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Two weeks until the opening – Healing Power

Two weeks from today my newest exhibition will open. It will be a different experience just like everything else in the past 18 months. There won’t be an opening reception and the exhibition will just be open during regular gallery hours September 2-14. I will be at the gallery Thursday, Friday and Saturday afternoons and the gallery will also be open Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons. Masks are mandatory so it might take me a minute longer to recognize you hahaha

To read more about the exhibition please check out the previous blog entry. Here is a sneak peek of a few of the works included in the exhibition. I hope to see you at the exhibition!

Take care of yourself and make sure to spend time in nature!

trustingly sheltered – embroidery on surgical mask, 11”x4” unframed or 16”x12” framed
joyfully grateful – oil on canvas, 48” x 30”
optimistically serious – watercolour, archival ink and graphite on 140lb Canson watercolour paper, 9”x12” unframed or 16”x20” framed
exhibition poster with details
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Afternoon of workshops

I had a very inspiring afternoon at a fundraiser event for the Manitoba Crafts Museum. There were many different demonstrations and I had the opportunity to participate in three workshops.

I attended the “Leather Work” workshop by Jan Castillo, where we learned the basics of leather working by making a small coin purse. Loved it and will definitely do this again.

Leather purse.jpg

The second workshop I took was “Metis Beadwork” by Jennine Krauchi. Her work is just stunning. We learned floral beadwork using a two-needle technique. After spending a hour at the workshop I spent a couple more hours tonight finished up my little flower. A very humbling experience.

Beadwork.jpgBeadwork2.jpg

I ended the afternoon by learning a Japanese braiding technique called Kumihimo taught by Susan Styrchak. Hoping to transfer the simple string into a bracelet.

braiding.jpg

I really enjoyed learning some new techniques today and I will for sure participate in this event again next year.

Ciao

Anja

 

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Go Jets Go

What an exciting weekend it’s been. I am filled with so much pride. Most of you know that K. works for the Winnipeg Jets. He is the Director of Event Production, so ever since the announcement he has been busy preparing for the season. I have had many moments where I just giggled to myself at the fact that his dream of working for an NHL team has come true and better even for the Jets! I never experienced the old Jets as I was still living in Switzerland at the time, but it was always very obvious to me that Winnipeggers still loved their team and were still heartbroken over their loss after 15 years. It’s wonderful that the team is back and it’s wonderful that K. and I can be part of it.

It’s been a crazy summer. Busy, exciting and productive. I had sold my tickets for the preseason games as I didn’t want to spoil the experience of the home opener. I woke up yesterday and I was so excited that the day had finally arrived. I couldn’t wait to see what K. and his team had created for the home opener. I was especially excited to see the opening video. Check it out, it’s amazing.  Also if you were at the game and got an inaugural game program, check out the article on K. Can you tell, I am very, very proud of him. Go Jets Go!

Ciao

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At the Farmer’s Market

If you are looking for something nice to do this weekend, come to the Forks and visit me at the Farmer’s Market. I am sharing a table with the fabulous ceramic artist Charlene Brown. So there will be lots of eco-friendly jewelry, photography,  textile products such as purses, cup cozies and hair accessories and of course pottery from clayhaus. The Farmer’s Market takes place in the Market Plaza from 11:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. See you on Sunday!

Ciao

The Forks Farmer's Market poster - courtesy of The Forks Market

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Philanthropic jewelry for lung cancer research

I am sure you have all experienced things in life that are such a coincidence that you know they were just meant to be.

While at the Forks selling my jewelry and photography I was approached in regards to custom jewelry. I thought the inquiry was about creating an individual piece of jewelry for this client but it turned out that she was looking for philanthropic jewelry to help fundraise for a cause. It turned out that the cause was lung cancer research, which seemed too strange at the time considering that just 2 weeks earlier my father-in-law “Jack” had just passed away from lung cancer. “It was just meant to be”.

So in the last month I have designed and produced a piece of jewelry made from recycled materials, that will be used to help fundraise for this Sunday’s “Inspire for Life – Manitoba’s Walk for Lung Cancer” event. The event takes place at the Forks. Registration begins at 10:00 a.m. and the walk begins at 11:00 a.m. All net proceeds of the event will go to lung cancer research at the Cancer Care Manitoba Foundation.

Here is a picture of the final product. The concept chosen shows the word “air” in a simple font on 100% recycled silver. I wanted to simplify and boil it down to the essence “air”. We all need air to breathe and to live. I have seen first hand the struggle of not getting enough air into your lungs anymore. The concept is graphic, clean and creates a nice balance between the simply graphic type and the organic shape and material of the beach glass. Each piece of beach glass is unique and different just like the lives effected by lung cancer.

I am very grateful to have the opportunity to do this in Jack’s honour. I miss him a lot and I know he would be very proud of me.

If you would like to order your own “air” necklace you can order them at the walk this weekend for $49 (there will be a limited number available for sale, so if you want to buy one at the event make sure to get there early). You can also contact me directly at anjastudios@shaw.ca to put in your order. The pendant is made from recycled silver and beach glass and comes on a 18″ sterling silver chain. The “air necklace” will be available year round with 100% of profit going to lung cancer research.

Show your support and help make a difference by participating in Sunday’s walk and by wearing “air”.

Ciao!

     

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Solo Exhibition date set for 2012

I have very exciting news!!!! I have set a date for my first solo exhibition. The exhibition will be taking place April 5 – 17, 2012 at cre8ery gallery in Winnipeg. The vernissage/opening night will be on Thursday, April 5, 2012 from 7:00 – 11:00 p.m.

I am so excited and can’t wait to get started on selecting from my existing work and creating more work for the show. More details to follow. YEAH!!!

🙂

Ciao

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Studio sale this week-end

Are you ready to get a head start on your Christmas shopping!? Come and visit me at cre8ery this week-end for the 4th annual open studio art exhibition and sale.

Looking for something for the eco-fashionista on your list? A piece of my jewelry might be the perfect gift for her. I have a line of sliver jewelry that is made from recycled pure silver also referred to as fine silver and I have also started to incorporate local beach glass and recycled beads such as pearls from a broken necklace into my newest pieces. All pieces are handcrafted and one of a kind.

Do you have a photography lover or travel bug on your list? One of my original fine art photography prints from this year’s trip to Europe might be the prefect gift.

Come by the studio and get your Christmas shopping started:
Friday, Nov. 5, 5-9pm
Saturday, Nov. 6, 12-5pm
Sunday, Nov. 7, 12-5pm

Address: cre8ery, 2nd floor, 125 Adelaide Street

Here is a little preview of some of my newest jewelry pieces!

I hope to see you this week-end!

Ciao!

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Wave Artists’ Studio Tour

I had missed the first of the two dates for the Wave Artists’ Studio Tour due to our trip to Europe. I was very excited about going for a drive and checking out some local artists’ studios. We had a bit of a late start and didn’t leave the city until after 2:00 p.m. but at least we would get to hit a few studios on our way up to Gimli. Our first stop was Tim Schouten‘s studio close to Petersfield. I had seen Tim do a presentation on encaustic painting at the WAG earlier this year and totally fell in love with this ancient medium and his work. I was very excited to see his studio and was not disappointed. His property and office space are really wonderful and I am hoping to participate in one of his workshops in the future. I would love to explore encaustic painting. I really love the texture and depth that this medium gives paintings. From there we went on to visit the H.RogueRaiders Studio Gallery in Winnipeg Beach. 5 female artists are part of this studio all drawing from their European cultural heritage. I got to meet Helma Rogge Rehders, one of the founders of the Wave studio tour. I even ran into Jolanta Sokalska with whom I share my studio space at cre8ery with. We drove on to Gimli where we visited two more studios. We started out with Suzanne Barrow’s studio, who’s prairie skies were very inspiring. It was nice to see another artist being inspired by the prairie sky and to see her interpretation. From there we went to the Mermaid’s Kiss Gallery and I totally fell in love with the limited editions photography of Linda Vermeulen. Just beautiful treatments on these photographs. My favorites are “Don’t look back” and “The Darkening”. Our last stop was the Gimli Art Club/Gallery. We ended our day with having dinner on a picnic table on the beach. Listening to the waves and feeling the wind in our hair. It was a wonderful day and it was a pleasure meeting some fellow local artists.

Ciao!

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my sketchbook

The sketchbook – it’s like oxygen to every artist. My dad used to say to me that I should never leave the house without my Swiss Army knife. Many years ago I added one more thing to my Swiss Army knife – a sketchbook. There is always one in my bag. I have many different sketch books, different sizes and paper stock. One could say that it is one of my obsessions. I just love the feeling of holding a new sketch book in my hand, so empty, full of possibilities and I love the nervous feeling of making the first sketch in it. Last week I got a sketch book in the mail that I have been waiting for. I have signed up to part of “THE SKETCHBOOK PROJECT”, which is a very exciting project that artists from all over the world can participate in.

If you haven’t heard about this project here is a bit of info on it. To be part of the project you have to purchase a sketchbook for $25 from here, choose a (loose) theme, and sketch away until January 15, 2011 when all of the books must be returned to the Library. In March, the tour will take the thousands of sketchbooks that they receive on an Art Gallery tour. It’s pretty much like a concert tour for sketchbooks. After the tour all sketchbooks will enter into the permanent collection of  The Brooklyn Art Library for the public to view. The theme I have chosen is “Below the surface”. I am very excited and maybe a bit scared to start working in my sketchbook. The thought of it going on tour with thousands of other artists’ sketchbooks is exhilarating. Check back to get updates on my progress.

Ciao

The Sketchbook Project: 2011

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Thanks for dropping by

We had a lot of people coming through the studio during the plain view studio tour and I wanted thank everybody for supporting local artists. It’s nice to see how much people love art and are curious about the process and thought process.

Make sure to check out the upcoming show of one of my fellow cre8ery artists “Bhavni Bhakoo”.  Her solo exhibition is called Rang De’ (Colour Me) and the opening reception will be taking place this Thursday from 7:00 – 11:00 p.m.

Ciao for now!