Communion

 

"Communion" neomosaic/mixed media on gallery wrap canvas $2025

For the Love of Water

The exhibition “For the Love of Water” opened on 5 February at CAVA (9103 95 Ave Edmonton). It closes on the 28 March.

Abundance

 My relationship with water began in my teens. Living in a country where water is plentiful, I am grateful for the abundance that surrounds us. Just as these children find the stream endlessly amusing, I too appreciate the pleasure water can provide.  Recreation forms a major part of my self-care. Whether I am relaxing in a bubble bath or swimming in the local pool, water provides the setting for peace and renewal.

Scarcer times

I have also lived without abundance. Residing on a boat during my early twenties, I discovered how to live within limits. We prioritized its use to drinking or cooking. As we had neither shower nor laundry facilities, cleanliness took on a different meaning. A basin, a bar of soap and a towel with a cup of water covered the necessities until we docked at a port of call. First on the list were laundry and refilling our five-gallon water containers. Scarcity enhanced respect in our relationship.

Delight

“Communion” centres on relationship. My daughters playing in the stream embody playfulness and ease. As I watched them, I cherished the delight of the moment. The shade and the cool water made it even more pleasurable. The joy we shared bubbled over into laughter and skipping rocks.

Complex relationships

Relationships are not always easy. The brokenness of my work hints at something amiss. When the glaciers disappear and the rivers run dry, I wonder how we will survive without our green lawns. In the meantime, I am thankful for modern plumbing and readily available drinking water. As for our lawn, it must fend for itself.

Shows

Just a reminder: both the CAVA and Artrium shows are coming to an end at the end of this month. New opportunities abound nonetheless. Duo (Doris Charest and Karen Blanchet collaboration) is showing in the Walterdale Theatre from 15 April to officially the 25 April. The Opening is on 14 April along with the preview of the new play to which every one is welcome. Then we are off to Crowsnest Pass and the Stone's Throw Cafe 13019 20 Ave Blairmore AB. Duo will be there from 12 May to the 7 July. 'Source" will be busy for the rest of the year, showing at the Zyp Art Gallery in Calmar AB from 20 April to 3 August and then in October at the Crowsnest Pass Public Art Gallery. Check out my website for more information.

For the Love of Water

 

"Salty Source/source saline" 40x40in neomosaic on gallery wrap canvas

$3200

All my adolescent and young adult years were spent breathing in the salty air of coastal waters. I love the sea. Moody and unpredictable, the water can soothe the soul as on this sunny day near Sydney, BC, yet it also possesses the power to tear a city apart and sink ships.

A Sejour on Vancouver Island

My parents took up residence on Vancouver Island for a brief while. Still in elementary school I failed to fully appreciate the beauty surrounding us. Here the ocean waters flow from the Arctic, enough to chill the bones. 

Setting sail for Australia

Just before my thirteenth birthday my family set sail on the HMS Iberia bound for Australia. Stopping in Las Angeles we said goodbye to some aunts and uncles we would not see again. Hawaii, still pristine before the fast-food stands arrived, captivated our imaginations as we shopped and waded in its warm waters. A typhoon made the crossing to Japan interesting and nauseous. I first saw poverty in Hong Kong. A memorable birthday celebration onboard preceded our stop in Manila, and eventually we arrived in Perth.

Enjoying the Seashore

Most of the Australian population hugs the ocean shore where people excel at surfing and all water sports. My previously sheltered life allowed me some swimming lessons for which I am most grateful. Swimming is an exercise I continue to enjoy even though I live far from the coast in the middle of a continent. Occasionally I stop doing laps and just lie in the water allowing it to soothe my soul.

Soon to be Seen!

“Salty Source/source saline” is on display along with four other 40x40in canvases from my series on water. CAVA (9103 95 Ave Edmonton AB) offers refreshments at the opening reception on 5^th February between 5pm and 7pm. Would love to see you there. Do check out my "Events" page on my website https://www.karenblanchet.ca for other upcoming shows.

Reflections on Water and the New Year

 

Protective Sleeves

Protective Sleeves

Protective sleeves form part of the shipping and handling of the art world. Moving artwork out into the outside world, away from our studios saves on storage space. It also helps with sales as other people get to see it. Personally, I do not wish to be my own best collector…

Vapour Barrier is Better

In the past, I have used bubble wrap. This practice has several inherent dangers. Eventually the bubbles disappear, especially around corners. Corners take the brunt of moving. In warmer climates than mine the bubbles leave their perfect configuration imbedded in the varnish. Not a serious problem on surfaces loaded with texture, nonetheless, not what the artist ordered!

Sizing up the Strips

A roll of stiff 6mm plastic sheeting used for vapour barriers in house construction proves more durable than bubble wrap. The surface is smooth. And the black labelling can be removed with rubbing alcohol. Bubble wrap still has its uses though. Instead of next to the painting it serves as crucial protection in the middle layer between boxes ready to ship to other cities and the vapour barrier enveloping the painting. Within driving distance, the protective sleeves made from the 6mm plastic provide more than adequate protection.

Placing the centre join

Unfortunately, when I first began constructing protective sleeves, I cut all the 12x12” sizes out instead of starting with the biggest canvases. As a result, I had a lot of left over sheeting that would have done well around the smaller paintings if I had left them for last.

Inside Out

Using the roll as a straight edge, I run a felt pen along the line and cut out the first strip. Pulling the plastic around the painting I mark off the necessary length then use this first piece as my pattern for the rest. I ended up with sixteen 12x12 protective sleeves.

Inserting the Painting

To avoid strain on an edge, I place the join in the middle of one side and use packaging tape to secure the plastic doubling over edge at the open end. The bottom of the protective sleeve receives another length of tape and then I turn the whole thing inside out.

Sliding to the Corner

The purpose of turning out the inside is to leave a clean surface next to the painting. Joins are never perfect and the glue off the tape can damage the work if it comes in contact. Once inside out I placed another strip of tape on the side joint making it more secure and I then insert the painting into the protective sleeve.

Holding Down the Triangle

Slipping the corner of the painting tight to the inside corner of the sleeve I place the final strip of tape holding down the triangle fold and shuffle the painting to the other corner as I finish off the bottom edge. The protective sleeve is now complete. Only one more thing: labelling.

The Label

Should the label need to be changed I can easily remove the label from the protective sleeve then use the sleeve for another painting. I begin with my name followed by the name of the painting, the media, the inventory code and my address. I cover the entire surface of the label with tape to protect it from moisture. Done.

 

You may wish to get an insight into why I do what I do. I recently had an interview with Radio Canada and the footage was released on television on the 7^th December. I do not watch television so I missed it. I used the link below to view it and I found it to be very well put together. The transmission is in French. For those who are interested:

https://ici.tou.tv/connexion/s05e12?lectureauto=1

 

So the year ends. I wish you a very merry Christmas with family and friends. May 2026 be all that you wish it to be.

 

 

Finishing Touches

"Aspirations" 30x30in neomosaic on gallery wrap canvas $2025

Finishing touches of any artwork come with some mundane tasks: labeling, wiring, varnishing, framing. All are important. If one places as much love and care into these last few details as the rest of the work, one has moved from hobbyist to professional. Gallery owners appreciate it and anyone else who mounts a show.

Gold and Silver circles: Trinity

Among the many preliminary layers on any canvas there lies gold or silver. These first layers determine the choice between the silver or gold circles, an end of painting finishing touch. Always three, they represent the Holy Trinity from whence comes my inspiration. Tin foil substitutes for silver as it holds its brilliance better.

Stepping Back without Stepping Back

Mirror gazing has become part of my repertoire in the placement of the gold or silver circles. Essentially this alternative method allows me to step back and view what I have done from a distance without moving. To do this I installed a mirror on my ceiling.

Two Mirrors

A time-honoured procedure used by artists of all stripes, stepping back offers a wider perspective on the work before them. In this case I need the distance to determine the best positions for my three-circle finishing touch. The small mirror moves easily into an appropriate vantage point as I try different possibilities.

Poetry

Once I am satisfied, I sit back gaze some more and write a poem then select a Bible quote. Somehow the ambience, the flow of the visual enhanced by the movement of words draw the two together. The synergy in this finishing touch occurs more easily if the poetry comes later, written for the painting personally.

Bible Quote

The poem and the Bible quote embellish the surface of the work subtly following the natural lines, be it texture, contrast or colour. I use a black liner for the poem and a metallic pen, either silver or gold for the Bible quote. This finishing touch provides some mystery as many people search the image to find these items.

Keeping Track

Inventory numbers, a practical finishing touch, help keep track of the work produced in any given year. The method I use gives me all the essential information I need for submission and a quick reference should an organization wish to know in what year I produced the painting or what materials I may have used.

On the Back

Since the poetry has no other source, I write it out in full with the reference for the Bible quote on the back of the painting, usually at the bottom on the left. To the right I inscribe the title, the materials, my name and the inventory number of the work. Later, once I complete the series, I publish a poem book so anyone may read my poems without difficulty.

Varnishing

A quick spray of reworkable varnish stabilizes the ink and the watercolour pencil before the isolation coat is applied (Liquitex fluid gloss medium). An isolation coat, always a good idea with acrylic or mixed media paintings, binds with the paint underneath forming a protective surface upon which the two coats of varnish are applied. Should the masterpiece need cleaning at some time in the future, one may remove the varnish easily and reapplied without harming the original image. A very important finishing touch.

 

The painting is now ready for display or shipment. To protect it from the ravages of storage I create protective sleeves, the topic of my next blog. Have a great month!

 

 

Wiring

Essential ingredients 

Artists who submit and are accepted into various expositions encounter the requirement of proper hanging equipment. Wiring for framed or unframed work is basically the same. Unwanted materials include saw-teeth clips and anything that does not involve a wire and Drings. 

 

Everything in Reach

To begin with, I organize the materials I need so that everything is within reach. A pencil, a ruler, D-rings, screws, screwdriver, wire and wire cutters are all easily accessible.

Measuring
 

Measuring from the top of the frame or canvas I mark a spot one third of the whole length. Some venues require a spot one quarter of the length from the top. Lining up the D-ring I place it about half to three-quarters of an inch away from the inside edge of the wood (my stretchers are two inches square). 

Screwing

I drive in the three-quarter-inch screw to secure it in place. This exercise is repeated on the other side of the work. Aluminum frames supply clips that slid into place (again about a third from the top) and protrude over the back of the work.

Inserting the wire

Leaving a generous length of wire at one end I bend it over the D-ring to prevent it from sliding and unroll the length required leaving another generous amount for the other ring. 

                                                            

Generous allowance

One gallerist suggested one needs enough wire to twist a minimum of five times to prevent slippage. 

Cutting the wire

Once satisfied with the length I cut the wire holding the roll end and secure it so it will not unravel.

Loop from the Bottom

Slipping the end of the wire into the ring from the bottom I wrap it around the incoming wire. 

Loop around and down

I re-enter the ring from the top and tighten.

Loop around and up

Next, I thread the wire over the incoming wire and re-enter the ring from the bottom again coming up through the centre and begin twisting the wire around itself. 

Double twisting

About half-way I twist the rest of the wire back on itself. The plastic-coated wire has two advantages. One: there is no need to wrap the frayed wire ends to protect those who hang the work from scratches and punctures. (There are no frays.) Two: slippage is not a concern. Holding the wire tight I proceed to the other end and repeat the process.

Done

Wiring can be an exercise in meditation. I enjoy every aspect of what I do. A job well done gives me great satisfaction knowing my clients and the galleries displaying my work can recognise the integrity of what I do in the quality and the care I give to every aspect of the creative process.

 

Edges

Getting ready to drip the edges

Inevitably as one works away in the contented bliss of one’s studio, there comes a time to finish what has already been created. Although not at the same level of creativity, finishing edges can present their own challenges.

Adding drops

Then the question of attitude determines whether finishing edges is a pleasure or not. At times, I find myself grumbling. When I recognise the growing negativity in the atmosphere around me I stop. Recognition, awareness is always the first step. In the realisation a choice is born: either I curtail the grumbling and embrace the circumstances with joy or I leave my studio for the day in hopes my mood improves with sleep.

Spraying the drops

Often timelines do not permit for extra sleep. The choice remains. Either I embrace the circumstances or I make life miserable. Occasionally I take a break and go to a different project. When I return my attention to edges I seek to lose myself in the flow of following textures and drips while keeping an eye on the main image. 

Images must match

The colours must match. The tonal values remain the same. Losing the corners requires special attention. Watching for drips running into the finished face is essential if I have forgotten to prepare the edges beforehand. In the end the effort adds much value to the painting.

Matching edges using the same technique

Finalizing the edges of each work proves easier when the initial drips and drops are done at the same time as the main surface. So much easier. Occasionally very little needs adding to the initial drips and drops to complete the illusion of continuity. 

Colours, shapes, lines all must match

I thought I was done with this piece. Varnishing was the next step. A casual glance granted me a glimpse into the mismatch of shapes along the edge. This would never do. I took the time to perfect the finishing by reworking the shapes. Gratitude for the guidance of a casual glance made me smile. Even in finishing edges there is much for which to be thankful. Life is good.

 

 Don't forget to drop in my open studio this Saturday, 27th September from 10am to 4pm. Coffee is on! New work is up. Even a draw....see you there!