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.

The Gift of Art

 

Blog 33

Remembrance Day is at the beginning of next week. On the radio, you already hear the first Christmas advertisements. Each weekend, art and craft shows are competing for visitors. There, you can find many gifts for all kinds of tastes and budgets. You will see beautiful art and might be wondering if an artwork makes a good gift.

When we consider gifts for our loved ones, we want to give presents that create excitement. However, figuring out the perfect gift is sometimes quite difficult, even when we know the other persons' interests.

Many people resort to giving gift cards to avoid the hassle of searching for the perfect gift. Gift cards are convenient but very impersonal.

On the other hand, a special gift creates genuine excitement and happiness. Choosing a piece of art is a very personal decision. It says a lot about you and how you see and value the other person.

If you decide to buy an artwork, you can find very nice pieces from emerging artists at very reasonable prices. The increasing number of online galleries makes it even easier to buy art in all price categories from the comfort of your home. However, pay attention to the recipients' tastes as well as to their hobbies and lifestyle. Do they love pets, enjoy nature, or music? Look around their home to see what kind of art they like as well as their style and favourite colours.

If you are lucky, you might be present when your family member or friend shows interest in an artwork. In this case, pick up the artist's business card or name and the title of the work in question. Then, you can arrange the sale, and if necessary the delivery, with the artist or gallery. Pay attention to the retailer's return policies. Make sure that the work is ready to hang, or include a gift certificate for framing so the recipient can enjoy the gift without having to spend extra money.

Make your gift even more personal with a note that explains your choice. Maybe, there is a story behind the purchase of that particular painting, like a place you visited together, or the fact that the painting reminded you of something in the other person's life.

If you are unsure about your loved ones' taste and interest in art, you might consider visiting a museum together. Once you know what you are looking for, you can go to a gallery for help. However, if you decide that you want to leave the choice to the recipient, get a gift certificate from a gallery or an artist. This way, your family member or friend can even decide to commission a work that is truly unique and personal.

If you are looking for ideas, I invite you to make an appointment with me by sending an email to info@KerstinPeters.ca. I offer a variety of artworks in different mediums as well as gift cards for workshops and artwork. I will gladly answer any questions you might have. Please notice that my studio will be closed from December 1, 2019, to January 5, 2020, due to my trip to Germany.

Artists Inspired by Animals

Blog 23

Since we adopted our first dog in January 1996, our animal companions have not only enriched my life but have also been an inspiration in my creative career. Once we moved into a rural neighbourhood, farm animals and wildlife have been added to the list of animal subject that I have painted.

Animals with their beauty and cuteness, give us a view into a happy life without obligations and regrets. They live for the moment and do not worry about the next day. Paintings and photographs of animals make us remember our own pets, encounters with animals in our life, and our longing for balance in our lives that are often determined by chores and deadlines.

Animals have always fascinated artists. The first cave paintings already showed images of wildlife. However, for a long time animals paintings were not considered serious art because of their lack of creativity even when the were executed with great skill.

When I am thinking of artists who included animals into their artworks, several names come to my mind right away:

George Stubbs: Whistlejacket, via Wikimedia Commons

The English painter George Stubbs is famous for his horse paintings. He is considered one of the best if not the best painter of horses. He paved the way for the acceptance of animal paintings as serious., His painting “Whistlejacket” is a strong example for his mastery.

Albrecht Dürer: Feldhase (Young Hare), via Wikimedia Commons

German artist Albrecht Dürer's studies of animals and plants helped to establish illustrations as fine art. The liveliness of the hare in his painting “A Young Hare” is testimony to the energy and joy Dürer put into the painting.

 

 

German painter Franz Marc portrayed many animals in bright primary color, sometimes in a cubist style. He simplified the animals and wanted to express emotion with his use of colours.

Franz Marc: Die kleinen blauen Pferde (The Little Blue Horses), via Wikimedia Commons

Spanish artist Pablo Picasso was a big animal lover and had several animals as pets during his life. The bull is one of the animals that appeared quite often in his art. Often it had symbolic character but Picasso left it to the viewer to interpret his message.

Spanish surrealist painter Salvador Dalí used many animals for their the symbolism in his paintings, among them elephants, ants, butterflies, and locusts.

Mexican painter Frida Kahlo de Rivera did not only live with many animals but also included them in many of her self-portraits. 

Canadian painter Alex Colville had a close relationship with his dogs. He enjoyed their companionship, unquestioned loyalty and love. He saw animals as innocent creatures by nature, that only humans could train to be evil. In his paintings, the animals were either shown as men’s close companions or omens of bad things to come.

Canadian painter Robert Bateman is famous for his realistic paintings of wildlife in its natural surroundings. He is a strong supporter for the protection of nature.

Native artists like Canadian painter Norval Morrisseau express the important role animals play in the lives of aboriginal and first nations people in their paintings. The animals do not only provide food for the people but also have spirits similar to people. The goal of many native artists was to keep the stories and traditions of their people alive.

Andy Warhol, one of the leading artists of the pop art, did also have a big heart for animals and created many artworks containing animals as the subject, including a set of rainbow silkscreens that showed the horrifying numbers of near-extinct animals around the world.

When I did research for this blog, I was surprised to see how many animals appeared in paintings of other famous artists. Unfortunately, I am not able to post more pictures of the artworks as they are still secured by copyright.

If you are interested in my portfolio of animals, please go to my website www.KerstinPeters.ca. At the moment, I am almost finished with a commission of a ragdoll cat. When I showed the painting to the customer at an earlier stage she was so excited to see her cat on the canvas. This excitement is really contagious and I can hardly wait to deliver the finished painting to her. It will be a moment of joy for both of us. If you are interested in having your pet painted please contact me at kpeters@domingoinformatics.ca.