Living Up, Downtown

An Artist in the Making

2011-08-02T13:09:00.000-07:00

It's not everyday that an 8 year old gets a private painting lesson with one of Canada's most exciting up and coming artists. Gallery kid, Sarah, spent a couple of hours painting with Sheila Kernan when Sheila was in Regina for the opening of her show "What May Come" at the Assiniboia Gallery.

They worked on a couple of pieces. Sheila showed Sarah all kinds of cool tricks and techniques.

Such as, getting started by painting the background a solid colour...

Or using a plastic fork to make wheat fields...

Learning how to make those cool "Sheila" circles and raised dots...

Coming up with a title...

To see a whole bunch more photos of the two paintings that Sheila Kernan and Sarah worked on please visit my Facebook photo album on the Assiniboia Gallery's fan page. It would also be really great if you could "like" us while you are there:)

-Mary

Artist Series Part III: David Dreher - The Story of a Successful Emerging Artist

2011-07-22T08:26:00.000-07:00

Back in March, I wrote what I called my "Five Step Plan to Gallery Representation" directed towards emerging artists. In it, I described what I thought were some of the key things emerging artists should do to get noticed, build relationships and ultimately find gallery representation.

While I was writing that post a particular artist kept coming to mind. That artist was David Dreher.

We've been representing Dave and his work for about five years now. During that time, Dave has created three beautiful bodies of work and because of that we've built a huge following for his paintings. We have people calling, emailing and talking to us about Dave's work all the time. It's unique, beautifully executed and thought provoking. Dave does the kind of work you can really look at and talk about. People remember it when they see it.

David Dreher "Saint Thomas Moore and the Orange Rose" 36 x 36" oil/canvas -
part of the "Martyrs and Saints" series

Our relationship with Dave was not formalized over night. Although we've worked with Dave professionally for the past five years, we've actually known him a lot longer than that.

Jeremy and I first met Dave and his wife, Anne Marie, around 1999/2000 when we were at the beginning of our tenure as owners of the Assiniboia Gallery. Dave and Anne Marie invited us over for a glass of wine. It was a nice evening spent eating and getting to know one another. While we were there, we had a tour of their home which featured many of Dave's paintings. A couple of things about our visit struck us right away. They were very friendly and welcoming people. I remember feeling quite grown up going over "for a drink". At the time, Jeremy and I were newly married and so were they. We had never done much socializing like that before so it was a new experience for us.

We also remember being struck by the originality, skill and beauty in Dave's work. It was unlike anything we'd ever seen before (and still is!). It is more than just aesthetically pleasing. There is a story and message in every piece.

After that first meeting, we didn't make any concrete plans to work together, but we knew we'd made new friends and would be watching Dave's work.

Looking back, Dave approached us and the gallery in exactly the way I described in my previous blog post on how to find representation as an emerging artist. In the beginning, we were getting to know each other. Dave's work and the fact that he was an artist was secondary to our blossoming friendship. We hit it off on our "first date" and this paved the way for the successful and happy friendship and working relationship that we have today.

And...Dave understands our need for cupcakes and chocolate and very kindly brings us treats every now and then. He knows the way to our hearts:)

"Martyrs and Saints" by David Dreher is our Feature Show from July 21 to August 3, 2011. You can view the work in person at the Assiniboia Gallery, 2266 Smith Street, Regina, Saskatchewan and on-line.

Don't miss seeing the work of this talented Regina artist!

-Mary

Feature Artist Series: David Dreher

2011-07-19T12:15:00.000-07:00

Our feature artist July 21 - August 3, 2011 is

DAVID DREHER
"Martyrs and Saints"

David's new body of work "Martyrs and Saints" explores Saint Agnes, Saint Thomas Moore and Saint Joan of Arc.

David has this to say about the theme:

“The important thing is this: to be able at any moment to sacrifice what we are for what we could become.” - Charles Du Bos

The act of sacrificing of ourselves has become an increasingly alien concept, particularly when it involves change. We’ve become accustomed to having our needs and desires met immediately. Instant gratification has become the norm; Perhaps to our peril. The human race is at an impasse in regard to how we view ourselves and our relationship with each other and our environment. In the series of paintings entitled, “Martyrs and Saints,” I wish to explore several questions about human nature and its ability to evolve in the context of my own spiritual perspective. Can I personally become less selfish in order to improve myself spiritually and develop my relationship with the world around me? What will we have to give up, thus ensuring a healthy future and is the human race truly capable of change? Only time and our own willingness to make sacrifices will tell.

"Saint Joan of Arc and the Red Rose" 48 x 48" oil/canvas by David Dreher

"Saint Agnes and the Iris" 36 x 36" oil/canvas by David Dreher

"Saint Thomas Moore and the Orange Rose" 36 x 36" oil/canvas by David Dreher

Dave describes in detail the meaning behind each painting in his artist's statement which you can read in full on the Assiniboia Gallery's website.

You can view these stunning new paintings in person at the Assiniboia Gallery, 2266 Smith Street, Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada.

-Mary

Sheila Kernan - The Secret to her Success

2011-06-03T07:46:00.000-07:00

I'm often asked what it's like to work with my husband. The truth is, it's great. The division of labour has come about naturally over the years. This allows us each to focus on the things we are good at and enjoy doing. That is the secret to our success. Oh, and also the fact that things neither of us enjoy doing I make Jeremy do...ha ha.

Jeremy really enjoys surfing the internet and looking at art, thus he's often tasked with finding new talent. He's always showing me interesting artist and gallery websites. A couple of years ago, he talked to me about this very young, very talented artist originally from Saskatoon - Sheila Kernan. I was also intrigued and thus began the process of learning more about this exciting new talent.

Sheila Kernan

Sheila was born in Saskatoon in 1982 (this makes her 28!) She grew up in a big family - four brothers and 1 sister. Sheila attended Marion M. Graham Collegiate. Sheila's favourite high school art teacher, Mr. Sikorsky, was very supportive of her artistic talent. Mr. Sikorsky made sure that Sheila enrolled in every art class offered during her four years of high school. Sheila credits this early push to her success as an artist. Without the encouragement of a caring teacher, she may not be where she is today.

After graduating from high school, Sheila headed to Banff to work for a couple of years. Opting not to work the ski hill, Sheila got a job at Canada House - a very established and successful commercial art gallery in downtown Banff.

I find it very interesting that as an artist, Sheila has had the experience of working in a commercial gallery. In fact, selling the work of many of her favourite fellow painters. Most notably, Robert Genn.

"October Pattern" 11 x 14" acrylic/canvas by Robert Genn

Robert Genn is arguably one of Canada's most successful artists living and working today. Robert paints and actively shows in galleries across the world. He also writes a twice weekly on-line letter that is read by hundreds of thousands of readers each week. (Check it out at http://painterskeys.com/about.php) Robert provides excellent advice in his weekly letters. I often advise artists that if they are looking to emulate anyone he's the man. We've worked with Robert for years (and his daughter, Sara Genn) and he just gets it. Any artist that follows in his footsteps is on the right track to a rewarding professional career.

Sheila realized during her time working in a commercial gallery that she aspired to be a professional artist. Sheila moved to Calgary and began studies at the Alberta College of Art and Design where she obtained a Bachelor of Fine Art degree.

Fast forward to 2009. After a series of phone calls and emails with Sheila and another gallery that represents her work, Sheila sent us some paintings to try in the fall of 2009. The work was a hit from the beginning. Sheila was one of our top ten artists in 2010. An incredible achievement considering we'd only been working together for just over a year.

"How Thoughtful" 16 x 16" mixed media/canvas by Sheila Kernan

Sheila's work is intriguing on many levels. The subject matter - busy downtown city scenes and serene prairie landscapes - executed in a contemporary, colourful way. The materials - Sheila uses mixed media. A combination of acrylic and oil paint along with watercolour, sparkles and pigment to get the textural effect found in each one of her paintings.

"Dream Sequence" 48 x 60" mixed media/canvas by Sheila Kernan

Sheila's creativity, determination, professionalism and uniqueness is the secret to her success!

We are very excited to celebrate the opening of Sheila's first solo show at the Assiniboia Gallery on Thursday, June 9th, 2011. Sheila will be in attendance at the opening reception from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. We hope you'll join us.

"What May Come" new work by Sheila Kernan runs June 3 - 24, 2011.

"What May Come" 36 x 48" mixed media/canvas by Sheila Kernan

-Mary

Q & A with Angela Morgan

2011-05-10T20:34:00.000-07:00

In anticipation of Angela Morgan's show "A Peripheral Perspective: Pomp, Panache and Promenade" I asked Angela if she would mind answering a few questions so I could write a blog post about her and her art practice. I always find it interesting to get a little behind the scenes dirt on our artists and I know you do too!

Let's just say Angela's responses to my questions had us all laughing our heads off so I've decided to write this in a q&a style so you can enjoy Angela's humour too. Angela is a funny girl, but she's also got a bit of an edge to her and as my mom always says "You've got to admire a woman with an edge."

Mary: So, you are a prairie girl. Tell me a bit about your family and growing up in Pense, Saskatchewan.

Angela: I grew up in Pense with 2 younger brothers and a sister, I am, of course, the oldest. We didn't actually live on the farm until I grew up and went away to college. I never was a milk maid, although I have the figure for it.

I attended Campbell Collegiate and drove myself to school in grade 11 and 12 everyday in my 1974 lightning blue Dodge Dart. It went great with my platinum blonde Annie Lennox/Roxette hair do.

Mary: You live in the mountains now. Tell me about your family and what life is like outside your studio.

Angela: We are attempting to raise 4 children. Ten year old twins, a nine year old and a seven year old (2 boys and 2 girls). Besides going for long runs to get away from the house and studio, I also participate with my family in biking, lots of x country skiing, tobogganing, and long cathartic walks to the duck pond. My husband has a heavy triathlete schedule for himself and the children in which I play a supporting role (read: hauling all the crap around and feeding them). We spend COUNTLESS hours in rinks for hockey and figure skating - just like any good Saskatchewan girl I live in the rink in the winter.

Mary: Angela, what is with your titles?? They are craaaaaazy and hard to type!

Angela: I love the word peripheral with the f sound in the middle and also adore alliteration. But from a visual perspective the title gave me lots of subjects to work with, and really, who doesn't love a promenade? It also brings up all sorts of celebratory images for me - things I love to paint.

Mary: When you are not painting or parenting what do you like to do?

Angela: I like to shop, and dress up, and get my hair done and buy books and plan fabulous dinner parties and attend the theatre, visit galleries and museums and travel and sew gowns and frocks and try my hand at making cupcakes and lollipops and I really love to garden in my crazy yard, and definitely dance and try new restaurants and wines and meet my favorite people for lattes and walks. I like my kids too and also beating my mom at scrabble and an all time favorite is visiting my gram in Victoria. I love wearing fluevogs and I have 18 pairs that I try to take on every trip. I need to design a special shoe suitcase. I tried tap dancing and wasn't too bad at it. I also like to lounge on the beaches in Maui in my favorite polka dot bubble gum pink bikini. I like to make books and make paper and if I ever get some time I'm going to go back to print making, and if I ever get more time I am going to go back to sculpture - watch out Joe!

Angela pictured in a pair of her favourite shoes.

Mary: Travel is often a theme in your work. Tell me about some of your future travel plans.

Angela: We recently traveled to New Orleans and you may see some of those influences in this show. We have a trip to San Francisco and New Brunswick in June, out to the Okanagan in July. Madrid and Barcelona in the fall, and maybe a side trip to Chicago. Italy next spring and of course back to Maui in the winter. For my 40th birthday, next August, we plan to go to Scotland.

Mary: Wow. So, when do you paint?

Angela: I paint at night, my days are too busy!

Mary: Do you enjoy the process of preparing for a show?

Angela: I like starting paintings and then in a flourish finishing a bunch of them after days of Judy (my assistant) encouraging (fretting) for me to get down to the business of completion. I love attending shows and traveling to the galleries and meeting customers and critics alike.

Mary: Now for the really important question...what do you like to eat??

Angela: Lemon tarts and creme brulees are right up on there on the list of favorite foods, just after pumpkin chocolate chip muffins and Gram's cherry cha (secret family recipe) and my Mom's apple pie, with the best crust in the world. Greek food, Thai food, french peasant cuisine and a bocconcini salad could round out that list, only after our family's favorite meal out - sushi.

To Angela...Thanks for answering my questions. I'm looking forward to seeing you and your paintings at our opening on Friday night.

To my readers...you are all invited to join in the opening night festivities on Friday, May 13th from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. You will be able to view the entire show on-line starting Wednesday, May 11th.

-Mary

Coming this spring...Angela Morgan & Sheila Kernan

2011-04-27T19:56:00.000-07:00

We are gearing up for two fantastic shows to finish off the spring show season:

Angela Morgan
A Peripheral Perspective: Pomp, Panache and Promenade

May 13 - 31, 2011

Angela Morgan "a characteristic grouping of our undisputed dominion" 50 x 60" oil/canvas

Sheila Kernan
What May Come

June 3 - 24, 2011

Sheila Kernan "What May Come" 36 x 48" mixed media/canvas

Over the next few weeks, the paintings will arrive and we'll add them to our website and our Facebook fan page.

Stay tuned!

-Mary

Solo Show with W.H. Webb "Drawn to the West"

2011-04-08T07:08:00.000-07:00

Our first solo show of 2011 features the colouful and light filled landscapes of W.H. (Bill) Webb. "Drawn to the West" is the Assiniboia Gallery's first solo show with Bill Webb since 1998. I remember that first show very well. It was one of my first as a new employee of the gallery. I remember watching Bill touch up one of the large paintings just before the opening and marveling at the many tiny paint brushes that he used. To watch even for a few minutes the incredible detail that goes into one of his works was a thrill. It's always fun for us non-artists to see a professional in action! Bill was born in England and immigrated to Canada in 1968. Bill worked for many years in education in Alberta as a Teacher, Principal and finally a Superintendent before embarking a full-time professional artist career in 1990. Since that time, Bill has had numerous solo shows across Canada. His work is highly sought after by collectors across the country.

W.H. Webb "Passage Opened" 30x30" acrylic/canvas

Despite our seemingly endless winter this year, people just can't pass up Bill's beautiful winter landscapes. The sun and shadows falling on the snow are so masterfully painted that you could almost swear you were standing there.

W.H. Webb "High Plains Drift" 12x60" acrylic/canvas

We've been collecting names of interested clients for some time and as soon as these two winter gems arrived in the gallery they were scooped up by two of our favourite art buyers. Our show opens on April 15th and we hope to add the final paintings for the show to the website very soon! Keep checking the website or our Facebook page to see images. Or do what the two smart people who bought the winter paintings did and let us know you are interested and you'll be among the first to know!! -Mary

Ken Dalgarno - The Crooked Trees of Alticane: A Saskatchewan Wonder

2011-04-05T20:15:00.001-07:00

I was recently interviewed for a SaskTel Max documentary on Ken Dalgarno's new exhibition of paintings "The Crooked Trees of Alticane: A Saskatchewan Wonder". I was really impressed with the camera operator, Todd Snider and the editor, Matthew Garand. I'm thrilled with the finished product.

Ken Dalgarno "Failed Sacrifices" 30 x 40" acrylic/canvas

You can check it out on channel 48 on SaskTel Max or you can go to Matthew Garand's website to watch the approximately 9 minute show on-line.
*Edited to add the vimeo link

"The Crooked Trees of Alticane" is on display at the Moose Jaw Cultural Centre until April 15th, 2011. To view the entire show on-line visit Ken Dalgarno's website.

I first wrote about "The Crooked Trees" back in December. You can read the original post here.

Congratulations Ken!

-Mary

Feature Artist Series: Carl Schlademan: 8 things you didn't know

2011-03-24T08:26:00.000-07:00

Carl Schlademan "Beyond the Sunset" 24 x 36" acrylic/canvas

We've had a long association with Carl. In a previous blog post, I wrote that Carl's painting "Three Pears" was the first piece we sold as the new owners of the Assiniboia Gallery. The day was September 1, 1999. I remember that day and that moment like it was yesterday. (Actually, I remember it even better than yesterday...I'm currently suffering from new-baby-lack-of-sleepitis. But, I digress...) Anyway, that was a big day for us and looking back I'm so glad our first sale was a piece by one of our favourite artists:)

I thought it might be fun to share some insider tidbits about Carl.

Did you know that:

1. Carl is the proud father of 5 children. Yes, that's right...5!! I come from a family of 5 so I know it's not that common. Out of these 5 children Carl has several grandchildren whom he adores and he's always telling us funny stories about them.

2. Carl has a very dry sense of humour. We appreciate people who don't take themselves too seriously. Carl is one of those people.

3. Carl started painting as a hobby later in life. He joined a guild and it quickly became apparent that he was very talented.

4. Carl worked in retail for many years before embarking on his full time professional artist career. This experience gives him a unique perspective on the selling side of the gallery business.

5. Carl is a bit of a fashionista. He's been known to wear custom tailored suits to openings.

6. Carl fits very large paintings into a very small car.

7. Carl is a health food nut and fitness junky. He works out every day.

8. Carl is the guy carefully inspecting each pear in the Safeway produce department. He never actually gets around to eating them because as soon as they are perfect for painting they are too ripe to eat!

Carl Schlademan "Summer and Autumn" 24 x 48" acrylic/canvas

Now you've got some great trivia for your next cocktail party!

We hope you'll drop by the gallery or view Carl's feature show on-line.

Carl Schlademan is our Feature Artist from March 18 - 30, 2011

-Mary

Artist Series Part II: Calling all Emerging Artists - A Five Step Plan to Gallery Representation

2011-03-16T07:39:00.000-07:00

So, you are an artist, now what?

In a previous post, I talked about how we generally go about finding new artists. One of my main points was that having a gallery or two is really helpful because you can leverage that relationship to open doors to new ones.

But, what if you don't have any gallery representation? Then what? How do you get your foot in the door?

Over the years, I've met several emerging artists (of all ages) who have crossed the line from no gallery representation to becoming a commercial success with one or more galleries that sell their work. It hasn't been easy and it hasn't been overnight, but every successful artist has gone through it.

To begin, here is my definition of an Emerging Artist:

someone who is highly skilled in their genre
a creator of unique and lasting work
none or very little commercial success

As an emerging artist you are on the cusp of "being known". You have enormous talent and are just waiting to find the right gallery to help launch your career.

An emerging artist is not always a "young" artist fresh out of art school. Many times for us, an emerging artist is an artist who has been honing his or her skills for years (even decades) whilst working away at a day job - teacher, pharmacist, government employee and so on.

Here are a few common strategies undertaken by emerging artists when successfully building a relationship with a gallery.

1. Visit the gallery

It's probably most common for an emerging artist to land their first gallery in their home town. The reason being that it's easy to visit in person. This is not always the case, but very common and something I recommend if possible. You can visit in many ways.

Go on a fact finding mission. Visit the gallery's website and blog for information on the artists they represent and the owners.
Ask around.
Follow the gallery on social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter.
Visit the gallery in person just to look around.
Attend openings.
If it's not possible to visit in person, then by all means send some information to the gallery via email or regular mail. However, you must follow up with a phone call! Galleries get hundreds of artist portfolios so to differentiate yourself you must call. The artist and the gallery can tell a lot about things just by conversing over the phone.

You will be going through the phase of "visiting galleries" with more than just one. Don't limit yourself because it may take you a bit to figure out where you think your work is best suited.

2. Be Real

Have a solid group of work behind you and new things in the works. Be prepared to show the gallery past work, but also what you are currently working on.
Be brutally honest with yourself - is your work suited to the gallery in question? Having gallery representation and having the right gallery representation are two very different things.
Are you getting that warm fuzzy feeling? An artist/gallery relationship is a close one so both parties need to feel comfortable with one another.
Don't waste your time or the gallery owner's time if your work just isn't suited and/or you aren't feeling the love. However, do ask for recommendations. Chances are the gallery could point you in the direction of some galleries that may be right for you.

3. Introduce yourself

If through the above "Visiting process" you think this gallery may be worth pursuing take the next step and introduce yourself!
In a conversational way, tell the gallery owner you are an artist. Chat a bit about your work.
Once you've met the gallery owner (s)/team invite them to check out your website/blog by sending an email or dropping off a card.
On a subsequent visit, if you are getting a good feeling about the situation, invite the gallery owner to come over to your studio to check out your work in person. They may decline, but you should be able to get a feel for when it might be appropriate to ask again.

4. Take initiative

One thing I'm certain of in the gallery business is that most gallery owners are bad at getting back to people - at least people who are not art buyers! I know we focus most of our attention on the art buyers in the day to day and are not always the best at cultivating relationships with new artists. With that in mind, take initiative! If you feel there is something there follow up whether it's by phone, email or in person.

5. Be prepared to spend some time on this
As you can see it is a lot of work! It takes time to thoughtfully and purposefully seek out galleries, but time well spent. Trying to speed up the process by sending out mass emails (blind cc or not) or hiring an agent is a waste of time and money. Creating your art and marketing it are the two most important things an artist does. Don't farm out either activity.

I would love to hear what you think.

-Mary

P.S. Part III in the Artist Series will be some examples of emerging artists we carry who have successfully navigated the road to gallery representation.

Feature Artist Series: Kimberly Kiel

2011-03-09T17:14:00.000-08:00

From Financial Expert to Professional Artist

Kimberly Kiel is our feature artist from March 1 - 17, 2011.

Kimberly was born and raised in Balgonie, Saskatchewan. She left Saskatchewan in the 1990s, as many young people did, for work opportunities in Calgary. Kimberly owned a successful financial consulting business. As a financial expert, she worked with her clients to help them make their financial dreams a reality.

In 2003, Kimberly decided to focus on her own life and chart a new path. She sold her business and the very next day started an art class. Little did she know that an interest in finding a creative outlet would turn into a new career.

Like an athlete, Kimberly spent many hours honing her skills by taking classes and working on her own. I believe that artistic talent is equal parts gift and determination. It quickly became apparent that Kimberly had great skill and she decided to pursue art full time.

"Making a Stand" by Kimberly Kiel 48 x 60" oil/canvas

After a few years of continuing to live and paint in Calgary, Kimberly and her family decided to return home to Saskatchewan to be closer to family. Kimberly and her husband built a beautiful home east of Regina. It's a delight to visit Kimberly's home. The studio is set up to take full advantage of the views and light.

As a mom to two young boys, Kimberly is very busy, yet manages to balance a very successful painting career with the demands of a young family. I admire her ability to get so much accomplished! Not only does Kimberly paint, but she is also a wonderful cook and made several delicious goodies for our family when Claire was born. Now that's a mom for you - she knows exactly what a family with a brand new baby needs!

Kimberly and her son working on a painting.

Kimberly is certainly one to watch. We look forward to many more years of working together. If you can't make it in to the gallery make sure you visit our website.

-Mary

P.S. Our next Feature Artist is Carl Schlademan March 18 - 30, 2011

Artist Series Part I: How do we find new artists?

2011-03-01T20:23:00.000-08:00

We frequently get asked how we find our artists. It's not a simple answer, but I thought I'd try to explain our process.

We receive portfolios from artists on an almost daily basis - either by mail or email. Over the past 11 years, we have received many...and, I will be brutally honest here - I've replied to maybe 5% of these. (So, if you are an artist out there who has contacted us and never heard a word please accept my sincere apologies.) I'd like to say I will get back to you, but the truth is I just won't. I could likely employ someone full time year round just to get back to people. The directory in my email titled "Artists - not contacted" is very. very. full.

From these hundreds (thousands...) of portfolios I don't think we've ever found an artist that we now represent. This is likely surprising to you. Instead as our business is mostly word of mouth and referrals so is our process of finding new talent. We have many wonderful colleagues - people in other cities who own galleries and have a similar aesthetic to ours - that we chat and email with on a regular basis. With most galleries having really good websites, we can look online to see what galleries in other places are showing.

This process of finding new artists makes it very important for an artist to have at least one gallery. Our job as art dealers is not only to represent the work to our clients, but also to other galleries. We can be wonderful ambassadors of the art and can use our contacts with other galleries to help our artists become established in other centres. It's a win-win situation.

An excellent example of this process is Saskatchewan born and raised artist, Sheila Kernan.

Sheila contacted us by phone and emailed her website, but this was after her Calgary dealer called us first to recommend Sheila's work.

Sheila Kernan "Starlight" 30 x 40" mixed m edia/canvas

We've represented Sheila's work for just over a year now and she has become one of our top ten artists. We are looking forward to our first solo show with Sheila opening June 4, 2011.

Why has this relationship been so successful in a relatively short period of time?

Sheila is an amazing artist. She paints her subject matter in a new and exciting way incorporating colour and texture.
Sheila's work is different.
Sheila has a wonderful personality.
Sheila gets the art gallery business.
We have a great rapport. Sheila is professional, flexible and loyal - and so are we!
And...Sheila is young, talented and from Saskatchewan!

In our first meeting with Sheila, she told us how she has always admired the work of Robert Genn and considers him her mentor. For years, we've been telling artists that Robert Genn is an incredible artist and he just gets it. I would recommend subscribing to Robert's weekly email "The Painter's Keys".

Robert Genn "October Pattern" 11 x 14" acrylic/canvas

So, in an nutshell, this is how we find new artists.

-Mary

100 days

2011-02-18T18:39:00.001-08:00

These days celebrating 100 days is a big deal. Our son just celebrated his 100th day of school. They did all kinds of fun things. They each brought a collection of 100 objects to show the class and a snack with 100 pieces to share. It was a fun way to work on counting to 100.

Today is Claire's 100th day birthday. We are going to celebrate with a dinner at Grandma's this week-end. Although, I'd like to celebrate with 100 minutes of continuous sleep;)

I think mother nature thought we should celebrate with 100 degrees below zero. Well, maybe it wasn't quite that cold today, but pretty close.

On freezing cold days such as this, we are always amazed at how busy we are. We had lots of people in the door looking at paintings by Kimberly Kiel, Zhong-Yang Huang and Carl Schlademan.

Kimberly Kiel "Barley Hangin' On" 48 x 70" oil/canvas

Carl Schlademan "The Qu'Appelle" 48 x 60" acrylic/canvas

Zhong Yang-Huang "Fountain Under Moonlight" 48 x 24" oil/canvas

Jeremy and I had a wonderful stop at a friend/client's house today with a beautiful Gordon Lewis painting. It's always fun to see paintings in the environment of someone's home. The painting looked absolutely stunning above their couch in the great room. The best part though were their adorable 4 year old twins. They were quite in to what we were doing with the level, hammer and hooks. We had a lot of fun getting them to help us. Days like this remind us how lucky we are to do what we do.

Stay warm!
-Mary

Hanging out in the gallery

2011-02-06T18:33:00.000-08:00

I've been spending a bit more time in the gallery these days. Not really working...well, not working at all! (I have to remember Jeremy reads this so I can't go making stuff up!) I do like to venture down in the afternoon with Claire if I'm looking presentable. Often when we do, we run into customers. It's great to catch up and of course, show off Claire!

We were reminded today of one of the many benefits of living above our business. It was a bit cool and windy today, but the kids took Claire for a walk in her new stroller anyway...

It's days like these that we are especially grateful to have so much space to play and roam around on the main floor. (Which is lucky because we don't have much space upstairs in "the shoebox"!)

One last picture...this one is for my brother, Donny, who is traveling in Asia. He asked me to post pictures of Claire on my blog so he can watch her transformation from "the little muppet" to the "little Mary". I'm happy to oblige!

-Mary

Update

2011-01-28T20:09:00.000-08:00

Just a quick update to say that yes, I'm still here and no, I don't have anything new to blog about! I can't believe my last post was January 6th. Time is flying by! Baby Claire is keeping me more than busy as are her big brother and big sister.

If Claire is sleeping...I'm holding her. If she's awake...I'm holding her. So, there is a lot of holding going on and not much else. This is evident by my very happy baby and equally messy house! However, I'm not going to stress about it because Claire will only be this little for a short time. Let's just say that the pvr and I are very well acquainted.

Jeremy and the team have been hopping this month. Usually a quiet time around the gallery, January has been very busy. If this month is any indication 2011 is going to be a great year!

I did create a Twitter account for the gallery. You can follow @ArtYouCanBuy for all the latest happenings in the gallery.

I will leave you with a new picture - captured a smile on my phone the other day!

-Mary

Twitter Time

2011-01-06T13:50:00.000-08:00

We did a lot of the usual stuff over the holidays - eating, visiting, skating, sledding and just hanging out. When we were all hanging around there was a lot of ipoding, ipading and blackberrying. My daughter, Sarah, called it an electronic Christmas.

Jeremy (@JeremyWeimer) and I (@MaryWeimer) spent quite a bit of time checking our Twitter accounts on our new electronic devices. We made it our holiday mission to get the rest of my family on Twitter. There are lots of reasons to "follow" and "be followed". Basically, any topic you are interested in is out there - news, sports, arts, weather, politics, celebrities...the list goes on and on.

At the moment, my main interest is learning about social media and how to use it. I also follow some great business and marketing thought leaders. Lately, I've also been seeking out other Regina business people. This segment seems to be growing and growing which I find very exciting. It's a great way to see what's up in the business community.

Here are a few of my favourites at the moment:

@RobReynar - realtor and social media pioneer. The first person I knew who used social media as a way of interacting on both a personal and business level. Also, spent a lot of time answering my newbie questions when I was getting started. Recommended the book "Sociable" which led me to...

@ShaneGibson and @SJagger - social media experts and authors of Sociable (the book that provided the framework to get me started blogging and tweeting)

@SJagger led me to his brother @KevinJagger - Kevin is a long track skating Olympic hopeful. His website http://www.longtracklongshot.com/ chronicles his quest for 2014.

@ChrisBrogan - social media expert from Boston

@PhilSymchych - Regina business consultant with inspiring tweets such as "what is on your not to do list"

@hillberg - Rachel Mielke, Regina girl and CEO of Hillberg and Berk

@JianGomeshi - host of CBC's Q - smart and funny tweets about his show and guests

So, how successful were we with our Twitter converts? Well, we managed to get one of my sisters and one of my brothers on board (50% of my siblings) and we've almost got my mom lol!
You can check them out at @Catherine_Ready and @DonnyReady.

On another note, in case you missed the Leader Post insert "Babies of 2010" on New Years Eve here's a picture of our baby of 2010:

If you were wondering how I spend so much time on Twitter...well, between nursing and napping, Claire spends most of her day in my arms. I'm getting very good at texting, tweeting and blogging with one hand!

-Mary

P.S. Looking forward to meeting up with you on Twitter...

Back to work!

2011-01-04T13:45:00.000-08:00

It's back to business as usual after the holidays. We were open between Christmas and New Years - it's a time when we see a lot of our "regular" out of town clients. People who are back in Regina to visit family and friends. (By, "we", I mean, Jeremy! He manned the shop so everyone else could take a much needed break after our very busy fall.)

Tuesday is our "Monday" and is always a very busy day. Today has been crazy! We started with an install this morning. Three more are booked for this week.

One of our favourite couples took home Carl Schlademan's "It's Worth It" to try.

Can't blame them, can you? It is a beautiful painting.

The holiday miniatures will be coming down on Saturday to make way for a new selection of work. Make sure you stop in if you'd like one last look.

If you are still in your pjs enjoying the last of the Christmas baking you can always do a little perusing on-line: http://www.assiniboia.com/

Happy New Year!

-Mary

Holiday Hours

2010-12-26T13:05:00.000-08:00

Closed December 25th, 26th & 27th

Open December 28th, 29th &30th 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Open Friday, December 31st 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Closed January 1st, 2nd & 3rd

Back to regular Business Hours Tuesday, January 4th, 2011
Tuesday to Friday 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Saturday 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Looking for something fun to do this week...come in a see us!
Assiniboia Gallery
2266 Smith Street, Regina, Saskatchewan
(306) 522-0997
www.assiniboia.com
info@assiniboia.com

Ross and Dalgarno in the news

2010-12-22T19:34:00.000-08:00

Artists, Erin Ross and Ken Dalgarno have recently been in the spotlight.

Edmonton artist, Erin Ross, was recently profiled in Alberta Primetime. Erin is described as a "hidden gem" in this December 14th, 2010 feature story.

To view Erin's story click here.

Erin Ross "Undress the Day" 9 panels 12 x 12 each (36 x 36") acrylic and mixed media on birch

Moose Jaw artist, Ken Dalgarno, was recently written up in the Edmonton Journal. Ken has spent the past two years painting the "crooked trees of Alticane". The crooked trees are small grove of trembling aspen northwest of Saskatoon. The trees have mutated so much that many of the branches have looped 360 degrees. The trees are a botanical phenomenon.

To read "Saskatchewan artist paints a prairie wonder", click here.

Ken Dalgarno "Abandoned" 36 x 52" acrylic/canvas

Enjoy!

-Mary

'Twas the night before the night before...

2010-12-17T18:54:00.000-08:00

On Sunday, the Weimers will get together for "Weimer Christmas". Every year, the Sunday before December 25th, we get together with Jeremy's parents, grandparents and brothers and their families for a full day of eating, playing games, visiting and lounging. Jeremy's parents have even made a special arrangement with Santa for a visit before the official day. It's a lot of excitement for the kids.

The best part is that there is no running around that day or Christmas day. We get lots of time with both sides of the family. Anyone we tell about this arrangement thinks it's fantastic. Our very first Christmas with Sarah, we tried to run all over town seeing everyone. I remember by the time we got to Jeremy's parents house, Sarah had fallen asleep and ended up sleeping in her carseat the entire time we were there! My brother in law and sister in law had the opposite problem. Their little guy was so beside himself tired that they ended up loading him in the car to drive around the neighbourhood. Not exactly what any of us had in mind for our first Christmas with our new babies!

So, that's what we'll be doing on Sunday, but not before another busy Saturday at the gallery. Many people have been in to pick up a special piece for that special someone (usually it's themselves! My kind of shopping!). A few new pieces have arrived since the opening last month. Not all necessarily miniature...

Erin Ross "It's In Your Eyes I" 12 x 16" acrylic/mixed media on birch

Kimberly Kiel "Fall Fantasia III" 24 x 65" oil/canvas

Ken Dalgarno "Collapsed" 36 x 52" oil/canvas

-Mary

'Twas the night before the party...

2010-11-25T20:06:00.000-08:00

When all through the house...not a creature was stirring except for a baby named Claire who thinks she should sleep all day and visit all night!

You might be wondering what it's like to get ready for the opening of not one, but two shows when you have a two week old baby...well, let me tell you it has been interesting! It's 10 p.m. the night before the party. Claire is sleeping (for the moment ha ha) and I'm doing a quick blog while Jeremy is typing up wall cards for the 70+ pieces in the Holiday Miniatures show. Fortunately, Darlene Hay's "Just Imagine" looks fabulous and is all ready to go.

We managed to get our tree up and some festive decorations out. I neglected to change my pots out front and now my fall arrangement is frozen solid. Fortunately, it's covered in snow so it definitely looks "wintery"!

James and Sarah going through the tree ornaments.

The finished tree.

We have lots of help lined up for Friday night - friends and family - to help with the food, serving and clean up. Our amazing staff has been working hard for weeks getting all the pieces framed and hung on the wall.

Here's a sneak peek at just a couple of the walls.

Both shows are beautiful and we are looking forward to a great party tomorrow night. Now I've got to run and keep hiding stuff...I mean keep tidying.

-Mary

Living Up Downtown...with a baby

2010-11-17T09:38:00.001-08:00

Today is Claire's one week birthday. I celebrated by having a shower and getting dressed! Actually, the real reason for putting clothes on (sweat pants don't count!) was to take Claire to her first doctor's appointment. She's now up to 7 pounds 6 ounces from her hospital discharge weight of 6 pounds 15 ounces. Glad to know that the round the clock nursing is working its magic.

James and Claire getting to know each other...

The best part of this week has been watching Sarah and James interact with their new sister. To say that they adore her would be an understatement. They love taking turns holding her and even helped with her first bath at home.

We celebrated Claire's 100th Hour Birthday with a pancake breakfast on Sunday...

Meanwhile, in the gallery, the Darlene Hay show is looking beautiful and I see that many small frames are being built for the Holiday Miniatures. Even though Claire and I have been in a cocoon upstairs it has been business as usual down in the gallery. It's a busy time of year and with this cold, snowy weather it's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas!

-Mary

It's Baby Time!

2010-11-11T21:24:00.000-08:00

Mary and Jeremy are thrilled to announce the safe arrival of their new baby daughter. Claire Frances was born at 6:58 a.m. on Wednesday, November 10, 2010 weighing 7 pounds 4 ounces and 20 inches long.

Here's a picture of Claire at just a few hours old.

Mom and baby are doing very well and happy to be home. We enjoyed (maybe that's not quite the right word, but you know what I mean!) the new Labour and Birth Unit. We were also one of the first people to stay in the Mother Baby Unit which only opened last week!

We are settling in at home today and very thankful for all the kind texts, emails and phone calls.

-Mary

New Jose Ventura Wooden sculptures

2010-11-09T15:39:00.000-08:00

Still patiently waiting for this baby to arrive. This morning Sarah was rubbing my stomach and I jokingly said, "Make a wish". Sarah said, "I wish for a girl". James ran over to get in on the action and he said with a twinkle in his eye, "I wish for a race car".

In the meantime, check out these beautiful new babies that just arrived...

Wooden sculptures by Jose Ventura.

Here's a photo of Jose in his Vancouver backyard before sending them off to us.

Once we unpacked the girls, I thought I'd have a little fun with them around the gallery.

Jose Ventura's "Woman with Turtle" standing near the window admiring our selection of Jose Ventura ceramics.

Jose Ventura's "Woman in Pink" checking out the website.

Jose Ventura's "Woman in Blue with Cat" admiring our sign.

Jose Ventura's "Woman in Green with cat" enjoying the front patio.

Okay, that was fun. Now back to work!

-Mary

Two shows and a baby

2010-11-04T13:57:00.000-07:00

November is going to be a busy month for us.

Two shows...

Darlene Hay's show Just Imagine starts on November 5th. This show is a riot of colour...stunning prairie landscapes in Darlene's signature lush style. Most are large pieces and are sure to brighten up any wall, especially as we enter the winter season.

"Colourful Roadside" 48 x 70" by Darlene Hay

There are 17 pieces in the show. You can view the entire show on-line: http://www.assiniboia.com/dynamic/exhibit_artist.asp?ExhibitID=168

Join us for the reception on Friday, November 26th from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m.

We'll also be celebrating the start of our Annual Holiday Miniatures show that same evening.

Holiday Miniatures is our much loved, highly anticipated holiday season show. We collect several smallish paintings from our artists and hang them salon style in the gallery. It's a great opportunity to find a little gem for yourself or that someone special. We will keep adding images to the show page as paintings arrive.

And a baby...

We are expecting our third gallery kid (or I should say gallery baby) to arrive around November 7th (or more like the 17th with my luck!) Sarah hopes it's a girl and James hopes it's not a giant - yah, you and me both, kid! I think we've been reading a few too many fairy tales around here...

Brand new babies and retail at Christmas aren't exactly the best combination, but we'll make the best of it! It will certainly be helpful that we live upstairs. I don't imagine I'll be doing much gallery work, but at least I can keep my eye on Jeremy and make sure he's getting it all done!

We will announce the baby's arrival on the blog so stay tuned for updates.

-Mary