My Warrior Dog - Cheyenne

Each April I feel a little sad, as I recall saying good-bye to Cheyenne 6 years ago.
This year, instead of reliving the sadness, I am going to tell you how great he was.

I rescued Cheyenne from the Regina Humane Society in Sept. 2000. He was 6 months old and had been locked up for the first 6 months of his life. He was a scared little boy. Driving back from Regina to my acreage he stayed curled up and whimpered the whole trip. I thought "Oh boy, what have I gotten myself into?"

I put him in the sunroom which was to be his bedroom. He had his own full sized couch, food and water and lots of windows. The next morning, when I looked at my dog, I saw a total transformation. He was alert, curious and full of joy. Taking him outside the first few days was quite funny. It was all new to him. He was curious about butterflies, he hopped the hills chasing grasshoppers and literally smelled the flowers.  Look out for the bees!

I quickly became aware of what a gift Cheyenne was. His intelligence was none that I had ever experienced with a dog before. I would tell him something once or twice and he just GOT IT. I didn't train him. He just knew. He picked up on the slightest nuances, often knowing what I was going to do - before I did. He had an old soul of a re-incarnated swami.

We became quite the team in the Qu'Appelle Valley. My dog was always with me. His job was to protect. I had no problem leaving my vehicle unlocked with my purse in it, as long as Cheyenne was there. You know that old Peter Sellers movie where they say "Does your dog bit?" "Yes, my dog does bite - if he doesn't know you." As soon as I would tell him "It's O.K." then he would relax.

He quickly warmed the heart of my mother, who would say "No dogs allowed in the house. O.K. maybe he can stay in the porch. " Next thing you know, he was in the kitchen and it didn't take long till he was stretched out on the living room carpet doing some doggie yoga moves. "But don't tell the others", mom would say. I recall one Christmas when there were three dogs bounding across the furniture in the living room, and my mother just threw her arms in the air and laughed.

He was also the avenger of all things unjust. If a neighbourhood dog was getting picked on by another dog, he would quickly take down the bully. He also did his best to keep the coyotes off the property, often chasing them down the road. Cows were allowed only on the other side of the fence.

When I went to Mexico for a month and left him at the farm, I must say I was a bit concerned. My nephews were young and I feared that he might bite them if they got too rough. I obviously had nothing to worry about, as Cheyenne had such a gentle side to him.

My neighbours Ken and Irene absolutely LOVED Cheyenne and he loved them too. On another trip to Mexico I left Cheyenne with them for a few weeks. On my return, I went to pick him up and Irene said "I hope you don't mind, but since it was his last night with us, we gave him a burger for dinner and ice cream for dessert." No I didn't mind. There was a bit of a hesitation from Cheyenne when I told him it was time to go home. He was probably thinking, "Hm, maybe I could just stay one more night?"

Cheyenne got cancer. When I had to say goodbye to my beautiful dog, it was one of the hardest things I have had to do. You may say that I rescued Cheyenne - but in truth he rescued Me.

Thanks Cheyenne!

(oh dear, and now I am starting to cry).


Till Next Time ...

From the Prairies, to the West Coast and Beyond...

Susan

Hosting a Workshop

I absolutely love hosting and facilitating painting workshops.

A few years ago, as part of our Island Arts Magazine services, we decided to start hosting workshops. How hard could it be?

There actually is a lot of planning that goes into these events. Researching and tracking down instructors is the main issue, as some of them are booking two years in advance. We try to bring in instructors from outside our area (mid-island) on Vancouver Island. We have to confirm dates, making sure that the venue is available. Next intensive marketing comes into play. Once the registrations start coming in and the day arrives, the FUN begins.

Our March 2016 workshop was called "Flowering as an Artist" instructed by Sandy Terry, an artist from Victoria. How refreshing to paint flowers in the spring.

We limit our class size to 12 students (11 actually as the 12th spot is mine). We had a lovely group of ladies for this class.

Most of our classes run for two days on a weekend. On the morning of the first day the students are anxious to get some instruction and start putting colour to canvas. By the end of the first day, they began to tucker out. "More coffee ladies?"

I like to position myself at the back of the classroom, and watch the canvases blossom. I enjoy the chatter amongst the students, as they paint, converse, laugh and sometimes even swear – for the good of the painting of course.

After a hard day of painting, on Saturday we like to gather at the local restaurant for a bite to eat, a refreshment or two and a chance to get to know each other outside the classroom. The artists love this part of the weekend.

In this class I worked on a tiger lily and was happy to see it come to life. I was able to take it home after the weekend, and finish it off with a few more brush strokes. All signed it is now ready for my Saskatchewan exhibition this summer.

Prairie Gift, 28 x 22", acrylic on canvas

As the host of these events, I am usually exhausted on Monday. But, I love doing them, I love spending the weekend with my fellow artists and I look forward to the next workshop in a month.

Oh dear!

Till Next Time ...

From the Prairies, to the West Coast and Beyond...

Susan

Finding Inspiration in my Gardens

As far back as I remember, I have absolutely LOVED gardening. My house has always been full of plants, starting seeds early in the spring.

I thank my mother for my passion for gardening. Growing up on the farm, my mom always encouraged me to have a little flower bed of my own. There I could plant anything that I wanted. My usual choice were marigolds, possibly because they bloomed for a long time, but also because I have always been attracted to warmer colours. (as you might know if you follow my artwork)

Several years ago I made the move to Canada's West Coast. A good part of the reason to move from Sask. was in search of better weather. In terms of growing zones I was leaving a 2 and heading for a 7 zone. Now I can putter around the yard for 10 months of the year. Spring comes early on the west coast.

I often check my yard a couple times a day, just to see what I can see. It's also a good break from a day of computer work. I get up, stretch, walk outside and breath. Often a quick walk in the yard ends up being an hour or more. A little weeding, some transplanting, plans for future beds ....

If I have a difficult decision or puzzle that I can't quite figure out ... I go outside, start working in the yard, and like magic the solution pops into my head.

Gardening provides endless inspiration for my artwork.

Not to mention that I absolutely love it when my dinner plans includes something fresh from the garden. Plant something today.

Till Next Time ...

From the Prairies, to the West Coast and Beyond...

Susan

Designing a Business Card

The start of the new year is a good time to design a new business card. I always have cards handy; in my purse, in my jacket pockets and in the glove box of the car. It is an inexpensive and very effective marketing devise and you never know when you will have the opportunity to hand out your card. I have been known to hand them to someone sitting next to me on a plane. Over the years I have had many different business cards. They have always been very colourful, printed on both sides and on a nice thick card stock.

The first group are some cards from my Toronto graphic design days. I liked having my photo on the card, which I felt gave it a personal touch. In those days I went to many 'business after hours' events for networking. There were usually door-prizes and 8 times out of 10 times, my card would be pulled out of the fish bowl. The luck of the draw, possibly, but more then likely because my card was made of a heavier card stock.

Once I moved to Saskatchewan I started putting my own artwork on my business cards, as you can see by this next bunch. I liked to take advantage of using colour.

This is my latest card. As I am wearing two different hats, the front of the card represents Island Arts Magazine and the back of the card represents Young at Art and my artwork. I like this format very much. For my new card I think I will design something very similar, just using new images.

My advise when designing your business card is:

• Keep the design clean.
• Don't put too much text on the card.
• Don't use too many different font types. Even though a script font may look lovely, it's often hard to read.
• When using text on a dark background, the text should be bold, otherwise the background ink will bleed into the text, making it hard to read.
• Keep it simple.

Till Next Time ...

From the Prairies, to the West Coast and Beyond...

Susan

Visual Arts Voice

I was honoured to have MY story published in the Visual Arts Voice, Fall 2014 - a CARFAC BC publication. Enjoy the read.

Susan Schaefer – From the Prairies...to the West Coast...and Beyond!

As my 55^th birthday draws near (yikes), I look at my life as an artist.

I sit here from the living room of my Qualicum Bay home / studio typing on my lap-top. My husband Jeff or L & L (lover and lugger - as he likes to be called) is typing on his iPad. We have a beautiful garden which we both enjoy and a spectacular ocean view. The summer breeze is gently blowing and I feel truly blessed to be here, on Vancouver Island at this time in my life.

As far back as I can remember I was drawing, colouring and playing with colour. Growing up in rural Saskatchewan, the only thing we had to colour with were pencil crayons and wax crayons. I was a nerdy kid, who absolutely loved to get geography homework. Sounds weird right? That meant that I could colour in the maps, shading the edges of the ocean from light to dark as it went further from the shoreline. With wax crayon I could take a pencil sharpener, shave off the wax and use mom's iron to melt it down into some cool and interesting shapes. Not so good for the iron I was told. Sorry mom.

It was in the year 2000 when my art career went from being a hobby to a profession lifestyle. I was living in Saskatchewan in a lovely “little house on the prairies”. I joined the local artists guild and organized art workshops. I started working in watercolours, but as my confidence grew I branched out into acrylics and oils.

One day a girlfriend said “you should have an art show right here in your house.” That was a scary thought. I gave in and invited 5 ladies over for a glass of wine and some nibblies. That evening I sold 3 paintings. Wow – that was great. From then on I had a yearly art show in November (as that is my birthday month), at my home studio. I invited more and more patrons each year and made sales, but more importantly, many friendships were formed.

In 2007, I moved to Qualicum Bay on Vancouver Island. For the first few months I explored the island, painted and joined a few art groups. That winter a friend of mine invited me to go to Mexico with her. I love going south, as it gives me a fresh outlook on things. While there, I decided to 'go for it' and create an ARTS Magazine to showcase west coast artists. With a graphic-design background and very proficient on a Mac computer, in March of 2008, the Island Arts Magazine was launched. Another scary endeavour, but I thought “If not now, when?” We have just published our 27th issue and the magazine is going strong with subscriptions across Canada and into the USA. And it is still FUN to create.

Through the Island Arts Magazine, I was able to meet many wonderful artists up and down the island. We also get invited to and sponsor amazing events. For the past 5 years we hosted the Island Arts Expo, a weekend of workshops, artists talks and exhibition of artwork. After 5 years, we decided to move onto other endeavours. In the last few years I have been organizing workshops in Qualicum Bay, bringing in artists from across Canada from whom I wish to learn.

I keep further involved in the 'goings on' by volunteering at local galleries. I spend a lot of time marketing my work, which pays off as I have collectors across Canada. Recently I received a commission from a patron in Mexico which we will be delivering in December. What a burden!

I feel very fortunate that I can do what I love, and have so much fun doing it. It is a great feeling when you have created something from your heart and then someone loves it enough to include it in their life. I am truly grateful and I am excited to see what I can accomplish in the next 55 years.

Till Next Time ...

From the Prairies, to the West Coast and Beyond...

Susan

Bird on a Wire

As I sort through some of my earlier work on the computer, I thought it would be fun to paint the same subject, using a different medium. The original "Bird on a Wire" was painted using watercolour paints, as you can see from the texture of the paper.

I've always liked this painting, so this past week I decided to paint it again, but this time using acrylic paints.

I started out, as I usually do, scrubbing a warm colour on the canvas, followed by a quick sketch.

Then I started adding light glazes of colour, blocking in the fence post and the prairie grasses. Next I painted in the sky.

The barbed wire was fun to do, twisting it around and dropping in highlights where the light would reflect. On my sketch (above) I had a bottom row of wire, but decided to omit that, as I thought it would block the viewer from entering the piece. Plus it didn't really do anything for the painting.

I changed the bird from a blue bird to a blue jay, with a little bit of attitude, his feathers ruffled from the prairie winds.

The remake of "Bird on a Wire", 12 x 14"
This one and other "Prairie Whispers" can be viewed in my gallery.

Till Next Time ...

From the Prairies, to the West Coast and Beyond...

Susan

Elevating Experience

It all started when I was asked to do a commission painting of the elevator in Kelliher, a small community in south east Saskatchewan.

I was thrilled and gladly took on the challenge. I completed the piece in November and sent it off to the clients. They both loved it. I found that painting it also brought me much pleasure, as I recall fond memories of riding with my dad in our rickety old truck, back and forth to the elevators to drop off loads of grain.

I went out and bought three more canvases, 12 x 16" and started another, and then another and then another. They are great little paintings, each with a character of it's own and each a familiar location for me. For ordering and purchasing information, please visit my online gallery.

If you have a photo of an elevator that you think would make an interesting painting, I'd love to hear from you, as I continue on this elevating path.


Till Next Time ...

From the Prairies, to the West Coast and Beyond...

Susan

Things to be Thankful For

As 2013 comes to an end I look back at the year and count my blessings.

This past year was a super year for art sales, with 75% of my sales going to patrons in the prairies. Thank-you for your support.

February found us on the warm beaches of Mexico, re-energizing and making plans for the new year.

In April we hosted a Mike Svob workshop. Attending one of Mike's classes has been on my 'to do' list for many years. We also hosted workshops with Janice Robertson and Carey Anderson. I picked up a few tips from each, adding to my bag of tricks. Thank-you Mike, Janice and Carey.

In the spring I was honoured to be asked to do a commission piece of these furry family members. It was fun challenge and the owners loved it. "Puppy Love" now hangs in a loving home in Alberta.

In May I had the opportunity to go on an "Arts and Culture" tour to Santa Fe, New Mexico - a place that has been on my wish list for many years. It was a super trip and I met some fabulous folks. Back home I managed to do a painting or two. This one was delivered to a high-school chum in Saskatchewan.

The summer on Vancouver Island was absolutely gorgeous, with each day being nicer then the next. We had the best flowers and garden since moving here. In August a created a painting a day for two weeks, as a way to capture some of the bounty.

September brought a beautiful fall trip to the prairies. The days were warm, the colours brilliant as I spent a week in the Qu'Appelle Valley visiting family and friends, and sketching en plein air.

In October I completed my first YouTube video of my artwork. It was a great learning experience and was well received at our annual Island Arts Expo in November.

As the year comes to an end I am grateful for:

• the new friendships I have made over the year
• having the best clients ever
• the workshops I have attended and the master artists I have learned from
• my artwork that has been sold and has found new loving homes
• the support from my patrons, family, friends and my partner Jeff

Wishing you a Happy New Year, filled with Artful Adventures and Colourful Choices.

Till Next Time ...

From the Prairies, to the West Coast and Beyond...

Susan

Still Standing

Recently I have been working on a series of prairies paintings. I really love the subject matter. Having grown up in Saskatchewan, this is very close to my heart.

I love driving through the prairies, as the gentle warm winds blow, stopping often to take photos of sway-back barns, and old sheds...still standing through years of use and changing seasons.

• start out with a warm background colour
• I sketch the outlines of the barn, sheds and trees
• next comes the sky and the clouds
• at this stage I often forget to take more photos as I get excited about the process, until the final piece is finished

"Still Standing", 12 x 24" acrylic on canvas
To purchase this painting or other prairie scenes, please visit my online gallery.

Till Next Time ...

From the Prairies, to the West Coast and Beyond...

Susan

Remake - Three Old Neighbours

A few years ago I painted a piece called "Three Old Neighbours". I recall the struggle I had, often putting it aside for some time, before getting back to it. Finally I worked through my issues and completed it to my liking.

The original photo was taken on the prairies several years ago. I always loved the image and thought it would fun to try it again, having a few more years of painting experience, under my belt.

The colours of the first piece (on the top) are bold and strong, often being put on the canvas straight out of the tube of paint.

The painting on the bottom, completed recently took much less time to finish. It is also smaller then the first painting. Now I like to pre-paint the painting in my head before attacking the canvas. I might think about it for weeks before sketching it to canvas. That way I have worked out most of my issues, prior to putting paint to canvas.

I encourage you to try this exercise. It's fun to see the progress one has made.

To see more of my paintings, please visit my online Artist Gallery. 

Till Next Time ...

From the Prairies, to the West Coast and Beyond...

Susan

Hot off the Palette - August

The month of July on the West Coast of Canada was absolutely beautiful with record breaking sunny days. Although I spent much of my time outside gardening and walking the beach, I did manage to complete a few paintings.

(... and Jeff reminds me that I also completed and sent the Fall Island Arts Magazine to press and organized our exhibiting artists for the Island Arts Expo for November.)

This past May I had the opportunity to go on an Arts & Culture tour to Santa Fe, New Mexico. Here is the first of many in the series.


"Anywhere Santa Fe", 14 x 18", acrylic on canvas - Available for Purchase

"Old Relics", 28 x 22", SOLD
Within 24 hours of finishing this prairie scene it was sold to a collector in Saskatchewan.

Giclée Prints are available:
10 x 8" - $80 • 14 x 11"  - $110.

"The Line up", 24 x 12", acrylic on canvas - Available for Purchase

Reminder: book your pet portraits early to ensure delivery in time for Christmas.

Till Next Time ...

From the Prairies, to the West Coast and Beyond...

Susan

Getting my Geese in a Row!

I finally got all my geese  in a row!

A little while ago I saw an image that one of my Facebook friends posted. It was gorgeous and I immediately made comment; "Wow, that would make a GREAT painting." A few emails later, my high school pal had sent me several high res images to work from. I couldn't wait to get started!

Like most paintings, I began with a yellow oche and white gesso background. I sketched the position of the geese and started to block in some colour.

28 x 22" canvas - just starting

 

This is what I refer to as the "It seemed like a good idea when it was in my head" stage. At this point you DO NOT want to ask anyone what they think of your painting, as you will easily get discouraged. You have to be strong and push through the block.

Making a few decisions at this stage

What I wanted to portray the most was the warm autumn colours of the background and the water. A thin wash of quin gold brought it all together. I also wanted to emphasize the amazing motion in the water as these geese prepare for takeoff. I was so entranced by the image that I couldn't sleep and  got up at 5 am to do more work on the water.

"Front Runners", 28 x 22", acrylic on canvas

I love the feeling, the warm glow and the action in this painting. What do you think?

Big thanks to my photographer friend Wes for the inspiration used for the painting.


Till Next Time ...

From the Prairies, to the West Coast and Beyond...

Susan

Parade Banners a Success

There's nothing like a rush design job to get the heart pumping!

Last week I was asked to design four banners for the Chamber of Commerce in Fort Qu'Appelle Sask. for their July 1st parade - of this year!!! With only a few days notice, I put everything else aside and got to work.

They wanted the banners for their float vehicle so they had to be quite large. The two side panels needed to be 3 feet x 12 feet, and the two for the front and back were 3 feet x 7 feet. The problem with working in such a large format is that your file sizes gets to be quite huge. For such a project I set the resolution high and work with the files at 50%, and then have them printed out at 200%. Doing a large size format is not new to me, as I have done many highway billboards and those suckers are 10 feet by 40 feet.

By Monday night I emailed the proofs to the client, who quickly approved them Tuesday morning. I uploaded the files via FTP to my printers, "Western Litho", in Regina. By Tues. noon, two of the four banners had already been printed. Now that is great service!!

The client picked them up Friday morning. Here they are on July 1st just in time for the parade. Everybody's happy!

Maybe next year I can get a little bit more notice!?


Till Next Time ...

From the Prairies, to the West Coast and Beyond...

Susan

A Car Load of Paintings

The month of June found us on a road trip to Saskatchewan. First stop was the Grand Forks Art Gallery. They heard we were passing through and pre-ordered some gift cards for their lovely gift shop. The Gallery is stunning as it is in the old court house - a community landmark of historical importance.

Next we headed off to Fort Qu'Appelle Saskatchewan for a two day art show in the old school house, which a group of artists is converting into an Arts Centre.

The gallery space was beautiful. The show was a resounding success and it was great to see many familiar faces and also meet many new folks. I would like to thank everyone who came out to view the exhibition.

A big thanks to the patrons for their purchases. May you enjoy your artwork in for many years to come.

Setting up the Show - 'Scapes' in Saskatchewan

My next exhibition this summer is at the Clock Tower Gallery, 14-5440 Argyle St. Port Alberni, BC with fellow artist Jim Branston. The show runs the entire month of August. The gallery is open from 10 am to 5 pm, Monday to Saturday. Please drop by.

Also from now until the end of October, I have several pieces of work at the Raintree Gallery, 5101 Island Hwy, West. Qualicum Bay.
They are open Thurs. - Sun. 12:00 - 5:00 pm.

Lastly, we have been working at updating my website and online artists gallery. Please have a look.

Till Next Time ...one brush stroke at a time!

From the Prairies, to the West Coast and Beyond...

Susan

New Studio

Congratulations to me! Today I moved into my new "Young at Art Studios". Ya, now I have a place to go and play, create, have fun and move some paint around the canvas. It is outside of my home which means that I have to make an effort to get dressed and go to the "studio". It is only 1 km. from the house, making it perfect to go there for a quick couple of hours.

As you see I have started a poppy diptych. My patron from Saskatchewan whom I painted the commission for earlier this year, is now poppy crazy and wants more, More, MORE!

I was able to get a really good start on this one today in my new studio space!

Till Next Time ...

From the Prairies, to the West Coast and Beyond...

Susan

Spring Thaw

Goodbye my friend! Enjoy your new home.

"Spring Thaw", 20 x 16" acrylic on canvas

This is an acrylic painting that I started a few years back when I was still living in the Qu'Appelle Valley in Saskatchewan. Look familiar?

After a harsh and long winter, it is glorious to see the first signs of spring; the lakes starting to thaw, the snow vanishing on the tops of the hills ...

Today I sent this painting to a gallery in Regina. How ironic that I painted it in Saskatchewan, moved it out to BC and now it is returning to the prairies.

"From the Prairies ... to the West Coast ... and back again."

Till Next Time ... Susan

Prairie Wagon Wheels

When I think of the prairies, not only do I think about big sky and rolling wheat fields, I also think about sway back barns, and dilapidated buildings.

I love to stop and take photos to use as reference down the road in some creation.

There is an old chuck wagon on my dad's farm that still stands there. It is overgrown with wild grasses and it hasn't moved in years. I remember it in exactly the same spot when I was a kid ... and that was a few years ago, to say the least.

Last summer we attended a family reunion and I couldn't resist taking a few more photos.

These are both small 5 x 7" paintings on wrapped canvas. I started with many coats of acrylic burnt sienna as the base colour and worked up the detail from there.

The family homestead will be 100 years old in 2013. Perhaps a good reason for another reunion?

Till Next Time ...

Love what you Do ... and Do what you Love.

Susan