Author Archives: Paige Mortensen

About Paige Mortensen

I have always had an inner need to create and have explored colour and design in many forms. My art explorations began in earnest in 2011 when I enrolled in the University of Saskatchewan’s Certificate in Art and Design. My initial exposure to the ancient medium of encaustic art was through a family connection in New Zealand. The vibrant colours and luminous qualities of the waxes are fascinating and I needed to explore its capabilities for myself. What could be more fun than melting the waxes and then opening oneself to the surprises that unfold in the process of creating with these wonderful, rich colours? Quite possibly for me the answer is watercolour batik. This is a process of combining wax and watercolour, layer upon layer on Ginwashi paper, working from lights to darks. The final step is to iron off the wax and watching the end result appear. It is always an exciting moment for me!

Getting Things Done

Thanksgiving was on Monday but even with the short week I feel like I am getting things done. Yes, I have finished some new pieces and yet I have still been able to work on the business side of being an artist. I am thankful that I have the opportunity to do both!

Last week I talked about venturing off into the unknown and just letting a piece of art evolve as it will. This was done in that way – no planning or drawing just letting it come together.

Blooming ©Paige Mortensen Watercolour Batik 10×14″

We are having some incredible fall weather and as you can see the beavers are sure busy along the Saskatchewan river. I wonder if they are coming back for those last beautiful branches. What a wonderful day it was for a walk!
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There was also another fun morning painting with the group of women at the assisted living facility. They sure enjoyed the bright colours of parrots!
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And some time writing, organizing and getting ready to send a gallery exhibition proposal!
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My sunflowers are still blooming – in the garden and the house!

Sunflower ©Paige Mortensen Watercolour Batik 10×14″

There are also lots of wonderful coloured leaves that need raking. It seems like record numbers of ladybugs too.

Falling Leaves ©Paige Mortensen Watercolour Batik

Isn’t it nice when you have a week where you are “getting things done”? I hope you have one too!

Knowing and Creating

The link between knowing and creating has been a topic that seems to keep recurring in my work and life lately. What do those words mean and how do they relate to each other and the way I experience my art?

Beauty Behind ©Paige Mortensen Watercolour Batik 10x14" $225

Beauty Behind ©Paige Mortensen Watercolour Batik 10×14″

I know that I chose this subject because it was friendly and familiar. I was working in a new environment with the Artists’ Workshop painting group and wanted to be working on something comfortable. Keeping as many variables in the ‘knowing’ category allowed me to put my emotions into the piece creatively.

In the August 2015 Leading Edge newsletter Louise Hall included some painting tips from a workshop with Gerald Brommer. They included: ” …the four skills or levels in the process of learning to create art – technique, drawing, design and feeling. … With practise of technique, drawing and design we can do all of this automatically, and then we are free to put our feelings and spirit into our art.”

Then, I came across Laureen Marchand’s Blog post from September 9th. It was an interview with Lori-Ann Claerhout about Whims and Ideas. Laureen thinks of whims as being “like good ideas that float by.” She talked about how painting is a series of unconscious whims because, in her words, “I never know where I’m going for sure.” She goes on to say: “I think that’s how creativity works …[pause]… because you get to the point where you do know, and then you have to change it. Because, if you just kept doing what you know it would stop being creativity. It would just become a repeated action.” Lori-Ann’s interpretation of Laureen’s process was:
“It sounds a lot like you have a knowing…it is your knowing that tells you how to make it work.”

About the same time my sister asked me if I could create a piece that had been in her mind for a long time. She did send a line drawing of a tree truck, branch and circles indicating ‘fluffy birds”, mentioned charcoal and said “which somehow remind me of a card Grandma would have sent”. To most people that wouldn’t have meant anything but we always knew which birthday card came from Grandma. I pulled out the charcoal and did a quick sketch to see if I was getting her thoughts.

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Now to create the watercolour batik version. I didn’t want to loose the rough tree bark created with charcoal so my next ‘whim’ was to try it in on the Ginwashi paper. I generally work from light to dark but for this piece I started boldly with the charcoal drawing. I then used the wax to seal the strong, dark areas in but left some of the looser charcoal to blend with the layers of watercolour.

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This was a whole new way of working for me. Having those really dark areas from the beginning gave a totally different frame of reference for the rest of the process. Every step was one of ‘not knowing’ and yet being excited about creating the “card from Grandma” feel. I really noticed how knowing and creating were linked throughout this process.

Togetherness ©Paige Mortensen Watercolour Batik 12 x 36″

My sister hasn’t seen it in person yet but her response to the image was: “OH MY — I don’t know what to say. I want to see it in person — but I think it is pretty darn amazing!!!!! ”

How are you letting your knowing guide your creativity in art or in life?

Fall Routine

It is October 2nd already and I think I am finally into my 2015 fall routine! The end of September is birthday time – with 3 family birthdays on the same day! This year was special as we had about 50 people gather to celebrate my Mom’s birthday. On the same weekend we had a smaller party for our grandson who is now a toothless 6 year old. Fall is such a wonderful time of year to celebrate with all the wonderfully coloured leaves decorating our world. As our 2 1/2 year old grand-daughter says “It is leafing!”
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There are a couple of new things on my calendar this year.

The Artists Workshop painting group invited me to join them on Mondays. This is turning out to be a wonderful place to connect with other artists, all working very differently but sharing the same passion for art. A new environment with new people brings a challenge to getting down to work and finding the rhythm of the painting. Sunflowers are blooming beautifully in my yard and are a friendly and familiar subject for me to work on. This one is finished:

Connecting ©Paige Mortensen 10×14″ Watercolour Batik

For an hour on Wednesdays I am painting with a group of seniors in an assisted living facility. This week we were on the leaf theme there too. It is going to be fun to see what they do as the year progresses!

Showing their personalities

I have had these wooden stamps from Charan Creations for a while and they came out this fall to celebrate the season. Using them to apply the wax has been fun to experiment with!
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Enjoy your own connections to leaves this fall! Are you going on a leaf crunching walk?

Thanks for being here,

Le Vieux Couvent

Continuing with our journey from the fall of 2014, a year ago we were staying at Le Vieux Couvent in France on a painting holiday with artist Kathie George. Le Vieux Couvent hosts painting holidays with various artists bringing groups of about 20 people to paint, tour and be pampered. What a wonderful place to be!

While there we were painting watercolours, since coming home I have done many watercolour batiks inspired by our stay and as I look through our pictures there are so many more memories waiting to be painted that I will be busy for a long time to come. These were the stairs up to our room:

Stories Inside XV ©Paige Mortensen 24x36" Watercolour Batik

Stories Inside XV ©Paige Mortensen 24×36″ Watercolour Batik

And if you turned around, this was the view back down:

France Le Vieux Couvent Stairs Down

And this was our painting studio – so inviting!

France LeVieux Couvent Studio

In addition to painting, there were day trips. We saw quaint little villages like Saint Cirq La Popie perched on a steep cliff 100 meters above the Lot River, ancient cave paintings at Perche Merle, Baynac Castle, Rocamadour and more! We were so well fed we didn’t need to buy anything but the markets were still fantastic. We wouldn’t see open bags of spices or bowls of olives at any market near where I live!

France Marketplace

In the little towns we visited the doors were fascinating. This little door knocker looked like a fist all curled up ready to knock.

Stories Inside VIII ©Paige Mortensen 12x18" Watercolour Batik

Stories Inside VIII ©Paige Mortensen 12×18″ Watercolour Batik

So many interesting doors into people’s lives!

Stories Inside VI ©Paige Mortensen 12x18" Watercolour Batik

Stories Inside VI ©Paige Mortensen 12×18″ Watercolour Batik

Stories Inside XI ©Paige Mortensen 18x24" Watercolour Batik

Stories Inside XI ©Paige Mortensen 18×24″ Watercolour Batik

The hospitality was incredible and I know they did a wonderful job of accommodating my allergies. If you ever have the opportunity to go, please do! Our final dinner included these cute little hedgehog potatoes!

France Le Vieux Couvent Couvent Meal

I’m thinking this might be the inspiration for one of my next paintings. It is from Rocamadour, France.

France Rocamadour

I am extremely grateful for this incredible journey. I hope you to have experiences to treasure and share!

Inspiration in Venice

Last week I talked about being in Rome in 2014. From there we went by train to Venice – a city of water and bridges! Inspiration was everywhere, but water was a big part of all of it. Here again, it was the ordinary parts of daily life that attracted me.

Stories Inside 1V ©Paige Mortensen 15×15″ Watercolour

Stories Inside II ©Paige Mortensen Watercolour 15x15" $300

Stories Inside 11 ©Paige Mortensen 15×15″ Watercolour

There were, of course, more doors but here the windows seemed to draw my attention. Maybe it was the narrow ‘roads’ where we walked because you could never get far enough back to really see the doors. In the windows there was evidence of ordinary lives – cats on windowsills, flowers growing and laundry hanging out to dry. Again, the questions arose in my mind: who built these buildings? who lives her? and what are their lives like?
Venice 2014 Â©Paige Mortensen

One of my favourite memories of Venice actually started before we even got there and I owe it to YouTube. We were very thankful for the video showing us how to get from the S Zaccaria Vaporetto Station (water taxi) to the Hotel al Piave where we were staying. With these tiny streets going in all directions and water and bridges everywhere we would have been lost trying to get there. Having watched this ahead of time made it into a fun adventure instead! You can watch the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TGvEjqFNOvQ.

Venice 2014 Â©Paige Mortensen
Some places were busy with gondolas and people everywhere. But then we found lots of quiet, peaceful spots where we could just enjoy being in Venice. Love the reflections!

This summer I have been experimenting with some different styles of watercolour painting and one of the books I worked through was Jean Haines’ book “Atmospheric Watercolours: Painting with Freedom, Expression and Style“. She had obviously been painting in Venice and it was fun to work on her way of painting with my own reference photos of the same places. This is the Bridge of Sighs in Venice. They say it got its name because as prisoners went across it to be locked in their cells they sighed as they had their last glimpse outside. On another note it is also said that eternal love will be granted to those who kiss while in a gondola under the bridge at sunset. This is my interpretation of the Bridge of SIghs done in Jean Haines’ style:

Bridge of Sighs ©Paige Mortensen Watercolour

And my favourite spot in Venice! This piece is currently touring as part of the Dimensions 2015 show and at the moment is in Whitehorse, YT.

By the Canal ©Paige Mortensen 12×18″ Watercolour

Thanks for sharing my adventures!

Inspiration in Rome

A year ago we were in Rome! And what an amazing trip it was full of history and wonder. Inspiration was everywhere – from the ancient ruins to the doors that people use every day. Some of the doors turned into paintings once we got home. All memories of a trip.

Stories Inside XII ©Paige Mortensen Watercolour 18 x 24″ $700

One of the first sites we came to was Trajan’s Column which is an amazing piece of ancient art! This marble column with its stand is about 125′ tall and 11′ in diameter. Spiralling around it 23 times is a frieze that tells the story of wars between the Romans and the Dacians from 102-106AD.

Trajan’s Column ©Paige Mortensen

Trajan’s Column Detail ©Paige Mortensen

As a tourist we greatly appreciated the fresh, cold, drinkable water flowing from fountains around the city – originally built by the Romans 2,000 years ago.

Roman Water Fountain ©Paige Mortensen

We also appreciated the modern fruit stands for their refreshing modern day treats!

Fruit Stand ©Randy Mortensen

Rome – Colloseum

The Colluseum and Vatican were fabulous to see, as were the churches, statues and paintings!

Veiled Lady by Antonio Corradini

For me it will be the doors I remember as I continue to wonder who built them, how did they live, who lives there now?

Stories Inside X ©Paige Mortensen 12×18″ $350

Thanks for reading!

Back to School

September is always a time of changes. It has been many years since there was back to school excitement at our house but yesterday was our grandson’s first day of kindergarten! With a backpack like this how could he not be excited?
I too have changes this week. August 30th was the last day of the member’s show at the Saskatchewan Craft Council’s Affinity Gallery so I picked up those pieces on Monday. From there I headed out to Esterhazy take down my show at Jocelyn’s Fine Art Gallery there. It sounds like lots of people were able to see the work and she sold 3 pieces! I am very thankful to have met Jocelyn and for the opportunity to show in her gallery! If you are ever near there do stop in, she has a wonderful gallery!
One last peek:
PaigeMortensen Esterhazy Show 2015

Today I took pieces over to Partridge Centre Special Care Home to hang in a group show (Watermarks & Friends) for the month of September. They have boards along the hallways and ask that the pieces be hung low so people in wheel chairs can see. A new show goes up monthly so that the residents regularly have new art to view. Visitors are welcome so please stop by and have a look. While you are there have a chat with the residents, it will brighten their day…and yours.
This is my section:
ParkridgeDisplay2015

Brightwater Senior Living asked me to come and paint weekly with a group of residents. I am excited for this opportunity to learn and share the world of painting in this new way for me. We are going to start with exploring these colourful watercolour pencils.
Aren’t the colours wonderful!
WatercolourPencils

I am also going to be painting with the Artists Workshop group this year. I have attended their annual shows for years and feel honoured to be invited to paint with them weekly! More about that another day.

“Back to School” excitement isn’t just for students, enjoy your fall changes!

Thanks for being here!

Exploring Edmonton Galleries

Two schedule-free days in Edmonton – gallery tour time! My first stop was the Galleries on 124th. Imagine, 9 galleries within two blocks of each other!

Here are a few of the highlights of my day:

In the Bearclaw Gallery there was this amazing whalebone carving by Luke Airut – and this is the back! You can see the front on the Bearclaw Gallery website.

This is an encaustic painting by Tanya Kirouac that was in the Bugera Matheson Art Gallery. It was so energetic and alive! I am very curious about the three clock faces embedded in the painting.

Also in the Bugera Matheson Art Gallery was this amazing pond by Ernestine Tahedl. I got lost in the painting just like I do sitting by a real pond. Beautiful!

This isn’t the best picture but I enjoyed this wood carving by Crystal Driedger in the Daffodil Gallery.

Spray Pool at Edmonton City Hall
It was a beautiful day so I walked down to the Art Gallery of Alberta which is right across the street from this refreshing pool!

I really enjoyed the display called Charrette Roulette: Language which looks at “publication as an art practise”. The video installation presented an interesting perspective into books and compares the old art to the new art of publications.

Other displays included The Double Bind: Conversations Between Modernism and Postmodernism, an interactive display on perspective, and a display of Italian Baroque Art which brought back memories of our trip to Italy last fall.

Being in tourist mode I had to take a reflection selfie on the upper deck before leaving!
Selfie at AGA

Thanks for sharing my Edmonton gallery tour! I highly recommend it!

Exploring Wabi-sabi and Boro – Part 2/2

This is the second part of my exploration of the concepts of wabi-sabi and boro. This exploration was inspired by Donna Watson‘s article “The Zen of Discovery” in the August 2015 issue of Watercolor Artist.

For the first part of my story click here.

In Part 1 I explained how I had created the ‘scraps’ I would need to create my finished piece. Now I was ready to put them together.

The Patching Process

I wanted to bring the concepts of wabi-sabi and boro together with the thought that water and warmth are needed to sustain life. Working within this framework it was important to me to limit my materials to the pieces I had created, treat each ‘scrap’ as precious and ensure that I wasn’t wasting anything.

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As I laid them out it became apparent that this was going to be a 18 x 24” ‘quilt’. None of this was planned out in advance so placing the patches was a process of trial and error. As the composition came together I pinned the pieces in place and began hand stitching it together.

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The Finished Quilt

I offer this piece as reminder to us all to bring the concepts of wabi-sabi and boro into our everyday lives. Wabi-sabi to help us accept and celebrate the imperfections in our lives – both in the things we own and the people we love. Boro to remember that the smallest everyday things are the most precious.

How will you explore wabi-sabi and boro in your life?

Exploring wabi-sabi and boro – Part 1/2

Inspiration

Summer is a time for breaking out of habits and trying something new. My inspiration came from Donna Watson‘s article, “The Zen of Discovery” in the August 2015 issue of Watercolour Artist. The article featured her work inspired by two Japanese aesthetics, wabi-sabi and boro and I knew I had to go exploring.

First some Background

The concept of wabi-sabi has been on my mind for a number of years. Donna describes it as “the Zen appreciation of things incomplete, imperfect and impermanent” and “an appreciation of things humble, modest, simple and minimal”. For me it has been about embracing imperfections – in my art and my life.

Boro was a new concept for me. Donna describes it as “patched and mended rags” created out of necessity by north-eastern Japanese farmers in the 19th and 20th centuries. Small scraps of cloth, generally died with Indigo became very precious as the necessities of mending created quilt-like clothing and blankets.

Washi is another Japanese term; ‘wa’ is Japanese, ‘shi’ is paper. Ginwashi paper is a very thin, strong paper with long fibres and I regularly use it for my watercolours. I also had some scraps of other Japanese papers, which I used to bring different textures into the finished piece.

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My favourite way of working involves layers of wax and watercolour. The watercolour layers are applied from light to dark with wax applied between layers to preserve the colour and value at that particular point. Once the wax is ironed off the finished piece has a textile quality that seems to be asking to be quilted or stitched. This was something I had only thought about doing and now was the perfect opportunity to do some experimentation.

Creating the Boro ‘Scraps’

PaigeMortensen_WaterJug_Torn copy.jpg My first step was to recreate the concept of scraps. Recognizing that the peasants were only allowed to wear blue brown, black and gray limited my palette.

I had recently completed a not so successful piece with a beaten up water jug in it so I tore the jug out of it and there was the focus piece for mypaper ‘quilt’. Yes, the jug has some purple in it. Could that have been the result of aging? Or maybe I just took some artistic license here.

Out came the Indigo tube of Qor watercolour paint and I got to work creating textures. The first step was simply to paint all of the pieces with diluted Indigo watercolour paint. Once these dried it was time to add some wax with various sponges and stamps to preserve this shade and value of Indigo and create texture.

These are the tools I used and the pieces with the wax applied. In order to create a worn and stained look I added Qor Burnt Sienna, Quinacridon Gold and Paynes Gray to my palette. Once I was satisfied with the scraps I coated the pieces completely with wax to give them an even translucency and seal the pigment into the paper. The last step was to iron these between layers of newsprint to remove the wax.

06_PaigeMortensen_MoreColourCloseUp 08_PaigeMortensen_Ironing

Next week I will tell you about how these ‘scraps’ came together to express my interactions with the terms wabi-wabi and boro.

In the meantime I invite you to consider how you too can explore wabi-sabi and boro in your lives.