 As many have already kicked off the holiday season, I'm waiting just a little longer. This year, I'm hosting another version of my #GiveorSave Event. Giving through my work has always been important to me, as is offering occasional opportunities for my collectors to purchase selected works at special prices. This event allows you to choose what is best for you at this time, and falls neatly between Artists Sunday and GivingTuesday. I’ve joined artists, creators and makers across the country for the Artists Sunday, earth’s largest art event, the Sunday after Thanksgiving, November 27th, encouraging consumers to shop with artists. Think of it like Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, or Cyber Monday but for shopping for art! And, you've probably heard of Giving Tuesday, which according to the organization "is a global generosity movement unleashing the power of radical generosity. GivingTuesday was created in 2012 as a simple idea: a day that encourages people to do good. Since then, it has grown into a year-round global movement that inspires hundreds of millions of people to give, collaborate, and celebrate generosity." To honor both days, I'm going to be offering to my SUBSCRIBERS only, a private window of shopping online from Artists Sunday (November 27th) through GivingTuesday (November 29th). During those three days, subscribers will shop through a password protected link to my site and have the option to either save 25% percent on selected works, or ask me to donate 25% percent of their sale to my selected charity. Subscribers will get an email in their inbox on Sunday morning, at 9am ET (6am PT), with a password protected link to shop my online site privately through Tuesday, along with a coupon code should you wish to use it. If you prefer that I make a donation, simply send me a note in your order. If you miss the window to subscribe and don't get an email Sunday morning, simply sign up on my site prior to Tuesday morning, and you'll receive the link and password soon after. In light of recent events, coupled with my passion for mental health support, I've decided to give donations to The Trevor Project. They are the world’s largest suicide prevention and mental health organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning (LGBTQ) young people. Not only do they offer crisis support, but also advocacy, research and education. Some of their stats are shocking - both how a lack of acceptance has a negative impact on LGBTQ populations, as well as how just one supportive person can have a positive impact. According to The Trevor Project, "One accepting adult decreases the risk of suicide by 40% for LGBTQ young people." "The Trevor Project estimates that more than 1.8 million LGBTQ young people seriously consider suicide each year in the U.S. and could benefit from our services." PLEASE, become a subscriber to my periodic newsletter by simply filling out the form below. Let's help end hate, and provide much needed support to the LGBTQ+ community. Wishing you a very safe and Happy Thanksgiving, and I'm truly grateful for you! Just a few of my works to be included:
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 As I'm just celebrating a full year living in Durham, NC, after moving from NJ, I'm starting up an opportunity I've done in the past. My SUMMER Give or Save Event runs from 7.10 - 7.20, where you have an opportunity to #GiveorSave with the purchase of selected works through my web site. With each order you can either save 20% off the cost of the artwork or donate 20% of the value to a charity. Here's how!
Choosing organizations to support has been a challenge recently - mostly due to the wealth of needs in our world right now, and my struggle to narrow it down to one non-profit. So, I've selected four organizations that will earn donations from me through sales of my work this month; if you choose to donate, you select the charity:
Just a Taste of What's Included "Take a Seat" series of works, featuring chairs in unlikely locations, painted in vividly calm watercolors.  "Garden Watercolors" series of works journaling the changes in my gardens.  "TraillWorks Yoga Mats" featuring snippets of favorite TeaScape watercolors.  Giclées and Prints featuring some of my favorite paintings and original linocuts. You'll also find my Note Cards and a sampling of Throw Pillows. Please keep in mind, I'm an individual artist who is also currently on the mend from various nutritional deficiencies (I talk more about this in my latest newsletter), so I'm filling orders slowly. I'm in the business of providing good service with high quality work, but that means that it might arrive slower than you're used to. If purchasing anything - please contact me with any concerns about delivery timing. I hope my work brings you joy and aids a little more financial support to organizations doing important work. NEED A REMINDER of the event? SUBSCRIBE to my Newsletter.  Kind of on a whim, but more inspired by Sybil Archibald, a local artist, friend, and collector's own daily practice, I finally felt moved to make this commitment. I've struggled for years feeling "not good enough" and wondering, "why can't I make this commitment to create every day"? I am good enough, and my life has been very full of many responsibilities. But, that being said, I've increased my exercise practice, my meditation practice, but not my creative practice. I realized that I've been trying to encourage my students to do the same thing - but how can I if I'm not practicing what I preach? So . . . I've started. Officially on January 2nd, I made a commitment to minimally make art 30 minutes a day. To show up, because it's in the frequency and the work, that develops good work. REALITY: I made it consecutively to day 39. It's not perfect, and some days I've allowed myself the compassion of counting a sketchbook session in front of the TV towards my practice. Other days I'm sneaking up to the studio after the kids have gone to bed while catching an episode of The Durrells in Corfu - a PBS program that I stream on Amazon. It truly makes me smile, giggle, and lets me travel to a beautiful place, if only for an hour. Then a few weeks later, we lost the boiler in our house, and we temporarily landed at my in-laws for a week. I didn't create much that week. INSIGHT: I just took the CliftonStrengths test, inspired by some personal growth work my sis is doing and found out some incredibly affirming and enlightening things about myself. Created by Gallup, the test assesses your top ten strengths, and lists out a total of 34. My top tens are spot on, but the last one shocked me - consistency. It is a strength, but it is my weakest. This was freeing to learn - and explained a lot of the blips every time I attempt to complete a social media challenge! And, with that I'm allowing myself the space to skip days when I need to - because if I can't be consistent those days, it's because my other strengths, like being responsible to my clients or family, will win out. The above artworks are only about 1/2 of what I've created for the month of January. I have another series going on simultaneously, as well as working on some intermittent commissions. At this point in mid-March, I've completed 16 new pieces - I've surpassed my production last year, so I'm thrilled with this. The upshot for you? I'm going to be dropping these works in small groups every Friday, beginning March 19th, to my VIPS who subscribe to my newsletter. They will have 24 hours to snatch up these new works. Then, if the works are still available, I'll release them on Instagram. Much of the works will be unframed watercolors on handmade papers featuring my new TeaScapes. Additionally, I'm participating in the #ArtistSupportPledge which asks that I agree to sell works that are $200 or less, and once I hit $1000 in sales, I spend $200 on collecting another artist's work.  SOUND GOOD? Please sign up below to become a VIP to make certain you have early access and first dibs at these new wonders coming out of my studio. Until Friday, you can follow my Instagram / Facebook feeds, and you can explore all of the progress in my #ArtEveryDay Story on IG. 
I don't always realize how productive I have been until I take a moment to pause and gather everything for a shop update. My studio doesn't have much wall space so I can't always see everything at once - it gets shuffled to drawers or shelves. This past week 8 new works from my growing TeaScapes series have been organized, photographed, titled, described, priced and uploaded to my site.
Corresponding with this artwork release is my Give or Save Event which I have periodically run in the past with a lot of success. What is it? In brief - through May 5th, you have the opportunity to purchase my original work and have me either donate 50% to Feeding America or choose to save 50% on my work. You can read more about the event, how to participate and get almost first dibs on the work by subscribing to my list. Currently, only subscribers are accessing the work through April 30th. 
It feels good to release them to the world, and I hope you'll join in for a change to collect new pieces, and possibly GIVE to an organization that is much needed now, before I open it up to the public Friday. ​Simply enter your email address below. I hope you're staying safe, healthy, and finding some way of reaching peace at this time. My heart goes out to everyone and my hope is that I can support the greater population through my work, and give you something to cherish in your home.
  I’m in the midst of shifting gears in so many ways - personally, artistically, and the word that keeps coming up for me is SPACE! I’m grateful for the spaces I have, both physical and mentally, but am working on creating more. In my body, my mind, and reconfiguring my physical spaces. This includes my studio. I love it - it’s my own private room with a lockable door, on the 3rd floor of my home, with decent light. Quite a good commute! But, in working in it for over 5 years, it’s feeling stale, cluttered, not painted in a way that’s me and filled with old, but GOOD work. I have storage, but not a ton for the amount of work I have. So most is hung on the walls and I need to start with a blank slate. I'd like to repaint the beige to a bright white, and paint my display wall a dark blue grey. I'd also like to better organize the work that remains, my supplies, and build a new desk area. I'm working towards better flow which will eventually result in new works. What does this mean for you? I'm having a STUDIO SALE! My online shop has been temporarily taken down. So, I'm sure you're asking, how do you participate? SUBSCRIBE TO MY LIST! Subscribers will be notified this Friday with a password to enter the sale and will have through Sunday to shop exclusively. After Sunday, the shop will be offered to all and only remain up for a week. Works, including oils, watercolors, drawings, and prints (excludes my TeaScapes and newer pieces) will be available up to 50% off retail price AND I will be donating 10% of profits to the Mental Health Association of Morris and Essex Counties in NJ. I'll be posting more on Instagram and Facebook about works included in the sale, as well as about the MHA. I hope you'll join in the rare opportunity to add something of mine to your collection. Know that in doing so, I'll be opening up spaces for new work and supporting a very valuable organization.  |
Jennie Traill SchaefferDeemed the Kitchen God's Artist by NJ Savvy Living for my sainted appliances, I'm now known more for my vibrant, meditational paintings of chairs set surprisingly in landscapes. Since relocating to NC from NJ, mothering my two sons, and caring for our rescue pup, Cider, took the lead. Now, that my Durham home studio is renovated it's open again for virtual art coaching and the resumption of my personal art and commissions. The work I make is inspired by my joy of teaching, exploring nature, and traveling. On The Teaching Artist Blog, I share my approach to teaching and educate my readers about my creative process. Join my VIPs for First DibsWORKSHOPS
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October 2024
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