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Friday 28 June 2019

My June Art Projects



Blog 22, June 28, 2019

After a week at the cottage with two friends, I feel energized and refreshed. As the friends who stayed with me this time were not painters, I created only some watercolour and pencil sketches and focused on my felting projects instead.




I also created a paper mosaic greeting card of a sunflower for my August 4, 2019, Art Cafe. Please check the information on my website at https://www.kerstinpeters.ca/product/art-cafe-paper-mosaic.

For the final weeks of my "Cartooning & Comics" classes at François Dupuis Recreation Centre, I created Detective Pikachu and the first scene for another comic. The next courses will start in September. Aside from “Cartooning & Comics” courses, I will also offer a mixed media course for children.





Before my vacation week, I used my time at the Ottawa Little to create some sketches during the play of “Mending Fences”. As we had to switch days again, I was sitting in row G instead of row A, and I could hardly see my sketchbook. Therefore, I reworked the sketches of the characters a little bit at home.





During the Gauguin Portrait Exhibition at the National Gallery in Ottawa, visitors were encouraged to create their own self-portrait with oil pastels and coloured pencils. I was certainly up for the challenge and had a great time creating my little self-portrait that is featured at the top of this blog.


It took me much longer than I expected to finish my 11'' x 8.5" felted yellow and pink tulips artwork, and I picked up a larger felted piece of lilies again that I had started two years ago. They are not finished yet, but I made great progress.






I also created two felted balls with colours that I enjoyed. The make lovely decorations. I will create a corresponding workshop for the fall that will be perfect for all levels.






For the for my painting demonstration at the 10th Anniversary Block Party on June 14, 2019, at the Shenkman Arts Centre I had prepared the block-in of colours for a painting that is based on a photo from the trip from Toronto to Vancouver that my husband and I took in the spring of 1995. During the event, I managed to progress well with the painting, but it still needs some work. It was a lot of fun working alongside the other artists and interacting with the public. I am so glad that I was able to participate. Thank you to those of you who stopped for a chat.





I am looking forward to finally having some time to go plein air painting. As most of my painting buddies are retired, they are also very busy. It is getting hard to get together for painting outings. However, I am part of the Ottawa Plein Air Adventurers, and their first plein air outing is planned for July 4 to the lovely Mer Bleue Bog. I am looking forward to it and hope the weather will cooperate.

If you would like to bring some more art into your life, please check out my website www.KerstinPeters.ca for my summer workshops and new artwork.

Happy Canada Day to all my Canadian readers! Have a wonderful long weekend!

 

Friday 21 June 2019

Block-free Week

Just a Touch of Red, oil, 8" x 10"

I wish you a wonderful sunny week. I am spending this week at the cottage and will entertain you with a new blog next Friday.

Friday 14 June 2019

A Tourist in Your Own Town



Spring in Ottawa, acrylic, 11" x 14"

Blog 21

At the end of May, I took a couple of days of vacation to spend time with four good friends from Germany. We had a great time together, and I enjoyed being a tourist in my own town.

Tulip Festival, acrylic, 14" x 11"
I am sure that I am not the only one who has all these plans to go sightseeing in my own town but never actually goes until company arrives. As my first two friends arrived just in time for the long Victoria Day weekend, we started our sightseeing programme with a trip to the Ottawa Tulip Festival at Commissioners Park. It had rained during the day and the temperatures were rather cool so that the park was not too overcrowded with people. We could see all the beautiful flower beds and later in the evening enjoyed the fireworks over Dow’s Lake without people blocking the view.

It was my friends’ first visit to Canada, and they wanted to try some typical Canadian food. We were at the right spot: First, we shared poutine, then the traditional BeaverTail. While we relished the food, I am glad that we shared the orders as I am not used to eating dishes that sit so heavily on the stomach.

The following day, we continued our exploration of the city with a stroll through the Byward Market area and Major Hill’s Park. From Nepean Point behind the National Gallery, we had a great view towards the Parliament buildings, the flooding of the Ottawa River, and the Canadian Museum of History.

While I had to go back to work, my friends spent some time discovering parts of Ontario by themselves on their way to Niagara Falls and Toronto.

Drawing of the sculpture "Friends"
Once they were back, we went to the serene Humanics Institute Sculpture Park in Cumberland where we enjoyed the peaceful surroundings only as long as we kept moving. Otherwise, the mosquitoes tried to get as much blood from us as possible, even though the warm clothing that we still needed due to the cold wind, gave us a certain amount of protection. Just in time for lunch, the sun came out and we enjoyed a lovely lunch outside on the patio at Cafe Latte Cino in Orleans. Reinvigorated, we walked on the boardwalk of the Mer Bleue Bog that was surprisingly busy for a weekday. Two young musicians had chosen the bog as the setting for a music video that they were filming that afternoon.

Once my other friends joined us, we spent another two days exploring downtown Ottawa with the help of the “Hop On – Hop Off” Double Decker buses. Warm clothing was still advisable but on the first day, temperatures rose sufficiently so that we could enjoy a lovely lunch on a patio in the Byward Market area while watching the big commotion of police presence and street closures when the convoy with U.S. Vice-President Mike Pence passed.

The second day, we headed out with the bus again but moved from the upper deck to the inside of the bus very quickly because it was so cold. We visited the grounds of Rideau Hall but were not able to go into the building due to an official event. Instead, we spent quite some time in the Byward Market area, looking at street art and the many small shops in the area.

During the time with my friends, I discovered some beautiful spots and can hardly wait to bring my sketching equipment to draw some exciting new sites. I also want to make more time to explore further local areas without postponing it until the next guests come for a visit. Do you enjoy being a visitor in your own town or do you only go sightseeing when you have company? I hope my blog is motivating you to go out and check out your beautiful neighbourhood. I am sure you will find little treasures that you never realized before.












Friday 7 June 2019

Block-free Week

I Can Smell the Lilac, oil , 8" x 10"




Have a great week and enjoy the sunshine! I hope you will make time to smell the amazing lilac bushes that are blooming right now. I will be back with a new blog next Friday.