Housewarming - An Exhibition by Karine Giboulo

Blog 16

Last weekend, I visited Karine Giboulo’s Housewarming exhibition at the Gardiner Museum in Toronto with my husband and our daughter. We were fortunate to get a tour guide to give us deeper information about the art.


Housewarming means you invite family and friends to show them your new home. In Germany, it is customary to bring bread and salt for good fortune for the hosts and their homes. Bread is a staple food, and salt is a formerly expensive mineral used as a preservative.


Karine Giboulo, a sculptor from Montreal, created more than 500 miniature polymer-clay figures during the COVID pandemic. She displays our living conditions during isolation with insecurity about food supplies and the battle against the disease.


The installation at the Gardiner Museum resembles a home inspired by the artist's residence with a kitchen, pantry, living room, bedroom, bathroom, playroom and garden.


In each area, the figures tell stories, some closely related to Karine Giboulo's experiences during physical isolation. The confinement was even worse for her because she had just been diagnosed with a restricting illness. Suffering from mobility loss and pain during sleepless nights caused her to feel like a young person caged in an old body.


The artist portrays the limitations of our daily lives during the pandemic. She also critiques our consumerism, showing the impact of human activity on nature, visible in pollution, destruction of habitats, and climate change. Her observations offer lots of thought-provoking reflections on our actions.


You can visit the Housewarming exhibition until May 7, 2023.


To see some of the art, check out this YouTube video: https://youtu.be/0tCEzvaU9h4.

25 Years in Canada - The Year 2016 Part II

Pink Beauty, acrylic, 12" x 16, CAN $400

Blog 20

 

July of 2016 was a quiet month. I enjoyed the company of our extended family at the cottage and the pleasures of a lazy summer month with few commitments.

 

I started August with a painting get-together with some of my long-time clients who have become my friends over time. We met at Parc Du Moulin in Rockland at the banks of the Ottawa River for a delightful afternoon of painting, chatting and laughing. We created beautiful peony paintings that were as individual as their creators. I later entered my Pink Beauty  (see above) into the  Arteast Juried Awards Exhibition at the St. Laurent Complex.

Lavender, artificial fur, NFS

I also offered three different Creativity & Me workshops to help participants to discover their creative side. Every workshop, we used a variety of mediums and techniques. After ages without making bears, I had decided to offer a bear making workshop. The newborn bears were already absolutely adorable. I still enjoy making bears, but there is only so much time for creative projects. I decided to spend it painting and felting. In the other workshops, we created a three-dimensional flower painting and a summer collage.

A special treat awaited me at the end of the month when my daughter and I took the train for a weekend in Toronto. We had to go to the German consulate to apply for her passport renewal but combined it with a visit to my in-laws. Together with my father-in-law, we visited the fantastic Lawren Harris and the Chihuly exhibitions. I love Chihuly's work and can hardly believe that I had never heard of him until the Arteast trip to the Montreal exhibition in 2013.

I was reminded of the fragility of life as my godmother needed more operations to deal with her brain tumours. It pained me that I could not be there for her as we were very close. I could not visit her after the operations, and she was usually too weak to talk on the phone for weeks. I kept writing her letters and instead helped one of my friends who was also diagnosed with a brain tumour. It was good to assist someone else to lessen the guilt I felt over not being there more for my godmother.

Their illnesses made me realize how important it is to celebrate every milestone. As my husband and I had not done anything special for our 20th wedding anniversary, we spent the first weekend in September visiting Montreal for a late celebration. Aside from Old Montreal, we also visited the Biodome and the Festival of Lights at the Botanical Gardens. What a feast for the eyes!

 

The Flower Garden, oil, 14" x 11", CAN $375

 

The following weekend, Janis and I left for our trip to Kamouraska. For the first time, we drove in separate cars as she had to return a day early. I do not enjoy being the driver on tiring long-hour trips. When I am a passenger, I always keep myself busy writing, knitting or felting. It helps me to fight my motion sickness. Plus, I feel I have accomplished something during the boring ride on the highway. To keep awake during the seven-hour trip, I sang loudly and practiced French in preparation for taking with the locals at stores and during paint-outs. We had a fantastic time, and I created 13 new paintings and finally finished one from 2011 of the garden behind the rented house. You can read my travelogue, including some of the photos in my blogs of September 23 and 30, 2016.

Nature's Garland, oil, 14" x 11", $375

Less than two weeks later, Helene and I drove to Eganville for the next Plein Air Ensemble fall trip at Lake Clear. We had a fantastic trip! If you would like to read the travelogue, please go to my blogs of October 7, 14, and 21, 2016.

Since September, I taught three courses at François Dupuis Recreation Center. I also had one private German and one art student. Plus, I offered monthly Creativity & Me courses at my studio. After the Plein Air Ensemble trip, I finally taught again at the Bob MacQuarrie Recreation Complex. The students in this course were quite a bit older than the average of my François Dupuis students. It was a nice challenge, especially as some already had a lot of experience in cartoon drawing.

I had already given up my position as the Breakfast Coordinator to become the Luncheon Coordinator for Women's Business Connections in September. The new responsibility suited a night owl like me much better. In November, it was finally time to pass on the duties of the Arteast Digest coordinator to have more time to paint.

White Roses, oil, 7" x 5", SOLD

The last quarter was very successful for me. In October, I sold two of my latest Kamouraska paintings, Rough Water and White Roses. In November, I hung the artworks for my solo exhibition at Lunasole Resto Bar in Orleans. Less than a week later, one of the diners bought two of my favourite paintings: Hay Fields in Nauheim, Germany and The Wave. Then, I sold Iced Birch only days after I installed six paintings for the winter exhibition at the François Dupuis Recreation Centre. 

 

The Birch, acrylic, 24" x 18", SOLD

In late November, I entered my painting Presqu'ile in the Holiday Mix exhibition at the St. Laurent Complex. At the same time, I set up some artworks at my fabulous hairdresser's Hairitage Beauty Shop as part of the Christmas in Cumberland Christmas Heritage Home and Village Tour. The last exhibition was again at Lunasole with the other Arteast members who had shown their art during the year. I ended the year with another successful Open House in early December, where I welcomed my clients to show them my art on the walls of our house.

I was happy with the mix of creating art and teaching but wished I would make more money to contribute to our family finances. In January 2017, I got an unexpected opportunity to increase my earnings that changed the focus of my art business.

25 Years in Canada - The Year 2016 Part I

Pink Peonies, acrylic on gallery canvas, CAN $420

 Blog 19

As already in 2015, I was very active in the local art scene and showed my paintings in many different venues during the winter months. On January 4, I was one of four artists who hung their paintings in the Arteast exhibition Winter's Beginning at François Dupuis Recreation Centre. Four days later, my friends Hélène Martin, Janis Fulton, and I hung our paintings for the Three Friends, Three Times The Passion exhibition at Tyros Restaurant. We have been painting together for years and have become great friends in the process. Viewers had a chance to see how differently we interpreted what we saw. On January 15, I put up some of my winter paintings for the Arteast Winter Mix exhibition at the St. Laurent Complex. My painting Winter Glow was part of the Arteast exhibition Winter Medley at the Shenkman Arts Centre in Orleans.

 

Winter Mix, St. Laurent Complex

When my felted piece Under The Sea found a wonderful new home, I was so happy to witness the buyer's excitement. The pleasure of seeing when our art succeeds in creating emotions in the viewer is one of the special moments in every artist's career.

 

Under The Sea, wool, SOLD

The arrival of Syrian refugees in Canada made me think about my own move to Canada more than 20 years ago. My situation was very different as I came from a wealthy and peaceful country where I had a very comfortable life. However, other issues I faced were similar to those the new refugees were facing. I started blogging about my immigration to Canada. I wrote about my first impressions of Canada, then continued with the travelogue about the trip to Vancouver with my husband, then my fiancé, in May 1995. While I was not painting a lot during the trip, it was the beginning of my love of the Canadian landscape. Afterwards, I wrote about my impressions of the Toronto area, Muskoka, and Ottawa.

In February, the artists from Cumberland founded Creations Cumberland. The group opened a pop-up art gallery in the vacant Haddad S&S Foodliner in Cumberland Village to promote the creative talents of local artists. Many visitors were interested in my courses, and I sold the painting Summer Greens, Mer Bleue. Exciting news also reached me from the Sienna Gallery in Rockland, Ontario, which accepted some of my paintings for an exhibition at the beginning of March.

I continued to enjoy teaching art. During the winter session, the high demand for the Animal Cartooning and Drawing course resulted in a second course. This trend continued in the spring when I had a waiting list and added Draw on This to my course offer. For adults, I offered Painting Like Famous Artists workshops. Discovering the Greens of Emily Carr Painting Vibrant Flowers Like Vincent van Gogh attracted many students.

Aside from my art courses for the City of Ottawa, I also created Creativity and Me workshops at my studio to help participants experiment with different mediums and techniques. My felting workshops were especially popular. There was always lots of laughter despite a couple of pricks with the needle.

I also supported my private student with her portfolio for the application to Canterbury High School. She continued to make fast progress due to her hard work.

Aside from my art activities, I was happy that my parents came for two visits: once in February and the next time in May. My parents, who live in a region of Germany that does not often see snow, always liked to spend some weeks in the winter with us. During the long weekend in February, however, we could not spend a lot of time outside. The temperatures were around – 40 degrees Celsius with the wind chill. Instead, we enjoyed the view of the beautiful sunny white landscape.

In between their visits, I spent two and a half weeks in March with my daughter in Germany, visiting my family and friends. The trip was dear to my heart as one of my godmothers had died only three weeks earlier, and my other godmother was fighting cancer. It is always hard to leave everyone behind, not knowing when and if you see them again.

The second quarter started with the next Plein Air Ensemble spring trip. Three days after my return from Germany, Hélène and I left for the Magog-Orford region (Eastern Townships). To read my travelogue, please turn to my blogs of April 8, 15, and 22, 2016. You can find the blogs when you search the labels for April 2016.

The Windsong, 16" x 20", SOLD

At the beginning of April, I also received a commission from a neighbour to paint her husband’s sailboat for his 80th birthday. At first, I was reluctant to accept the order as I only had about a week to create the artwork, but I am so glad I did. I attended the birthday party and could witness the joy my painting brought. Little did I know how important this painting would be for the recipient. Only days after his birthday, his wife died, and the last photo of her is the two of them with my painting. It was her final gift to him. What a special gift!

My painting parties became more popular. In the middle of April, I organized a bridal painting party. Shortly after, I hosted another successful painting party for the ladies night at Resurrection Lutheran Church, followed by another one for a couple of entrepreneurs.

Green Waters, wool, SOLD

On the last weekend of April, I participated in the Navan Fine Arts Exhibition and Sale at the Navan Curling Club. Thirteen local artists exhibited a variety of art and crafts. I was delighted about the sale of my felted piece Green Waters, one of my favourite pieces.

At the beginning of May, I spent a week at the cottage. First, it was so cold that I was glad to find a couple of gloves among the dog items. When my friends Janis and Hélène came for a painting day in the middle of the week, the weather was perfect for plein air painting in the Whitewater Region. 

 

Rocky Shore, oil, 10" x 8", CAN 250

On the Friday before the long Victoria Day weekend, my friend Janis and I went to the Tulip Festival. The flowers were at their peak! While painting, I met a couple of singers from a German choir on tour through Canada and the United States. Then, a CTV crew started interviewing visitors to the Tulip Festival next to where Janis and I were painting. They did not talk to us, but I ended up on their video.

Pink Roses, wool, 9” x 6 1/4”, CAN $400

At the end of May, I hung my solo exhibition at the Blackburn Hamlet Library called Beauty in Your Neighbourhood, showing paintings inspired by outings in Ontario and Quebec. I wanted to show that you do not have to travel far to see the beauty in nature. The neighbourhood was not necessarily a local spot but a metaphor for the beauty all around us.

At the beginning of June, I spent a wonderful day with members of Arteast in Montréal. We visited the Pompeii Exhibition at the Fine Arts Museum, followed by a visit to the Botanical Gardens, where I sketched with my friends Janis and Bob.

The first half-year ended with a big family celebration. My brother-in-law got married at a beautiful outdoor wedding in Muskoka with many relatives from Germany and my new sister-in-law’s family. It was also the first time that I met my cute four-month-old niece.

If you want to find out how the year continued for me, join me again next week. Every view back is also a revelation for me and a good reminder of all the things I accomplished over the years.

25 Years in Canada - The Year 2015 Part II

 

Have Some Fruit!, acrylic, 9" x 12", CAN $ 350

Blog 18

During the second half of 2015, I continued exhibiting my artworks at many locations. In early July, I hung a solo exhibition at Tyros Shawarma Lebanese Restaurant in Orléans. The show Summer Destinations contained some of my favourite summer paintings. 

Solo Exhibition at Tyros Restaurant July

As always, I spent one week of July at the cottage with the whole family. There, I finished two paintings and created another small one. Next followed a weekend in Toronto with my daughter. We visited the inspiring Emily Carr exhibition From the Forest to the Sea at the Art Gallery of Ontario.


Except for two days at the Doodle 'n' Draw camp at Bob MacQuarrie Recreation Complex, I did not teach but welcomed visitors from Germany for the rest of the month. On the first day, we got inspired by Vincent van Gogh's Wheat Field with Cypresses. Then, we painted abstract like Franz Marc in his painting The Yellow Cow. Some kids worried that they would be able to paint such complex pieces and were surprised and excited when they saw their finished works.


I started teaching my private clients again in August. I still had lots of time to finish many of my oil paintings outside because I do not like the smell in my studio. 

 

Early October at Whitewater Village, oil 11' x 14”, CAN $375

At the beginning of September, I replaced my solo exhibition Summer Destinations with my fall follow-up Indian Summer in Canada.


Due to a scheduling conflict, we did not travel to Kamouraska for our yearly painting trip. Instead, I spent the long weekend in Muskoka with my husband’s family. The happiness of the weekend vanished fast by the fear for Alex, who had developed severe pancreatitis. I was so scared to lose him just a year after our Golden Retriever, Candy. Luckily, he made a full recovery.


Aside from my private art and German students, I taught two art courses at François Dupuis Recreation Centre by mid-September.

Glebe Show with my sponsor and good friend, the late Linda Platt

At the end of September, I participated in the 10th annual Glebe Fine Arts Exhibition. It was wonderful to meet so many interesting people. However, I only sold some greeting cards. Considering all the work that went into the show, I was very disappointed. I also realized that with my son, Dominic, out of the house, it would be even more complicated to recruit him as a helper for the setup and takedown of my booth. In the end, I decided not to participate in this show again.  Instead, I increased my participation in Arteast events and exhibitions like the Arteast Juried Award Exhibition at the St Laurent Complex in Ottawa with my painting Blushing Sunset.


The next Plein Air Ensemble trip was at the beginning of October at Lake Clear in Eganville. Hélène, Janis, and I arrived a day earlier to get everything organized before the arrival of the rest of the group. Even though the colours were not as intense that fall due to the dry summer, there were pockets of beautiful colours. The reds and oranges brought a lot of vibrancy into the green landscape.

Star Tree, oil, 11" x 14", NFS

After my return, Josie De Meo and I held our first painting party together. I had resisted offering painting parties for a long time but changed my mind when I realized how much fun the participants had. It helped me share my passion for art with people who had never considered taking an art course.


On October 24, I participated for the first time at the Worldwide SketchCrawl. It took a lot of courage to join the group of artists who were quite accomplished at capturing their environment. I did not have a lot of sketching experience. I am usually someone who takes her time to draw something. However, reading up on urban sketching, I realized that sketching is like your own handwritten visual journal entry. This opinion encouraged me to experiment with urban sketching. We met in the Byward Market in downtown Ottawa, where the old buildings and the farmers market offered lots to see and sketch. I created some lovely sketches of the humongous pumpkins at some of the vegetable stands. The morning of sketching was so energizing that I continued during the bus ride home. You can see some of the photos from the SketchCrawl on http://ottawaurbansketchers.blogspot.ca/2015_10_01_archive.html.

Hélène Martin and I at Galop Gallery

In November, I teamed up with Hélène to show artworks from our painting trips at the Galop Gallery in Cardinal. I also had another solo exhibition called Winter Wonderland at the Tyros Restaurant. Plus, my painting Orange Lilies was part of the Arteast Holiday Mix at St. Laurent Complex in Ottawa. 

To celebrate the year with my customers, I invited them into our home for my third annual Open House on the first Saturday in December. In 2015, I started to increase my interactions with my existing and potential clients with my weekly blogs and monthly newsletters after learning the importance of building relationships. I also showed my artwork to the public in many solo and group exhibitions. Join me next week to see how my journey continues.

25 Years in Canada - The Year 2015 Part I

 

Evening Glow, acrylic, 18" x 24", CAN $550

Blog 17

I started the year 2015 with a Creativity Challenge. I enjoyed the possibilities of sharing my passion and continuously learned something new when I prepared my classes. However, I was not happy with the low number of artworks of the previous year. With the additional work of writing my blogs and newsletters, advertising for events and courses, I had created most of my paintings during my two great painting trips. I decided to challenge myself to create art every day during January to establish a new creative routine. 

Creativity Challenge 2015

By mid-January, my painting and drawing classes for the City of Ottawa started again. I also continued to work with private German and art students. I also taught Creativity & Me workshops from my studio to help clients experiment with different mediums and techniques.


February did not start too well. While doing some work on my website, I realized that all the blogs I had published between January and September 2014 were gone. In a panic, I asked my husband, who created all our backups, for help. He could retrieve all the blogs from mid-April to the last backup but all the blogs from the first quarter were gone - swallowed by a software bug that just cut off any content after a certain length. Luckily, I still had the text for them on my computer. I was frustrated and set up a new blog site at http://kerstinpeterspaintingblog.blogspot.ca/ with the help of my son, Dominic, who helped me with the layout. 

Breaking The Ice, acrylic, 14" x 18" NFS

 

On the positive side, my painting “Breaking The Ice” was accepted into the Arteast juried show “Mosaic” at the Trinity Gallery at the Shenkman Fine Arts Centre from February to March. Out of 165 paintings, the jurors picked less than 60 for the exhibition.


In March, I took the opportunity to exhibit some of my art at the beautiful Bean Town Ranch that offered weekend brunches during the sugar shack season. Unfortunately, the visitors were only interested in the fabulous food and not in the art. 

Invitation 25 Years Plein Air Ensemble

For months, my friend Helene and I prepared the silver jubilee of the Plein Air Ensemble. The most important event was the 25 Year Plein Air Ensemble exhibition at Wall Space Gallery in Orleans at the end of March. This exhibition celebrated the accomplishments of the artists of the group during the last quarter of a century. We were fortunate that two of the founders were among the participants of the exhibition. As Helene got sick, I had to hold the opening speech in front of a big crowd of visitors, which made me very nervous. Among them were MP Royal Galipeau, MPP Marie-France Lalonde, Councillor Jody Mitic, and Councillor Bob Monette. We received certificates from Premier Stephen Harper, MPP Galipeau, MPP Lalonde, and Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson commemorating the Plein Air Ensemble’s 25th anniversary.

Parc des Amoureux, oil, 8" x 10" CAN $250

 

At the beginning of April was the next Plein Air Ensemble trip. This time, we went to Val David, which was my first spring trip with the group in years. I had never been to Val David and could hardly wait to get together with the group to paint.


Shortly after the trip, I took part in the Navan Fine Art Exhibition and Sale. I enjoy exhibiting with this group of artists because we all work together to plan and organize the event. It is a smaller group which makes the shows much more personal than any other weekend show I joined. 

The Buseater, oil, 11" x 14", CAN $375

In the middle of May, my friend Janis and I enjoyed a week at the cottage without family obligations. While we had a lot of rain, we still managed to paint. In the evenings, we sat on the beach watching the light ripples of the moving water, listened to the birds and watched the occasional squirrel or chipmunk rush past our chairs. We also used the opportunity to scout out new accommodations for the Plein Air Ensemble in the beautiful areas of Clear Lake and Golden Lake. It was the perfect break ahead of two crazy months of soccer games, dance recitals, and graduation celebrations. 

Spring Greens, oil, 10" x 8", CAN $250

 

My daughter’s health had finally improved after a specialist at the children’s hospital asked her to take some high-dose vitamins instead of additional pain medications. Even though she was already full-time in high school since February, she officially graduated from grade 8 in the second half of June. We were all happy that the transition had worked so well. It was quite an accomplishment to finish grade 8 and 9 in one year!


The following day, we had the big garden party before Dominic’s prom. The custom of elaborate celebrations in formal wear has a long tradition in Canada and the US. However, in Germany, the “Abiball” is relatively new.


It is customary for young people in their mid-teens to go to a dance school to learn at least basic ballroom dancing. At the end of the course, the dancers go to a ball, but having a prom at school is a recent trend that came from America. I could not find information about the first prom-like celebration in Germany. However, the photos that I found online were from after 2010. My Abitur celebration in the eighties was only very low-key. In the morning, we received our certificates in the school auditorium in front of our parents and siblings. Most students wore business casual for the occasion. In the evening, the students and teachers got together for a barbeque-style event with food from the cafeteria. Everyone, including the teachers, wore casual clothes.


The German school system is a topic in itself. The Abitur is the highest German school certificate for students who pass their exams after 12/13 years of school to study at universities.


For my parents, Christine and I, the prom was a new experience. My husband and I even met with the other parents and young adults of my son’s group of friends before the actual garden party to take photos in the park. Most of them had a date for the party. The colour of the dresses and ties matched for each pair. It was quite the production. I have to admit that it was a feast for the eyes.

 

Two days later followed the Commencement Ceremony. We were all so proud of my son’s graduation and his path that lead him to university and a move away from home. First, however, we would enjoy one last summer together.


As my children spread their wings, it looked promising for my career activities. Join me next week to read the sequence of my journey.

25 Year in Canada - The Year 2014 Part II

Catching the Fall Colours, oil, 10" x 8", CAN $250

 

 Blog 16

watercolour sketch

As in previous years, we started the second half of the year with a relaxing stay at the cottage. As it was not as hot as usual, I went together for a couple of hikes, spent a lot of time at the beach, and enthusiastically followed the Soccer World Cup games. I also still found time to draw and paint.

The following Sunday morning, I was in a great mood and decided to make waffles for breakfast. When I dropped a piece of waffle, I called Alex and Candy. Candy did not come, which was very unusual. I found her in the living room lying on her side, breathing heavily, her expression empty.

We drove her directly to our vet, who told us that she suspected a burst tumour. We decided to have her euthanized as she would not recover. When our son arrived, Candy noticed him and wagged her tail one more time. Alex must have felt that something was terribly wrong when we returned home and ran away. I was frantic while I drove around the neighbourhood until I finally found him. Alex needed me as much as I needed him during the next couple of months. We had always assumed that Alex was the alpha dog, but it turned out that the quiet and relaxed Candy was the braver one. Suddenly, Alex did not want to go out by himself at night. He started shaking during thundershowers. It took him a couple of months until he felt comfortable being the only dog in the house.

The rest of the summer was pretty quiet. I taught my private students and held workshops at the local art store. On July 21, my son helped me hang my paintings for the next Arteast exhibition named Summer’s Pleasures at the Francois Dupuis Recreation Centre. In the last week of July, I was the guest artist at the Bob Mac Quarrie Recreation Complex during the art day camp. From August 21 – October 21, 2014, my painting Hay Fields in Nauheim, Germany, was part of the Arteast Promenade exhibition at the Shenkman Arts Centre.

 

The Burning Bush, oil, 10" x 8", CAN $250

Like every summer, the time seemed to pass too fast until it was time for school again. With the new school year, I faced a new challenge. After Christine had spent so much time at home during her illness, it became evident that she had advanced past her classmates. After many discussions, it was decided that Christine would finish her grade 8 in the mornings and go to high school in the afternoons. I needed to pick her up every day at lunchtime to drive her to high school. I spent 5 hours driving every week, but my daughter was much happier.


Even though I was still the Arteast Digest editor, I also became the Breakfast Coordinator of the Women's Business Connections in Orleans in September. I enjoyed the meeting of this lively group of entrepreneurial women. It was fun to create the newsletters for the events, but getting up to be at the breakfast meetings for about 7 am was very difficult for a night owl like me.

 

Eel Fishing, oil, 8" x 10", CAN $250

The beginning of September also meant an exciting month was ahead of me. Janis and I drove to Kamouraska for our yearly painting trip on September 6. We had a great week with only one rainy day.

As my children grew and became more independent, my homesickness got stronger again. However, while I was sitting on the bank of the St Laurence River, I realized that I would not have time for painting and travel with my friends if I had stayed in Germany. While I was sitting in the field of wildflowers absorbing the magnificent sunshine, I felt so happy that I jumped with joy.

The following weekend, I participated again in the Glebe Fine Art Show. I sold two paintings that I had painted during the Kamouraska trip to people who had connections to the Saint Laurence River and Kamouraska.

 

Moody Green Waters, oil, 5" x 7", SOLD

 

September 23 was my 50th birthday. I celebrated it with my husband and children. For the occasion, I had decided to colour the banks and tips of my hair pink. My children were not impressed. Two days later, I was on a plane to Germany. My father is 30 years older than I am. Even though his birthday was in June, we had decided to celebrate our round birthdays together. We invited our family for a big get-together on the last weekend of September. However, I did not only celebrate with my family. I also had parties with my girlfriends and a separate one for the couples who were my friends.

I am so glad we had this celebration and the time I spent with my family and friends. Nobody had any idea that it was the last time I would see some of my relatives. It is a good reminder to celebrate every occasion. When my loved ones died only weeks later, I had to face the grief alone. My family hardly knew the people who had died. I could not fly to Germany again and therefore shared the destiny of most immigrants: Once you leave your home country, you are on your own.

St. Lucie Swamp, oil, 11" x 14", CAN $ 375

After my return, I did not have much time to relax but celebrated with my Canadian friends and relatives. Another four days later, on October 16, 2014, Janis and I drove together to Saint Adèle in Quebec for the fall Plein Air Ensemble trip. It was my first time as one of the organizers. The trip was not only special for me as we celebrated the 25th anniversary of the Plein Air Ensemble.

After my return, I fell into my routine of driving Christine every lunchtime, teaching three evenings and one afternoon a week. I hardly had any time to paint outside of my courses. In December, I held my Open House to present my paintings on the walls of our home. After I finished teaching in the middle of the month, I looked forward to a couple of quieter days. 

 

Blushing Sunset, acrylic, 12" x 16", CAN 400

However, Christine developed all of a sudden an allergic reaction. Luckily, we could control it with over-the-counter medication. Two days later, however, on the morning of December 31, her fingers were swollen, and she had spots all over her body that kept getting bigger. Although we had invited friends for dinner, I spent most of the day at the children’s hospital. In the end, I could take Christine back home. The doctor told us that whatever had caused the allergic reaction was still working in her body.

I was still not changed when our guests arrived. It did not matter. We had a fun night of games and the pleasure of watching an overexcited guide dog explore our dog’s toys with extreme delight. It was a delightful end to a year of celebrations on one side and loss on the other. I saw it as a good omen.

Next week, I will share the many happy moments of the first half of 2015 with you. Thank you for reading my story. Please share it with family and friends who might enjoy my journey.

25 Years in Canada - The Year 2013 Part I

Fall Splendor, acrylic, 18" x 24, CAN $600

Blog 13


I started 2013 with a visit to the Frida and Diego exhibition a the Art Gallery of Ontario. I could relate to Frida Kahlo’s way of expressing her pain and feelings in her art. I could feel the rawness and strength of her emotions. Diego’s paintings, on the other hand, did not touch me at all.

My passionate response to Frida's art was possibly related to my worries about our daughter. She developed persisting headaches and dizziness followed by stomach problems that resulted in several trips to the children’s hospital. The doctors did not know what was wrong, as her test results did not show any abnormalities. We were extremely anxious.


We also worried that she would fall behind in school. On most days, Christine was in too much pain to go to school. Luckily, she had a great teacher who prepared material for her that she worked through whenever she felt well enough to concentrate.


While I worried about my daughter and our upcoming trip to Germany, I experienced an exciting success in my business: a former client bought four larger paintings at once.

Gentleman Smoking His Pipe, acrylic, 20" x 16", CAN $400

I needed the good news. I was disappointed about a recent commission. I had spent a lot of time creating a portrait for another client. I should have realized from the start that the project was doomed. The client had commissioned a painting of his late father using a reference photo of another artist’s black and white drawing. The drawing showed only the face and a hand with a pipe.


Creating a portrait is tricky. The image we have of a person might not at all be a reflection of the way someone sees himself or a loved one. In this particular case, I had not even seen the person or a photograph. I should have realized that this drawing was already an interpretation of the father’s image. Therefore, my painting was an interpretation of that drawing. The whole process was like whispering a message from one person to the next. Usually, the information deviates more and more from the original.

My client did not recognize his father in the portrait. I was disappointed but at least sold another painting to him. The failed artwork was a good exercise, but it is probably not a painting that I will ever sell.


Fortunately, I found lots of enjoyment in working with my private students. My adult painting student was very talented and hardly wanted to stop at the end of each class. My two German students and I shared lots of laughter.


At the beginning of March, my children and I finally sat on a plane to Germany, where we visited my relatives and friends. We also went on a short trip to Paris with my mother and sister, which left us with many unforgettable moments.


While I was in Germany, I received news that I had passed the first level for being accepted as a member of another gallery. I had to deliver samples of my work for further jurying. In the end, the jury rejected my application with devastating remarks. For weeks, I was so depressed that I wanted to stop painting forever. There were only two facts that saved me: another friend received similar remarks, and my urge to paint reappeared after the first shock had passed.


Back at home, Christine’s medical appointments continued. Despite all the pain and missed school and dance classes, she was still determined to finish her school year with high grades and participate in her dance competitions. She succeeded.

Cold Sunny Day, acrylic, 20″ x 26″, CAN $770

 At the end of April, I was one of the seven members of our plein air group exhibiting “Seven Artistic Visions” at the Wall Space Gallery in Orleans. It was exciting to be part of the group with fellow artists Janis Fulton, Hélène Martin, Lucie Leclerc, Malcolm Cowell, Robert Murrell, and one of my former teachers, John Alexander Day. 

Less than a months later, Janis and I went to paint at the Tulip Festival to warm up for our painting trip in the Whitewater region with Hélène. The three of us spent a couple of days at our cottage, where we went out every day to paint the spring landscape with our friend Bill. 

I Can Smell the Lilac, oil, 8" x 10", CAN $250

These days were my last retreat before a couple of hectic weeks of soccer tournaments, dance recitals and exhibitions. I had a solo show at Lunasole Restaurant in Orleans. Two of my paintings were on display at the Shenkman Arts Centre in Orleans during the Arteast exhibition “Cumberland Museum – En Plein Air”. Then, I participated in the Navan Art Exhibition and Sale, where I sold three paintings.

The Vegetable Garden, oil, 11" x 14, CAN $375

To re-energize, I spent a day with members of Arteast Ottawa in Montreal, where we visited the breathtaking Chihuly exhibition. I could not get enough from the bright colours and shapes of the fantastic installations. What exceptional art!

 

Soon, a new opportunity arose: The Plein Air Ensemble organizers wanted to pass on the torch. My friend Hélène asked me whether I was interested in working with her. The prospect of scouting out new venues and organizing the trips for the group was as tempting as the prospect of cheaper trips. At the end of June, we made our first discovery trip to the Maniwaki area. It was fun to spend time together and also a good practice of my French skills.


Next week, I will let you look at the exciting second half of 2013. If you like my stories, please share my blog with family and friends.

25 Year in Canada - The Year 2008

French Hill School House, acrylic 16" x 20"

 Blog 5

2008, was an exciting year in my art career that also brought many disappointments. At the beginning of the year, I had less time to paint due to my work schedule. At least, I still managed to go to the bi-weekly life drawing sessions. I was disappointed that I was not able to join my new painting friends regularly. I felt like an outsider again, when I found out that the others were in the process of opening a community gallery.

My parents and husband still considered my art an unimportant hobby. They did not understand how necessary painting was for me. I continued to have a hard time to convince them that it was something I had to do.

When I was in a good mood, I was sure I would convince my doubters. At other times, I was frustrated about the lack of support and ready to pull away from my painting buddies and bury my love for painting.

Right after I finished work at the daycare at the beginning of March, my children and I flew to Germany. I love spending March in Germany, where the climate is mild enough that the spring flowers are already blooming. During the trip, my mother and I visited the special exhibition “Impressionistinnen”, female impressionists. The works were breathtaking. All the more, I was so saddened to find out about Marie Bracquemond’s decision to stop painting pressured by her husband. I comprehended her feelings too well, and it left devastating.

At the beginning of April, I was disappointed that the Visual Arts Centre had cancelled all its art courses for restructuring. At the same time, our painting buddies group hardly met anymore. One organizer had decided that she preferred painting in her studio and was also looking for work, which was very upsetting. I lost not only my painting friend but also my walking buddy.

On the positive side, I became part of the board of the community gallery. Decisions closer to the opening revealed some discrepancies in the vision and resulted in some resignments.

We were busy getting everything ready for the big opening vernissage of Galerie de la Rive in Rockland on May 25, 2008. It was a lot of work, but we were proud of our accomplishments. The gallery in the Jardin Belle Rive retirement home looked great. We had managed to invite some very talented artists to participate. All the activities prevented us from painting.

St Pascal Barn, acrylic, 20" x 16"

It was only after the vernissage that I finally went painting with my painting buddies again. We met at a farm in St. Pascal, and I was not inspired at all. Once I felt the fresh air and heard the sounds of nature, I was excited, even though I had to fight with the wind blowing against my big canvas. When the sun finally emerged, I had a hard time putting the paints onto my canvas before they were dry. It was frustrating. I decided to bring my oil paints for the next outing.

 

Dreaming of Spring, acrylic, 15 3/4" x 15 3/4"

Due to our upcoming exhibition at the Galerie Old Chelsea, we painted mostly old buildings. While I love old barns, I was not too crazy about the theme. Instead, after finishing another dog portrait, I knew my real passion: creating pet paintings.

Once the school holidays started, my painting days hit a pause. We had a Spanish language student and one of my friends with her two sons visiting us for July.

Standing Proud, acrylic, 16" x 20"

In August, we went for our very first family vacation to a cottage. We had gone a couple of times to Germany. There, we always had a tight visiting programme to see friends and relatives instead of spending time as a family. This time, we had a lot of fun while hiking and swimming. I even found time to create my “Standing Proud” painting for the next Arteast exhibition with the theme “Trees”. The jury rejected the artwork. The high number of submissions had made it necessary to pick paintings that showed more than one tree. I was devastated.

 

Colours of Muskoka, acrylic, 16" x 20"

While I was at the cottage, I also created an abstract painting by chance. When I wanted to tint my next canvas with my leftover paints, an abstract painting emerged that excited me.

Strutting, acrylic, 16" x 20"

From August 7 to 28, 2008, we held our painting buddies group exhibition “Heritage” at Galerie Old Chelsea. It looked fantastic, but only one artist sold a painting. We were all quite disappointed. At least, I was proud of one of my fellow artist’s praise for “The White House” and “Strutting”.

 

The White House, acrylic, 11" x 14"

Even after our kids went back to school, I hardly found time to paint. I worked on the board of our gallery and as the new webmistress of the Ottawa Art Association. As my husband had created the new website, it made sense that the association asked me to upload the content and maintain the website. It was a very time-intensive task. In November, I also went back to work at the daycare for a month.

If you would like to know how I turned things around in 2009, I invite you to follow my journey in two weeks.