Tag Archives: inspirations

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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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

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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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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.

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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!

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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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Memories of Bouquets

Fond Farewell ©Paige Mortensen Watercolour Batik 12x24"

Fond Farewell ©Paige Mortensen Watercolour Batik 12×24″

As the saying goes, “Pictures are worth a thousand words”…and they bring back so many memories. Looking at some photos recently I came across some from a farewell party for a friend and co-worker. They brought back many memories of working with this amazing, dedicated person. Another co-worker had put together this small bouquet in an office mug reminding me of the special talents every person has. Working on this piece was a joyful opportunity to remember those connections.

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Healing & Protea ©Paige Mortensen Watercolour Batik each 8×24″

These two also have memories. The daisies were a gift from family when I broke my ankle in 2014. I don’t really want to remember the broken ankle but I am always thankful for my awesome family and their support in everything. The orange flower in the second one one is a Protea (or Pin Cushion) and the arrangement includes some Eryngium and Eucalyptus. These I gave to my sister for her birthday. The vase she used was a plastic one that folds flat. Once filled with water it created some very interesting shapes and colours.

Just over a month until the Artists’ Workshop Show & Sale.  Hope to see you there!

2016 aw invite sm

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Explorations to Start 2016

January, a month for new explorations! I have been sewing on my paper batiks, sketching and adding charcoal to my batik-like process.

Sewing on my paper batiks

I have been admiring the work of some amazing thread painters and wanted to try combining stitching with my batiks. My first project involved creating a number of papers of coloured batiks, cutting them up and sewing them back together.  I had had a lovely bouquet of daisies and as they were nearing their end I cut the blossoms off and put them in a bowl of water.  This really perked them up. I loved the look and used it as inspiration for this mini-paper batik quilt!

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Daisy Bowl ©Paige Mortensen Mixed Media 12×12″

Then I had done a batik of a lovely little outdoor cafe we saw in Sarlat, France and I decided to see what some stitching would do for it.  I didn’t cut it apart, just added details with various colours of threads. My goal was to keep it about the batik, just enhance the look.  It was a lot of fun!

Sarlat Cafe

Sarlat Cafe ©Paige Mortensen Mixed Media 12×18″

Here is some of the detail:

Sarlat Cafe Detail

Sarlat Cafe Detail ©Paige Mortensen

Sketching

January has become an annual month of daily sketching and this year I have been working on people and fabric.  There have been some great tips and exercises in this book “Drawing Realistic Clothing & People” by Lee Hammond.  Exploring and learning!

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Adding Charcoal

It was back to our weekly painting day with the Artists’ Workshop group and time to explore something new! Rather than just work from light to dark I decided to start with the darks by using charcoal for the initial design and then build the colours onto that.  These landscapes are the result of this week’s experimentation.  They are both inspired by spots at Emma Lake close to our cabin. Awesome to think about warm summer days!

©Paige Mortensen

Evening at Emma ©Paige Mortensen Mixed Media 16×16″

Emma Mystery

Emma Mystery ©Paige Mortensen Mixed Media 16×16″

I wonder where this exploration will take me? What about you?  What are you exploring these days?

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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.

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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?

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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!

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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.

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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 ©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 ©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!
Venice 2014 ©Paige Mortensen

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

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.

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By the Canal ©Paige Mortensen 12×18″ Watercolour

Thanks for sharing my adventures!
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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.

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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.

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Trajan’s Column ©Paige Mortensen

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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.

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Roman Water Fountain ©Paige Mortensen

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

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Fruit Stand ©Randy Mortensen

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Rome – Colloseum

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

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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?

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

Thanks for reading!

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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.

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©Paige Mortensen Sustaining 18×24″ Mixed Media

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

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