Join Me in a Collaborative Painting at Peters Valley

It's been over six years since my relationship with a fantastic arts center in New Jersey began. Peters Valley Craft Center, located in Layton, NJ, is an amazing campus dedicated to the education and support of artists and craftspeople. We first became acquainted when I was accepted for a month-long residency in 2008. Over the course of those six years I've continued to be involved with the center in numerous ways when I ran TraillWorks in Newton, NJ.

Past Peters Valley Studio Open House and Bevans Day

Last year I was honored when director, Kristin Muller, invited me to teach a workshop during their summer session. Unfortunately circumstances didn't allow for it to run, but we are regrouping this year and I'm teaching "Painting the Texture of Tea" in August. 

Tomorrow, Peters Valley is hosting their annual Studio Open House and Bevans Day Event. I will be traveling to Sussex County to paint and sell some of my work in the afternoon. 

And, it wouldn't be a successful demo for me unless I could get the visitors involved. So, I am setting up a canvas, palette, and tea still life for the public during the day. You can stop by, mix a few colors you see in the still life and paint it onto the canvas. My hope is for a truly collaborative piece, added to by many people, that I can then contribute to the Peters Valley Annual Benefit Auction in August. 

Tea Reflections, 8" x 8", Oil on Canvas, ©2014 Jennie Traill Schaeffer

While you're there, snap a photo, share it on Twitter of Facebook with #PVTeaPainting. By the day's end, hopefully we'll have a finished painting to share. If not, I'll complete it in my studio. 

From studio tours, crafts and fine art demonstrations, to kids art activities and live music, this is an outing not to miss. Looking forward to seeing you tomorrow! 

Painting The Texture of Tea

Maybe it's the second cup of coffee, the time to myself, or that I truly love painting and I forgot how much I missed it! I just finished my first real painting since I closed up my gallery last year in April, and I'm truly giddy. I missed my lunch, I'm blogging, trying to use up every last second before I have to pick up my son at the sitter's. 

Tea Reflections, Oil on Canvas, 8" x 8", ©2014  Jennie Traill Schaeffer

I've been working on this off and on since last Wednesday; about three or four painting sessions, maybe a total of six hours. This piece was done with a sample set of oils by M. Graham, including only five colors: napthol red, azo yellow, ultramarine blue, phthalocyanine green and titanium white. I loved the consistency and color quality of these oils; buttery, dense, and bound with walnut oil something new I'm trying. I'll touch on this in a future post.

I began this piece with a quick colored pencil drawing, then started applying local color. I gradually built up more local color, thicker paint, and finally the brightest highlights and whites. The part I had the most trouble with was the tea bag. I began trying to replicate all of the highlights and text on the bag (it's a Stash tea bag), but it never seemed to work (my brushes are too thick) and the detail took away from the tea cup. I finally ended up destroying all of the detail on the bag by brushing over it with some of the creamy yellows from the mug. It felt good to make that very committed risk; the outcome is much better. 

Can't wait to share more future paintings with you. But, in the meantime, I'll be submitting this work to the Annual Faculty and Studio Assistant Exhibition in the Sally D. Francisco Gallery from May 31- August 3, 2014 at Peters Valley Craft Center. 

If you're interested in exploring painting tea and its paraphernalia, then consider joining me this summer for a three-day workshop, Painting The Texture of Tea, at Peters Valley in beautiful Sussex County, NJ. You can visit me and get a preview of the upcoming workshop during their annual Bevan's Day Open House on May 4th, where I will be painting throughout the afternoon. Hope to see you soon!

Sterling Silver Jewelry Trunk Show at TraillWorks

In anticipation of our one-day trunk show on Saturday, featuring jewelry artist, Liesl Carlson, my associate, Corrie, spent some time getting to know Liesl a little bit better. Liesl has been selling her jewelry at TraillWorks since I opened last year. She and I met during my residency at Peters Valley in 2008. Soon after I left Peters Valley, I learned that she was pregnant, at the same time as me. But, I didn't get to know her very well until her husband, Steve Butler, exhibited his "Breadside Tables" at my old studio down the street, after we both had our sons.

At the time I learned I was relocating my studio to 214 Spring Street where I had more space and the capability to display jewelry, I contacted Liesl and invited her to sell her work. I immediately fell in love and have not only worn her pieces at a variety of functions, but also now own her jewelry. Liesl now lives in Massachusetts with Steve and their two-year old son, Quinn.

Liesl at work in her sunny studio in Massachusetts

So, without further adieu, here's a tid-bit more about Liesl and her jewelry-making. You can meet her in person on Saturday from 3 - 8pm at TraillWorks.

Q: How do you choose the stones used in your pieces, and do they “guide” the direction of the piece?

A:  Well let's see. Sometimes a stone or object do guide a piece, and sometimes a piece "asks" for a stone. On my bench I always have stones, pottery shards, beads, and some hollow form pieces waiting for the right time or the proper "magic" of the pieces to match up.

Q: What is your work process; how do you begin and how do you know when you are finished with a piece or a collection?

A: I really let the metal tell me what it would like to be. I am really drawn to circles. I also love texture and have a vast collection of hammers that I use to create texture. I also use a rolling mill to imprint texture. I love using all kinds of things from steel mesh to vintage lace ribbon. My recycled group is a freeing process because I really have no control of how it comes out, I can only guide the shape. But it is organic. I have yet to finish a collection, I take pauses.

Q: Where do you draw inspiration: artists, places, colors, sounds, etc? 

A: Inspiration. That is a tough one. New England winters is one - with its starkness and bare trees and the sparkle or reflection off the snow and ice. People is one -  everything has to feel good. Lately I have a love of medical prints from the late 1800's to the early 1900's. I find them fascinating, and I am working on how to incorporate that into a new collection. 

Q: Do you work in any other media?

A: I also do stained glass. I unfortunately have not had the space to set up since we moved back to Mass. I took my first class in 2003.

Q: What are your future goals/plans for your jewelry?

A: I plan on starting to show in the next year or two. Also I would like to teach. My husband, Steve Butler, and I have formed The Blackstone Valley School of Crafts, a multi-media craft school that is looking for a permanent home; we have several locations in mind. It is all very exciting. 

Corrie and I would like to thank Liesl for taking the time to let us know a little bit more about her work, and all the preparation she's done in travelling to New Jersey this weekend. TraillWorks would also like to thank "Art Partner", Trinity Restaurant, for providing refreshments.

If you're in the Northern NJ area this weekend, it's a great opportunity to plan to visit TraillWorks. And, if you want to make full day of your visit, there is a self-guided, free studio art tour in Sussex County earlier in the day, Common Thread Studios Art Tour.

I'll leave you with a preview of her display setup for Saturday, from Liesl's blog, along with the necklace Liesl has made that patrons can enter to win! Hope to see you on Saturday.

Liesl's mock setup in her home for Saturday's trunk show.

Sterling Silver Hollow Form Circle Pendant on 16" rubber cord by Liesl Carlson. Saturday's Trunk Show door prize.

Follow TraillWorks on its Relocation to 214 Spring Street

Several years ago when I participated in a residency at Peters Valley, I kept an almost daily blog of my experience there - creating artwork, developing friendships with the artists, and the events we held. I'm now in the midst of another major change in my career; moving my studio, TraillWorks, to a larger space. So, since I had so much interest two years ago, I thought I would track my progress, sharing the changes of the space as well as the ordeal of relocating a business.

Here's a taste of what's to come. My husband spent Sunday removing shelving so we would have more wall space to hang artwork. My son had a ton of fun running around the big empty space, playing hide and seek and trying to help Daddy. I'm hoping to get to 214 today in the snow to start spackling holes, so check back later this week to see my progress.

PHOTOS:
From Top Left Down to Lower Right - My studio area, main gallery taken from the front, My son exploring mom's new space, View of the bay windows looking onto Spring Street

NJ Arts Need your Help!

NJ is in a serious state and because of it, the arts are suffering. And, in Sussex County, NJ, where we've been trying to stimulate the arts, they are getting cut greatly. This week Governor Corzine froze state funding that was promised to state arts organizations, without warning, giving organizations no time for a plan "B." Both the Sussex County Arts & Heritage Council and Peters Valley Craft Center, two organizations that have been instrumental in my career, are facing a grim future.

SCA&HC has developed exhibition opportunities for me early in my career as well as nurture some key relationships that have helped me grow as an artist. Additionally, Peters Valley, along with a Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation partnership, provided me a one month residency in which to focus on my painting, giving me the realization to seek out studio space. I can credit these two organizations as the stepping stones to opening TraillWorks. They helped nurture an artist to think big and open a gallery and studio in a town on the verge of redevelopment. TraillWorks is helping the local economy and it was through the help of two prominent NJ arts organizations. Beyond me, these two groups do a lot for other arts organizations and provide many opportunities to many communities. It would be a disaster for our state and for our local economy to lose these organizations.

Here are some facts about the economic boost that arts provide (from the NJ State Council on the Arts, ):
• stimulate over $1.5 billion in economic activity
• return $36 Million in state tax revenues
• support 17,000 businesses and 82,000 jobs
• annually produce 34,000 events and attract 18 million attendees who spend over $400 million in the local economy

To learn more about the importance of the arts beyond the economic, visit http://www.njartscouncil.org.


HOW YOU CAN HELP:

The Sussex County Arts & Heritage Council needs to raise $20,000 within two weeks to remain in operation. To help them, visit www.scahc.org or call 973-383-1307.

Peters Valley has restructured and let go most of its teachers and staff in an effort to stay afloat. To help Peters Valley, you can make a donation by visiting their web site, www.petersvalley.org or call 973-948-5200.

At this time of year many organizations are seeking money. Even if you can offer a dollar it will mean the world to many organizations.