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As part of connecting with the artistic community, past and present, I've been making efforts to meet up with fellow artists. It's important to not only network, but develop relationships with artists you admire in order to gain feedback, new perspective on your work, and camaraderie. Being an artist is often a lonely endeavor and though I like to paint and work privately, I feed off personal interactions. This is something I miss about running my gallery in Newton. Since closing the gallery, these personal interactions and connections are frequently very difficult to make happen now between family obligations and my teaching schedule. I've had to cancel numerous studio visits with artists due to changes in my schedule with sick kids, my husband's travel schedule or my own work deadlines. Last month, with not much notice and schedules miraculously aligning, I visited West Orange artist, Sarah Canfield's studio. She and I have bumped into one another on numerous occasions and have been in a few local shows together. I admire and respect both her work and her dedication. Sarah is not only a remarkable artist, but also a dedicated volunteer for Studio Montclair and the West Orange Arts Council. Her studio is on the first floor of her bright and airy split level home. It's not a gigantic studio, but she's able to do some pretty big things in such a small space! She comes from a photorealist oil painting tradition, but with a technological bent, creating almost hyperrealistic abstractions from electronic / computer elements, even "freezing time" as she describes in her artist statement by depicting circuit boards that have literally been frozen in her freezer! Despite the amount of detail and precision in the works, the scale and alteration of the subject matter distorts and becomes something almost organic. It is the tension between the "timeless and transient" that drives Sarah's work. She recently has been taking a break from painting and experimenting with new multimedia and multidimensional works. I had the privilege of seeing them in progress and learning about her ideas, concepts, and processes. We spoke for a few hours about art-making, involvement in local arts organizations, studio practices, teaching and the balance of making art in a home studio. Hopefully we'll get to see the results of her newest works soon; she's very protective of them due to their shift in direction, so I won't be sharing any pics. In the meantime, you can explore her portfolio at sarahcanfield.com. Hope to bump into you soon Sarah! Stay tuned for an upcoming post with an exciting announcement!  Artist, Sarah Canfield, in her West Orange studio.  Sarah's newer experimental work.
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  Set up for Handala-making at Gregory School's Happy Healthy Kids Night Sometimes all you need to be creative are some basic tools, a framework, and a nurturing guide within which to make something. During the 1st annual NJ Makers Day on Saturday, March 21st, I will be offering visitors to the West Orange Public Library an opportunity to creatively contribute their mark without intimidation or expectations. I hear all the time from adults "I can't even draw a stick figure" and "I'm not creative". Banish those thoughts and let me help you contribute to a community "Handala". Influenced by the structure of mandalas, the "Handala", a concept I discovered from artist, Ron Hornung, is a mandala made of hands. (While rooted in Buddhism and Hinduism, mandalas in their simplest constructs are visual structures, which represent wholeness, because of their arrangement of integrated elements around a unifying center.) Visitors both young and young at heart, will be asked to trace their own hand and embellish it or the space around it with colored pencils. During the making of the "Handala" hopefully I'll dispel some myths about art making, giving you a chance to express yourself without fear, as well as a chance to learn more about a very old artistic / spiritual symbol. The completed "Handalas" will remain at the library for display after the event. Children and adults are welcome. I guided students and parents in making "Handalas" at Gregory School's Happy Healthy Kids Night in the Fall and saw many self-conscious adults in particular, sit down, get past their fear and make something with their kids. I will be at the library from 1:30 - 4pm on the 21st. Many other STEM activities will be offered throughout the day including creating recycled jewelry and family activities involving technology demos and art. Check out the article in The Alternative Press for more information about workshops, demos, makers, and hours. I hope you'll save the time to participate in a day that promotes the culture of making!  Handala in progress at Gregory School's Happy Healthy Kids Night. Fall 2014 As we come to the end of 2014, the studio has been getting busier. I'm pleased to announce the opening of enrollment for the 2015 Winter session at my Studio on the 3rd Floor. Now through December 31st, save 15% on whatever tuition package you purchase. Two sessions are set with spaces available: JUMPSTART for adults on Tuesday mornings and a teen portfolio group on Saturday mornings. Sessions begin January 5th. Additional groups or private lessons may be scheduled based on availability and interest for children, teens and adults.
If you've been thinking about making creativity a priority in your life or your child's life, start the year right at TraillWorks! Whether you are a beginner or an experienced artist who needs some coaching, consider TraillWorks for a nurturing, yet serious commitment to your art. Learn more about Winter enrollment and art lessons at traillworks.com/art-lessons--workshops.html. Look for a post soon with a very special announcement about one of my students. EARLY REGISTRATION HAS BEEN EXTENDED THROUGH JANUARY 10th!  Former adult students from my studio in Newton, NJ. "Your job is to learn to work on your work." David Bayles and Ted Orland, Art and Fear. Are you afraid to pull out those dusty art materials? I've worked with many adult students over the past 8 years who had some past experience or interest in art, but for many reasons stopped creating or never started. Fear is often the inhibitor. Through my nurturing approach, I've successfully jumpstarted several students into making art again, and turning it into a priority in their life. I am starting a small group class beginning November 4th on Tuesday mornings, called JUMPSTART, for adults who want to get back to their art and are afraid of where to begin. The sessions will be minimally, 1 hour in length, with an option to extend to two if there is interest. I intend to schedule the sessions between the hours of 9:30 - 11:30, to be determined once we have a group together. There will be some wiggle room to play with the time depending on the individuals in the group. We will be working mostly 2-dimensionally and media will be determined on an individual basis. I begin getting to know my students, learning their backgrounds and goals. My approach is a mixture of nurture and constructive criticism to get you back to making art. Where we go from there becomes a journey we take together, eventually developing a direction or vision for one's own work. Prospective students must realize that there will be fun, but sometimes growth is connected to frustration and roadblocks. I will be there to get you through them and achieve those "aha" moments when stuff clicks. If interested in enrolling and taking this journey with me, you can explore more at traillworks.com/art-lessons--workshops.html. There are two offers for you: refer / enroll other students and save 15% on your tuition or enroll yourself by October 31st and save 15%*. I would love to invite you into my studio this Tuesday morning for coffee and conversation about enrolling in JUMPSTART. Email me with your interest or fill out the form below. *registration fee does not qualify for discount. As we roll into October, the students at TraillWorks have been doing amazing work in just a few short weeks since the start of the Fall session. Although we are three weeks in, my lessons are structured for flexibility and open enrollment throughout the session. I am currently offering a Saturday morning teen group, a Thursday afternoon 5 -7 year old group, and am planning to start a Tuesday morning adult group (perfect for moms / dads who have some flexibility after school drop-off and want to devote time to art making. The pieces below were created by a six year old student in only two one-hour sessions. At TraillWorks, due to small class sizes, I specialize in offering very individualized attention so a lot can be accomplished. The student spent the first week working on several blind contour drawings of a model horse and llama set up for observation. She decided to draw the furry penguin during her next session where we focused on gesture drawings in conté crayon. She was able to achieve drawing on a large scale; these took up full sheets of paper. Her first contour drawings were only about the size of a fist. Lastly, she began visual brainstorming with thumbnail sketches, which are small quick studies to work out the composition of an artwork. While it might be hard to tell what she has drawn, they are shorthand drawings that she and I understand. She will use these to help her create a larger drawing incorporating the penguin, and utilizing the drawing skills she's learned thus far.  Progression of drawing skill over two art lesson sessions. Below, longtime student, Emily, a senior at Sparta High School, finished her self portrait that she began earlier in the year, destined for her portfolio. This was a labor of love, one that involved time, hard work, perseverance and creativity. I think the finished piece speaks for itself and I know that she was more than pleased with the end result. Bravo Emily!  Self Portrait, graphite and watercolor on paper, by Emily Haag, Sparta High School Senior. If you or someone you know is interested in a nurturing, intimate environment where you can grow and learn, please get in touch or share! I'd love to speak with you about your personal goals and interests to see if we might be a good fit. Email me at [email protected] with your interest or questions. |
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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