Judy Schafers, Author at Judy Leila Schafers Fine Art

Author Archives: Judy Schafers

Re-visit Art And a Country Garden

Here is a chance for you to to re-visit my Art And a Country Garden event. Or, if you didn’t make it, then you might enjoy a look at the highlights.
It was a big relief that the weather co-operated for most of the weekend which, of course, helped the attendance to be about as good as last year.

Guests looking at art in the studio Saturday morning.

Some of the first guests in the studio Saturday morning.

39 new artworks were created for this show along with several new magnets. The Walter Foster art instruction book was also finally available. My good friend Julie, who had worked with me on this event since April, helped to organize and hang the paintings, which took us over 4 hours. It was quite a challenge for us to decide which pieces to group together and which ones would not be included in the exhibit. As always, I was surprised that there were plenty of artworks to fill the space!

For the second year, Jack and Steph returned as our talented roving musicians whose performances were enjoyed by everyone. (photo thanks to Memory Roth Photography)

A guest enjoying the fairy garden put together by The Wheelbarrow Gardener. My rock painting, "Down to Earth" made the scene complete! It was a lot of fun to create all of the garden vignettes.

A guest enjoying the fairy garden in an old desk put together by The Wheelbarrow Gardener. My rock painting, “Down to Earth” made the scene complete! It was a lot of fun to create all of the garden vignettes. (photo Thanks to Memory Roth Photography)

Here we have my friend painting on the trunk of a retired spruce tree. This was a new activity for this year which turned out to be pretty neat!

The above 2 photos show my friends painting on the trunk of a retired spruce tree. This was a new activity for this year which turned out to be pretty neat. It will have a sealant applied before winter and I will have it as a remembrance for years! (photos Thanks to Memory Roth Photography)

It was crazy busy in the studio at times. People were encouraged to help themselves to the goodies, enjoy the art and wander the gardens. (photo Thanks to Memory Roth Photography)

Two of my many creative and talented friends who came to help and support me! They have all been such a blessing. (photo Thanks to Memory Roth Photography)

I believe these two are counting the blackbirds in the painting “Song of the Red Wing Blackbirds” for the scavenger hunt. (photo Thanks to Memory Roth Photography)

Woohoo! Lots of visitors! This is always so exciting to see. (photo Thanks to Memory Roth Photography)

Here, Dolly Bolen is about to interview me for the Morinville Free Press. My sister-in-law, Fran is happily photobombing! And… that’s not my beer…. (photo Thanks to Memory Roth Photography)

When the weather was nice on Saturday, this made an interesting addition to the garden. However, a storm blew in during the late afternoon and my quick thinking helpers rescued it from the wind and rain. I had forgotten all about it sitting out there! (photo Thanks to Memory Roth Photography)

A new, enthusiastic friend shows off her copy of the Walter foster art instruction book that I had contributed to. I hope everyone who purchased the book gains lots of helpful painting tips from it! (photo Thanks to Memory Roth Photography)

On Saturday afternoon, I demonstrated a few painting techniques in front of a small audience. I had prepared 2 canvases with the same painting earlier in the week so as to show the progression of the techniques I often use for close-up nature scenes. (photo thanks to Memory Roth Photography)

Since the weather was not conducive to outdoor performance, Alison sang and played guitar for us in the studio Sunday afternoon, which was very enjoyable for all. (photo thanks to Memory Roth Photography)
It was so wonderful and amazing that people came from as far away as Barrhead, Sherwood Park and even further to see the show. How very cool is that?! (photo Thanks to Memory Roth Photography)

Karen and Barb, generously lending their time and efforts to help me out! In all, at least 20 different people had pitched in in preparation before and worked during the event. Here’s hoping I can repay them all, or at least play it forward. (photo Thanks to Memory Roth Photography)

These ladies are going on a scavenger hunt! (photo Thanks to Memory Roth Photography)

Many people like Bud, almost always attend my shows. How lucky am I to have their ongoing support? (photo Thanks to Memory Roth Photography)

Hopefully, you enjoyed this little report and are inspired to attend in July of 2018!

Two Docks Are Better

As my usual policy for painting landscape commissions goes, the first attempt to paint the image a client has described to me is created on a small canvas. This time, it turns out that two docks are better than one!

Above: "Echoes Through Time", 14" x 32", shown framed and haging in the client's home.

Above: “Echoes Through Time”, 14″ x 32″, shown framed and hanging in the client’s home.

A local couple asked me to paint a scene that was very special to the woman who had spent many summers on the lake where this dock has resides. They presented me with several photos and specific ideas about what the painting should look like. Certain items could be left out and other things emphasized. The overall feeling to be depicted was one of a perfect sunny Alberta summer day, very much like those she enjoyed as a child on her family’s property on Lac La Biche.

I proceeded to paint everything understood and remembered about the image they spoke about. Once the ‘preliminary’ painting was near completion, it was photographed and the image emailed to the client. As usual, a few nerves were involved in waiting to learn what they thought about the preliminary painting. I was pretty happy with it, but wondered: did I interpret correctly according to their vision? Was it at least on the right track? In projects past, sometimes the answer has been a polite ‘no’.

This time, however, the couple were very happy with the first attempt. Since they did not know what size the final painting should be, I showed them a number of blank canvases in the proportion that would suit the composition. They settled on one and soon after, I began the process of re-creating the scene in a much larger format. Once again fooling myself, I thought that this would be fairly straight forward, since most of the difficulties were worked out with the first painting.

A few minor changes to be made on the final canvas required that I move the horizon line nearer to the top than in the first one. The seamless gradation in the sky was quite a challenge as there were no clouds to hide any imperfections and the area to be covered was quite large. The humidity was so low that the paint would dry more quickly than usual. There are at least 15 coats of paint on the sky alone. I only had to paint the horizon line 3 times to get it right….. progress!!

Because the clients loved the colors in the first painting, it was important to recreate them again as closely as possible, which did not come as easily as first thought. Much larger pools of paint had to be mixed and adjusted over and over again because acrylics tend to change color as they dry. Rocks and reeds were painted in, and then painted out. And then painted in somewhere else. Finally, it felt ready for the couple to take a look at.

Their reaction was heart-warming and a relief for me at the same time. It was important to me that this painting was everything they had envisioned it would be. The lady said the painting brought back many memories of her family and the quiet meditative moments she had spent in company of this old dock. They loved the painting and and felt that it brought them right back to that special place. Their thinking was that two docks are better than one! One for their home and the small one for her office!

Someone Else’s Idea

Above are a few of the pencil sketches that were drawn to work out some possible ideas for the painting.

Sometimes an artist is asked to create something that expresses someone else’s idea. I have done this before, but this time, it was different.

Last summer, a couple were excited about an idea they had for a painting that depicted beautiful moments from their past. They approached me to paint a large custom ‘moonlight shining on the snow’ scene with a verbal description of the possible image. It was unclear to me what that painting could look like as they didn’t have any photos for me to work from.

Painting a moonlight night scene presented an unusual challenge for me as I had never done that before. After a bit of research and several sketches, some concrete ideas began to form. The client had sent some autumn daylight photos of a location that was special to them and gave me free reign over which ones to use, if any. This was also a bit of a challenge because I am used to working within specific perimeters when it comes to producing a painting for someone. But it was fun at the same time because I could make things up as I went along.

Shortly after completing the drawings, I painted one of the designs (compositions) on a small canvas to work out what the colors might look like. It turned out alright, but it might not be dark enough. Or maybe it was too simple or too blue….

This is the first trial painting that I did, described above.

That was another question: how to get a night scene dark enough, but yet light enough so that one can actually see it from across a room? I spent quite a bit of time studying how a landscape looks during a winter night under a full moon. I had to really pay attention and noticed that everything was some shade of grey. There may have to be some color embellishments to make the painting more interesting. I studied what trees looks like in the distance and close up, how much detail can be seen and what the shadows look like. It was quite an education!

Slightly larger and differing in color and detail, above is the second trial painting.

After emailing the photos to the clients, they responded with excitement that I was on the right track! What a relief!! This is why I always do ‘preliminary’ paintings before tackling the final, usually much larger piece. There were a few changes for the final painting which was to be 24 by 36 inches. Oh, and why not add the big dipper to the sky? More research ensued once the final painting neared completion. Did you know that the constellations change their orientation in the sky according to the time of year? Fascinating!

Here is the completed painting just before it was shipped out the door. “Diamonds in the Snow”, 24″ x 36″

The animal tracks were second last to be added in, at my suggestion. They would make the painting more interesting and break up the large empty space on the lower right side. It was a good thing that there was plenty of snow colored paint leftover as quite a few corrections to the tracks had to be made. To create the right mix in order for corrections to become invisible is time consuming because the color shifts as it dries. Once I was satisfied and could not think of a single improvement to make, I proudly added my signature!

A Quick Little Peak

A quick little peak of New Miniatures on wood as of Jan 15, 2016

Here is a quick little peak of some of the new artworks created in the studio. Pictured above and below are just a few of the new miniatures that I have painted this winter. Some of them are on wood and some on paper. So much fun!

I took a few chances in composition and enjoyed working with the variety of color and subject matter. Switching between working on these little ones while working on larger paintings makes studio time even more interesting. Larger paintings take much more focus and time. Each miniature takes between 3 and 5 hours depending on level of detail, which is not a large commitment. Some may be painted again in a much larger format because they were so successful, have great design and fun color combinations.

New miniatures on paper as of January 15, 2016. May of these will be attached to blank greeting cards.

The tiny works on paper pictured above measure about 1.5 inches by about 2 to 3 inches. Many of them will be used as greeting card appliqués and sent with hand written notes as needed. A few of them may be double matted and shrink wrapped for sale.

Because they are created on paper, I allow myself to let go of the expectation of having them turn out well. Paper is cheap and easy to cut. Even less time is spent painting these than the miniatures on wood and with them I am learning to trust my own memory and imagination. Often I will not use a photo reference for these and will make up the scene as I go along. Very good practise indeed!

You are welcome to make arrangements for a studio visit to come and see what I currently have in stock. There are new paintings coming every week!

No Place I’d Rather Be

Here is the inside of the old van before renos began. It is dark and dated and had some water damage.

There is no place I’d rather be than in my studio when there is snow on the ground, unless it’s somewhere tropical.

This winter, I decided to skip the annual trip to Yuma, Arizona, and encourage my husband Shane, to go on his own. For about 30 years, with the exception of a few, we have always made this drive together, spending anywhere from three to 8 weeks at his parent’s acreage.

I felt that it would be much more beneficial for everyone if I stayed behind. Shane could come and go without concern about my timelines, get his much needed holiday away from the farm. The drive was something I really needed a break from. Shane is a trucker and is very destination oriented, after all. This way, I will have LOTS of time to get caught up with farm paperwork, paintings that clients are patiently waiting for and begin preparing for my summer solo show!

Of course I am delusional in that respect, always forgetting how slowly I move in the winter months…. Spending time in the cozy studio during these crisp days just feels so good and I get lost in every brushstroke. Before I know it, the month is gone.

My long list is currently a little over half complete. It contains everything from neglected household chores to farm paperwork to helping my daughter get prepared for her new adventure. This last item is a fun and challenging, time consuming project. We are helping her renovate an old camperized van in which she will live over the next year as she takes courses on the West Coast. It is turning out to be a lot more work than expected. We are having to figure things out as we go along, and don’t really know what we are doing. Good thing her skilled brother helps as much as he can and her innovative Dad will be lending a hand during the next few weeks. It’s starting to come together and it’s going to be amazing once it’s all said and done.

We are excited for her as she sets sail at the end of February! In between office work and Jilene needing assistance, I am also working on 2 commissioned paintings. I shall write about that process in my next blog post.

Here, the van renos are about half way done. Still lots of work to do, but it is laready lighter and brighter!

Here, the van renos are about half way done. Still lots of work to do, but it is already lighter and brighter!

A Momentary Disappointment

My work has officially been published in a fancy book!!
Almost a year ago I was approached by the Walter Foster Company to be a contributing artist for their new painting instruction book, “The Art of Painting Flowers in Oil & Acrylic”. One of the editors found my work on a photo sharing website called Pinterest, which is in itself a miracle, given the millions of photos and artists that post on the site. Never having done anything like this before, I had envisioned, that a number of mistakes requiring a series of do-overs would be made. They were a great company to work with and had only asked for minor revisions to two of the four painting projects that were requested. Turns out that it was a lot of fun and I learned so much about the whole process of creating step by step instructional material, consistent photography and the absolute need for clear communication among other things. Figuring out how it is that I do what I do and articulate it in writing, was probably the most difficult part.
In mid-October a dozen of these books arrived unexpectedly. They were due in mid-November so it was a wonderful crown on top of an already great day!!

Until I opened the book…..

Low and behold, there was a full page print out of an orange tiger lily that I had painted as one of the projects for people to follow. It was really neat to see it in this beautiful, glossy full color book. As I was drinking it all in, suddenly I discovered a glaring error in the photo. On one of the last steps for creating this painting I had supplied a photo of how to use painters’ tape to decide on the placement of a leaf that was not in the reference photo. This piece of tape, plain as day flaunted itself at me in what was suppose to be the finished piece. Oh well, the rest of it should be fine. I’ll get over it. Continuing through to the end of that project, there it is again!! That piece of painters tape, large and naked as can be, sitting on the last photo of the tiger lily painting where the final step was suppose to appear….. wow. Ok. And to think that this was one of the projects that I was asked to re-work….

The next project looks good! What a relief! it is a multi- colored pansy and it is satisfying to see how it came together. I can forgive the tiger lily fiasco.

I then turn the page and … oh no! They flipped the next project completely on its side. Well that’s strange and also disappointing since the photos were submitted to them right side up. Hmmm. Most people would not notice, I suppose, except for avid gardeners. Otherwise it is not terrible, except that the design is less striking and maybe a bit confusing with it oriented the wrong way. It’s time to make supper so I put the book down and mull over whether or not I should say anything to the publisher. I kind of chuckle about the whole thing and try to recall if the editor had sent me proofs that were somehow missed in all of my busy-ness.

After supper, I am curious about the rest of the book and what the other artists had presented. There is a wide array of styles and techniques portrayed, which should be helpful to new and intermediate painters. On the last page of the book the artist’s biographies appear alphabetically and I set about reading them in order. Looks like there are some well-established and accomplished artists included in this book, and it feels good to share the space with them.

My biography is list listed second to last and I set about reading it as well.
What? Why does it sound so strange? Did I write this? I don’t remember writing this. It seems juvenile and lists details that are not at all pertinent for an international audience. Checking the original file that was sent to them, I see that the whole thing was re-written without my knowledge. Ok, now I had better talk to the publisher….

2015 Studio Painting Classes

Below are several photos from my October 2015 studio painting classes. There were 6 different painting projects offered and participants could choose as many classes as would suit their schedules and interest. With this set of classes, the focus was on tips and techniques used for painting in acrylics in a realistic style.

Alicia at work.

The room is silent a good part of the time as everyone gets into right brain mode.

Halle is excited to get going!

Everyone is working at a different level and on different paintings.

The classes were kept small so that everyone could get the attention that was needed.

Nancy is an experienced painter and teaches watercolor classes.

Deborah’s completed painting. She is new to acrylic and her rose hip turned out really well!

Patricia is also new to acrylic painting and did very well with her sunset! It really did not take her very long to complete.

This is Robert and his very first painting. Ever! Congratulations, Robert! I hope you will do more.

Hopefully in October of 2016 I will be able to offer another set of classes. It was such a pleasure to get to know everyone a bit better and have the chance to work together!
Now it’s time for me to finish up the yard work and focus on completing several commissioned paintings.

Gazette Artist of the Month

It was an honor to be featured as the St. Albert Gazette’s ‘Artist of the Month’ for October 2015! Since early September I had been communicating with Jessica at the Art Gallery of St. Albert to arrange my bringing in new paintings for their Art Rental and Sales program. She asked if I would be at all interested in being featured during the month of October. I was really excited by the prospect of sharing my work with a wider audience. The Gazette sent a photographer to the Gallery and two showed up! Scott Hayes, the Gazette’s arts and culture reporter, also came to the gallery and made the interview process fun and stress free.

Below is a copy of the article written by Scott Hayes which was printed in the October 14, 2015 edition. I was thrilled with the article he wrote and I hope you enjoy it too!

Perhaps it was meant to be that Judy Schafers has been into art her entire life. she has always loved to paint and always loved the beauteous bounty of nature too.

After all, she joked, she couldn’t exactly have a career in hockey.

“I was really bad at sports!” she laughed. “I was good at this. It was the path of least resistance.”

Yes, art has been a part of her life sine she was a teenager, even winning her awards while she was still in high school. Painting only became a serious pastime after she got married more than 30 years ago. They moved to a farm near Villeneuve, an idyllic settlement that was ideal in its setting too. After all, what’s better for a nature-loving artist than surrounding her with nature and giving her plenty of room to work? There’s lots of inspiration where she lives. Her main artistic influence has always been Mother Nature, she said, adding that she only has to look outside the door of her Prairie Sky Studio to see her next landscape, floral or abstract composition. There are endless possibilities.

“Art has really helped me to grow the other side of me,” the former wallflower said. In fact, she grows many of her subjects. There’s wheat and fava beans in the fields plus a big ol’ flower patch on the side and a vegetable garden for her dinner table. Between the farming and the painting, it’s any wonder if she’ll ever have clean fingernails.

“Until I cut them off,” she said with a hearty laugh. “I go to the bank with paint on my hands.”

The rustic life of an artist is indeed one of dirt and paint, and endless growing opportunities. She was a shy kid, she confessed, and would have continued to be content in her shyness as an adult if it weren’t for people encouraging her to show her work in public.

“I decided that, you know what, if the house is filling up then I need to figure out what to do with this stuff.”

That was a good call. It led to her first exhibit at an art store in Grandin Mall in 1992. She hasn’t looked back since. Schafers has taken a bumper crop of art awards including first and third places in the masters category at this year’s Open Art Competition, put on by the Allied Arts Council of Spruce Grove. She took first and second places for the masters there last year too. The well-known figure on St. Albert’s arts scene has many other accolades and has been featured on many gallery walls across this city and throughout the surrounding area.

In addition to residing within numerous corporate collections from the United States to Australia, to Europe, Asia and the Middle East. She even does a ‘blooming’ business taking commissions mostly for nature scenes.

Schafers is represented by the Daffodil Gallery in Edmonton. Her work is also available for sale or rent at the Art Gallery of St. Albert

People can learn more by visiting her website at www.judyleilaschafersfineart.com.

There you have it!
It was really interesting and surprising to hear that the Art Gallery of St. Albert reported a noticeable increase in people visiting the gallery and asking to see my work during the few days after this article ran. It was kind of hard for me to believe, but very cool at the same time! Another win-win for the Gallery and I; the painting of the green aspen leaves was rented out a few days after the feature was published!

Details About Painting Classes

Just in case you are curious, here are a few more details about painting classes that I am offering this spring.
Please scroll down to the bottom of this page to see the current time slot availability.

If you have taken instruction from me before, please bring the stay moist palette you had used previously. If that’s not do-able, a palette will be provided for you. You may also bring your unfinished painting to work on, or your own photo to use as reference. Canvases, paint and other supplies are provided. You may bring your own supplies if you wish.

Step 1) I instruct everyone on how to prepare their canvas before starting their painting. This may be a refresher for some students.

Step 2) for those who are interested, there will be some time devoted to learning how to put together an inexpensive stay wet palette which will be used in the class.

Step 3) is about choosing the design/subject for their painting, laying out the palette and some of the techniques we will be using.

There will be points mentioned about the type of paint to use and why.

I will also do a demonstration focusing on the first layer of paint and what to expect when working on their own canvas.

Step 4) students will lay down the first layer of paint and while this is drying, I will demonstrate how to draw the design onto the canvas and/or how to proceed with a landscape.

Step 5) Students work on their background layer (nature up close), sky layer (landscape) or draw their design.

At this point I usually do another demonstration and talk about some problem solving techniques.

Step 6) Lots of coaching on individual progress while students work on their projects.

Step 7) Clean up instructions and information about how to dispose of acrylic paint waste in a more environmentally friendly manner.

This is a summary of the first one or two classes, depending on how quickly students work and how much problem solving is discussed along the way.

In subsequent classes, there are demonstrations and lots of personal coaching to work towards as close to a finished painting as possible. Everyone is encouraged to work at their own pace. Some may finish their projects while others may even complete two.

Students may take their paintings home to work on in between classes if they wish. If so, we will discuss what challenges were discovered and how to correct anything that is unsatisfactory.

Overall, I try to make these classes a fun, relaxed way to learn how to paint. But remember, this is only one way of painting with acrylics. If you are interested in asking for more details about these painting classes, please call or email me.

Mother and daughter, Halle and Jill with their class projects. They had a great time painting together in the studio!

Please feel free to call me at 780-459-3747 or email me at bristelybrush@hotmail.com if you have further questions or concerns and to register.
Below is the current time slot availability.

Tues May 9 1 to 3:30 pm	Thur May 11 6:30 to 9 pm	Sat May 13 10 am to 12:30pm	Sun May 14 1 to 3:30 pm
Patricia M		Alicia M.	Julie W
Grace F		Carla I	Connie O
Sandra B		Oonagh A	Patricia E
		Jill B
		Deb H
Tues May 16 1 to 3:30 pm	Thur May 18 6:30 to 9pm	Sat May 20 10 am to 12:30 pm	Sun May 21 1 to 3:30 pm
Sandra B		Alicia M	Deb H
		Carla I	Patricia E
		Oonagh A
		Jill B	Connie O
		Connie O	Julie W
			Rachel
Tues May 23 1 to 3:30 pm	Thur May25 6:30 to 9 pm	Sat May 27 10 am to 12:30 pm	Sun May 28 1 to 3:30 pm
Rachel			Deb H
Connie O		Betty G ?	Patricia E
Grace F
Patricia M

Feeling Like a Real Artist

This old thing made me feel like a real artist!.

One of the first paintings done on the old easel.

Pictured directly above is one of the first paintings I created on the easel (top photo) that was given to me as a teenager. It was a gift for my parent’s anniversary and they loved it. It felt like a major accomplishment and I was really proud of it then. My Dad still has it hanging in his living room.

Funny, but looking at it now I cringe just a little as the mistakes are glaringly obvious. I must remind myself that I was just learning and this was the largest painting I had done up until then. It was painted on a warped canvas board after having just begun using acrylic paints. (Oils were what I had started with a year or so before then.) Using the easel made a huge difference for me as the canvas board, which was all I could afford at the time, was thin and not all that stable compared to a quality stretched canvas. This piece presented a new challenge because it was the first time I had used 2 reference photos and put them together. The left side was painted using one of the photos and the right with the second photo. The easel really helped me to see the painting as it progressed with each brushstroke.

I remember how hard my brain had to work to get this scene to look somewhat believable but it sure felt great to paint like a ‘real’ artist!