 Yellowstone Calm, 13" x 8 1/3", Watercolor on Arches 140lb. HP, ©2018 Jennie Traill Schaeffer, AVAILABLE A teaching artist is always giving to her students. Over the years I've taught, I've had students coming from many backgrounds, facing various adversities and illnesses. Since moving to eastern NJ, I've reduced my audience of students due to my own personal family's needs. However, I'm fortunate to live near an amazing organization, Arts Unbound, that aims to provide an art education to adults who are either seniors or living with disabilities. The goal is to help them develop a career working as an artist. Each year, they host an ArtBender, a weekend long celebration of making to raise money for their art coaching program. Many opportunities to create are offered throughout the local area, as well as individual artists supporting the cause. This weekend I'm hosting a 20/20 Sale. What does that mean for you and for Arts Unbound? All work will be discounted 20% for the weekend, and I will donate 20% of all sales to Arts Unbound. My personal goal is to raise $200 for the organization, which means I must sell $1000 worth of art. Can I do it? You betcha, but I need your help. Please share link to my online shop far and wide to art lovers. It's a great time since it's the weekend prior to Mother's Day - might be an opportunity to give Mom a very artful gift. Couple of important details:
Let's make this weekend's ArtBender a success to enrich the lives of so many! PS - I'm continually updating my site, so check back often for new works. Use COUPON CODE: ARTFORALL at checkout. 
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  35, Mixed Media on Wood, 24" x 36", ©2016 Jennie Traill Schaeffer Since 2006 I've made it a point to give back through my artwork. While the work itself is significant and has meaning for me, and art does heal people's soul, I want my efforts to have more of an impact. While I've been growing my business and raising young kids, the best way I can do that is through charitable giving. Over the past decade I've worked with and donated to Kaleidoscope for Hope, Project Self-Sufficiency, Quinlan Hospice, Birth Haven, Oasis of NJ, and Dining for Women, among others.
Recently, I've been wanting to help a lot of different organizations, and with the state of the world now, there seemed to be too many good organizations to choose just one. Until recently, I met Whitny Sobala, wife of photographer, John Sobala, who was exhibiting at a show with me in Madison, NJ. In our conversations about the recent election, we ended up talking about her start-up UMEWE, which is an "art and design collaborative founded with the conceptual artist, Uncle Riley, and supports, promotes and disseminates Optimistic 'tools' and works of public art." UMEWE worked together with Uncle Riley and Pantone to develop INT-O YELLOW which aims to promote a new movement in art, "Optimism," and through it "heal depression, end suffering and save lives." Tonight marks the first of five art exhibits and opportunities to see and purchase my work this month. This show features nine works that focus on food gelato, aprons, appliances, and vintage cars. You can preview the work and purchase from out of the area, here. Any shipping charges will be determined after purchase. Additionally, it's an opportunity for me to help Save the Children, an organization that is actively supporting children in 120 countries including the U.S. have a healthy start to life and have the opportunity to learn and have care when disaster strikes. Given the many recent disasters here and around the world, as well as the growing refugee crisis, I wanted to give back through my work. Throughout the month of September, I'm donating 20% of my profits of art sales from The Maplewood Grille, the Maplewood Art Walk and any direct art sales through my studio / web site. If you're in the New Jersey area, please join me from 6 - 9pm at The Maplewood Grille, 144 Maplewood Ave., Maplewood. If you can't make it tonight, check out my other upcoming shows on my exhibit page.   An email came through my inbox recently from a local charity, Oasis, asking for donations to support their moms. With mothers on our mind I thought now is the perfect time to launch a month-long mission to raise awareness about Oasis and donate 15% of profits from my art sales. Oasis is based in nearby Paterson, NJ, a city that exhibits a child poverty rate of 42%, compared to a 16% statewide rate. I've supported them in the past due to their excellent programs and their rating on Charity Navigator, plus 83% of their donations go directly to the women and children they aim to help. I've worked with and donated to other organizations in the past that help moms due to the direct link in helping future generations. By helping moms become self-sufficient, their children benefit directly by a higher quality of life. Moms are important.  All of the art on my web site and anything in my studio qualifies towards my donation (with the exception of a few pieces going out to exhibit this month). A limited selection of works are available for online purchases in my store, and most other available works are in my portfolio. Shipping is available for anything not listed in my store, just contact me with the art of interest and we will determine shipping costs or delivery details. If you're within a 25 mile radius, I'm happy to offer complimentary delivery. Any commissioned works, including my Wedding Cake Portraits, also qualify towards my donation. I would love to aid in Oasis' mission to "change the lives of women and children by breaking the cycle of poverty through compassionate programs designed to feed, clothe, educate and empower women and children in need." Enjoy browsing through my works and I hope you'll find some art to love that will help me lift up a mom in Paterson. A special thanks to my mom, my husband, and my kids as we approach mother's day. I'm grateful for my mom's unconditional love and lessons in becoming a mother, and for my husband in helping me through the ups and downs of motherhood, and to my kids who have taught me a new kind of love and become creative in ways I never thought possible. Happy Mothers Day to my mom, my sister on her first Mother's Day, and to all of the moms out there who work so hard every day to feed, clothe, and love your kids.  Her Ladyship, collage by Jill Allyn Stafford, of Sacramento, CA Today is the final day to stop by the Twitter Art Exhibit in NYC. I was fortunate to squeeze in a trip to the opening reception before leaving for vacation to London last month. By the time I arrived, several of the works had been sold and removed from the wall, but many gems remained. Proceeds from the exhibit are going to support Foster Pride, an organization in NYC that supports teen girls in foster care to learn entrepreneurial and design skills. While I hadn't intended to purchase anything, I couldn't pass up the opportunity once I was there and saw the amazing assortment of work, all for $35 / piece, and know that it was going to a good cause. The piece above, Her Ladyship, by California artist, Jill Allyn Stafford, I recalled seeing in one of the many posts leading up to the exhibit; it caught my attention when I scanned the show. After many walk-throughs, I decided I had to purchase it. There are definite links between some the imagery, the color palette, and subject matter to my own work, but done in a different medium. The composition and quality of the piece stuck with me. The second piece, London, by Sophie Severn of England, was an early souvenir of my trip to London the next day and a great opportunity to collect someone's work from over the pond. My husband and I headed there on vacation alone, without the kids. I was encouraged by my friend, and my gut, that this would make for a great preview and memory of what turned out to be a remarkable trip. Thank you Sophie and Jill for the opportunity to purchase your work and add it to my own collection of art.  London, acrylic by Sophie Severn, of Leicester, England If you're in the NYC area today, stop by the exhibit located at Trygvie Lie Gallery at the Norwegian Seaman's Church at 317 E. 52nd Street. The gallery is open until 6pm this evening for purchases. My work is seen below, circled in red. At the time of leaving the exhibit, it was still available. I'm not sure if it is as of today. Any works not sold are staying in the hands of Foster Pride and may be sold in the future for their fundraising purposes. If you did purchase my work, At Rest, write me a note and let me know! I'd love to know where it has gone.  In front of my own postcard, At Rest, during the opening reception.  At Rest, watercolor by Jennie Traill Schaeffer, possibly still available. |
Jennie Traill SchaefferSometimes called the Kitchen God's Artist, I'm balancing mothering two energetic sons, a big mutt Ringo, making and teaching art. TraillWorks is the apron under which I create and teach. My own art develops mostly in my West Orange home studio, but is sometimes spurred through my teaching, which takes place at Oh! Canary Studio, located in Maplewood, NJ. Get Exclusive PreviewsArchives
September 2018
Want to read more from the past? Click here to read archived blog posts from my previous blog on Blogger.
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Studio on the 3rd Floor
West Orange, NJ
Want to Schedule a Studio Visit?
Call 973.271.9104 or email jennie@traillworks.com
West Orange, NJ
Want to Schedule a Studio Visit?
Call 973.271.9104 or email jennie@traillworks.com
Photos of Jennie by Kat Dela Cruz..