Category Archives: Events

Rain Rescue – a random act of kindness

With Gratitude

Out of the Rain ©Paige Mortensen Watercolour Batik

My Mom and sister live in the same neighbourhood as we do so the three of us often go for evening walks. I am grateful for these times to visit and check in with them. One day last week as we were walking along there was a sudden downpour. Fortunately there are lots of large trees so we took refuge under one thinking it would pass quickly. It wasn’t more than a minute later that a woman came running out with an umbrella for us! She invited us inside but we declined, still optimistic that this rain would stop as quickly as it started.

Well, we were wrong! The wind came up sending rivers of water down the street. We gave in and went to the door. She was so kind and welcoming! We are grateful for the umbrellas, the towels, the visit and the opportunity to meet her 2 month old baby! Her kindness made the adventure into a happy story!

With gratitude,

P.S. Remember to stop by Handmade House and have to see my show there!

Nearby

Handmade House Show – August – September 2016

Handmade House Show – “Nearby”

A while ago Heike from the Handmade House asked if I would consider having a show of my work in their guest artist space. I was honoured to be asked! Today I get to see my work in their space! You can see my work there in August and September 2016.

Creating a Series

Paige Mortensen Handmade House Show hanging in my “Fireplace Gallery” 2016

Most of the work I do is relatively large however their space is small. So, my challenge has been to create a series of small pieces. Summer in Saskatchewan was my inspiration. These are places and flowers I see on a regular basis. Here they are hanging in what I call my fireplace gallery – a place I hang pieces that I have just finished.

Preparing the Pieces for Hanging

This particular series hung here for a long time. As I walked by I wondered how best to finish them for display. Some days I was going to put them behind glass. Other days I wanted to mount them on canvas. Then came the question of whether the image should go right to the edge or have a boarder. Finally, someone came to see my work and wanted to purchase one so the push was on to get it ready to go. Thanks to her motivation, I got busy and mounted them on canvas…and I’m quite happy with them.

Series for Handmade House 2016 – mounted on canvas

They have been on display at my house for a while and now I’m excited to see them hanging in the Handmade House!

Handmade House Pieces 2016 – ready to go!

Handmade House is at 710 Broadway Avenue and they are open Monday – Saturday 10 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. Broadway Avenue has experienced a summer of construction however I hear at least that portion of it is open again. If you haven’t been before I’m sure you will enjoy the work of many artists – pottery, fabric art, felting, jewellery, and more! While you are out and about this summer please stop in and have a look!

Sun, Sand, Water…and Art

Summer is here and with it come thoughts of sun, sand, water, … and art!

By The Sandbar ©Paige Mortensen Watercolour Batik 16x16" Available at Black Spruce Gallery

By The Sandbar ©Paige Mortensen Watercolour Batik 16×16″ Available at Black Spruce Gallery

The northern Saskatchewan forest is a wonderful change from city life. I love sitting on the beach, reading, walking and enjoying the sounds of nature. My art making changes to simple sketches and experimentation just for fun and relaxation!

Nature provides lots of inspiration – but so does a visit to an art gallery.

As you head north to Christopher, Emma or Anglin Lake, Elk Ridge, Prince Albert National Park or La Ronge you will drive through Northside. There, a historic dance hall is now Northside Antiques & Collectibles…and Black Spruce Gallery.

Black Spruce Gallery – on Highway #2 at Northside, SK

The gallery has been open since 2010 and every year it gets more impressive. We stopped on the weekend and WOW – it looks fantastic! They have an amazing range of work with something for everyone. In addition to paintings you will find pottery, sculpture, jewelry and more.

Spring Birds ©Paige Mortensen Available at Black Spruce Gallery

I am honoured to be represented by Black Spruce Gallery (since 2012). I delivered some new pieces and these three “Spring Break” birds were on display immediately! When you stop at the gallery you will also see “By the Sandbar” (top) – one of my favourite places to stop as we walk.

Tall Taller Tallest ©Paige Mortensen Watercolour Batik 12x36" Available at Black Spruce Gallery

Tall Taller Tallest ©Paige Mortensen Watercolour Batik 12×36″ Available at Black Spruce Gallery

Enjoy nature … and art!

What stories could the door tell?

Stories Inside V ©Paige Mortensen Watercolour 12x18" $350

Stories Inside V ©Paige Mortensen Watercolour 12×18″ $350

Stories Inside Series
in the
Royal Gallery at The Centre Mall Saskatoon
until January 8, 2016!

Doors are invitations to get to know the people behind them.

While in Europe I found the architecture fascinating and was constantly in wonder about the people behind the doors.

Who built them?
Who lived / lives behind them?
What were / are their lives like?

Stories Inside XI ©Paige Mortensen Watercolour 18x24" $700

Stories Inside XI ©Paige Mortensen Watercolour 18×24″ $700

What questions do these pieces raise for you?

P.S. If you are looking for something small these three 8×8″ pieces are part of VOID Gallery’s Small Works show that is on right now. (312 Avenue B. S. Saskatoon)

Sharing My Work

I am so excited to tell you about 3 opportunities November 2015 is bringing for me to share my watercolour batiks with you! I am looking forward to these events because they provide time to meet up with old friends and make some new ones!

Stories Inside XI ©Paige Mortensen Watercolour 18×24″ $700

November 9, 2015 to January 9, 2016

The Circle Mall – Royal Gallery
3510 – 8th Street East
Saskatoon, Sask. S7H 0W6

This gallery is located just outside Rainbow Cinema and will be waiting for you to stop by and have a look while you are at the mall. Please let me know if you are interested in purchasing anything and I will arrange to pick it up.

This show will feature my Stories Inside series. This series was inspired by our trip to Europe in the fall of 2014. It was the doors and windows of ordinary homes that fascinated me the most. I continue to wonder what stories they have to tell. Who built them? Who lived there? Who lives there now? What were and are their lives like?

There will also be a few of my flower pictures like Tall & Sunny.

Tall & Sunny 1 ©Paige Mortensen Watercolour 12x30" $650

Tall & Sunny 1 ©Paige Mortensen Watercolour 12×30″ $650

Mendel Farewell ©Paige Mortensen Watercolour 12x36" $625

Mendel Farewell ©Paige Mortensen Watercolour 12×36″ $625

November 13 – 14, 2015

Imagine That II at the Unitarian Centre
213 – 2nd Street East
Sasaktoon, SK

Friday 5 – 9 pm
Saturday 12 noon – 4:30 pm

Celebrating the creativity of artists from the Unitarian Congregation.
There will be wonderful harp music Friday evening!

10-ImagineThat2015

First artists’ workshop group piece ©Paige Mortensen

November 20 – 22, 2015

artists’ workshop – pre-Christmas Sale
Prairie Star Gallery
1136 – 8th Street East
Saskatoon, SK

Friday 7:00 – 9:30 pm
Saturday 10 am – 8:00 pm
Sunday 12 noon – 4:00 pm

Since September I have had the honour of spending my Monday’s painting with this wonderful group of artists. There are 11 artists in this group and we have all been working on smaller pieces so it will be a show with lots of variety. 10-artistsworkshopNov2015show

I am looking forward to sharing my work and hope to see you soon!

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!

Summer Fun – Water & Watercolour

There are so many wonderful things about summer – and this summer water is one of them! While watercolour is my favourite art medium, I have been taking some time out to just enjoy water in many forms.

It is pouring out today but we went so long with no rain this year that it is wonderful to hear and see. We have a skylight in the living room and the sound as I sit here reminds me of camping and the sound of rain on the tent trailer roof. Wonderful, if wet, memories!
PaigeMortensen_Rain

These beautiful swirls of colour in the swimming pool fascinated me. Combined with the sounds of my grandchildren’s swimming lessons they created another wonderful memory!
PaigeMortensen_LumsdenPool

And then there was a wonderful early morning walk by the water in southern Saskatchewan.
So calm and peaceful!
PaigeMortensen_Valeport

Saskatchewan Craft Council Members’ Show & Sale

Stories Inside XIX 12×18″ $350

This week I am excited about the reception for the Saskatchewan Craft Council’s 40th Anniversary Members’ Show & Sale. I am one of about 60 artists with pieces in the show. There is no water in these ones but they are watercolours!

Stories Inside XVII 24×36″ $1,100

I hope to see you there!

SCC-40thAnnShow_invite-front

I hope you too can take a moment to enjoy water this summer!
Thanks for reading,

Studio Tour Connections

We couldn’t have asked for better weather than we had for the 2015 edition of the 263 Art Studio Tour! Thanks to Donna, we also had a fantastic venue in their family garage which even had freshly painted walls!

Donna Cessna is an acrylic and mixed media painter, Jeannette Lussier paints her originals in oil and then uses a colour sublimation process to create tiles from digital copies of the originals. My works are watercolours done using a batik-like process on Ginwashi paper. Three artists – three individual styles! Here we are, ready to start making connections with our visitors.

And connect we did. As I said in my last post, as artists we create the works but it is not until others view it that it is complete. Everyone who came by seemed genuinely excited to be on the tour and interacting with the wide variety of art. We enjoyed talking about our inspirations and processes.

We had the opportunity to share our art with people who call Saskatchewan home and others visiting the area from Alberta, New York and Belgium. We heard stories about work they had already seen at other studios on the tour and talked about what they were going to see next. This is Saskatchewan and the seven degrees of separation between people seems smaller here so many of our conversations led to the people or places we knew in common.

PaigeMortensen_Blooming Briefly_263StudioTour2015_Web.jpg

Beyond the connections with our visitors there were a few highlights for me:
~ I had time to get to know two wonderful artists! I enjoyed the weekend with both of you!
~ Sharing the experience with family who drove 2 hours just to stop in and see our ‘gallery’!
~ After I got home a friend sent me a note saying: “A friend of mine was one of the visitors and just raved about your work, recommended that I look at it!” Funny that the visitor and I hadn’t found our link – but thanks to her for sharing her enthusiasm!

And, an added bonus was that we were at the lake and I could spend some quiet time sitting by the water!

Thanks to everyone who participated in this year’s 263 Art Studio Tour!

263 Art Studio Tour

The process of creating art never feels complete until someone sees it. This weekend is your chance to complete the work of the artists participating in this year’s 263 Art Studio Tour at various sites around Christopher and Emma Lakes.

Garden Bouquet July2015
My latest simple garden bouquet brings a smile every time I see it. I hope my watercolours do the same for you.

263 Art Studio Pieces

I have several new watercolour pieces using my batik-like process. They are framed, labelled and ready to show. All of these were done on Ginwashi paper but as you can see, some are framed behind glass and others I have mounted on canvas for a different look. I’m curious to hear which way you prefer.

I will be at Site #7 along with Donna Cessna and Jeannette Lussier!

A map can be found here.

I hope to see you there!

Delivering Watercolours for Members’ Show & Sale

Today was delivery day! I dropped off my two watercolour pieces at the Affinity Gallery on Broadway Avenue for the Saskatchewan Craft Council 40th Anniversary Members’ Show & Sale July 17 until August 29, 2015.

Paige Mortensen Stories Inside XIX 18 x 24″ $350

The show includes works by some of the Saskatchewan Craft Council’s founding members and others by emerging artists. Over 50 artists working in fibre, ceramics, photography, wood, metal, glass, and visual art are included.

As pieces are sold, they will be replaced with new ones so remember to stop by often as the show will be changing over the seven weeks.

I am very excited that my watercolours will be a part of this and I plan to be there to see all the amazing works on Friday, July 17th!

PaigeMortensen-StoriesInsideSeriesXVII Watercolour Batik 24 x 36" $1,100

Paige Mortensen Stories Inside XVII Watercolour Batik 24 x 36″ $1,100

I will also be at the reception on August 7th. I hope to see you there!