September has been a quieting down month putting the garden to bed, harvesting and preserving tomatoes and fruit. After the long days and short nights I am finding it odd to be again experiencing days and nights of equal duration. The evenings seem longer and I find myself reading more and painting well into the evening and then discovering that it isn’t even midnight! I met with CRD Parks personnel again today about a planned artist in residence pilot project for February and March of 2015. I’ll pass along more information once it is in print form. The short story is that I’ll be a volunteer artist in residence at Francis King Park for six weeks, will paint on site and offer a number of programs for the public. Francis King Park is one of my favourite places to draw and paint so I am really looking forward to my time there. OPEN HOUSE- Free Visual Concert Friday October 10th from 7 pm on. Saturday and Sunday, October 11th and 12th, from 2pm to 6 pm. You are invited to my ‘thank-you for your support’ open house next weekend. I am sorry to have heard from some of you that you are away on Thanksgiving weekend. There never seems to be an ideal weekend that suits everyone so I am going to stay with the date since at least an equal number of you have let me know that it will work for you. My walls will be full of new work (most of which has not been viewed before and is not for sale) and a number of pieces that have come home from galleries. I’ll have non-alcoholic beverages, baking and snacks. Please come by for conversation and visual entertainment. The numbering system in my complex is very odd- mind you there is a map that you can look at outside here too if you find your way to Crossandra Crescent. I am number 550. I am happy to send you a map that will make finding me much easier that google does, just email me. FALL CLASSES FULL- Classes at my home: Wednesdays: October 1 – Dec 17th Thanks for the terrific interest in my classes. I have decided to offer another class at my home making Wednesday a full teaching day. These classes are for students of all levels, the subject of each class decided at the first class with project days for those subjects passionately wanted by one and not others. Technique, colour, encouragement, critiques etc. Wednesday mornings: 0930 – 1230 (FULL) Wednesday afternoons: 2 pm – 5 pm (FULL) Still Room- NEW: Painting watercolour miniatures at the HCP- two Saturday offerings all supplies included- a great gift and way to try out watercolour and see if you like it. http://hcp.ca/events/watercolor-workshop/ and http://hcp.ca/events/watercolor-workshop-2/ It is $80.00 for one class 10 – 4pm and $150.00 for both). October 4th and November 15th. Still Room- UVic Continuing Studies Courses: This is a great course for those wanting to explore personal style and the motivation to paint. Basic knowledge of watercolour is needed (at least the beginners course). Contemplative Watercolour December 5- 7 Each $150.00 plus GST and supplies. 12 hours of instruction. There will also be a couple of half day workshops in Sidney with UVic November 18th 1230- 4 pm Drawing for Painters November 25th 1230- 4 pm Contemplative Watercolour. Details on UVic’s Continuing studies website. http://www.uvcs.uvic.ca/arts/courses/ Still Room- Classes at Cordova Bay 55+ October 20th to December 8th- 8 weeks – Mondays 1- 3:30 must have a CB55+ membership and register through CB55+ mornings: 250-658-5558 Mason Jar Project- I have been painting again on the project and am thankful that gardening has slowed down a bit and most of the harvesting is now done. I have been canning as part of this project too; pears, peaches, tomatoes, apricots, cherries, applesauce and a small number of jams are now in my cupboards waiting their turn to be artist’s models. Those of you wanting to be my ‘sponsors’ for this project just need to let me know. You send me $100 and I send you the password. As a sponsor you will: -be invited to the unveiling exhibition(s) for the project as it unfolds The first being Friday October 10th from 5 - 7 pm for an English style ‘drinks party’! -have first opportunity to purchase any painting on the sponsor page – these are not from the series and are representative of my work over the past 5-10 years and you can purchase them right now. - be able to use your sponsorship $100 to purchase of a work from the series when they become available. - receive my thanks! Gallery Representation: I now have only one local gallery- The South Shore Gallery in Sooke. Jessie has a great selection of my paintings and a wonderful selection of art and jewelry by Vancouver Island artists. There are also some really good restaurants in Sooke now, so it makes a good day trip. As always email me if you want more information about any of the above. joannedthomson@shaw.ca
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September 2014 Joanne Thomson’s Newsletter
Thank-you! I have had a great year and it could not have happened without the support and encouragement you have offered with words, coin, contracts and loans of mason jars! I want to thank you all with an open house on Thanksgiving weekend this year. This will not be a sale. If I were a musician it would be a free concert. So consider it a free visual concert - no fee and no obligation to purchase. It is to be a heartfelt thank-you from myself. I’ll display the mason jar images that I have created so far, paintings from the Saskatchewan and Hawthorn retreats and the Fort Rodd Hill residency, illustrations done for the Palliative Care Text book, photographs from my England trip and some miscellaneous experiments. I’ll provide food and beverages. If you have not been here before email me for a map, if you need a reminder since it has been awhile, email me and I’ll send you a map, if you just want to be included in the map sending, email me and I’ll send you a map too! Friday October 10th from 7 pm on. Saturday and Sunday, October 11th and 12th, from 2pm to 6 pm. I am just back from a magical trip to Saskatchewan (where all the participants gave me a rating of 5+ on a scale of 1-5) arriving just in time for a weekend English Country Dance workshop, so am energized and refreshed. I’ll post some photographs of the retreat on my website home page and tell you more about it there. Information about upcoming classes is below. Classes at my home: Wednesdays: October 1 – Dec 17th Thanks for the terrific interest in my classes. I have decided to offer another class at my home making Wednesday a full teaching day. These classes are for students of all levels, the subject of each class decided at the first class with project days for those subjects passionately wanted by one and not others. Technique, colour, encouragement, critiques etc. Wednesday mornings: 0930 – 1230 (FULL) Wednesday afternoons: 2 pm – 5 pm (still room) 12 weeks. $270.00 Class size limit 6 students. To confirm your space please send me a cheque dated the first day of class or arrange to pay by VISA or MC. NEW: Painting watercolour miniatures at the HCP- two Saturday offerings all supplies included- a great gift and way to try out watercolour and see if you like it. http://hcp.ca/events/watercolor-workshop/ and http://hcp.ca/events/watercolor-workshop-2/ It is $80.00 for one class 10 – 4pm and $150.00 for both). October 4th and November 15th. UVic Continuing Studies Courses: UVic location Beginners watercolour September 26- 28 And Contemplative Watercolour December 5- 7 Each $150.00 plus GST and supplies. 12 hours of instruction. There will also be a couple of half day workshops in Sidney with UVic November 18th 1230- 4 pm Drawing for Painters November 25th 1230- 4 pm Contemplative Watercolour. Details on UVic’s Continuing studies website. http://www.uvcs.uvic.ca/arts/courses/ Classes at Cordova Bay 55+ October 20th to December 8th- 8 weeks – Mondays 1- 3:30 must have a CB55+ membership and register through CB55+ mornings: 250-658-5558 Mason Jar Project- Well painting on this project has slowed due to travel but the project is calling my name again with Fall harvest in full swing now. I’ll be painting over the next few weeks and will have new works to show by October. I’ll also take another try at a BCArts Council grant for this project as it is growing and developing as I take it along. Wish me luck with that! I think having 75+ images and a more developed concept will help my application. Those of you wanting to be my ‘sponsors’ for this project just need to let me know. You send me $100 and I send you the password. As a sponsor you will: -be invited to the unveiling exhibition(s) for the project as it unfolds The first being Friday October 10th from 5 - 7 pm for an English style ‘drinks party’! -have first opportunity to purchase any painting on the sponsor page – these are not from the series and are representative of my work over the past 5-10 years and you can purchase them right now. - be able to use your sponsorship $100 to purchase a painting on sponsor page or toward the purchase of a work from the series when they become available. - receive my thanks! As always email me if you want more information about any of the above. joannedthomson@shaw.ca June 2014 Joanne Thomson’s Newsletter I know I said there would be no show invites for awhile and that changes now with my accepting and invitation to show at the Coast Collective in a group show called “Top Shelf” that runs in the main gallery from June 11 to 22nd. Apparently I am a top seller in the ‘watercolour’ category of the gift shop and so will have some watercolours on paper and canvas as part of the show that features gift shop artists and art forms from paintings to fiber to jewelry. I have also been working with staff at the CRD Parks to create an Artist in Residence at Francis King Park and will be the ‘pilot project’ artist in February and March 2015. There will be public engagement days. Mostly though, I’ll be there enjoying and painting the beauty of the winter forest and some of the bones of the forest creatures from the CRD collections. More info later. TWO WORKSHOPS IN JUNE: One in town at the Coast Collective and one a retreat weekend in the Cowichan Valley at The Hawthorn- it is sold out. So, if you missed out on the retreat, come to the Coast Collective one, we will be outside and inside and engaging in drawing nature and then painting up what we draw. SUMMER WORKSHOPS: If you like the idea of a weekend or a weeklong retreat please sign up for the July- Drawing and Meditating on Nature week or the September – Restful Ripening retreat- details below. If you are really adventurous join me in Saskatchewan at Robsart ghost town on Labour Day weekend forart making and exploring! JULY 1st Gorge On Art 9-4: I have submitted and application and hope to be accepted as a participant in the Gorge On Art this year which is in conjunction with the Canada Day Event at Gorge Park. This will likely be the only summer market for me this year as I’ll be travelling quite a bit researching and working on the ‘Transforming Pain’ Project. I’ll be demonstrating and have some of the new works for viewing. I’ll confirm and give my location in the July newsletter. (I plan to send it out at the end of June). COMMUNITY MURAL: Since the last newsletter I have been invited to facilitate a community mural project with BC Housing. The site is in James Bay and is next to a community playground in a townhouse complex. It is shaping up to be a wonderful project with plenty of participation. I’ll put photos on my website as it progresses. The Hospice Palliative Care Textbook illustrations are nearly completed. It has been an intense and rewarding few months. I’ll let you know when the book is out. WORKSHOP IN SASKATCHEWAN: Want to go to Saskatchewan and the ghost town of Robsask for a weekend of painting? I have been invited to facilitate a weekend workshop in this beautiful part of the country. Grass lands, farm buildings, riverbanks and vistas of open prairie. I’ll post the details on my site when they are ready (by that I mean who to contact and how much in case you want to join us). Coming in the Autumn: NEW: Painting watercolour miniatures at the HCP- two Saturday offerings all supplies included- a great gift and way to try out watercolour and see if you like it. http://hcp.ca/events/watercolor-workshop/ and http://hcp.ca/events/watercolor-workshop-2/ Watercolour workshop in Terrace BC through the Terrace Art Gallery October 17 – 19th. This will be a beginners workshop covering colour, brush handling and a variety of techniques as well as offering individual instruction for experienced watercolourists during the project painting times. DEMONSTRATION: Friday July 25th : Jessie Taylor Dodd of the South Shore Gallery has asked me to demonstrate there during the Sooke Fine Arts Show. I’ll be taking out my large acrylic paintings of wild flowers and also work on some smaller watercolour on paper works. I’ll be at the Gallery on the Friday July 25th and if I am not enough of a draw, it is next to a couple of great restaurants…. http://www.southshoregallery.ca STILL SPACE IN THE SUMMER AND FALL Art and Nature Retreats at the Hawthorn Prices include Meals, Accommodation and Workshops. July 6- 11 (five days and nights, Sunday to Friday) Drawing and Meditating on Nature $950 –there is still room on this retreat. Let me know if you are interested as we need a couple more registrants to make it happen. Connect deeply with the visual beauty of the natural world. Joanne will facilitate workshops in sketching, realistic drawing, and painting which will culminate in the creation of your own naturalist’s journal and many small paintings. The focus is on expressing an intimate connection with nature, which can be both quiet, and enthusiastic! Expect to see your work move toward a more individual style in this intensive week of art. We will work both indoors and out of doors. September 19- 21 (one weekend, Friday to Sunday) Equinox- Restful Ripening $420 Approach the busy harvest season with some time for art making with joy and reflection. With days and nights now being equal in length the focus of the workshops will be on finding and expressing balance, visually and in our artistic practice. Joy and sorrow are both welcome as are contemplation and exuberance. Everything is part of the balance that makes up life. TRANSFORMING PAIN PROJECT: memories and legacy I have slowed down a bit on the painting in this project due to the deadlines with the illustration works, but have still done 44 images in the past two months and project has grown wings blowing in all sorts of new ideas. I have all the images up in my living room now and I am impressed! I’ll put a photo up on the sponsors page. Thank you to those who came forward as sponsors. I am happy to have more people on the secret password list. Those of you wanting to be my ‘sponsors’ for this project just need to let me know. You send me $100 and I send you the password. As a sponsor you will: -be invited to the unveiling exhibition for the project -have first opportunity to purchase any painting on the sponsor page – these are not from the series and are representative of my work over the past 5-10 years and you can purchase them right now. - be able to use your sponsorship $100 to purchase a painting on sponsor page or toward the purchase of a work from the series. - receive my thanks! AN ART RETREAT IN YOUR TOWN- Ask me. I love to travel and can make a workshop financially accessible in almost any location. It has worked in Neepawa Manitoba, Revelstoke, Terrace, Comox and Prince Rupert and soon in Terrace again. Ask and we can work something out. As always email me if you want more information about any of the above. joannedthomson@shaw.ca May 2014 Joanne Thomson’s Newsletter So many flowers to paint and so little time. I have been busy bottling blossoms in my transforming pain series. It is seems to be developing into something about preserving. I always intended it to be about memory and legacy. I am having a great deal of fun creating beauty and metaphor with paint and unusual juxtapositions. Interested? You too can become a sponsor. I’ll place a teaser image or two in this email for you and there is information about becoming a sponsor lower in this email too.
Many of you are asking if I am looking for another gallery now that I am no longer at the Morris (and She Said Gallery sold and is undergoing a transformation with all of us asked to remove everything, so no idea what that will become). So, for now my answer is no. I am focusing on creating new work, doing illustrations for the Hospice Palliative Care textbook, and allowing time to decide what to do next. The Gallery scene is changing and I need to figure out my relationship to those changes. So for now, yes I’d be happy to hear suggestions and have you promote me to galleries, however, I won’t actively be seeking galleries until next year. Odd I know, and sorry there won’t be invites to shows for a bit, but that will change in 2015 and I might do something here in the fall if I cannot keep a lid on my creations and absolutely need to share them with you. THE HAWTHORN- Open House May 10, 2014. RSVP only I’ll be creating a labyrinth on the grounds of the Hawthorn during the open house. Come and see the gardens, meet Bernice and her helpers, see the workshop spaces. If you want to come please just email me and I’ll send you the e-vite with the address and directions. This is the location of my art and nature retreats this year and should be green and flowering! THE SOUTH SHORE GALLERY has re-opened and is looking wonderful. Jessie Taylor Dodd is the new owner/manager. Elizabeth Tanner will be there a couple of days a week too, helping out with sales. http://www.southshoregallery.ca Art and Nature Retreats at the Hawthorn Prices include Meals, Accommodation and Workshops. June 20 - 22 Solstice: Light, Glorious Light $420- is already full and I am taking a wait list. With the enthusiasm for this format I have made an executive decision and cancelled the 7-day retreat in August and instead will offer an Autumn Equinox weekend. July 6- 11 (five days and nights, Sunday to Friday) Drawing and Meditating on Nature $950 Connect deeply with the visual beauty of the natural world. Joanne will facilitate workshops in sketching, realistic drawing, and painting which will culminate in the creation of your own naturalist’s journal and many small paintings. The focus is on expressing an intimate connection with nature, which can be both quiet, and enthusiastic! Expect to see your work move toward a more individual style in this intensive week of art. We will work both indoors and out of doors. September 19- 21 (one weekend, Friday to Sunday) Equinox- Restful Ripening $420 Approach the busy harvest season with some time for art making with joy and reflection. With days and nights now being equal in length the focus of the workshops will be on finding and expressing balance, visually and in our artistic practice. Joy and sorrow are both welcome as are contemplation and exuberance. Everything is part of the balance that makes up life. TRANSFORMING PAIN PROJECT: memories and legacy Thank you to those who came forward as sponsors. You could be one too! On a password protected website page for sponsors (PPWPS). Those of you wanting to be my ‘sponsors’ for this project just need to let me know. You send me $100 and I send you the password. As a sponsor you will: -be invited to the unveiling exhibition for the project -have first opportunity to purchase any painting on the PPWPS – these are not from the series and are representative of my work over the past 5-10 years and you can purchase them right now. - be able to use your sponsorship $100 to purchase a painting on the PPWPS or toward the purchase of a work from the series. - receive my thanks! AN ART RETREAT IN YOUR TOWN- Ask me. I love to travel and can make a workshop financially accessible in almost any location. It has worked in Neepawa Manitoba, Revelstoke, Terrace, Comox and Prince Rupert and soon in Terrace again. Ask and we can work something out. As always email me if you want more information about any of the above. joannedthomson@shaw.ca Thank you to those who have offered to be sponsors. I'll get the secret password page up within the week with the first selection of offerings and a sneak peek at the new series. I feel so supported! Joanne
Joanne Thomson’s April 2014 Newsletter
'Tis the season for changing pace! Weekly classes are finished and I am now creating illustrations for the Hospice Palliative Care Textbook and creating new paintings in the “Transforming Pain” series. I think the two inform each other in many ways… I am trying to sneak time every day to enjoy the wonderful Spring blossoms. The fawn lilies are abundant on Christmas Hill. I hope you can find time to visit them! Last month a labyrinth was created at the Coast Collective and is wonderful thanks to an enthusiastic group of stomping women (have a look at the photographs on my blog page). It is open to anyone wanting to walk the path. Kate Cino fromartopenings.ca was one of the participants and made this short informal video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K03DbbKvZmM&feature=youtu.be I’ll be facilitating the creation of another labyrinth on Saturday May 10th at the Hawthorn which is a retreat center in the Cowichan Valley. Later in the season I will be hosting some art and nature retreats there- more information below. OPENING THIS SATURDAY April 12th at The South Shore Gallery in Sooke from 10 am to 7 pm. I’ll be there from about 3- 5 pm. Jessie Taylor is the new owner (Elizabeth Tanner is retiring). Greg Glover also has some pieces in the gallery and when we drove out on Tuesday to drop off our works Jessie was hard at work painting, assembling furniture and making the gallery into her own vision. It is going to look wonderful. The new website is: http://www.southshoregallery.ca THE HAWTHORN- Open House May 10, 2014. RSVP only I’ll be creating a labyrinth on the grounds of the Hawthorn during the open house. Come and see the gardens, meet Bernice and her helpers, see the workshop spaces. If you want to come please just email me and I’ll send you the e-vite with the address and directions. Art and Nature Retreats at the Hawthorn Prices include Meals, Accommodation and Workshops. June 20 - 22 SolsticeLight, Glorious Light $420- is already full and I am taking a wait list. With the enthusiasm for this format I have made an executive decision and cancelled the 7-day retreat in August and instead will offer an Autumn Equinox weekend. July 6- 11 Drawing and Meditating in Nature $950- 5 days and nights Connect deeply with the visual beauty of the natural world. Joanne will facilitate workshops in sketching, realistic drawing, and painting which will culminate in the creation of your own naturalist’s journal and many small paintings. The focus is on expressing an intimate connection with nature, which can be both quiet, and enthusiastic! Expect to see your work move toward a more individual style in this intensive week of art. We will work both indoors and out of doors. September 19, 20, 21 Equinox—Restful Ripening $420Approach the busy harvest season by taking some time for art making, joy, and reflection. With days and nights now being equal in length the focus of the workshops will be on finding and expressing balance, visually and in our artistic practice. Joy and sorrow are both welcome as are contemplation and exuberance. Everything is part of the balance that makes up life. TRANSFORMING PAIN PROJECT: memories and legacy I let you know in previous newsletters that I had applied for a grant with the BCArts Council. This is to let you know that I did not receive it. The good news is that they liked the proposal, thought it was worthwhile and accessible. The bad news is that they didn’t think I could do it. Well, perhaps that is an overstatement. The images I presented with my proposal did not convince them that I could make the transition from representational to conceptual. I didn’t include any of the ‘Bottled Series’ of images… sigh. So given that you and I both know I can do conceptual and representational here is a pitch for you. THE PITCH- I am seeking sponsors for this project. You could be one! On a password protected website page for sponsors (PPWPS) I will be posting up to 10 paintings a month that will be available for $100 each- Those of you wanting to be my ‘sponsors’ for this project just need to let me know. You send me $100 and I send you the password. Then you have first opportunity to purchase any painting on the PPWPS - (if you want to purchase more than one you can sponsor me more than once!) or you can target the contribution toward anything I create and offer for sale in the new series. (The qualifier is there because I hope to create a travelling exhibition so some works will not be for sale initially). I’ll also put you on a special invitation list for the unveiling exhibition. I have already started work and the images are beautiful, slightly unsettling and coming easily- I will post a few on the sponsor website page however these images will not be available for sale now. The series is germinating and emerging and I need all the images around me in my studio as this happens. I am excited by this new work and hope you will find it intriguing and exciting too! AN ART RETREAT IN YOUR TOWN- Ask me. I love to travel and can make a workshop financially accessible in almost any location. It has worked in Neepawa Manitoba, Revelstoke, Terrace, Comox and soon in Prince Rupert so ask and see what we can work out. Private lessons: if you are feeling stuck or just want to have some one to one instruction then ask me about private lessons. I have limited availability, but can often do an hour or two and sometimes that is all that you will need. The rate is $60.00 for a two hour session. (Usually structured as 30 minute lesson, 30 minutes practice, 20 minutes lesson, 30 minutes practice then a 10 minute wrap up). As always email me if you want more information about any of the above. joannedthomson@shaw.ca |
Joanne ThomsonJoanne Thomson is a full time visual artist dividing her time between creating, teaching and mentoring art. She is known for her images of BC inner forests and wild places and her ,now completed, Mason Jar Series. These strong images are created with a gentle spiritual approach to art making. Joanne has a Masters of Adult Education and brings enthusiasm and wisdom to her lessons and workshops encouraging students to explore the creative process through research and experimentation. www.joannethomson.com. Archives
April 2020
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