From Isolation to Connection: The Power of Collaboration

Gift for a Painting Buddy's birthday,
Robert Murrell, Janis Fulton, Kerstin Peters, 2025

Blog 10



Building Connections in a New Country

When I arrived in Canada, I realized quickly I had to get out of my comfort zone and leave the house to build connections. I could not rely on my husband, who spent most of his days at work or my family and friends in Germany, who were thousands of kilometres away. 

Joining several organizations and getting to know more people was the first step in building connections, but to grow, I needed to collaborate with others. Since I did not shy away from responsibilities, I first became the newsletter editor and the following year the president of the Orleans Newcomers Club. While I already learned a lot about Canadian customs during the hosted club events, I got even closer to the executive members while organizing the club’s activities.

Finding Comfort Through Art

Due to my shyness, collaborating on art-related activities felt less intimidating than other forms of communication, because conversations flowed more naturally while we concentrated on our projects. 


While I had met other artists during the Arteast meetings and events, many of them were already at a different stage of their lives. Nevertheless, I learned much from them, especially from my friend and mentor, Margaret Clyde. 

Canada in Leaf, Canada 150 Arteast project, 
on display at the Nepean Library Centrepointe Branch

Things changed when I met the Painting Buddies through fellow Arteast member Rebecca Dufton. I finally found a group of peers with like-minded interests. Soon after, I joined Hélène Martin and Janis Fulton as the executive of the Galerie de la Rive, where I met even more artists. The exchange of perspectives and the sharing of skills made me feel like my voice was valued. Finally, I felt a sense of belonging in my new country. 

 

Kerstin Peters, Janis Fulton, Hélène Martin

 

New Doors Opening

Stepping in for a friend at Bob MacQuarrie Complex daycare unexpectedly opened the doors to offer courses in German and art at the facility and later at François Dupuis Recreation Centre, where I have been teaching art classes for children since 2011, with the support of my fantastic supervisor, who has always been open to my ideas and suggestions.


Opportunities often came from unexpected places. When my children reached Sunday School age, I began teaching at Resurrection Lutheran Church. I not only got to know the other children, but also their parents. Years later, some of these parents asked me to offer a painting course at the church. 

Growth Through Leadership and Shared Experiences

25 Years Plein Air Ensemble Exhibition, 
vernissage March 26, 2015 with Royal Galipeau

Each step forward opened new doors. Five years after my first painting trip with the Plein Air Ensemble, Hélène and I became the co-coordinators of their spring and fall trips and the group’s successful 25th Anniversary Exhibition. We later stepped down when I began teaching German to Government of Canada employees through Graybridge, but the experience had already enriched my creative and professional path. 

Once I decided to transform my hobby into a career, I joined the Women’s Business Connection in Orleans, where I met many businesswomen and learned from their experiences. Again, I took over a position in the executive and grew closer to some of the members. The monthly meetings motivated and inspired my personal growth and business focus, leading to new collaborations. 

Yoga and Art Retreat with Jackie Leduc (second row left)

After attending a business workshop together, Jackie Leduc and I hosted a successful day retreat combining yoga and painting — a beautiful example of creative synergy.


Not every collaboration worked out as hoped. A successful partnership requires shared goals and values. However, when skills and perspectives complement one another, it is a win for everyone. 

Blending Passions and New Possibilities

 

Learn German Through Art, image from a class with Helena Guzmán

 
The COVID-19 pandemic made collaborations even more crucial. To stand out among instructors, I combined my German and art skills to create my Learn German Through Art program, which uses drawings to anchor new material and make learning more fun and easier. These combined skills led to new opportunities for workshops and demonstrations.

Levanta online magazine, featuring Kerstin Peters

More recently, I have worked with  Helena Guzmán on several projects, including creating workshops, being featured in her online magazine, Levanta, and updating my website. We share a love for art, languages, similar roots and immigration experiences. The joint projects have brought us even closer. We respect each other and support each other’s businesses. The brainstorming and realization of ideas have built trust and mutual appreciation for our work. 

The Joy of Shared Growth

Collaborations transformed my isolation into connection. Each partnership has helped me grow as an artist, teacher, and person. I love learning from each other to grow together. Every time I work with someone, I appreciate their opinions and support. My students, whether adults or children, challenge me to keep learning, exploring, and giving my best to inspire and guide them to discover their creativity.



Collaboration is a catalyst for growth. What small step can you take this week to collaborate with someone and create something new together?

25 Years in Canada - the Year 2019 Part I

Yellow Flower Served on a Platter, acrylic, 8" x 10", SOLD

Blog 25


I was excited to start 2019 with a new website. After my son had started and got stuck on creating a fresh look, Cynthia Harriston of Ottawa Net Designs combined his ideas with my functionality requirements. I was happy with the fresh look, even though I still had a lot of work to upload new paintings, course and workshop information.

Starting in January, I taught government employees again two days a week during the winter semester. While I loved the work, the 20-minute walk to the building from the National Gallery was treacherous during winter conditions, especially as I had to bring all my teaching materials with me. 

 

Kerstin Reading, acrylic, 20" x 16"

My winter courses for the City of Ottawa started in the middle of January. The number of registrations for my Cartooning and Comics courses stayed high at Francois Dupuis Recreation Centre. I also taught a mixed media course at Bob MacQuarrie Recreation Complex. However, the icy and snowy weather made getting to classes and workshops stressful. I preferred teaching from my studio. Aside from Painting Like Famous Artists workshops, I offered painting parties and specialty workshops like felting Easter eggs.

  

Candy and Alex, acrylic, 30" x 40", NFS

A huge milestone was the completion of the double portrait of our dogs Alex and Candy. When I started it in 2013, I thought I had lots of time to finish it. At that time, both dogs were seven years old. Little did I know that Candy would already leave us just over a year later when she died without any warning from a burst tumour. In 2016, I finally continued my work on the painting. However, I struggled with Candy. In the end, I picked another head position and re-painted her face completely. Working on Alex was a little bit easier as I had my model right with me in the studio.


Despite all the work, I was excited about the many visitors to our home. First, we hosted a big Peters Family reunion for our yearly Schnitzel Extravaganza. Then, my parents came for their last visit to Canada. Both my parents were in their eighties, and the trips to visit us became too strenuous. As they came for a visit three times a year, we had purchased a four-season cottage together after my son was born. After more than 20 years, it was time to sell the building. Even though my parents had cleaned out a lot, it took me three more days to empty the rest. In the end, we had half the garage full of stuff to donate. The experience left me mentally and physically drained. I resisted any further thoughts about selling our house. Instead, I started unpacking some of the boxes with our belongings. I am glad that we cleared our house in preparation for the sale and continue to clean out things that we do not need anymore. At the time, I was not ready to downsize to move into a much smaller house. I am sure that the day will come at some point, but at the moment, we enjoy our home and property. 

Abundance of Pansies, acrylic, 9" x 12", SOLD

As I had expected to move in 2018, I had not applied for many exhibitions. I was only part of the Navan Fine Arts Group display at Shenkman Arts Center. Nevertheless, I sold my painting Abundance of Pansies. I showed my studio to a guest, and she fell in love with the painting right away. That is the best possible scenario for an artist.

Almost Nighttime, acrylic 16" x 20", unfinished

In mid-March, I spent three hours at the DeSerres art store at the St. Laurent Shopping Centre to promote myself. I enjoyed some lovely conversations with young and older art lovers who watched me painting Almost Nighttime. It is another sunset from the shore of the St. Lawrence River in Kamouraska. 

 

Flower Doodles from the first Art Cafe

Teaching art was never only about teaching you techniques. Creating community has always been very important to me. Therefore, I welcomed new and existing clients for the first Art Cafe in April. During the event, we enjoyed some refreshments and created a themed craft while chatting, laughing and building connections.

Of Flowers and Butterflies, acrylic, 16″ x 20″, CAN $400

On the last weekend in April, I participated again in the Navan Fine Art Exhibition and Sale. During the event, I created a painting to the music played by pianist Bev McKiver. I was the second one scheduled and had assumed that I would paint an abstract piece. Instead, I started to panic as my mind went blank. Usually, when I go into my studio, I know what I want to paint. I might struggle with the composition or the process, but I know where I want to go. This time, I did not know what to expect. I had no idea what Bev would play or how I would react to it. I also was aware that people were watching me and talked to spectators during the process. When I finally started painting, I felt like flowers and butterflies. I was frustrated with the result. It took me a long time before I finished the painting. It is not one of my favourites, but it reflects the cheerful music.


In May, I worked non-stop as I planned to take some days off to spend time with two good friends from Germany and their husbands. Emptying the cottage, teaching, working on my website and marketing my events had left me spinning. It was all too much. I worked until late in the night and on weekends. When I look into my daily planner, I did not even take time for my quick 5-minute journal entries. Whenever I wanted to take time off, I prepared all the materials in advance. I needed to simplify some of my tasks. The first change was the reduction of my blog posts to a bi-weekly publication. However, the timing for their visit was perfect, as my husband and daughter spent the same time in Japan. We went sightseeing downtown and to several areas typical for the Canadian landscape, like Gatineau Park and the Mer Bleue Bog. It was fun to spend time together and be a tourist for a change!


The day after my friends left, I went on a bike ride with my son along the Ottawa River. Due to the high water on the pathway, we had to turn around and suddenly realized how dark the sky had turned. We just made it back to the car when the first heavy rain set in. Luckily, we left right away because about half an hour later, a tornado touched down where we were parked. While the residents in the area feared for their lives, we were only a few kilometres away enjoying ice cream, unaware of the drama. However, when I left later to pick up my husband and daughter from the airport, the sky was stunningly glowing in an unrealistic orange-red. On both sides of the road, trees looked like broken toothpicks, and houses were missing shingles.


In early June, I was horrified to see that someone had hacked my website and given himself administrator privileges. Luckily, I received an email right away. Together, my husband and my website designer could stop the attack quickly. I was relieved as the person either did not have the time or the interest to change any data.

During the Shenkman Arts Centre 10th Anniversary Block Party on June 14, 2019, I participate in a painting demonstration to promote Arteast and its members. At the beginning of my career, the prospect of painting watched by spectators would have made me very nervous. These days, I enjoy spending time with other artists and talking to the public. 

 

Self-portrait, oil pastels and coloured pencil, NFS

Therefore, I was also up for the challenge of creating a self-portrait during a visit to the Gauguin exhibition at the National Gallery and had a great time drawing it with oil pastels and coloured pencils.

At the end of June, I finally got to relax at the cottage with some of my friends. We enjoyed the slow pace and the time to recharge in nature. In this quiet setting, we took some time to brainstorm ideas to serve more people in our specific fields in the second half of 2019. We returned on the Friday of the long July weekend. I felt great and was very relaxed. I was looking forward to the Canada Day activities. When I woke up the next day, I could hardly walk and was in a lot of pain. I guess my body required even more rest. I was devastated because our yearly family vacation was only a week away.

 

Delightful Tulips, wool, 11" x 8.5", CAN $375

Next week, I will tell you more about my body’s need to rest and the small change that made it possible to free up a lot of time while serving more clients.

25 Years in Canada - The Year 2018 Part I

Three Poppies, acrylic, 9" x 12", CAN $ 300

 Blog 23

At the beginning of 2018, we had decided to sell our house. My husband and I both worked in Gatineau, a good 30-minute drive from our home in the best circumstances. Plus, our son had already moved out, and our daughter had registered for university in the fall.

Winter Mix Exhibition

To reduce the number of paintings in our house, I participated in many exhibitions. In early January, I hung some of my flower paintings at the St Laurent Complex for the Arteast Winter Mix Exhibition. While it was cold and dark here in Canada, it was summer in other parts of the world. Plus, the cheerful flowers offered a reminder of warmer weather. Next, I brought some of my oil paintings to Da Artisti Gallery, a beautiful gallery in an old building in Cumberland Village.


From Febr. 8 to April 17, my painting Nature’s Mirror was part of the Arteast Volunteers' Exhibition at Promenade Arteast at the Shenkman Arts Centre. On February 20, my friends Janis Fulton, Hélène Martin and I hung some larger paintings at the Residence Royal Gardens. As we often paint together, it was exciting to show our works together again.

 

 

St. Lawrence River Sunset, acrylic, 24" x 36", CAN $ 930

 

At the beginning of May, I had a solo exhibition at The Black Walnut Bakery in Cumberland Village. I was very excited about the opportunity to show my art in the popular bakery and café. The next exhibition followed in mid-May when I participated in the Arteast exhibition Summer Colours at François Dupuis Recreation Centre.

 

 

Summer Colours Exhibition

 
Despite the challenge of preparing our house for sale, I started my Creativity Challenge again on January 1 and kept it going until the summer. I wanted to create something every day to balance out the stress, even if it was only for 15 minutes. I shared my trials and successes in my blogs. The accountability of my blogs made me work on a daily project because otherwise, I did not have anything to write.


While my business activities were going well, I had to cope with personal losses. On January 2, my mother informed me that my godmother was dying. The encouraging news at the end of last year had not lasted. I considered flying to Germany, but due to my work contracts and our plan to sell our house, a trip at such short notice was not possible. I also wanted to spend my mother’s 80th birthday with her in the summer. I knew that I could not afford to travel to Germany twice. I hoped that my aunt would hold on until my visit. In the meantime, I concentrated on helping my friend whose cancer had come back and was terminal. She had started a painting in her youth that she wanted to finish for her children. In the end, she did not have enough time and died already in the middle of February. I was shocked, how fast her illness had progressed. She still had so many plans. It was a good reminder not to postpone your dreams.


About a week later, my parents told me the day before their flight to Canada that they would not come as my godmother, my mother’s only sibling, was on her deathbed. Not only did I grieve for the person who had been like a second mother to me, but I also worried about my mother, who reacted to the news with extreme stress symptoms. Once again, I had to deal with the grief alone. The rest of my family in Germany could support each other and say their farewell together. My daughter tried to console me, but my godmother was only one of the relatives she had met on our visits to Germany, not the special person she was for me.


Compared to their illnesses, the continued problems with my eyes were only a nuisance. Nevertheless, it worried me that I could not open my eyes in the mornings. I feared an emergency during the night when I would need help to leave the house.


At the end of January, I learned that my German classes would finish months before the expected date. I still taught private German and art clients. My Creativity and Me workshops and my courses at François Dupuis Recreation Centre and Bob MacQuarrie Recreation Complex were very successful.

Nevertheless, I could use the additional time to concentrate on two pressing activities: decluttering and packing. It was probably good to be under pressure as I have trouble letting go of things. As a creative person, everything can give me ideas for future use in an artwork. Having to clean out my office to stage it for potential home buyers forced me to make some tough decisions. As much as going through the stuff was both physically and mentally exhausting, it felt good to look at my cleaned studio.


At the end of March, my parents finally came for the long-awaited visit. They had missed our week together at the cottage and my daughter’s 17th birthday, but we could spend Easter together. The day they left, one of my childhood friends arrived for a visit. This time, we spent most of her stay on a cottage vacation for a much-needed break from cleaning out the house.


However, I also worried about Alex, our Australian Shepherd. At 12-years-old, he suddenly lacked energy and slept most of the day. We found out that he had Lyme disease even though he was on tick-prevention meditation until the fall. Luckily, he fully recovered after a round of antibiotics.


With spring just around the corner, the longer and brighter days increased my energy. We had finished the first round of packing. I did not have a shortage of paintings for staging the freshly painted rooms, although many of my artworks were in exhibitions.

I only continued to teach Government employees in May. In the meantime, I collaborated with Jackie Leduc, the owner of a yoga and wellness studio in Cumberland. Jackie and I were at a Women Creating Impact workshop by Pierrette Raymond. Pierrette pulled our names for a mock collaboration, and we knew from the start that we would go ahead with the event we planned. Our Yoga & Art Retreat on May 6 was a big success. The eight lovely women who participated in our treated themselves to a day of relaxation and creativity.


By the middle of May, we were finally ready to put the house on the market. The realtor had hoped that the shortage of residences in Ottawa and surrounding suburbs would push buyers to rural areas. Disappointingly, however, the interest in our house was low. Nevertheless, we started looking around to find our new home.


My husband’s criteria were simple. He wanted a house with at least one garage and close enough to the office that he could bike to work within 30 minutes instead of spending the time (and often even longer) on the highway. While I could relate to his wishes, I had a far longer list of must-haves. In short, I was not ready to move. I had planned our home and picked out all the materials from floors to cabinets and paints. I do not love the outside of our house due to the cuts necessary to stay within our budget. However, I love the inside and our big yard. My husband also likes our house, but he is not as attached to it. He wished that we could have moved it closer to the city.


When we started looking at houses in the Alta Vista area, we saw some cozy homes that offered less than one-quarter of the space we had for the price equivalent to ours in the country. It became apparent that my husband and I had very opposing views of the possibilities of each building. I was frustrated and stressed by all the changes coming our way, especially as I continued to be disappointed by the houses we visited in different neighbourhoods.

The first half of the year ended on a positive note. I finally had more time to paint and felt. I joined a new plein air group, the Ottawa Plein Air Adventures Group, and collaborated with my artist friend Anne Warburton on a series of videos and resulting blog posts. On June 15, I spent the morning with my friend Janis painting poppies in her yard (see above). It was my first plein air painting time since our trip to Kamouraska the previous September. It felt so great to be outside in the warm sun and to paint without any distractions.


I also learned to work with glass in a Glass Fusion Workshop at Da Artisti Studio & Gallery. It was a lot of fun to work with a new medium. Wendy Canci guided our Arteast group well in the process of creating a dish and a pendant by layering glass.


The personal highlight for our family during the first half-year was my daughter’s graduation from high school. My parents and my in-laws came to celebrate this happy occasion with us at the end of June. We were so proud of her. Not only did she handle her health problems of the past five years, but she also finished as one of the top students in her grade.


Join me next week to learn more about our housing situation and whether I managed to stay creative throughout the stressful time of selling our house.

25 Years in Canada - The Year 2017 Part I

Pink Tulips, 20" x 10", CAN $400

 

Blog 21

I started 2017 actively participating in many exhibitions. On January 4, I delivered my painting Winter in Quebec to the Shenkman Arts Centre as part of the Arteast Promenade exhibition called Winter Medley. On January 12, I was one of the four artists participating in the Arteast Winter Mix exhibition at the St. Laurent Complex. On February 1, our Navan Arts Group installed some of our artworks in the big glass showcase on the ground level of the Shenkman Arts Centre. I was excited when a new client bought Kamouraska Landscape and Green Waters from the St. Laurent Complex show. The last show of the first half of 2017 was the Navan Fine Arts Exhibition and Sale in April, where I sold my acrylic painting Powdery Sunset.


In 2016, I spent a lot of time creating new content for my classes and workshops. To devote more time to my art, I challenged myself to create art every day during January to get back into a routine after the holidays. However, this plan derailed quickly. In early January, I had written a post on Facebook to find other German learners for a German conversation. One of the responses came from an acquaintance from my early days in the Orleans Newcomers Club. She worked for a company that had signed a contract with the Canadian Government of Canada to teach their employees for posts abroad.


I applied shortly before midnight on a Tuesday. The next morning, I already received a phone call with an invitation for an interview the following day. A week later, I passed the teaching certification. After a day of introduction to the material and digital learning tools, I started to work three hours a day less than three weeks after my application. Even though I only worked from 9 am to 12 pm, I was away about double the time due to my commute. I had to leave the house by 7:15 am to make it to work on time. At least the way home was usually not a problem. I still taught two courses for children at François Dupuis Recreation Centre and my private student preparing for an art-focused high school. In early February, I also worked Sundays at Bob MacQuarrie Recreation Complex. Plus, in the spring, I also taught an acrylic landscape painting course for adults. 

Fall at Petrie Island, wool, 11" x 8 3/4", NFS

With even less time at my disposal for creative projects, I struggled to get into a new rhythm. At least, the creativity challenge encouraged me to pick up my felting needle or a pencil when I would have otherwise possibly worked in front of my computer. I was also excited to hear that I inspired others to start their own challenge. Nevertheless, as the weeks passed, I became very overwhelmed with all the work. I questioned whether I should give up my art business. The many tasks of marketing, bookkeeping, and teaching, prevented me from having time to paint.


I was also struggling to accept that the health of one of my friends was rapidly deteriorating. For months, it looked like her brain tumour was in remission. Then, it returned viciously in January. I kept visiting her at the hospital, but with every visit, she was less responsive. At the same time, our son had found our neighbour after a stroke. These two events made me realize how precious time is and how much I cherished my relationships with family and friends. As much as I missed painting, I made my relationships a priority. 

Fruit Bowl, pencil, 8.5" x 11", NFS

Even though I postponed many of my workshops, I still started my workshop Drawing with a Twist in mid-January to show participants the fun of drawing. We concentrated on the process of creating rather than on the finished project. I taught my students to pay attention to the world around them without blindly accepting what others have taught us.

Canada in Leaf, various Arteast artists

By mid-March, I developed laryngitis due to the many hours of teaching, which forced me to take some days off and slow down. It was good timing because I needed to work on my triangle for the Canada in Leaf artwork. In celebration of Canada’s 150th birthday, Arteast had invited some of the members to participate in the Canada 150th project. The participating artists had to create an aspect of Canada on the 30 wood triangles of the maple leaf mosaic. The sides of each triangle were a specific colour that needed the artists needed to include in the painting. My triangle had magenta sides. Therefore, I picked a Canadian winter sunset. In May, visitors could view the humongous artwork for the first time at the Promenade Gallery in the Shenkman Arts Centre. The maple leaf later found a permanent home at the entrance of the Nepean Public Library, 101 Centrepointe Drive, Ottawa. Next to the artwork is a plaque listing all the contributing artists.

At the Narrows Bridge, oil, 11" x 14", CAN $375

Once more, I was the trip organizer for the Plein Air Ensemble. At the end of March, we went to Orford, Quebec. I had a wonderful time with the group of painters at Orford Music, especially with my travel partner and friend Janis. I was sad to retire as coordinator of the group. Fortunately, the new team organized the bi-yearly trips until the pandemic. Hopefully, the trips will continue when it is safe to travel again. You can read my travelogue in my blogs of April 7, 14, 21, and 28, 2017.


At the beginning of May, I spent a week at the cottage with my son. My friend Janis came up for two days. Unfortunately, we could only paint under the covered porch due to the rain. I worked on the commission of the portrait of a beautiful ragdoll cat and a new piece for my painting parties while my son and one of his friends explored the area.


While we were at the cottage, my friend died peacefully, and only hours later, our neighbour, who had been an inspiring mentor to my son. It felt right that Dominic and I were alone that day. We took Alex for a walk and felt surrounded by the quietness of nature. While we enjoyed the tranquility of nature, the lives of many people in the Ottawa valley changed by the force of nature. The rising floodwaters damaged properties and endangered lives along the Ottawa River. 

Canada 150th Tulip Painting Party

 Back at home, I was delighted to offer a painting party as part of one of the Women's Business Connections Orleans special events and at the Resurrection Lutheran Church in Orleans. During both events, we painted the Canada 150th Tulip. Each of the artworks turned out differently due to our unique temperament and mood reflected in each painting.

 

Lots of beautiful tulips

 

As I kept struggling with my schedule, I missed the Canadian Tulip Festival for the first time in years. However, I still painted tulips outside. I set up my easel in our backyard to paint some pinkish-red tulips guarded by our faithful Australian Shepherd, Alex, at my side (see at top).
 

In June, things started to slow down. My morning classes continued during the summer. However, my student was away for part of June, which allowed me to paint more regularly. I finished the commission painting, and the joy in my client’s face was such a treat for me. 

Jessie Blue, acrylic, 16" x 20", SOLD

If you want to know how I managed to recreate more balance in my life in the second half of 2017, please join me again next week.

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 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.