25 Years in Canada - January to August 2020

By The River, acrylic, 14" x 11", CAN $375

Blog 27



I started 2020 with a wonderful vacation at the cottage. It was great to recharge after the time in Germany. I always cherish the time there with family and friends, but it is not a relaxing vacation. I usually have a full schedule to see as many people as possible. Having some quiet days before going back to the daily routine was precious. Nothing indicated that our lives would drastically in a short time.

The first workshop I hosted was a vision board workshop with an enthusiastic group of women. We all had our visions and goals mapped out for an exciting year. I wonder how many of us had to revise our plans when physical isolation started. I still have my board up and intend to reach all my intentions by the end of next year.

Next came my first felted painting workshop. We had a lovely time creating a beautiful winter sunset while the rain was pouring down outside.

For the 10th-anniversary of the Navan Fine Art Exhibition and Sale, I created drawings that the students of the Heritage Public School would colour to commemorate the history of Navan, Ontario. 

some paintings of the Winter Inspiration exhibition

 

On January 13, my daughter and I hung some of my felted paintings at the François Dupuis Recreation Centre for the Arteast Winter Inspiration show.

Two of my art courses at François Dupuis Recreation Centre ran at capacity. The two others also had a solid number of participants. I enjoyed sharing my passion and nurturing the creative seeds of the children.

I continued offering the monthly Art Cafes and painting parties and had an exciting schedule for the spring session.

On February 3, our Navan group arranged a display of our artworks in the Shenkman Arts Centre to advertise our 10th-anniversary show. A couple of days later, I delivered my painting Evening Glow for the Arteast Promenade exhibition Winter Inspiration.

Fishing Huts at Petrie Island, 8" x 10", oil, CAN $250

 

I taught fewer German classes during the winter semester, which allowed me to meet my painting buddies more often. Our first get-together was at the National Gallery, followed by a painting session at my house. In February, we managed to paint at Petrie Island, our first winter outing in years. It was so peaceful to be outside. For me, it also was the first time to paint with oil paints in over two years. It took some adjusting, but I enjoyed the way I could blend the colours. The last meeting was in early March when we set up at the side of the road and painted some trees after the barn we wanted to paint was blocked by snow.

some paintings of the Emotions and Moods exhibition

 

On the evening of March 12, after a visit to a local art store, my daughter and I hung some of my paintings for the Emotions and Moods Arteast exhibition at the St. Laurent Complex. News about the closure of schools after the March break in Ontario due to the COVID pandemic emerged and created fears of further closures. Christine and I decided to make a quick stop at a big grocery store to get dog food. What we saw there was a similar scene. Lines to the cash registers went to the far back of the store. Shelves were empty. Some people had two carts stacked to the top with groceries. Even though we had been encouraged to buy emergency provisions for a couple of weeks, most people seemed to have put it off. You could feel the panic in the air.

While people worried about the pandemic, I was more concerned with the declining strength of our beloved almost 15-year-old Australian Shepherd, Alex. On the morning of March 14, I found Alex in the middle of a seizure. After a couple of minutes, Alex recovered and was ready for food. I, on the other hand, was beside myself. I was extremely distressed that we would need to euthanize Alex without us by his side. For the next couple of months, I would shed many tears while Alex got weaker and weaker. Nevertheless, he also taught me a lesson about enjoying life until the last minute.

Our lives started changing rapidly. Everything started to close down on March 16, 2020. I am sure nobody imagined that workplaces, education, recreational and cultural facilities would close for months worldwide. It seemed unthinkable that we would have to stay away from everyone outside our households. While I have missed the cultural outings, the physical isolation from family and friends has been challenging.

To help others and myself find creative ways to reduce stress, I created online workshops. During the next couple of months, I worked more than ever before. Luckily, most of my German classes were already virtual before the pandemic. My work schedule helped me create a routine, which was difficult for many people who were home without work.

The Old Stone House, Mallorca, watercolour on paper, 9" x 12", NFS

I also looked to connect with others. With a group of my language school friends, I have met weekly since April 2020. For my painting buddies, I have scheduled weekly Zoom meetings. At first, we only chatted, then we started painting and drawing a new image together every week. I also joined the New York City Urban Sketchers' Virtual Sketching events that were much fun. I also connected with a group of international artists for weekly video chats to discuss how to adapt.

Let's Draw What's in your Fridge

 

I extended the Crafters Afternoon to 90 minutes and offered free Art & Craft workshops on Saturdays. I added a new drawing workshop called Let's Draw What's in your Fridge.

The limitations of online technology created new challenges. I had to figure out how to adapt the in-person teaching to the two-dimensional world of video calls. My students were flexible to the adjustments we had to make along the way. I liked that I could reach people from around the world, but I missed the personal interactions. Later in the summer, the virtual platforms helped me give art classes to group homes in the Greater Toronto Area. This collaboration is still ongoing and very meaningful for all parties. I also reached other new clients in other parts of Canada and the United States.

To differentiate my German courses from other online offers, I combined my art and German teaching skills to develop my Learn German Through Art programme. I created my own course book and additional learning materials. As a result, my new students had more fun and memorized new material much faster when they drew small sketches during each lesson.

 

After Alex had his seizure, the urgency of finishing my three-dimensional felted version of him increased. When I did not take a course to transform my business for the new reality, updated my website and marketing, I felted my dog. However, the project progressed slowly, as Alex did not shed much anymore.

Alex, dog fur, wool, air-dry clay, glass eyes

Finally, at the end of June, my painting buddies and I met for the first time outside. The four of us spread far apart in Cumberland Village and painted some old houses. It was fun even though we felt rusty.

As I was the principal caregiver for Alex, I avoided being away from him, concentrating on making the most of the cherished time. However, I still reached out to other entrepreneurs for collaborations and support. I applied for an interview with the power duo Leigh Shenton and Paula Telizyn. It was a challenge to be in the spotlight, but I was proud of taking the initiative. You can watch the interview at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z6jiGOP0IeA.

I learned a lot about myself and in my business during the past years. In two weeks, on the 25th anniversary of becoming a landed immigrant, I will comment on my decision about my immigration and the life I created for myself. Thanks for your interest in my story.