4th Annual Mentors' Day

4th Annual Mentors' Day

On May 9th I participated for the third time in the 4th annual Mentors Day and the Leighton Centre.

This project was initially conceived to honour the teaching and mentoring legacy that the Leighton Art Centre is built upon and the artists of today who have taken on the important task of passing on their own legacy by teaching others. Join us for this special day which has become an annual spring event at the Leighton Art Centre.

The Mentors presented this year are a wonderful example of the talented teachers found in the Calgary area.

Jean demonstrating layering using abstraction.

Fernie Workshop

Students watching Jean doing a demonstration.

I had a great time teaching at the old Train Station for artists in Fernie.

Although the weather was a bit chilly, the enthusiasm was great and everyone had lots of fun with mixed media!

Workshop painting!

Robed Creature of Cedar Lake Spotting!

I must admit that I was reluctant to post this sighting but fellow artist Marc Gagnon encouraged me. Last fall our Algonquin group painting trip was filled with great inspiration but also frightening experiences with ghost apparitions and other unusual sightings. At first we thought that it was a local Sasquatch sighting…

On closer inspection some of our painters thought the creature to be rare FRENCH BALD BEAVER.

We were lucky enough to get a closer look and realized the this vision was that of the "Robed Creature of Cedar Lake"

Marc, thank you for permission to release this burden form my camera!

Big Still Life

The big still life "Balancing Act" is 60 x 60 - acrylic/mixed media on canvas. The process of layering different media is similar on paper as on canvas. My pallet is also very similar to the watercolours, some colours are different when you jump from water colour to acrylic.

The painting is currently at the White Rock Gallery in White Rock British info@whiterockgallery.com (604) 538-4452

Costescu

Thank you for your note about my book. I am glad that you are finding the information useful and hope that you share some of your new paintings with me!
Best, Jean

Cape Breton

Mary,

Thank you for your comments on Cape Breton. I am looking forward to the symposium for several reasons but the location is something special!
I have only seen photos of this location and it looks spectacular.

Jean

Watercolour Symposium

CAPE BRETON WATERCOLOUR SYMPOSIUM
Presented by the Canadian Society of Painters in Water Colour
On the Cabot Trail at the Gaelic College Facility in St. Ann’s, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia
August 23rd - 28th, 2009

This promises to be a week filled with beautiful landscape, history, art courses and artists; what else could you ask for! Instructors Brian Atyeo, Christopher Gorey, Ron Hazell, Jean Pederson, William Rogers and Anna Syperek will offer a variety of workshops for participants.

Look for more information at http://www.cspwc.com/

White Rock Gallery

"Balancing Act" arrived at the White Rock Gallery last week. The gallery sent this great photo of the 60"X60" painting to show how great it is looking at the West Coast!

These balance paintings are self portraits of myself as they relate to my life. I am balancing so many things Artist, Mom, wife, daughter, friend, volunteer, writer and so on...

The paintings show myself holding things together with fragile grace; one gentle breeze could upset the apple cart!

Hope you like the painting and if you are interested in purchasing it you can go to www.whiterockgallery.com

Thanks for the photo Dennie!

Creative Catalyst Video

I have just returned from Oregon where I filmed my upcoming instructional video with Creative Catalyst. What a pleasure to get to know the staff at CCP and to go through the process of filming a video. I look forward to the edited version, available later in 2009.

Open Water 2008 The Charles Comfort Medal for an Outstanding Figurative Work'

The Canadian Society of Painters in Water Colour's annual international exhibition "Open Water" has an award given out only at the discretion of the jury for outstanding figurative work. The award is entitled The Charles Comfort Medal and was presented to me for my painting "Material Girl"


Photograph of Ray Cattell and Jean Pederson with "Material Girl" in background.