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Friday 24 December 2021

Art Advent Calendar - Part IV

Despite my accident, I finished my Art Advent Calendar. Here is the last part of the review of my 2021 artworks. My art helped me through another challenging year. May creative projects enable you to express your joys and troubles.

 

Day 18 of the Advent Calendar:


Nature’s Mirror, wool, 11” x 8.5”

Nature’s Mirror, wool, 11” x 8.5”
 
As I continued to felt all the images of my 2020 landscape calendar, it was the turn of another fall image with tree reflections in a bay of the Ottawa River. Even though I love the warmth and long days of summer, I cannot get enough of the breathtaking fall colours.
 
 
 
Advent Calendar Day 19:
 

The Rock, acrylic, 8” x 10”, CAN $250

The Rock, acrylic, 8” x 10”, CAN $250
 
This painting is from the 2019 Plein Air Ensemble fall painting trip to Lake Clear in Eganville. On October 6, the forecast showed a high probability of rain. In the afternoon, the sky got very dark. We had our lunch break and waited for the rain, but it stayed dry. Finally, we headed out to a side road, where I set up in front of a big rock. We had assumed that it was a quiet road, but many cars, an ATV and even a group of hikers passed us. It was almost 4:30 pm when the rain finally started. At first, I did not even notice it because I was so immersed in my painting. However, it was clear that the rain system had reached us. We had to pack in our painting equipment.
 
This fall, I finally found my way back into the painting and finished it once I used painting knives to add some texture.



Advent Calendar Day 20:
 

Fall Splendor, wool and embroidery thread, 11.75” x 9”


Fall Splendor, wool and embroidery thread, 11.75” x 9”
 
I got stuck while working on this needle felted painting. After taking a break for a couple of months, I finally finished the challenging fall landscape with trees reflecting in a lake. To create a more interesting foreground, I added embroidery thread for the grasses in the foreground.
 
My goal for this year was to recreate all the images of my 2020 landscape calendar. I was very close to achieving this goal when my accident put me in the hospital.  
 
 
 
Advent Calendar Day 21:
 

Big Rock, Lake Clear, acrylic, 8” x 10”, $250

Big Rock, Lake Clear, acrylic, 8” x 10”, $250
 
This painting is also from the Plein Air Ensemble trip to Lake Clear in Eganville in October 2019. Many painters in the area have painted the rock that is truly impressive in its size. 
 
I was with my friends Hélène and Janis when I painted Big Rock. It was a very windy day, but in the sunshine, temperatures rose to 15 degrees. We had so much fun that we did not mind that we were late for Happy Hour that day.



Advent Calendar Day 22: 
 

Flaming Tree, acrylic on board, 11" x 14", CAN $375

Flaming Tree, acrylic on board, 11" x 14", CAN $375
 
I created this fall painting during a painting class with the participants of the group homes. I signed it afterwards, but somehow I was not satisfied with the outcome, especially with the sky. I found it too busy. A couple of months later, I picked the painting up again and made some changes, as you can see. I am happy with the result this time.
 
I post both images so that you can see the differences for yourself. The second one is the finished painting.
 
 
Flaming Tree, acrylic on board, 11" x 14", Stage 1

 
 
 
Advent Calendar Day 23:
 

Felting with Vegan Fibres
 
Felting with Vegan Fibres
 
I had hoped to present one more new felted painting, but I did not finish the last piece yesterday. I will show you my new felted artwork to you next week.
 
Instead, I want to emphasize that we have to keep exploring and learning new things to grow. This year, I learned a lot about vegan fibres. Even though I love needle felting with wool, this option is not suitable for everyone. Therefore, I experimented with a couple of vegan fibres. If you want to learn more about my experience, check out my November blogs.
 
 
 
Advent Calendar Day 24:
 

The Pink Rose, wool, 7.5" x 7", $380

The Pink Rose, wool, 7.5" x 7", $380
 
I felted a version of the rose that we also picked as one of the images for our Painting Buddies meetings. While the original pre-felted background cloth was only 6" x 6", I wanted to enlarge the artwork to give the rose more space. I achieved this by adding another piece of pre-felted material that I attached by densely covering the top with wool roving.
 
I picked the image today because it reminds me of the popular German Christmas song Es ist ein Ros entsprungen. The English version is called Lo, how a rose e'er blooming. There are two explanations for the symbolism of the rose. It is either a symbol for the Virgin Mary (catholic church) or Jesus (protestant church).
 

 

I am back home after my bad accident. I am still bedridden. I have to concentrate on my healing for the upcoming weeks. Therefore, I will postpone all further courses until I walk again, at least until February. I will also take a break from publishing my newsletter, blog, and regular posts on Facebook until the second week of January.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!
 
Thank you for reading my blog. I hope my posts about art inspired you to express your creativity.
 
I wish you joyful holidays surrounded by loved ones. Enjoy the time together, celebrating the joys with gratitude.

 

Monday 20 December 2021

Art Advent Calendar - Part III



If you wondered what happened to the blog last Friday, I had a bad fall that landed me in the hospital. I will do my best to finish the Advent Calendar in time. Please have patience if you contact me. I will try to answer emails as soon as possible. However, my recovery is the number one priority. Here are the days 11 - 17 of the Advent Calendar.


Advent Calendar Day 11:

Summer at Mer Bleue, wool, 8.5” x 11.75”

 Summer at Mer Bleue, wool, 8.5” x 11.75”, custom-matted, CAN $400

 
I recreated my acrylic painting Summer at Mer Bleue, which was challenging because of the dominance of greens. Mer Bleue Bog is in the East of Ottawa, Ontario. This scene is from the boardwalk through the bog with a stunning variety of plants. 


Have you ever been to a bog before? Summer is not a great time to visit because of all the mosquitoes and horseflies. However, the landscape is breathtaking at any season.



Advent Calendar Day 12:

A Single Sunflower, acrylic, 12” x 24”, CAN $450

A Single Sunflower, acrylic, 12” x 24”, CAN $450

 
On the September long weekend, I spent time painting the only sunflower in our garden. All the ones my husband had planted did not survive, but the single one that grew from a seed that the birds had dropped inspired me to create this year’s sunflower painting. 


Sunflowers always make me think of my mother because they are her favourite flower. I always feel close to her when sunflowers surround me. This year, even more than at any other time, I needed to feel the connection while painting because it has been almost two years since I last saw her and my father.



Advent Calendar Day 13:

A Single Sunflower, wool, embroidery thread, 9” x 12”, CAN $400

A Single Sunflower, wool, embroidery thread, 9” x 12”, CAN $400

 
I started the felted version of the sunflower later than the acrylic painting with the same title (see Day 12). However, the easy access to the wool with no cleanup makes it easier to work on the needle felted artwork, whether for a long or short time. Therefore, I finished this painting first.



Advent Calendar Day 14:

Ottawa River, Whitewater Region, wool, 11.75” x 9”, CAN $ 400

Ottawa River, Whitewater Region, wool, 11.75” x 9”, CAN $ 400

 
I had a lot of fun with this river scene that I had already captured a couple of years ago in my acrylic painting with the same title. I love the three-dimensional impression of the rocks.
Is there not something fascinating about rushing water?



Advent Calendar Day 15:

Low Tide at the Monadnock, Route de la Grève, acrylic, 11” x 14”, CAN $375

Low Tide at the Monadnock, Route de la Grève, acrylic, 11” x 14”, CAN $375

 
I finally finished the painting from the September 2019 trip to Kamouraska. The scene is from the site of our favourite monadnock. We have returned to the place on each of our trips. It is one of our most visited spots to paint and have lunch.


I love the light colour of the rocks in contrast to the purple foreground with the algae and seagrasses. It is a great spot to walk around, but every time, it amazes me how fast the tide comes back in again.


Advent Calendar Day 16:

Flamboyance, wool, 9” x 12”, custom-matted, CAN $400

Flamboyance, wool, 9” x 12”, custom-matted, CAN $400

 
This year, I also recreated my acrylic painting Blushing Sunset in wool. I used the beautiful colours of wool rovings that I had ordered. It was exciting to build up the image layer by layer.



Advent Calendar Day 17:

Variety of 2021 Watercolour Paintings

 

2021 Watercolour Paintings

Instead of the needle felted painting I wanted to feature on Day 17, I post a collage with the best of my 2021 watercolour paintings from the Zoom meetings with my Painting Buddies. Usually, I did not finish the artwork during our one-hour session. I continued the work after the meeting.

For the past two years, I have created more watercolour paintings. The paints are easy to carry and clean up. I love how fast I can cover the different areas of my paper and find them very useful for sketching.



Please send me an email to info@KerstinPeters.ca if you are interested in purchasing the artwork. The shipping fee is calculated depending on the destination.

Friday 10 December 2021

Art Advent Calendar - Part II



Welcome to my blog. For the remainder of 2021, I present you with a review of twenty-four of my artworks included in the 2021 Advent Calendar. If you cannot wait for the weekly summary, I invite you to visit my Facebook page. I will publish a new Advent calendar post every day at 10 am.


All artworks are for sale. The shipping fee will be added depending on the destination. For more information, contact me at info@KerstinPeters.ca. You can pay by e-transfer, credit card or PayPal.

 

Advent Calendar Day 4:

 

Rural Village Houses, acrylic, 8” x 16”, CAN $350


Rural Village Houses, acrylic on board, unframed, 8” x 16”, CAN $350

I started this painting last year on the very first outing with my painting buddies. It was the first meeting after the first COVID lockdown. I always wanted to paint these colourful houses in our rural Cumberland Village. However, I struggled so much while I was on location that I do not consider the painting a plein air work.

When I finally continued the painting, I saw the image appear clearer stroke by stroke. After struggling with the right green for the left house, I concentrated on the blue one and the surroundings. Suddenly, I was able to mix exactly the colour I had in mind.

Once I had my house painted, the rest started to flow easier. I am happy with the result.



Advent Calendar Day 5:

 

Along the Rideau Canal, wool, 9.5" x 11.5", CAN $400

 

Along the Rideau Canal, wool, 9.5" x 11.5", custom-matted, CAN $400

I was very excited to create the felted version of my acrylic painting which had been challenging. Creating the felted version, I had the advantage that I had a clear picture of the composition.

This time, I had no problems with the reflections in the water. However, I struggled with the cherry tree and the fir trees on the right side for a long time.

It is always fascinating to compare the different mediums and the effects I can create with them.



Advent Calendar Day 6:

Spring in Ottawa, 11.75” x 9”, CAN $400

 

Spring in Ottawa, wool, 11.75” x 9”, custom-matted, CAN $400

Spring in Ottawa is my first felted painting that contains a couple of buildings. If you are from the Ottawa area, you can surely recognize the building on the left. It took a long time to finish the details of this piece. I left some of the buildings in the background out in the felted version because the painting got too busy.



Advent Calendar Day 7:

 

Three Red Tulips, acrylic, 10” x 8”, CAN $250


Three Red Tulips, acrylic on board, 10” x 8”, unframed, CAN $250

As I could not paint the tulips at the Canadian Tulip Festival for the second year, I set myself up in our front yard and painted these three red tulips. It felt so good to be painting outside. It also made me realize how much my confidence has increased when I paint where others can see me. I can still remember when it felt very uncomfortable painting in a public place because I worried about other people's judgment.

While I was painting my tulips, people passed with their cars or walked by with their dogs. Those who stopped complimented my painting. Usually, people don’t judge us as harshly as we critique ourselves. They are in awe that we put ourselves into the spotlight. They admire our talents, thinking that they could never do the same, even if we are not satisfied with the outcome.



Advent Calendar Day 8:


Primadonna, wool, 11.75” x 9”, CAN $400

 

Primadonna, wool, 11.75” x 9”, custom-matted, CAN $400

 
Once the first flowers peeked out of the ground, I started a tulip painting. The yellow tulip in the front is the primadonna. The others have important roles as supporting actors.

It was not easy to create the illusion of separate pedals. In general, I find it helps if I already spend time with the composition of a piece in a previous painting. This image I did not paint before. However, I feel tempted to create an acrylic painting with the same reference photo to observe the diverse challenges I experience with the different mediums.



Advent Calendar Day 9:

 

The Pair, wool, 11,75” x 9”, CAN $400

The Pair, wool, 11,75” x 9”, custom-matted, CAN $400

Sorting through my photos, I found the image of the two irises I took at the Ornamental Gardens in Ottawa. I was immediately inspired to create the image in wool. It took a long time for the final details. However, my timing was perfect as the irises in my garden were blooming when I finished the piece.




Advent Calendar Day 10:



Daring to be Different, wool and acrlic fibre, 10" x 11.75", CAN $400


Daring to be Different, wool and acrlic fibre, 10" x 11.75", custom-matted, CAN $400


This year, I was especially attracted to flowers. The pure beauty and bright colours of flowers cheer me up when I feel overwhelmed by all the negativity in our society.

I had taken the photo of the flower at the Ottawa Ornamental gardens a couple of years earlier. This bloom fascinated me because it was the only one with a couple of purple petals on a peony with otherwise white flowers. I have used the photo already for the second time. The first time, I created a square acrylic painting of the subject.


Have a great week! I will post the following seven artworks next Friday.



 

Friday 3 December 2021

Art Advent Calendar 2021 - Part I

 


It's the time of year again. On December 1, many children (and some adults) started to open their Advent calendars to count the days of Advent in anticipation of Christmas. In the beginning, the doors of the Advent calendars hid images related to Christmas. Nowadays, you find them with chocolates or other sweets, little toys, and gifts from beauty products to jewellery.



When I was a child, I could hardly wait for December 1 as this was the day that my mother put up the Advent calendar. She had made it herself, and for every day, there was a treat hanging on a small hoop. The date of the first Sunday of Advent can be anywhere between November 27 and December 3, as the first Advent is on the fourth Sunday before Christmas. However, most Advent calendars start on December 1. Therefore, I will present you with one artwork from 2021 for each day until Christmas Eve, which falls on a Friday this year - right in time with my blog. If you cannot wait for the weekly summary, I invite you to visit my Facebook page. I will publish a new Advent calendar post every day at 10 am.


As I have focused on needle felting this year, most of the artworks are needle felted paintings. Enjoy my daily review. If you want to purchase an artwork, send me a DM for details.


If you want to buy any of the artworks listed with a price, please send me an email to info@KerstinPeters.ca. You can pay by e-transfer, credit card or PayPal. The shipping fee is added according to your destination.



Advent Calendar Day 1:


Breaking the Ice, wool, 9.75” x 11.75”, CAN $400


Breaking the Ice, wool, 9.75” x 11.75”, custom-matted, CAN $400
When I looked through my old photos, I could not resist creating a needle felted painting of this subject. It had already inspired me to paint the 16” x 20” painting of the same title. I enjoyed the process of layering the wool and seeing the image come to life.



Advent Calendar Day 2:
 
 
Still Life with Green Pears, wool, 9” x 12”, CAN $400

 

Still Life with Green Pears, wool, 9” x 12”, custom-matted, CAN $400
I do not create many still lifes. However, in the winter, when it is often too cold to paint outside, a still life setup is an inspiring alternative. I like the contrast of the fresh green with the dark blue and white of the tablecloth.

 

 Advent Calendar Day 3:

 

Evening Glow, wool, 11.75” x 9”, CAN $400


Evening Glow, wool, 11.75” x 9”, custom-matted, CAN $400

I love sunsets in any season, but on frigid winter evenings, you see lots of breathtaking pinks and purples. This painting has a warm feeling despite the snow on the ground. It was one of the most dramatic winter sunsets I have ever witnessed.



Next week, I will post the next seven images. I would love to hear what your favourite artwork is. Have a wonderful second Advent weekend!