  HELLO y'all, I'm hosting a Giveaway!!!! In honor of my first appearance in a show in Durham, NC, I'm selecting a new yoga mat design to offer at the Durham Holiday Art Walk in November. Lucky for you, you don't need to live in Durham to help me out. All I need from you is your selection of a favorite mat design, and for your time, you'll be entered into a giveaway for a weekender bag, featuring Hot Stress Relief.
HOW TO PARTICIPATE:
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 In case you missed it - the reason for my blog absence has been due to an upcoming relocation from NJ to NC next month. We started thinking about this last year when my husband took a new job, sort of based in NC. After many conversations, we took a trip in March to check out the Chapel Hill / Durham area and decided to go for it. Our house went on the market in April, we accepted an offer soon after, and then headed south in May to buy a home. Last week we closed on both homes and are officially homeowners in Durham, NC. With this crazy real estate market, everything has moved so quickly, and we are headed down south the 2nd of July. I hosted a Y(ART)D SHOW in my home a few weeks ago that availed many lucky collectors the chance to purchase some amazing works of art. Now, I'm cleaning out my studio and I've decided so many supplies will not be coming with me. But, they are really good supplies that I've invested in over time. So, if you're in the NJ area - have a look, purchase anything that looks good and we can arrange pick up at my home in West Orange. MUST pick up by Monday, June 28th. If I have time and determine that more items are worth selling, I'll update the products in my shop. You can purchase below or browse the online shop. Pebeo Ceramic Paint
$20.00
Decorative paints that create a lacquer like finish. For use on ceramics, terracotta, earthenware, wood, metal and even canvas. Must be cleaned with mineral spirits and not for surfaces in contact with food. 24 assorted colors. Must buy all. Retail around $5 / each. Matte Black Solid Wood Frames
$10.00
Solid wood contemporary mouldings, finished in a matte black color. Previously used, but in great condition. 3/4" wide moulding 5/8" deep rabbet accommodates 12" x 12" artwork or matting. Overall frame size is about 13" x 13" Gamblin Oil Painting Ground
$5.00
About 3/4 full jar of 16oz. Gamblin Oil Painting Ground. I no longer use it and can't move the flammable contents. It retails for about $17. LEARN MORE about the ground at Gamblin. Various Oil Mediums
$2.00
Assorted oils and oil mediums available. All 75ml. Daler-Rowney Linseed Stand Oil Pebeo Clarified Poppyseed Oil Winsor & Newton Thickened Linseed Oil - 2 Golden Varnish 32 oz.
$10.00
MSA Varnish with UVLS (Gloss), retails for about $45 https://goldenpaints.com/products/varnish-top-coat/msa-varnish Black Fluid Inks and Applicators
$5.00
Montana Fluid 200ml Ink - partly used Acrylic Waterbased Paint Refill for Montana Markers - a little more than 1/2 full. 180ml container Included - two Montana marker applicators Golden Heavy Body Acrylics - Gallons
$20.00
Golden Heavy Body Acrylics - partly used gallons. Perfect for Mural work or large scale painting. Full gallons were custom made and retail for about $135. Manganese Blue Hue Pyrrole Red Hansa Yellow Medium Titanium White Bone Black Vintage Silver Frames
$5.00
Solid Wood, brushed silver frames. 5.5" x 5.5" accommodates 4.25" x 4.25" artwork 1/4" rabbet  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.  Several years ago, I met a local floral designer, Josi Stone, of Wildly Floral Co. Her approach to floral design is one that embraces local flower growers and sustainable practices, with a more organic flow to her arrangements - making them feel like they still belong in nature. I painted one of her arrangements into a watercolor several years ago and realized since I loved her subject matter, so might my students. With that idea in mind, and everyone getting restless this summer, I put together a 2-hour workshop called Painting Florals in Watercolor. Held in mid-September, each student received their own bud vase with a small grouping of flowers including: a dahlia, a zinnia, a carnation, Japanese anemone, and bridal veil spirea. I set up tables in the backyard and used my patio as a demonstration area. I began the workshop with a brief, incomplete demo of my flowers, showing my students how I move around a painting, gradually building up from light to dark. Sometimes showing them areas where I move into spaces with intentional darker values to bring out the lighter ones. Throughout that 2 hours, I added areas to the painting as students had questions - such as how to create the lip of the glass, or make the water's edge apparent. We spoke about darkening spaces to create more depth (such as in the interior spaces of the dahlia's petals), and then deciding what colors to use in the background. Each student was also given an easel on which to prop a colored backing board - helping them to focus on the flowers, and not the visual noise in the backyard. Students brought their own materials from which to paint, but I used the following:
 Completed by a student who started taking classes with me over ten years ago. She drove to my home, all the way from PA to take the workshop. She had an ah ha moment when I suggested she add a dark color around the background to try and pull it all together.  This painting was completed at Christine Anderson's home post-workshop. She took at the subject matter and decided to make it part of another painting. Since we met over ten years ago, she's developed her own watercolor practice and now has an Etsy shop. These two works are by a couple that came together to celebrate their 14th wedding anniversary. They happen to also be two very creative individuals in their vocations. Marcia LeBeau is a poet and the founder of The Write Space, a co-writing space. Lee Seidenberg is a photographer and the owner of Exploratory Creative. Nothing says love like a couple who paints together!  Most of the student's works at the end of our workshop.  Most of the student's works at the end of our workshop.  FINALLY, my work, mostly completed after the workshop ended. I hope to offer a workshop like this again, but as we are now nearing the colder months, I'm thinking that a Zoom workshop over the winter might be JUST THE THING. INTERESTED? Fill out the form below to be added to my Mailing List.  Spicy Sweet Seat, Mixed Media on Nujabi Paper, 5" x 7", ©2020 Jennie Traill Schaeffer I've had personal struggles with mental health - both myself - and people very close to me in my family. I have seen first-hand how mental health support can move people towards and through recovery. But, that mental health support all too often is limited, out of reach - and even more so Black communities due to a variety of barriers. Last week, I stumbled upon The Loveland Foundation, Inc. searching for mental health organizations that focus support on the Black community. As I browsed through their site I was taken by their mission to provide Black women and girls funding towards therapy sessions. They are a relatively local organization, based out of Newburgh, NY. but aim to reach a national audience. They have partnered with Therapy for Black Girls, Open Path Collective, National Queer and Trans Therapists of Color Network, and Talkspace, as well as networks and service providers that match their mission. Founded by Rachel Cargle in 2018 when she successfully raised $250,000 through a social media campaign for her birthday. Their current goal is to hit $600,000 to offer over 5,000 hours of free therapy. This is just one way that I can be an ally to the Black community. My own TeaScapes artwork - which focuses on meditational environments in watercolor - has grown out of my experience through a personal mental health crisis. The making of art can be a therapeutic modality, as well as a vehicle towards mindfulness. It is my hope that the end result of my artwork also assists in a peacefulness to the collector. Throughout the month of June, I'm aiming to raise $480 (which equates to 4 therapy sessions for an individual) through sales of my work to benefit The Loveland Foundation, Inc.'s Therapy Fund. 50% of profits from sale of my original art and 20% of yoga mats / functional art will go to The Loveland Foundation, Inc. If you decide you'd rather donate directly to the fund you can do so through this link. Please join me in this initiative to help women and girls within the Black community.  Jennie Traill SchaefferTeaching artist from NJ making art, raising kids and helping people find mindfulness through making and collecting art. |
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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