Making Your Mark: It’s all About the Wax

Making Your Mark

In 2012 I was taking a printmaking class and one of the assignments was to do something with batik. To me, at the time, that meant fabric and special dyes. I didn’t want to add more supplies to my art making collection so I went searching for an alternative. I found Kathie George and her beautiful watercolour batiks! From there I completed one of her online tutorials, and I was hooked!

After more than 4 years of my own watercolour batik journey I was finally able to attend one of Kathie’s workshops in Edmonton. I was surprised to see see how much my process had evolved from hers. Kathie invited me to write about that for her blog so here is a sampling of what you will find in: “It’s All About the Wax … making your mark” 

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Kathie uses wax pots for melting her wax and brushes or tjaps for applying it. I use a flat encaustic iron to melt my wax and sponges, mesh, cardboard and whatever else I can find to apply my wax.

A key feature of the batik process is that making your mark with the wax is what determines the outcome of the piece. The wax preserves whatever is already there and is the key to the finished piece.

Making Your Mark Sampler

Making Your Mark Sampler

 

My Guest Post on Kathie George’s Blog

You can read about my discoveries on her blog:
http://www.kathiegeorge.com/its-all-about-the-wax

While you are there, look around and enjoy all that she shares!

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As always, thanks for reading!

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Artisan Fine Craft Market – November 4 & 5, 2016

Artisan 2016

It is a real honour to be participating in the Artisan Fine Craft Market this year! The space has been doubled this year and it will be a fantastic show. Dates and times are listed below and there is more information at artisansask.ca.

Artisan Fine Craft Market 2016

Artisan Fine Craft Market

Then two weeks later is another show I’ll tell you about next time.  For now, what that means is that I have been busy.  Here are a couple images of what has been hanging in the ‘fireplace gallery’ in my studio.  Although, they haven’t had time to linger as the next batch comes along quickly.

Fall 2016 Fireplace Gallery

Fall 2016 Fireplace Gallery

Fall 2016 - Fireplace Gallery

Fall 2016 – Fireplace Gallery

I am thankful for Kim at Vanishing Point Framing for looking after the framing of my larger pieces. They are finished and ready for me to pick up.  These made in Saskatoon frames are a wonderful smooth maple – not only do they look great but they feel so smooth!

Changing - Framed by Vanishing Point Framing

Changing – Framed by Vanishing Point Framing

I have attended the Artisan Fine Craft Market many times over the years, but this is the first time I will be there as part of the show. That is exciting, and a bit scary. So, I have been practising my setup in the basement. 

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Make sure you stop and say hello while you are there!

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Flock of birds now in my studio

Flock of Birds October 2016 ©Paige Mortensen

Flock of Birds October 2016 ©Paige Mortensen

My fireplace gallery now has a flock of birds – part of the work I am doing for the  Artisans’ Fine Craft Market coming up on November 4 & 5, 2016. The white papers behind them have been hanging empty for a few days so it feels good to have some colour there again.

It was our grandson’s 7th birthday at the end of September so we went to help celebrate.  They live on an acreage with a beautiful view of the lake and the birds were plentiful.  The weather was great and our grandchildren were happily jumping on the trampoline. I took some time with my camera to capture some reference images. I am thankful for every one of these special days spent with family.

Things to do:

Over the last week I have been keeping the memories of the day alive by working on some small watercolour batik pieces.  This batik process I use uses wax as a resist so I always work on wax paper (or in this case the liners out of cereal boxes).  These waxy papers stop the wax from sticking to whatever else might be underneath.  Here are some of the flock, finished and waiting for the wax to be ironed off. I did that this morning.

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Flock of birds ready to iron

The next steps are to:

  • sign them
  • photograph them
  • mount them onto canvas
  • attach hangers
  • add labels to the back

Enjoy the birds you see today!

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ArtsQuest.ca Visits my Studio

ArtsQuest.ca comes for a Studio Visit

In August, Corinne and Gary of ArtsQuest came for a studio visit. As it says on their website they are “traveling Canada, building the premier online Canadian arts marketplace.”  I am honoured that they chose to visit me. The were obviously curious about my watercolour batik process and interested in my life as an artist. I look forward to connecting with Corinne and Gary again soon. Here they are with their trusted van “Arty”.

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For now they are posting interviews of artists they meet on their travels. I am not fond of looking at video of me – or of listening to myself talk.  Corinne & Gary did a great job putting this together though so I do hope you will have a look.  Here is a link to mine: http://artsquest.ca/2016/09/21/batik-watercolour-artist-paige-mortensen-irons-out-the-past/ While you are there check out some of the other interesting people they have met along the way!

 

ArtsQuest Interview about my watercolour batik process

 

Saskatoon Star Phoenix

Look what I found in the paper! Elevator Stop is one of my pieces featured on the guest artist wall at Handmade House until the end of September 2016.

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Handmade House can be found at 702 Broadway Avenue Saskatoon, SK.

Humboldt & District Museum and Gallery is hosting a members’ show. Several artists from Saskatoon, including myself are participating in it.  I haven’t been yet but I from the pictures it looks like a great show!  You can check it out until November 5, 2016.

Thanks for reading!

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ART NOW: Saskatchewan Fine Art & Craft Fair

I am excited to announce that the Saskatchewan Craft Council’s selection committee chose three of my watercolour batiks to show in their booth at this ART NOW : The Saskatchewan Fine Art & Craft Fair!  It is a first annual event so I am looking forward to everything it has to offer.

ART NOW The Saskatchewan Fine Art & Craft Fair

Some of the specifics:

Hours

Friday, September 16 – noon – 9 pm – FREE admission
Saturday, September 17 – 10 am – 6 pm – FREE admission
Sunday, September 18 – 10 am – 4 pm – FREE admission

VIP Opening Reception

Thursday, September 15 from 6 – 10 pm
Tickets $100 with proceeds going to the Remai Modern Art Gallery of Saskatchewan
(tickets available here)

Information Sessions (more details here)

September 16 – 1pm     Social Media for the Arts
September 17 – 1pm     
The Two Sides of the Brain: Creativity in Art and Science
September 17 – 3pm     Saskatchewan Art Now
September 18 – 1pm      From Here to There

 

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Summer Reflections and Sharing Gratitudes

By the time you read this it will be September and a good time for summer reflections.
I have so many things to be thankful for!

Art Related:

By The Sandbar ©Paige Mortensen Watercolour Batik 16x16" SOLD

By The Sandbar ©Paige Mortensen Watercolour Batik 16×16″ SOLD

Time for art.  Well, maybe not quite as much over the summer as the rest of the year but everything that follows is important too.

Black Spruce Gallery and Handmade House for showing my work.

Collectors who have purchased my work.

Upcoming opportunities – more news coming soon!

 

 

Family News

Engagement

 

Exciting family news #1 – our son is engaged so we have a soon to be daughter-in-law!

AtTheBeach

 

Exciting family news #2 – our daughter and son-in-law are expecting their 3rd child!  We sure enjoyed the time with these two this summer!

NewBaby

 

My niece and her husband had a baby girl!

 

Celebrations

65thAnniv

 

A 65th Wedding Anniversary!

 

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A 95th Birthday Party!

 

Inspirations

Leaves

 

Interesting leaves.

 

Mirror

My cousin gave me a dresser that once belonged to our grandparents. I painted it white and am distressing it before putting it all back together.

 

Small Flower Collection Aug 2016

Small Flower Collection Aug 2016 ©Paige Mortensen Watercolour Batik

 

 

 

A collection of small  (4×6″) canvases that were calling.  These flowers are the tiniest pieces I have done and it was fun!

 

 

 

I hope your summer reflections bring a smile to your day!

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Rain Rescue – a random act of kindness

With Gratitude

Out of the Rain

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,

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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

Handmade House Show Pieces

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.

Handmade House Show Pieces

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 Show 2016

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!

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Station Arts Centre Postcard Fundraiser

Postcard Fundraiser

When I first heard about the Station Arts Centre Postcard Fundraiser I thought “What a fun idea”!   I was out to see the exhibition and they have over 180 postcards in their silent auction! The variety is fantastic and they look great on the walls! Show dates are June 21 – August 7, 2016.

PaigeMortensen - Station Arts Centre Postcard Fundraiser - SaskatchewanPostcards1

Saskatchewan Postcards 1 ©Paige Mortensen 6×4″ Watercolour Batik

I wanted my submissions to reflect the town of Rosthern, the people who live there and Saskatchewan. The elevator is one of two still standing along the tracks through Rosthern and feels similar to elevators in many towns around the province.

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Saskatchewan Postcards 2 ©Paige Mortensen 6×4″ Watercolour Batik

The last time I was out to the Station Arts Centre this bike was sitting outside the building. It has such a wonderful basket on the back!  I don’t know the owner but it was fun for me to hear that she was excited to see her bike in the exhibition!

PaigeMortensen - Station Arts Centre Postcard Fundraiser - SaskatchewanPostcards3

Saskatchewan Postcards 3 ©Paige Mortensen 6×4″ Watercolour Batik

And, for anyone who doesn’t know, the Prairie Lily is Saskatchewan’s flower.

The entire Postcard Fundraiser collection is posted on the Station Arts Facebook page if you are interested in seeing more.  Mine are #127, 142 and 144.

Leah Dorion Exhibition

In addition to the postcards, there is an exhibit of Leah Dorion’s work called Carriers of Creation Her artist’s statement says: “This collection celebrates the energy of life and the great connectedness of all life forms in this vast creation.”

In November 2015 I heard Leah talk about her exhibition (Country Wives & Daughters of the Country: Metis Women of this Land) at the Saskatchewan Craft Council Gallery here in Saskatoon. She is expressing an important message and I was fascinated with the works.
“Until recently the role of Métis women in Canadian history remained generally unacknowledged by our collective society… This art show is a celebration of Métis women and provides contemporary representations of women’s traditional roles in historic Métis society. Recognizing our shared past is an important way to give cultural continuity, identity, and knowledge to forthcoming generations of children.”   ~ Leah Dorion

I hope you can check out the exhibitions – as well as their summer theatre show – “The Moonlight Sonata of Beethoven’s Blatz”!

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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.

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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

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!

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