Before you buy an art piece, think about what your loved one likes. Maybe, you have witnessed that your family member or friend has seen something they love at an art show, in a gallery or online. If you picked up the artist's business card or name and the title of the work in question, you only have to contact the artist or gallery to arrange the sale.

If you are unsure what your loved ones admire, you might contemplate visiting a museum together and observing their reactions. It helps to consider the recipient's interests and hobbies. Does your family member or friend love pets, nature, or music? A look around their home might also give clues to the art they like, their style and the colour scheme.

This information will help you look for artworks similar to art your loved ones admire or that reflect their interests. Maybe, there is even a story behind the purchase of that particular artwork, like a place you visited together or the fact that the image reminded you of something in the other person's life. Once you decide to buy a piece of art, pay attention to the retailer's return policies.

If you buy an artwork that needs a frame, get it framed or at least include a gift certificate for framing so the recipient can enjoy the gift right away.

If you are unsure, an art calendar can be a practical and beautiful gift with a year full of enjoyment. If the recipient loves it, it gives you a hint for the next gift-giving occasion.

This year, I offer a 12-month calendar with some of my needle-felted paintings for CAN $25 + shipping or pickup in Cumberland, ON. Are you interested in purchasing one or more calendars (They make great gifts!)? Please email me for details.

Happy shopping!

Fall Painting Trip to the Whitewater Region

Lazy Afternoon at the Ottawa River, watercolour and watercolour pencil, 5.8" x 8.3"

Blog 18

Last week, we had another cottage week. Aside from my husband and our dog, two of my painting buddies, Janis and Bob, wanted to join us for the first painting trip in three years. We were excited because we wanted to go painting while Ingo went hiking. Two weeks before the trip, Janis got sick and decided to cancel. Then, on the day of our departure, Bob also felt unwell. We were all disappointed.

Since Ingo had already started packing, I took my painting equipment. I hoped to join at least my friends, Bill and Sharon, from Eganville for a day of painting.

Fall Bouquet, watercolour and watercolour pencil, 11.7" x 8.3"

The weather was glorious, with temperatures in the mid-teens. It was too beautiful to waste my time missing the company of my friends. Instead, I sat on the porch and painted the calm Ottawa River on Saturday. Ingo had invited a friend to go motorcycling for the weekend after the cancellations. To my delight, his friend brought a beautiful arrangement of flowers from his garden that I could not resist painting. I used watercolour paints and watercolour pencils for both artworks.


On Monday, the only day without company and sun, Ingo and I went to the Quebec side to escape the approaching rain system. Unfortunately, many of the trails that Ingo had found on Google maps were in the process of being transformed into new neighbourhoods with many warnings not to trespass. In the end, we walked part of the PPJ, the Pontiac Pacific Junction railroad tracks, starting at Fort Colougne.


I received the uplifting news that both my friends felt better. Both joined us on Tuesday for three days of painting and camaraderie.

Rolling Fields, watercolour,  8.3" x 11.7", unfinished

Tuesday afternoon, we went to the Westmeath Scenic Lookout. It offered painting opportunities in all directions. Full of enthusiasm, I decided to use my acrylic paints, only to discover that I had left them in a closet at the cottage. Luckily, I had also packed my watercolour equipment. In the warming sun, sheltered by the hill with the lookout gazebo, I painted the fields with the Ottawa River in the distance.

 

Mirror, Mirror, acrylic, 8" x 8", unfinished

 

On Wednesday, we met with our friends Bill and Sharon in Eganville at the Shaw Woods Outdoor Education Centre. We all started with a painting of the Shaws Pond, where a great blue heron was basking in the sun.

 Shaws Pond, acrylic, 8" x 10", unfinished

 

After a picnic lunch, I painted the farther side of the lake, where the wind created appealing shapes on the surface of the water.


We hadn’t seen our friends in years, and it felt good to catch up. Later, we saw some of their paintings at their house and reminisced about previous trips we had taken together.


During the trips with the Plein Air Ensemble and on our Kamouraska trips (without Bob), we have created great memories together, and our paintings tell a beautiful story of those times.

In the Spotlight, acrylic, 8" x 10", unfinished

Thursday was another great day. While it was cold in the morning, we found a sheltered spot where it was cozy in the sunshine. Unfortunately, the whole location was still in the shadows when we wanted to start. Looking for a better area, we explored the surroundings only to return to the first spot where the sun slowly lightened up the scene. We enjoyed a last relaxing lunch on the patio before my friends left, and we also started to get ready for our trip home.


We were so lucky with the weather! I am happy with my paintings. I finished the two watercolour paintings from the weekend and will decide on the changes I still have to make to the other artworks. Most of the time, I have to add some highlights. Plus, Janis and Bob paint much faster than I do. Therefore, it was great that we went to areas where they could create a couple of paintings. After years of plein air painting, we have realized that it makes more sense to stay at one location instead of driving around to find new spots. You lose too much time looking around that you could otherwise spend painting. Often you look for too grand a scene while little treasures are in plain sight.


The trip rekindled a fire in us, and we are eager to get back out and take advantage of the weather as long as possible. This week was exceptional, but we can still paint outside in winter on a milder sunny day.
We look forward to future painting adventures. I will keep you updated.

Blog-free Week

Lazy Afternoon at the Ottawa River, watercolour, 5.8" x 8.3"

 I have just returned from a fantastic painting week and will tell you more about it next week. We had spectacular weather with lots of sunshine and mild temperatures. It was my first painting trip in over three years, and I enjoyed spending time with my painting buddies. It ignited the pleasure of plein air painting again.

Have a fantastic week! I plan to take advantage of the exceptionally mild weather. What are your plans?