When oranges came in...

 Single - SOLD

5" x 7" oil on panel

 “When oranges came in, a curious proceeding was gone through. Miss Jenkyns did not like to cut the fruit, for, as she observed, the juice all ran out nobody knew where, sucking [only I think she used some more recondite word] was in fact the only way of enjoying oranges; but then there was the unpleasant association with a ceremony frequently gone through by little babies; and so, after dessert, in orange season, Miss Jenkyns and Miss Matty used to rise up, possess themselves each of an orange in silence, and withdraw to the privacy of their own rooms to indulge in sucking oranges.”
― Elizabeth Gaskell, Cranford 

Globe - SOLD

7" x 9"   Oil on panel

I just like the colour orange.  I can't help it.

In the winter, when light is low and snow continues to make a presence, oranges make me think of sun and warmth and light.  So I keep painting them.  And people keep wanting them.   The painting at the top of this post, Single, is the newest offering.

Peeled  - SOLD

6" x 6"   Oil on panel

Into the Light OttLite Easel Lamp Review

Artists are painters of light and shade. Without light, contrasts in values can’t exist, colours can’t be judged and form is weak.

In the ideal world artists’ studios all have north facing windows with natural light flooding in during the day. You wish, right?? Few of us live in an ideal world and we need to artificially boost our ability to judge light and colour values in the studio.  Whether painting under less than ideal conditions, such as grey days, short daylight hours or needing to paint at night or under constant artificial light, every artist looks for a solution to provide a daylight equivalent in their studio.

The OttLite Easel Lamp may be that solution.

Often studio lighting is overhead or through spotlights as we manipulate space and set up to avoid working in our own shadow, or put up with yellowish incandescent or other less than ideal light quality. OttLite has created an easel lamp that clamps on to a variety of easel sizes and provides even daylight direct onto your support.

The Easel Lamp – specifications
Max. Height: 26.5"
Min. Height: 10"
Clamp Width: 6.5" (clamp opening adjusts from .32” to 2” widths)
Weight: 3.97 lbs
Bulb included. Rated to last up to 10,000 hours (Replacement bulb type B)

Where to buy
OttLite easel lamps are available at art supply and specialty lighting stores across North America.  You can find stockists on the OttLite website.

Ease of Assembly

The clamp has generous proportions and fits .32" - 2" mast width

For anything to work for me, assembly has to be simple.  If something comes with a 25 page instruction book and 16 bags of screws and bolts, I’m doomed from the start.  OttLite has ensured that there is minimal assembly required and I had the attachment on the easel in moments, slotted the lamp into the clamped base, plugged it into a wall socket and I was ready to draw, all in less than 5 minutes.

Clamp to the front or side of your easel

There are no tiny moving parts.  This makes adjustment and placement quick and easy.  The clamp is screwed onto the easel mast and locked into place with a lever.  The lamp is slotted into the clamp, and its done. Plug the lamp into a power source and you’re ready to go. Really, its that simple!

Tighten the clamp to fit with the dial, then pull the lever forward to lock into position

Insert the lamp into the clamp, place the power cord into an outlet

The on/off switch is located on the underside of the lamp with a large enough switch to avoid fumbling to make the connection.  With just two pieces, moving the lamp from one easel to another is quick and easy.

Light Quality

  

My painting Coastal, lit by diffused natural light from a north facing window; the second photo of the painting is lit with an Ottlite Easel lamp. These photos are not edited and were taken with a Canon Rebel XS SLR camera. As you can see there is very little difference, if any, in the light quality

Natural north light

OttLite easel lamp

The lamp performs well under low light conditions and as a supplement to overhead light sources.
Under artificial daylight fluorescent tubes in the studio the first image shows the colour range.

Overhead daylight fluorescent lighting source

Daylight fluorescent overhead lighting with OttLite Easel Lamp as supplement.

OttLite Easel Lamp as the only lighting source in a dark room.

I found the light quality is excellent, giving cool daylight reproduction without glare and true to life colour representation whether as a supplement to natural or overhead lighting or on its own.  There are subtle variances in colour values more than hues between lighting conditions but not enough to cause a significant and unexpected shift when viewed between lighting conditions.

As few artists have, a: north facing windows or b: unlimited daytime hours to paint, this easel lamp can make a huge difference by creating a constant, dependable light source that is accessible whenever required regardless of external variables.

Easel Compatibility

I tried this lamp on a wooden easel with a single mast that has a width of 1.25” x 1” and an aluminum easel with a 1” x .5” wide mast. The lamp looked a little top heavy on the lighter weight easel, but there was no movement in the easel to cause instability from the additional weight.

A smaller easel lamp for portable or lighter weight easels would be a welcome addition to this line of lighting to balance the easel size.  For a studio easel however, the Easel Lamp provides ample light coverage without the ends of a painting or drawing being in shadow.  The flexible goose neck of the lamp allows one hand adjustment to direct the light just where its needed.

Win an OttLite Easel Lamp!
Here’s the chance to win your own lamp through the generosity of OttLite.

To enter the draw for an easel lamp, leave your name and email (your email will not be public) through the Inlinkz widget below.  On April 1st, a winning name from will be drawn from entries received and the winner notified by email.

Sorry, entries are accepted only from continental USA and Canada.

Winter Sunshine

 Morning Sun - Sold

6" x 6"

On a cold snowy day, a delivery of sunshine arrived via an anonymous donor.  Three beautiful Bird of Paradise flowers were trudged through the snow and ice with a note saying it hoped they would bring inspiration for a painting.

In late January I completed a small painting of a bird of paradise blossom from an image I had.  These flowers aren't frequent visitors to this part of the world, especially in winter, so to see them in person is quite wonderful.  They are brilliant, tropical colours but have an air of prehistoric plant life to them with sturdy stems and solid flowers.

Paradise - Sold

I found the anonymous culprit, my blogger friend Gary Everest  (Gary L. Everest Paintings).  We had talked about the blossoms after I had painted one and I had assigned him a mission to find a BOP plant to photograph for me in real life, as he and his lovely wife Michele live in Hawaii. Well he went one better and sent me the real thing!  I shall  paint and draw and photograph this plant to death before it expires!  Gary, thank you, you're the best!

Changing paths

On Friday I stepped down from my full time job and am taking on the role of full time artist.  Its not been a simple decision and there has been a lot of planning for lifestyle and financial changes that has gone into making this bold move.

Its interesting to note people's reactions to the move.  Many think that I'm retiring and others believe that 'artist' means I will have lots of free time and can do what I want all day, paint when I want and what I want and generally have a good time.  Its that same old belief that rears its head when asked what you do for a living and when you say "artist" the response is something along the lines of "Great, and what do you really do for a job?" 

Where does the idea come from that creating art is easier and less credible than any other job on the planet? The job of an artist is no different than any other job in terms of responsibilities. You have to get up, go to the studio and paint - whether you want to or not. The difference is that you work for yourself, not for someone else.  That ups the responsibility because only you are accountable for making it succeed.  Only you are responsible for ensuring cash flow, visibility, branding, marketing, production - every department.   And only you are responsible for its success or failure.

So if I lounge around all day and do whatever I want, I'm ensuring the failure of my art business.  If I work hard and follow my art business plan, it still may fail, but I will know that there were factors outside my control that contributed to its failure.

There are incentives to succeed both internally and externally.  They are the best motivation to succeed.

Eat the biggest frog first

 Rock Harbour

12" x 36"  oil on canvas

We all have sections of paintings that we don't enjoy doing as much as other parts.  And it can show if you're not careful.

The exquisite detail that is heaped on a focal point can tend to drift away when a vast background is staring back at us. There is a tendency to not pay as much attention to those parts that don't excite as much.  And yes, some areas can be a bit tedious, but they are equally as important as the main subject.  It's instantly apparent in some paintings where boredom set and where over attention was given to a focal object.  Its like seeing two paintings in one that are competing with each other.

What's the solution for disenchantment?

1. Eat the biggest frog first.  Everything else after that is easy.   Tackle the largest surface area first and work your way down to the part you enjoy painting most.  Human nature gravitates towards the thing that provides the most pleasure and avoidance of what does not.  Its not always easy to create this way, as a painting that is built as a whole is easier to produce than one that is in sections. But, if your frog is big and ugly, you'd better start by eating that one first.
2. Perserverance.  Equal attention must be given to all areas so that they become a cohesive unit.  While your left brain starts the argument with your right brain for abandoning what is perceived as not as interesting, its important to tune out that argument and concentrate on what is in front of you.
3. Observation.  When we aren't as interested in something, we skim over detail.  We miss the subtle colours and nuances of values.  We don't visualize the whole image, only the part we like most.  In doing so, we dilute the impact of the painting.
4. Never Settle for Good Enough.   How many times have I seen the "good enough" paintings??  You know the ones.   The subject is refined in detail but the background is weak and insipid.  The artist has lost interest in building the elements and at some point, usually when boredom sets in, says "That's good enough.  But is it?  Good enough for that moment in time, but never good enough for public display or a sale.  And inside the artist's head, they know it isn't good enough.  Not for them.  Not for anyone.  There is always a finish line in a painting.  Make sure you cross that line and don't let mediocre work be presented to the world. 
5. Rewards.  When working on a section that doesn't thrill, its good to flit back and forth between it and the main subject, adding detail, tweaking, comparing.  It gives your brain a reward.  "Yes, I can work on what I like for a while."  You do need the discipline to return to the frog again however.

What's my biggest frog?  Grass and rocks.  Yep, those ones in the Rock Harbour painting.  All 10 million of them.  One by one by one...

Fishy Bits BOGO Sale

 

Buy one fish, get one free!

In 2013, I created a series of original relief prints of marine fish found in the waters off Newfoundland and Labrador.  I still have some original prints available and to put the series to rest, I am offering a unique opportunity to get two prints for the price of one until February 28th.

Each print measures 4" x 6" using oil based inks on Japanese washi papers.  A generous border surrounds each print.  The paper choice is random, but all are professional printmaking papers.  Each print is individual, created from a hand carved lino block and is signed.

North Under A Star

You can view all the fish prints on my website and when you purchase one print for $25, shipping included,  I'll add another to your package.  If you have a preference for the second, let me know in a note to the seller or an email and I'll do my best to ensure you receive your choice.  If I don't have sufficient prints, I'll substitute your second piece with another of my choice unless you indicate a second preference.

I will not be printing additional editions of this series, so once they are gone, they are gone and become a stack of historic relief plates! 

Winter Pear

 Winter Pear - Sold

6" x 6"

The end of a large painting is the herald for the production of a smaller painting using the paint left over on the palette. My self imposed rule is that I cannot add another colour, except perhaps some white, to the palette to complete the piece.

After Sea Harvesters was complete, I worked on this 6" x 6" piece, Winter Pear. The blues and oranges always work their way into my paintings, no matter what time of year, but I think in winter they are almost as good as sunshine therapy.

After more than 40cm of snow in a storm yesterday, more tonight and oh bliss (not)more on Sunday night, I'm wishing my winter away. I'm not a winter person in any way and driving in the stuff is horrible. I think the older I get, the more nervous I become about driving in snow. I was fearless once upon a time. What happened to that person?

Sea Harvesters WIP

 

 Sea Harvesters - SOLD

24 x 16  oil on canvas

Available on www.jeanettejobson.com

Fishing boats and harbours are a dime a dozen around Newfoundland and I love the sights and sounds that are ever present.  Motors running, people shouting, water lapping against hulls, seagulls overhead, they all create that unique sea town experience.

With that in mind, I created this painting of three fishing boats ready to head to sea to make their living.  I actually remembered to take photos at most points of progress so I put them together in this work in progress video.  Enjoy!

Fishing sheds

 New Perlican Fishing Sheds - Sold

6" x 8" oil on panel

New Perlican is one of the oldest settlements in Newfoundland, dating back to the early 1600s, perhaps before that.  Its a small community of just 188 people according to Statistics Canada's last census count in 2006. 

Historically a fishing community, it still has a very active harbour with colourful sheds perched partway on handmade wharves that curve the harbour shoreline.  The coloured sheds are common in some parts of the province, but seem more so in this part of the island.

New Perlican was one of my stops in my search for wooden boats last year and despite its historic significance, I could not find a single wooden boat there!  They were all fibreglass.  However the sheds made up for the lack of wooden boats and this painting is a closer look at a couple of them sitting on the harbour.  The green shed was a sketch from the other side of the harbour.

January light

 Paradise - SOLD

5" x 7" oil on stretched canvas

Available through Etsy

Maybe its that long dark month of January, full of snow and cold temperatures here, that's put me in the wrong frame of mind. Perhaps its dealing with lawyers and government and banks to make headway in executing my mother's estate that finds me sighing more than usually.

January 14, 2015  Brrrr

Whatever it is, it has to stop!  My frame of mind has a distinct impact on creativity.  When I am unhappy or distracted, creativity slows down or disappears.  Sleep disappears along with it unfortunately. Without a lamp to mimic sunshine, I chose to create my own light in this little painting of a bird of paradise flower.  It would be lovely to see these growing in a garden instead of as cut in arrangements in a florist's shop.

I'll also be adding to the winter light with a review of an Ottlite Easel Lamp and the chance of winning one for yourself.  I love the lamp already and if you're in a light deprived part of the world, you'll love it too I know.

3 in 5

I've been taking part in a Facebook challenge for the last five days of posting 3 paintings a day.  It floods the newsfeed with beautiful art and pushes the negative to the background.  It also exposes other artists and interactions that I would not have found otherwise.  The image above are the 15 paintings that I shared, with some of the full images below.  You can see all of the posts an like my artist page on Facebook to keep up with news and new paintings.

I thought I'd share a couple of the posts with you and encourage you to visit the Facebook pages of all the artists to see the wonderful work they create.

I was tagged by Sheila Arsenault Howell to post 3 paintings daily for 5 days. This is Day 2 My choice today is fish and my favourite to paint and draw are capelin. These little iridescent fish are so appealling to me and presented here three ways, charcoal, watercolour and oils.

I'm tagging Florence Pinhorn, one of my artist friends and one of the visiting artists at Peter Lewis Gallery to join in and share her work.

Sterling Fellows

 Capelin Whispers

Capelin Study- Sold

Its Day 5 and the final day of posting 3 paintings in 5 days. Its been wonderful to see all the art displayed online. It flooded the senses with beautiful images and good feelings. Thank you to everyone who took part, from the initial challenge from Sheila Arsenault Howell to participants Elaine Juska Joseph, Florence Pinhorn, Ann Thompson Nemcosky, Christiane Kingsley. 

Today I am tagging Jerusalem artist Chanan Mazal to share his amazing work for the next five days.
It was difficult to make a choice of what to post, but I decided that waves were the theme. Who doesn't get fixated at the shore watching waves roll in? All these pieces are older ones and brushwork, not palette knife.

 Landwash - Sold

Heatwave

Prism

Nearing the end

 

 Sketch for "Winterton"

I have officially completed the 15th painting in the series of wooden boats! Each piece is named after the location where I found the boat.  A lot of travel was involved locating wooden boats which are rare these days, with fibreglass boats and outboard motors being the norm.

Its been pretty solid painting since June to produce this series.  Each painting is 30" x 40" and completed using a palette knife only.  The benefit in using a knife is that it does hasten the painting time, but each piece takes its own sweet time in coming together. I can produce anywhere from one in a two week period or one a month, depending on complexity. I just never know until I'm well into the piece how long it will take.  Of course deadlines work wonders for concentration...

  #15 - so much grass!

I've also been working on the book of sketches that will accompany the series and hope to have that finished in February, ready for print.  As I received a grant from NLAC to complete this project, I also need to do a final report and submit it before I can call the project finished.

Sketch for "Lower Battery"

The wooden boat series will be exhibited in a solo show at Peter Lewis Gallery in June. I've kept the paintings hidden except for glimpses here and there as I don't want them revealed until the opening.  Its frustrating for me not to share them with you as its what I do constantly in process and finished pieces.

Crop of "St. Philips"

In addition to the series, I continue to produce small paintings and drawings that are often available on Etsy.  They're my break between paintings to let me work on different subjects.  But now, I can get started on that collection of ideas and subjects that have been waiting in the wings for months!

There are still a couple of weeks left in my Waifs & Stray Sale to snap up original art at affordable prices.

Art workshops in drawing and painting begin again in March.  You can find out more and register online

Waifs & Strays Sale

 www.jeanettejobson.com

I'm a fairly prolific painter, even when working on a series.  I take 'breaks' from my series subject by painting other subject material and also paint demonstration pieces in workshops.  Annually I like to provide paintings from old and new work to collectors at a reduced price.  

From January 12 - 31st, I will be making paintings available through my website on a first come basis.  You can see the images currently on the Waifs & Strays Sale page of my website, but prices will not be populated until January 12th.  I cannot accept reserves prior to the sale date, to ensure everyone has an equal opportunity to purchase.

Shipping is included in the purchase price unless otherwise indicated.  Framed pieces which are under glass  will have the glass removed prior to shipping.

January Woods

 January Woods - SOLD

5"x 7" oil on panel

The first real snow of 2015 layered everything with white today and provided a snow day for many.  Me included.  Its never really a snow day as technology increases remote connectivity and I worked from home.

However, at 4am I couldn't sleep and was up and in the studio and found an image I had taken a few years ago looking out from the protection of the woods into the clearing of the meadow and decided to paint it.   I believe painting becomes automatic to me, no matter what the time of day, whether night or day.

I am surrounded by trees where I live in the country and over time have made trails and clearings through the trees that provide magical places to observe light and colour.

Closer to Home in 2015

 St. John's Harbour

I always make plans for the year that lies ahead of me. A plan provides me with goals and is a way of measuring progress towards those goals.  Not knowing where you're going can be amusing for awhile, but it often leads to stagnation and the making the same mistakes over and over.   At the end of the year, there are no measurables to determine if you've moved ahead or been successful.

  Salmon Cove rocks

So what is needed in a plan for art?

• A plan needs to be structured

A plan should be definite in objectives with tangible goals that can be measured against.  For instance, ket's say you want to learn how to paint with a new medium.  State what that medium is, how do you intend to learn how to use it (self teaching, workshops, videos, etc.), how many pieces of art you will create with it and how you will define success in becoming adept at the technique.

• A plan needs to push you outside your comfort level

We all love to sit in that comfy space, surrounded by what we are familiar with, whether tools or people. Sitting in the space never allows us to make mistakes.  Moving into areas outside that comfort zone pushes our creativity, adaptability and ensures exposure to new ways of doing things.  There is nothing like problem solving and being uncomfortable in creativing work or art related situations to make your brain work and ideas flow. Mistakes are how new techniques are born!  Embrace them.

• A plan needs to be based on business principles

If you want to be recognized as a professional artist and sell your work, art must be treated as a business.  Like any business, there are areas to concentrate on and monitor which can increase revenue, improve marketing and branding that help the business thrive.

Professionalism is vital in all areas from business to production and presentation of your work.  Long gone are the days of eccentric, egotistical, difficult artists as the expected norm.

• A plan needs to be flexible

While structure is required to form goals and measurable results, a plan needs to be flexible enough to adapt to situations and opportunities which arise during the year.  Perhaps a plan to have work in a gallery falls through, so ensure that the research is in place for an alternate gallery.   Or maybe partway through the year, you receive an opportunity to do a big commission when you had planned on a smaller series. Weigh up the pros and cons and if the commission is better than what you had planned, jump at it and put the series on hold.

Wetland Hoar Frost

So what are my plans for 2015?  I'm calling it the Closer to Home year.  I will be exploring more of my local surroundings, from local seascapes to my own 16 acre 'backyard'.  So much is left to capture on this island and I've barely scratched the surface.

 

Flatrock Harbour

 

I'm keeping my resources closer to home in terms of a new website and island based reproduction availability in 2015.  With currency conversions flipped from the a strong Canadian dollar to a weaker one, US options are no longer an option.

Cat and dog eye comparisons

I'm expanding my range of workshops and yes finally offering an online workshop in 2015 - I just bought a camcorder specifically for it, so no turning back now!

I'll be having a solo exhibit in June at Peter Lewis Gallery of my series of wooden boat paintings. I will also be looking at gallery opportunities outside the province - not closer to home I know, but exposure and marketing are needed outside this small island to secure visibility and revenue opportunities.

Whatever your plans for 2015, I wish you well and look forward to connecting with you during the year in person, online or through email.  My studio door is always open for artists and collectors to stop by for a coffee or a chat.