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FULL PREVIEW HERE
The ‘Nesting Grounds’ journey: The concept for Nesting Grounds was set. Ten birds featured with 2 dedicated paintings: One page with the bird nesting, the other page showcasing their eggs in their nest. The birds have been carefully selected with considerations including bird familiarity, nest uniqueness and clutch size. The research was tedious but enjoyable. No more procrastinations. Time to paint.
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FULL PREVIEW HERE
So, I've decided I was going to do another book! It was going to be about familiar birds and their nests and their eggs. To make the book a little more engaging, the clutch in each nest was to increase incrementally from 1-10. Did birds actually lay 10 eggs? It was imperative that in allowing for artistic license, the book was based on fact, and maintained the integrity of the chosen birds and their nesting habits. FULL PREVIEW HERE
Where to authors get their ideas? Do they come from their experience? Do they hear about it at a dinner party? Is it something that has always intrigued them? Or did the idea ferment and morph from signs sent to them from the universal cosmos? FULL PREVIEW HERE
Did you know that Robins sometimes use string to build their nests? Or that chickadees can lay up to 9 eggs? Like most authors, I wrote about something that interests me. Nesting Grounds is about birds and bird's nests. Furthermore, it was a throw back to my childhood. I would be perched in my Dad’s crossed legs - what he affectionately referred to as ‘the Bird’s Nest’- and watch the birds in our garden. It’s Canada Day weekend, and I suspect that most of us are at our “getaway places” taking in the comforts of familiarity. In much of Canada, it is your ‘cottage’. In New Brunswick, it is your “camp”. In Newfoundland you are going ‘uptadacabin’ (all one word as she says with a smile). Whatever you call it, it is typically your place of refuge to get away from it all, and yet, it is a haven where ‘it all’ seems to collect.
My daughter casually said to me recently, “I love our cottage, but it’s not how I would decorate it”. I took this statement under consideration before I responded. I’ve thought about it for a while, and now I’m ready to reply. As if leading a life as an artist wasn't challenging enough, I decided to become an author. What was I thinking?
I was fortunate to be at-home while raising my children. However, when the evenings came, I was eager to get a break and wear lipstick for the first time in weeks. Signing up for a local drawing class 2 hours once a week was a start. When hubby came through the door, I was gone! Watercolour, acrylic, and oil classes were to follow. For the last 15 years, I've worked with water-miscible oils and have never looked back. I'd like to say I was born to be a painter. I was not. It's hours of dedication to the canvas. But in this self discovery, art became my sanctuary. And it was a lot more fun and cheaper than therapy! It continues to nourish and feed my soul. I love what I do. But as rewarding and fulfilling being an artist is, it often challenges the delicate ego. So why wander into the labyrinth of the book business? German artist Gerhard Richter laughs in front of one of his artworks at the Fondation Beyeler on May 17, 2014 in Riehen near Basel.
Gerhard Richter, born February 9, 1932, is a driving force in the art world, and one of the most expensive European artists alive. His works walk the line between paintings and photography, one of the most important developments in art in the past century. He has never really adhered to a specific style or movement; nor has he stuck to a single medium. Richter has made art that is aware of its own limitations, and played with the idea of chance in photography and painting. His impact on the art world is undeniable. I'm often asked, 'what are water-mixable oils?, and 'why do I use them?'. I've been using these oils for 10 years. The solvents were causing headaches and the clean-up was labour intensive. My brand of preference is Lukas Berlin Water Soluble Oils. They are very buttery, and 'behave' like regular oils. The 'medium' has been added to the tube of paint. However, I cannot get the 200ml tubes in Canada. The 200ml tubes are only available through Jerry's Artarama in the U.S. (Apparently, they have a North American Monopoly!) When the dollar is favourable and the sales are on, I end up paying about $15.00/200ml tube. (This includes shipping and customs).
In this charming artistic interpretation about birds, Sarah Jane invites us to re-discover backyard birds through her eyes. Her poems and paintings identify birds by colour and unique traits. Each bird has a dedicated full-page oil painting. Ten familiar birds are featured: Chickadee, Blue Jay, Robin Redbreast, Goldfinch, Hummingbird, Song Sparrow, Cardinal, Piping Plover, Nuthatch and Crow.
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August 2019
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