Tag Archives: events

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

©Paige Mortensen Blooming Briefly Watercolour 16×16″ $525

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!

Dimensions 2015

By the Canal
Paige Mortensen
Watercolour Batik on Ginwashi paper
12 x 18″

As we wandered the narrow streets of Venice, away from the noisy, crowded tourist areas we found this tiny, peaceful spot. In a city of water, bridges and stone, this felt like a place to pause and enjoy the moment.

The architectural qualities of the old stone and brick are ideal for the watercolour batik process. Working on Ginwashi paper, I alternate layers of wax and watercolour working from the light to dark building the subject as I go. The textures of the finished piece are revealed in the final step when the wax is ironed off.

I am honoured my watercolour batik piece (“By the Canal“) was selected to tour with this amazing collection of Saskatchewan handcrafted works! This Friday (June 19th at 7 pm) is the Gala Reception and Fine Craft Awards ceremony for Dimensions 2015 at the MacKenzie Art Gallery, in Regina, SK.

Dimensions Invitation full page

Dimensions 2015 will be on tour as follows:

May 23 – August 16, 2015 — MacKenzie Art Gallery, Regina, SK
September 10 – November 21, 2015 — Yukon Arts Centre, Whitehorse, YT
December 1, 2015 – January 23, 2016 — Affinity Gallery (SCC), Saskatoon, SK
July – August, 2016 — Chapel Gallery, North Battleford, SK
September – October, 2016 — Godfrey Dean Gallery, Yorkton, SK

Mini-Vacation

We were away for all of 36 hours but I really feel like we had a vacation!

Saturday evening was the reception for my Guest Artist Show at Jocelyn’s Fine Art Gallery in Esterhazy. I really enjoyed the evening of music and conversation! Thanks to everyone who attended, and those who purchased pieces. I am delighted to know who has them!

Thanks to the Flav’R Country Blues band for the entertainment!

And, most importantly, thanks to Jocelyn & Sandra for this opportunity and the evening!

Our weekend continued with a fantastic performance of Mary Poppins at Regina’s Globe Theatre!

There was even time for quick stop for supper at our daughter and family’s acreage where we got to meet their new babies – kittens, chickens and lambs! So exciting for them!

Jocelyn’s Fine Art Gallery

Last weekend I delivered pieces to Jocelyn’s Fine Art Gallery in Esterhazy where I am their guest artist for June, July and August 2015. The gallery is wonderful and I really enjoyed meeting Jocelyn and Sandra!

Thanks to Jocelyn and Sandra the show is up and looks wonderful! They are also organizing a reception for this coming Saturday (June 6th at 7:30 pm) It should be a lot of fun and I am looking forward to meeting everyone who attends the event!

Paige Mortensen Poster_web.jpg