Attracting People with Watercolour Magic

Tomorrow night I am a guest artist at the Sun Peaks Winter Wine Festival during their progressive wine tasting event. I had no idea until the other day that they were going to be selling 600 tickets for this event! I also found out that I wasn't going to be giving an introduced presentation like I did this summer at the Wine and Culture Festival where I had everyone's undivided attention for 5 minutes. This time everyone will be meandering to and fro at their own pace between wine venues. It is going to be up to me to attract people over to my table.

Oh my gosh! At first this made me very nervous. I had visions of me calling people over to my table to see what I am doing. Nervewracking!

Then I had an idea... what if I could ATTRACT them to my table without having to say anything. What if I could peak their interest and make them just curious enough that they might come over to my table on their own accord?

Brilliant! ... but how to do this? I decided to make a big poster with a schedule of demos on it so people would know when I am doing what. But is this enough to attract them to my table? Not everyone is interested in learning how to paint. Maybe if I demonstrate the watercolour secret tricks of using household items to paint landscapes it will intrigue people. Maybe I'll even attract a few who don't have any interest in learning how to paint, but simply want to know how the heck I am going to paint a birch tree with a fork!

This is what I have so far:

Unveiling the Magic of Watercolour

5 minute demos showing how to:

6:15 Make a Birch Tree with a Fork!

6:45 Turn Salt into Snowflakes!

7:15 Paint under water with cellophane!

7:45 Use a candle to make a moonlit reflection!

8:15 Turn a carrot into a person!

8:30 Win a Prize! Enter the FREE DRAW before 8:30! Lots of prizes to be won! Grand prize is a limited edition print of Sun Peaks village valued at $270.

I am still nervous, but now in a good way. Even if no one comes over to my table, at least I have a plan. I won't be painting aimlessly for 3 hours! And if people aren't interested in my demos, maybe they'll be interested in my free draw! Everyone likes to win a prize!

So there you have it, this is how I am going to attract people using the magic of watercolour. I'll let you know if it works. Now only if I knew how to attract people to my art show on Saturday...

Art Show at Sun Peaks Winter Wine Festival

On Friday I'm heading to the Sun Peaks Winter Wine Festival to present at the Progressive Wine Tasting event. Then on Saturday I'm having my ninth annual art show! This year it is in the lower lobby of the Delta Hotel.

Sun Peaks Art Show
Saturday, January 23, 10am-2pm
Lower Lobby of the Delta Hotel

I'll be displaying originals, reproductions, art cards, magnets and bookmarks. Find me in the lower lobby of the Delta Hotel along with artists Ken Farrar and Sol Metal Designs. This art show is presented by the art gallery Tree Line Studios.

Sun Peaks Ski Resort is located north of Kamloops, BC. You can read more about my art show on my website at http://www.kendraart.com/exhibit.html.

Hope to see you there!

Kendra Smith

www.kendraart.com
Art for your lifestyle

Paintings En Route for Jasper and Whistler

Whistler After Dusk

I am so excited. I just sent the largest number of original paintings to Mountain Galleries that I have ever shipped at one time. I was so nervous to let anyone take my parcel. No one will insure art! (Now maybe if I had purchased the art they would insure it for me, but since I painted it, there is no such luck.) So here I am trying to find a company I trust to take 23 of my original watercolours to Jasper. I was going to send them by priority post but Canada Post uses Fed-Ex who contracts out their work. I didn't want my paintings going through so many hands. It took me a while but I finally couriered them by ground which insures they stay in the same cage the whole trip.

This shipment was momentous for me. Firstly it is a huge honour to be an artist in Mountain Galleries along side amazing professional artists such as Alan Wylie, Jerry Heine, Gail Johnson, and the list goes on. (I'm in the same gallery as Robert Genn, Brian Atyeo, and one of my favourites, Jack Reid ~ who taught me how to paint snow in 2002!) As well, this was the first time that the gallery accepted every piece I showed them!

Some of the paintings will stay at the Jasper Originals gallery in the Jasper Park Lodge, which was the original gallery opened by artist and film maker Wendy Wacko.

Peaking Over at Mount Edith Cavell from Whistlers, Jasper, AB Others such as these Lake Louise paintings will be sent to the Banff location of Mountain Galleries in the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel:

Lake Louise Love

Lake Louise Lakeside Path

Eleven of the paintings are being delivered at the end of December to the Whistler gallery in the Fairmont Chateau Whistler by Wendy herself. This is the part I am most excited about.

In March I gave my notice for my teaching job so that I could paint full time. I had just recently been accepted into the Whistler gallery and with the Olympics less than a year a way I knew I would regret it if I spent my time marking papers rather than painting. I am so glad I made that choice.

Heading to Could Nine

Painting continuously has given me the chance to grow as an artist. When you paint in spurts it often seems like you are always starting at square one. This summer and fall I had a chance to get on a roll. It was a glorious feeling.

Thank you for your support!

I can't believe that I forgot to take pictures of my art show this year! However, last year I took pictures and I forgot to post them, so maybe I can even it out by posting last year's photo of Carrie and I at our annual Christmas Studio show.


Thank you to everyone who came to our show. It was wonderful to see such a great turn out. The studio was full for 4 hours straight on Friday night, and we were busy for most of Saturday too! We really appreciate your support.

I would also like to express a special thank you to Mountain Galleries. It was the opportunity of showcasing my work in Whistler this winter that gave me the inspiration to quit my job in March and paint full time. I feel that with my two trips as artist in residence with Mountain Galleries in Jasper, Banff and Whistler I gained confidence and developed a new palette. My paintings have new colours in them which brings them alive. I have learned so much this summer and I feel that my paintings have taken a leap since last year. I'm very grateful for this experience.

Whistler Paintings on my Easels

Lately I have been painting some full sheet watercolours of the mountains in Whistler. With the Olympics coming up this February, I want to make sure that Mountain Galleries is stocked up on winter paintings of the ski hill.

The first painting, "Whistler's Backyard" is a view of the snowy hills surrounding the valley with a view of Blackcomb and Whistler Mountain ski runs in the background. "Harmony", the painting on the right, is a run leading to Harmony Chairlift with Armchair Mountain, Spearhead and Blackcomb Peak in the background.

Renderings for Log Home Company

Pioneer Log Homes has contracted me to create the backgrounds and landscaping for their log home rendering. The images I create will go on their website to show perspective buyers what their designs look like in situ. The contract is a lot of fun because it is a blend of technical and creative which I love.

An example of a design they gave me:
This is what I did with it:

Here is the photo I used for the background:

Cutting and pasting images sounds easy, but this process is a lot more time consuming than you might think. It involves cutting around branches and leaves pixel by pixel:

As well as creating the background, I put objects in the foreground so the house looks like it is part of the landscape, such as the trees I added on the left. I colour corrected them to match the overall hues of the picture. I then add human touches like flowerbeds to make it more homey and reflections in the windows to show the sky and surrounding landscape.

Finally I add texture to the ends of the logs to make them more realistic. On the left is the before picture. In the middle is a version I use if the house is farther away and the one on the right is what I do if the house is closer up and I need more detail:
My renderings will be uploaded to their new website which they are launching in September. They will add more as they are completed.

Street Scene Paintings of Cafes in Whistler

La Bocca Cafe in Whistler Village

Painting in Progress of La Brasserie In Whistler

Finished painting of La Brasserie

Paintings from Trip to Whistler

Whistler Blackcomb Peak to Peak Gondola

Whistler Peak Express

Franz's Chair Whistler Mountain

Here are some of the results from my recent painting trip. I was invited by Mountain Galleries to be their artist in residence for a week in Whistler, BC. While there I took two trips up the gondola. One day was sunny and the next completely socked in, as you can see by the painting I did of the Peak to Peak gondola.

Kelowna Fires

My studio partner Carrie Harper is having an art show in August at A. Woodside Design Gallery on Pandosy Street. Her new collection is an exploration of the 2003 Okanagan Mountain Park fire and it's regrowth.

Carrie writes: "Every spring a bit more color fills the spaces that were black and grey and then, even the burned spires reach to the sky symbolizing sacrifice. That day I was there facing the black trees against the white snow and fog, I was able to see not the past of burning and fear and loss but the spaces in between where color exists. My hope is that our community can look at my paintings and see the spaces in between."

It was unknown to her when she painted the series that the 2009 fires would soon be blazing. Last week I could see flames in the trees across the lake and a huge plume of smoke behind the hills from the Kelowna and Fintry fires. For many it was a very scary experience and also a very real reminder of the 2003 fires in Kelowna. Some of my friends were evacutated from their homes or on alert.

At Carrie's reception on Thursday, August 6th she will have a draw at 5:00 for anyone affected by the 2003 or 2009 fires. If you or anyone you know was affected by the fires, please come to the reception. The recipient will be able to choose a painting from the collection.

Carrie's "Burn Out" show runs at the A Woodside Gallery, 1561 Pandosy St. (downtown), from August 1st to 31st. Please come to the opening on the 6th from 5pm to 9pm, everyone is welcome. 
Further info: 250 862 3817.

Whistler Painting Trip

Next Tuesday I am heading to Whistler to paint for a week! I have been invited by Mountain Galleries as part of their artist in residence program. I am excited to travel to Whistler to paint for a gallery. Mountain Galleries is located in the Fairmont Chateau Whistler. It is an honour to be represented by them, as well as a dream come true.

Painting Lesson

Today I taught a private watercolour lesson to a 16 year old girl visiting Kelowna from Grande Prairie. Her dad found my KendraArt website when he did a Google search for painting lessons in Kelowna.

We went over all the basics of watercolour. Above is a demonstration of painting branches on a birch tree and then adding texture by pulling an exacto knife through the wet paint. Tilt the blade on its side and push it into the paper as you pull it along at an angle. The goal isn't to cut the paper, but to squeeze the paint to the edges of the branch, leaving a rough white textured area along the branch. Do this by pressing the edge of the blade into the paper rather than the tip of the blade.

See more free watercolour painting demonstrations at www.kendraart.com/workshops.html.

Follow Your Heart

I was a feature artist at Art Walk this weekend at Sun Peaks. Just before 2:00 we got word that the final count was 33 tickets sold so there would be two groups. Peter Ernst started preparing the food tasting at Bella Italia. We were lucky that we weren't the first restaurant on the tour because our wine rep was hosting a seminar until 2:30. Shortly after he arrived our first tour group walked in. The tour guide introduced me and I gave a short presentation.

I told everyone that I lived at Sun Peaks for two winters 12 years ago. I said I think I would have been voted least likely in my highschool to become a snowboard bum. I was told I could be anything I wanted to be, but I just knew that the perfect career was out there for me somewhere and I just didn't know what it was yet. I felt like one day it would appear to fall into my lap, but no one would see all the little steps that took me there in my life. Sometime you can follow a path in life to your dream even if you are not sure what your goal is. As long as you follow your heart you will be going in the right direction.

At that time my roommates and I couldn't afford art for our walls, so we decided to paint our own. My first painting was of a snowboarder jumping off a cliff. I even made ten small postcards and sold a few of them for $5.00 each at what used to be Bags Chocolates in the Village.

After I moved away from Sun Peaks I took a watercolour lesson and I was instantly hooked. I love painting. I feel so grateful to be leading such a creative lifestyle. When you have a passion you will never be bored, you will never be lonely. It is a great way to live.

I answered several questions and then the wine rep presented the wines for the wine tasting and food pairing as the Italian pasta was served.

Bella Italia provided me with a delicious dinner that night and Sun Peaks Tourism and Sun Peaks Lodge paid for my hotel room. This made my day. I really appreciated being taken care of like that. I have been painting for ten years and this is like a dream come true. I've always wanted to be a guest speaker. To have my accomodation taken care of was such a treat. Thank you Bella Italia, Sun Peaks Tourism and Sun Peaks Lodge! A big thanks too to Tree Line Studios who organised the Art Walk event and hosted us on Sunday in front of the gallery.

Follow your heart and your dreams can come true too.

New Summer Paintings

Here are three of the new original paintings I will be taking to Sun Peaks with me this weekend for the Wine and Culture Festival. After the Festival I will be leaving new artwork at Tree Line Studios in the village center.

Sun Peaks Wine and Culture Festival

The second annual Wine and Culture Festival will be hosted during Alpine Blossom Season at Sun Peaks Resort July 17-19th, 2009. The art festival is 2-4 on Saturday July 18 where Kendra will be set up in a restaurant at Sun Peaks. There would be 3-4 presentation to groups of 20-25 people and the presentations will be 5 minutes long showing how the art is produced. Kendra will share the history of her art career and her passion of art with the wine drinkers. From 4-6pm Kendra will be painting at her station and available to answer any questions.

On Sunday, July 19, Kendra will be set up in front of Tree Line Studios from 11am-2pm with three other artists from the gallery. At the same time there is a lively Farmer's Market on Sun Peaks Way, so there will be lots to see and do.

To read more about the art gallery at Sun Peaks, visit Tree Line Studios website, or call them at 250-578-2674 for more information.

New Whistler Art

"Symphony" 22x30 Original Watercolour
Available at Mountain Galleries

When I went to Jasper I took all of my new Whistler paintings with me. Mountain Galleries has three gallery locations in the Fairmont Hotels in Jasper, Banff and Whistler. The owner, Wendy Wacko, took seven out of my nine winter paintings to send to Mountain Galleries in the Chateau Whistler.

"Horstman T-Bar" 22x30 Original Watercolour
Available at Mountain Galleries

Here is a link to view the rest of my Whistler art.

Lake Louise Abstract Shoreline

Lakeshore Shapes Lake Louise
15x22 Original Watercolour

This is a painting I did last night of the interesting shapes in the lakeshore along Lake Louise. I really liked the fanlike rocks falling into the lake out of the mountainside. I was going to paint it a lot more abstract but before I knew it I was painting little details like spattering rocks on with a toothbrush and creating fir trees with the side of my round brush against the texture of the paper. It took on a life of its own.

Banff Paintings

June 10, 2009
I left Jasper on Monday afternoon to drive to Banff where I have been staying in staff accomodation at the Banff Springs Hotel as part of Mountain Galleries artist in residence program. It is beautiful here. Yesterday I hiked Johnston Canyon to take photos of the seven waterfalls. I also went to Lake Louise and Moraine Lake which was amazing. I got to Moraine Lake just after 8pm when the sun was about to set. The light on the mountain peaks was stunning. I was so lucky.

Early this morning I drove around the Banff Springs golf course by the river to take photos of the backside of Mount Rundle. Then I hiked Silverton Falls, took pictures of Castle Mountain, drove to Lake Louise, painted a picture of Victoria Glacier and walked around the lake, stopped at Castle Mountain on the way back to start another painting, and then tonight I walked along the marshes taking photos of Mount Rundle.

Neither of my paintings turned out the way I hoped today, but then again it is a bit overwhelming with all of Wendy's advice floating around in my head and also intimidating seeing all of the awesome art in her gallery. The Mountain Galleries in the Banff Springs Hotel is so nice. I have to remind myself that many of those artists have been painting for over 50 years. I just have to relax. I am honoured to be here painting for the same gallery. I am so grateful for my creative lifestyle and to be able to do this already while I'm still young. I have a lot to learn and a lifetime ahead to do it in.

I have lots of good material to paint when I come home from my trip. I have taken well over 1400 photos! Definitely a lot of inspiration.

The Johnston Canyon Falls painting is one I did in my studio after my trip from photos I took on my hike. Here is a studio painting I did of the sunset at Moraine Lake:

"After Eight Moraine Lake"
11x15 original watercolour
Available at Mountain Galleries in the Banff Springs Hotel

Here is a link to view the rest of my Banff paintings.

Aritst in Residence

When Wendy Wacko, the owner of Mountain Galleries, went to art school one of her art teachers was Doris McCarthy who later in life became her mentor, painting partner, and dear friend. Doris McCarthy is 99 years old and she is a very successful Canadian artist.

In Jasper Wendy passed on many of the tips that Doris gave her when she was starting out as a young artist. I am so lucky to be receiving feedback from Wendy. Her artist in residence program has been an amazing experience.

One of the things I have learned on my stay as artist in residence at Mountain Galleries is that it is really worth it to catch the early morning light or the evening shadows. In the middle of the day the hills really blend together.

One of the areas I've struggled with in my paintings this week is the foreground. I now know that I need to plan ahead to save my light areas and not try to paint every branch of every tree. My forte is the snow on the mountains. I'm glad I came in the spring when some of the snow was still left on the peaks.

One of my favourite tips from Wendy was when she told me to work really hard and paint my heart out. Now that is advice I can definitely try to live up to!

Painting En Plein Air

Wendy Wacko, the owner of Mountain Galleries in Jasper, Banff and Whistler, is a firm believer in painting outdoors. She invited me to come to Jasper and Banff to paint for her galleries so that I could develop some paintings 'en plein air'. In contrast to painting from a photograph, when you are in nature the colours are so much more vibrant, the shadows have more depth, the shapes and contours of the land are easier to decipher, and the light is ever changing. Wendy told me that not every painting you do en plein air will be a master piece, but you will develop more expression in your style and a better sense of colour and light.

I have painted only a handful of paintings en plein air before this trip. It has been so exhilerating to be outside painting the Rockies. It is so different from painting indoors. Your paint dries much faster so you need to use more water, which in turn disolves more pigment filling my paint strokes with whooshes of intense colour. The paint dries so quickly that the painting takes on a different texture than in a studio painting. It has more hard edges, spontaneous brush strokes, broad gestures of suggested shapes. There isn't time to get wrapped up in little details when you are painting outdoors so the paintings are more spontaneous, fresh and loose.

One of the tricks is trying to get a massive mountain onto an 11x15 sheet of paper. Often I would set out to paint an entire ridge and end up with a painting of one peak! When I tried to paint Lake Louise I even ran out of room for the water, the most important part!!


The landscape in front of you is gigantic and sometimes it is difficult to wrap your mind around the shapes. You look up trying to make out a crack in the rocks, you look back at your paper and you wonder 'where is it supposed to connect?, which ridge meets up with which?'

Painting en plein air in Jasper and Banff was a fabulous experience and I will definitely be painting 'en plein air' again in the future.

Painting in Jasper

June 5, 2009
I am soooo tired. It is after midnight and I am still at Wendy's art studio where I have been painting as part of my week as artist in residence at Mountain Galleries in Jasper. I wasn't going to stay late tonight but I couldn't put my brush down. "Just one more painting".

I am having so much fun.

This trip is so good for me because I am trying so many new things and releasing a lot of creative energy. It will be very refreshing to be in my art studio with so many new ideas floating around in my head.

Here is a painting I did from Wendy's art studio tonight just as the sun was going down:


www.kendraart.com

En Plein Air

June 3rd, 2009:

I am in Jasper right now painting up a storm. I was invited by Mountain Galleries to be their artist in residence for a week in Jasper.

It is very beautiful here. I'm enjoying myself a lot. Yesterday I went on an awesome hike at the top of Whistlers Mountain with a full 360degree view - it was incredible.

My 'en plein air' paintings are so different from my studio work. I usually paint snow scenes so these spring mountain scapes are full of new colours. Each one has something different I like about it. I can really see what Wendy, the owner of Mountain Galleries in Jasper, Whistler and Banff, meant about colour outdoors as opposed to photos. In my camera the same mountains look grey but in real life they are red and orange, gold, blue and brown... and grey too in spots. ;)

We haven't had any one-on-one time yet which I'm looking forward to since she is also a successful artist.

Yesterday I took pictures all day from 9am to 10pm. Today I got up at 5:30am!

Here are two 'en plein air' paintings I did of the Pyramid Mountain at different times of day from different locations:

Faith and Persistence

The chapter on persistence in Napoleon Hill's book "Think and Grow Rich" really strikes a cord with me. Hill defines persistence as "the sustained effort necessary to induce faith".

In week two of my ten week action course we learned that the key to success is persistence. Hill writes that you must have a crystal clear picture of what you want and a plan to achieve it. Focus on creating a timeline and acting on your plan with persistence.

It is okay to have a plan that changes over time. Plans can be flexible and molded but they must be made. A plan without a timeline may never get done at all. Our instructor inspires us: "Do all that you can do, not as little as you can do. Create and follow a habit of persistence and you will win in ways you never dreamed possible!"

Hill aknowledges that most people are ready to "give up at the first sign of opposition or misfortune. A few carry on despite all opposition, until they attain their goal." It's so true. Where many have equal opportunity it is those who persevere who attain their desires.

We have all heard the expression "get back on the horse" but do we really understand and apply it in our own lives? My friend and fashion designer Kim Cathers says: "I think life is all about being torn down and broken down and then building it back up again. And what you have in the end will be bigger and stronger than what you ever had before." That is huge.

Life can throw you down and sometimes it seems like it would be easier not to get up. It is hard to do anything when you are not feeling motivated. My uncle always said though that action comes first and then motivation. You see, motivation comes FROM action. Through analyzing thousands of people Hill "discovered that most ideas are stillborn, and need the breath of life injected into them through definite plans of immediate action."

Aim High

It is better to aim high than wide. If your goals are too broad and vague, then you are less likely to achieve success. Focus in on what you really want. Be specific. Famous motivational speaker Zig Ziglar says it best: “You cannot make it as a wandering generality. You must become a meaningful specific.”

In every book and course I have taken on success, the theme is consistent: Have a clear goal of what you want. Taking this further, when you write down your goal you will have a more powerful intention to complete it. There is even a book called "Write it Down, Make it Happen" by Henriette Anne Klauser. In her book, Klauser tells stories of unbelievable dreams coming true after they have been put down on paper.

People who write down their goals and focus in on what they want are more likely to succeed at what they do. In his book "Think & Grow Rich" Napoleon Hill explains that if you have a deep and burning desire and you write your goals down clearly and concisely then you can have anything you want. He writes that "Whatever the Mind of Man can CONCEIVE and BELIEVE it can ACHIEVE."

When the movie "The Secret" came out in 2006 it explored the idea of attracting what you want in your life through your thoughts. Philosopher and Motivational Speaker Bob Proctor describes this theory in his book "You Were Born Rich": "desire without expectation is nothing more than wishful thinking and as we have already pointed out, since the vast majority of people wish positive but expect negative, they seldom attain what they are after... In other words, your ideal, dream or goal — this wealth you wish to see materialize — can only become a desire once it has been properly planted in the subconscious mind."

The law of attraction states that not only must you think positively of what you desire, but you must also feel as though you already have it. Being open and ready to receive your dreams is sometimes more important than the journey to get there. Be in a constant state of gratitude for what you already have in your life and know in your heart that your dreams are going to come true.

So follow your heart. Seek your dream. Chase your desire. Write down your goals. If you believe in yourself and follow your dreams then you can achieve anything you set out to do. Aim high; you don't need luck, you just need faith.

Steps to Success

I am taking a 10 week course right now on goal setting, action plans, positive thinking and building your business. Here are some of the steps to success that we have been focusing on in the training:

• Where are you in life and how did you get there? Nothing happens by accident.
• Focus on where you are going next. Have a crystal clear picture of what you want.
• Put it in writing.
• Read your mission statement every day.
• Have a time line for your goals.
• Develop a plan to achieve your goals.
• Have no limits ~ Do not let limits stop you.
• Don't expect too little out of life.

Laying the Foundation for the Future

For many artists, designers and art galleries, sales may be down this year. Even though the sales aren't as high, many people are still looking and this is what we have to take heart in. Many of the orders that I got this November were from people who had been to one of my art shows from FIVE years ago! In these slow times we must remember that we are laying the foundation for our future.

When I lived in Fernie, BC I noticed that the whole town's mood was dependant on the weather. When it was summer and sunny everyone was happy. When it was winter and snowing everyone was happy. Those were the busy times. Those were the days when people were making money. At all other times of the year and in bad weather, the whole town seemed to sink into a mini depression. It was a very interesting experience.

A phenomenol thing happened to me during these slow times: I would buckle down and get to work. Hooray! Finally some down time when I could paint and produce! Refill the shelves, stock the galleries, build up my inventory. For me it was a big relief to have the off season. I was never bored. It is such a blessing to have a passion and to live such a creative lifestyle.

So for those of you who are feeling these hard times, relish in the fact that these are the days for you to go to work. Creativity is good for the soul. Laying the foundation is good for your future.

New Whistler Painting

Here is my latest watercolour painting of Whistler Ski Hill:
(22x30 original painted on 300lb Arches watercolour paper)
This painting will soon be available at Mountain Galleries in the Fairmont Chateau Whistler. PS It sold.

Valentine's Day Art Show

My art show at Sun Peaks this year is on Valentine's Day! It is my eighth annual art show at Tree Line Studios at Sun Peaks Ski Resort, just north of Kamloops, BC.

I am bringing 15 new original paintings for the show!

Visit Tree Line Studios.

New Paintings on the Way

I love spending time in my art studio. It is away from home and I can paint without distractions. Sometimes I get into a zone and the time just goes by without me realising it. There are two huge windows in my art studio and we only get direct light in the early morning so it is perfect for painting.

I really find that the more I paint the more I get on a roll. If I only have a few hours to go to my studio I barely get set up. When I am able to paint for several days in a row then I can complete my paintings while I'm still on the same thread of creativity.

My favourite way to paint watercolours is three at a time. I paint the background of one painting and then set it aside to let it dry. I paint the sky of another painting and toss it on the floor while I start a third. By this time the first painting is dry and I can go back to work on it. Sometimes I work on three similar scenes but most often they are three different paintings all together.

Right now I am painting a landscape of snow ghosts (trees caked in white snow against a blue sky), a picture of a skier hiking and a painting of the mountain peaks in Whistler, BC. I can't wait to have another studio day so that I can work on them some more.

Whistler Art in high Demand

I just received an email from Wendy Wacko, owner of Mountain Galleries at the Chateau Whistler. (She also owns a gallery in Banff and one in Jasper and she is a successful artist and film maker in her own right) She sold THREE of my watercolour paintings already and they have only been on display for a few days! Hooray!

UPDATE: When I talked to the gallery I found out I sold FOUR paintings in December - my first month at the Whistler Mountain Art gallery! :)

Budding Artists

Dear Kendra,

I am a grade 3 teacher at Eileen Madson Primary school in Invermere. Over the past couple of years I have bought several cards of your watercolours. I have tried to teach your style for snowmen, flowers and winter forest scenes to my grade 3 students. I hope that this ok. Thank you so much for the inspiration.

Lorraine Holmes
Grade 3

---

Hi Lorraine,

Thanks for your email. I'm happy I could inspire you especially as you are passing along the inspiration to a new generation of budding artists. Teaching children to paint is so exciting because they are so imaginative. Children will push the boundaries and explore with the paint which is very rewarding when you are teaching them.

A few of my favourite tricks to show children are:

• With a wet paint mixture lay down some green paint at the edge of the page letting it pool up. Then use a kitchen fork to quickly pull grass blades out of the pool of paint onto the page. It saves so much time and looks more natural than using a small brush to paint grass.
• With watercolour paint you can create snow or stars by sprinkling salt on the paper as the paint begins to dry. You will get different results depending on how wet the paint still is.
• Use a piece of masking tape to lay down the trees. Paint your background over top. Then remove the masking tape and add some details to the tree. Works especially well for a night scene with the moon and birch trees.
• Use a white candle to draw secret invisible shapes and then bring them to life by painting bright colours over the wax drawings.

Have fun and happy painting!

Kendra

Kendra Smith represented in Whistler, BC

The gallery at the Chateau Whistler is going to represent my artwork. Ten of my original watercolours are at their Jasper gallery getting framed right now and then they are on their way to being displayed in the Whistler gallery.

Mountain Galleries
The Gallery at Chateau Whistler
Shopping Promenade • The Fairmont Chateau Whistler
4599 Chateau Boulevard
Whistler, British Columbia • V0N 1B4
Phone: 604-935-1862 Fax: 604-935-1896
Email: whistler@mountaingalleries.com

View my Whistler art here: http://www.kendraart.com/art_whistler.html

Whistler Gallery

My dream to be in a Whistler art gallery might come true this fall!

I drove to Whistler yesterday so that I could meet with the curator of The Gallery at the Chateau Whistler. The gallery is owned by Wendy Wacko who also owns a gallery in Banff and in Jasper and is a well known artist in her own right.

Eight years ago I sold some art cards to Wendy at her gallery in Jasper. When I came to see if she would like to reorder she said that I have a lot of potential but that I had some work to do as an artist and I needed to explore my artistic expression.

I approached her again this spring and showed her all the work I had done. I sent her an email with a photo of the paintings I sold her eight years ago and then another image of my more recent paintings.

Here are the art cards Wendy bought in 2002 for the Mountain Gallery at Jasper Park Lodge:
Here is some of my work from this past year:

Wendy called me that evening and said she was very proud of me and that I had done a lot of hard work. She said she would like to take me under her wing and nurture me as an artist. I was thrilled when she invited me to her studio in the spring, but unfortunately she had to cancel since she was so busy. I was hoping to see her this fall; however, she is currently painting a commission for sixty original paintings!

I am happy that I was able to go to Whistler and show Mike Warren my paintings. He liked my bright paintings the best; the ones with punch. He took 10 originals and he is going to show them to Wendy for approval. If she accepts my work into her gallery you may see some of my watercolours hanging in the her Chateau Whistler gallery by the end of October.

Here is one of the originals that the gallery is taking for consideration:

PS They took my biggest watercolour painting too!
(see photo next post)

My biggest watercolour painting

This is my first full sheet watercolour painting 22x30 inches.
My biggest painting is of the mountain peaks in Whistler, BC.

Below is another painting of Whistler mountains that I did this summer. It is a half sheet 15x22.

I am really excited to be making the leap to painting larger paintings. It was my goal this summer to explore my art and to push myself out of my comfort zone. I am very happy with the results, and the best part is that I wasn't at all uncomfortable. It was fun and I'm looking forward to painting more big watercolours.

Compute her dependence

I am totally dependent on my computer. I just realised how much I use my computer when it stopped working after a lightning storm. I have a power surge bar, but the lightning hit very close to my house and my computer wouldn't turn back on. I was really worried about my data until my boyfriend reassured me that hard drives are usually not affected in a power surge. Whew! Then I was worried about when I'd be able to use my computer again. Especially when I realised how much I depend on it for my teaching job, my art business, emailing my friends, managing my hockey team, keeping track of my income taxes and business expenses, custom graphic design work, the websites I make, my banking, my entertainment, all my photographs, digital copies of my watercolour paintings, everything!

I am so happy because it turned out to just be the power source and it was on waranty. Hooray! It is strange but it feels wonderful to be at my computer. I was so happy to see all my data was safe and back in my hands.

Open Art Studio #5

Open Studios Art Show
Art Studio #5, 375 Bernard Avenue, Kelowna, BC
August 8 - 10, 2008 10am-5pm

Open Studios is like a studio crawl and my studio partner Carrie Harper and I will be a part of it! We are opening our studio doors and everyone is welcome!

"Open Studios promotes recognition that the arts are a significant component of our region and contribute to the public awareness about the quality and diversity of art created in our community.

It also provides an educational experience for all ages, which will help foster an interest in and a greater understanding of the artistic process. This program provides a rare opportunity of seeing artists in their own environment and to experience artists discussing and demonstrating their materials and art process."

Art for your Lifestyle

My KendraArt website has been updated. The design has a fresh new look and the links and titles are all html text rather than images. This should give my website a clean feel and improve search engine optimization.

You can check out my website at kendraart.com.

Jersey Cream Kids

Whistler on my easel

My next goal in my art career is to display my watercolour paintings in a Whistler art gallery. This summer I am going to be spending quality time in my studio painting pictures of Whistler and Blackcomb mountains and village. It is so great to be painting again. I didn't have much time to paint the last three years since I moved to Kelowna to get a diploma in graphic and digital media design.

In the fall I hope to have a collection of original paintings to showcase.

Design for Crossfit Okanagan

I customized a wordpress blog for a client and his new website is up and running at crossfitokanagan.com.


To make the blog I downloaded wordpress from wordpres.org and I installed it on my server space. The advantage of doing this is that all the photos posted to the blog will be saved in a folder on the hosting space and not in no-man-blog-land. If my client ever wishes to move his hosting or get a new blog he will not have to re-upload all of his photos.
It was a lot of work getting the blog to run properly since there were some glitches with the new release of wordpress 2.5. After long hours of searching on help forums and blogs, I found out that a snippet of code needed to be added to an .htaccess file on my server so that the blog would use php5. Now everything is working great!

Digital Image and Video Compositing

In my Digital Image and Video compositing class at the Centre for Arts and Technology we made a video for an ipod commercial. Our creative director came up with the concept and then it was up to us to conceptualize it. I spent about 100 hours on this project and that is not including the hours that my project partner Amanda put in or the hours of our actors, filmers, and sound engineer. A big thanks to everyone who helped us with this project!

We made our ipod commercial last year before the new touchscreens came out. You can see our version of what we thought their first commercial might look like:

Sun Peaks Art Show Feb. 16th

I am going to be bringing over 20 new original paintings to my art show at Sun Peaks Ski Resort on February 16th, 2008. My show is at Tree Line Studios which is a beautiful art gallery in the Delta Hotel next to the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory. (view map)

I have been showing my work at Sun Peaks for over seven years and I've had an art show every year. This is the first time my show will be in February so hopefully I will see some new faces.

Since I was in school for the last two years (taking Digital Media Design) I didn't have a lot of time to paint. I am so grateful that I bought my commercial printer (an Epson Pro 4000) because even though I was too busy to keep up with the sales of my original paintings, I was able to print reproductions. Having reproductions to fill the spaces on my wall was a life saver.

After two years of seeing the same paintings, I think Sun Peaks is ready for something new. I am excited to be bringing so many new pieces because it will refresh my wall. People want to see an artist grow and I think everyone will be happy to see that I am still producing new work. Some of my new paintings are really different from anything I've done in the past. Here is an example:



Everyone is invited to my art show. It is all day on February 16th, 2008 at Tree Line Studios at Sun Peaks Ski Resort just outside Kamloops, BC.
Visit Tree Line Studios art gallery at www.treelinestudios.ca.

High Gallery Art Show in Nelson

My art show at the Craft Connection in Nelson, BC has been extended until the end of February, 2008. On November 1st, twenty of my largest framed archival reproductions were displayed, the highest number of framed prints I've ever sent anywhere at one time. My watercolour paintings range from birch trees in the snow to skiers and snowboarders; there is something for everyone.

The Craft Connection can be found at 441 Baker Street in downtown Nelson. It is one of the finest art co-op gift galleries in Western Canada. I've been a consignment member of this co-operative business since 2002.

This marks the 25th year the Craft Connection exists. On March 1st the store will be moving kitty corner to 378 Baker Street.

For more pictures of my art show, see my art exhibitions page on my KendraArt website.

Studio Art Show a Success

The Open House at my studio was a big success. Carrie Harper, Kelowna artist and graphic designer and my studio partner, hosted a pre-show on Friday night and it was buzzing with people. What a good feeling. On Saturday we had a steady stream of people and it was great to show everyone our art studio. Thank you so much to everyone who came out and supported us.

See more pictures at kendraart.com.

Invitation to Art Studio Open House

Open House

at my shared art studio...

Studio #5
375 Bernard Avenue
Kelowna, BC

Saturday, December 8th
11am to 4pm

I will have art cards, prints, magnets and paintings on display.

Also featuring the artwork of Carrie Harper,
Kelowna Artist and my studio partner.
http://www.thepearworkshop.com/

Studio #5 is upstairs above Starbucks.
Enter at 375 Bernard beside Momo Sushi.

Come to chat, browse, or inquire about painting lessons.
www.kendraart.com

Christmas Craft Fairs

Booth 106, Prospera Place, November 10th and 11th, 2007

Christmas Craft Fairs are a lot of fun for me. It is a chance to be in the public and display all of my new work in an open setting. This November I will be at three Christmas Craft Fairs: Kamloops Craft-A-Fair on November 4th at the Coliseum; Kelowna Holdiay Festival of Creations at Prospera Place on November 10 and 11th; Fernie Christmas craft fair November 24th at the Fernie Community Centre.

I am bringing art cards, prints, magnets and bookmarks. If you want to stock up on cards for Christmas, save money by ordering in larger quanities.

I am looking forward to seeing what the other artisans have brought too. It's always a bustling crowd, so so set aside some time to come and say hi.

See you there!

If you can't make it to the craft fair, you can order by checking out my art online and then calling me.

Art Studio Space

Studio space is a dream for most artists, myself included. This summer the elements in the Universe aligned and I was lucky enough to get a shared studio space. It is in downtown Kelowna with big heritage windows and looks out at the tree tops above Bernard Street.

The space has a good feeling and it is an inspiring place to make art. I have already had a couple of painting parties which are great fun. You can see photos of my studio space on my friend's photo site.

Love to have a painting party of your own? I can host one for you and your friends. If you are interested in painting parties or art workshops, let me know. My watercolour workshops are fun and full of tips and techniques. Learn more at my kendraart website.

Watercolour Workshops in Kelowna, BC

Kendra will be hosting the following workshops in her studio in downtown Kelowna, BC:

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BEGINNER WATERCOLOUR - SNOW AND WINTER SHADOWS
October 20th and 21st, 2007 : 10am - 4pm with an hour break for lunch

This weekend workshop is for those who have little or some experience in watercolour. With demonstrations and easy exercises we will use the basic elements of composition, colour and light to help bring your watercolours to life. The focus of this class will be on painting snow and winter shadows.

Cost: $90
Includes: coffee and all supplies on loan for the weekend
Location: 375 Bernard Avenue in Studio #5, Kelowna, BC
The studio is upstairs from Starbucks on the corner of Pandosy and Bernard. Enter in the door beside the Momo Sushi Cafe and go upstairs and to the end of the hall.
Register: You must pre-register. Please call Kendra at 250-862-4958 to sign up. Visit www.kendraart.com

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INTRODUCTION TO WATERCOLOUR - BASIC TECHNIQUES
October 13th and 14th, 2007 : 10am - 4pm with an hour break for lunch

Artist Kendra Smith will host this weekend workshop that is perfect for people who have never tried watercolour painting. Emphasis will be placed on the techniques and skills you’ll need to develop a foundation of watercolour basics. Through demonstrations, practice and individual attention, we’ll take the intimidation out of watercolour and make painting easy and fun.

Cost: $90
Includes: coffee and all supplies on loan
Location: 375 Bernard Avenue in Studio #5,
The studio is upstairs from Starbucks on the corner of Pandosy and Bernard in Kelowna, BC. Enter in the door beside the Momo Sushi Cafe and go upstairs and to the end of the hall.
Register: You must pre-register. Please call Kendra at 250-862-4958 to sign up. Visit www.kendraart.com

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kendraGraphics.com Website Launch

My new digital media design portfolio website

is officially launched at www.kendragraphics.com.

My graphic design website is dedicated to my digital portfolio including illustrations, web design and development, and motion graphics. If you would like to see my watercolour paintings, please visit my kendraart website.

If you are interested in my design or consulting services, have a look at my services page to see what I can do for you or your business. I look forward to working with you.

Ready, set, paddle...

Dragon boat racing originated in China and traditional dragonboats seat up to 50 paddlers. The smaller dragon boats at the Dragon Boat Club in Kelowna, BC fit 20 paddlers seated two by two plus a caller in the front and a steerer in the back.

As the caller drums or chants, the paddlers plunge their paddles into the water, pulling the boat swiftly along with their rhythmic synchronized strokes.

Unlike the sideways motion of the paddles in canoeing or kayaking, dragonboat racers lift their paddles straight into the air and reach their paddle straight ahead. Like pistons in an engine the paddles lift vertically up and down in unison, powering the boat ahead.

The two paddlers in the front of the boat are called the "strokes". Along with the drummer, they set the pace for the whole boat. When their arm goes up, everyone's arm goes up. When they bury their blade, everyone buries their blade, deep in the water.












"The water is your friend" chants the coach. As you slice your paddle into the water the break catches your blade, allowing you to pull the boat up to your paddle and then just as your outside arm is about to bend you "release" and your paddle pops out of the water.

This is just in time for you to twist your body towards your partner and reach your paddle ahead, all while keeping your paddle vertical and not bobbing your head.

"Timing" reminds the coach. We can't forget to watch up and across the boat so that all our paddles strike the water in one beat. The adrenaline rushes and the sun beats down and the water splashes your arms. Splash. Make that, the water splashes your whole body...

"What's the most important part of dragon boat racing?" asks the coach. "Focus" yells one. "Timing" chants another.

"Having fun!" cheers the coach.

We are called the Red Hot Chili Paddlers. If you are interested in sponsoring our team in exchange for advertising exposure, you can download a PDF of sponsorship opportunities here.

"Paddle away, paddle away, paddle away now,
Paddle away, paddle away, paddle away now."

Design Seminar at the Life and Arts Festival

The Life and Arts Festival in Kelowna, BC, is an amazing cultural event with street performers, art shows, workshops, music, drums, lanterns and fireshows.


On May 13th, I attended two design seminars in the 'Design for Life' exhibit. In the first presentation, designer Phred Martin spoke about the evolution of a design project. He stressed that design is not all about the creator; design stems from the client and in order to acheive the best results it is important to research your client's interests, goals, and their target market. It is important to really know what the client wants, and then to interpret their needs, make a decision and get going on it!

One of the ideas that stood out in my mind was when Phred said that "excellence is great", but "perfection is ugly". He said that in his work sometimes he strives not to make his designs perfect. Perfection can be cold and boring, whereas imperfection can be interesting and unique.

In the end, perfectionism will also cost you more money and eat away at your bottom line. Unless your clients want to pay for your extra time, you need to be able to wrap up a project confidently and be happy with your work.

Don't overwork design to hardened perfection; walk away while it is still alive and fresh.

From my experience with watercolours, sometimes the best thing you can do for a painting is to put down your brush. It's when you keep working on a painting too long that you mess it up. With design there must be a parallel.

Furniture designer Judson Beaumont said he looks beyond the obvious to keep his work fresh. He said you have to be able to take critism, but don't listen to people when they say "you can't do that" or "it's not done that way". He said comments like that make him just go ahead and prove them wrong. He said you should take chances with design and challenge yourself to try new things.

The panelists also talked about clarity of expression and how good design means that even if it is bare bones, you don't feel deprived. Someone mentioned that "the more you know, the less you need."

Many businesses want to put everything about their business in every advertisement, even if it is a 2 inch ad. By researching your client's needs and being familiar with compositional strengths, a good designer can say a lot more with less. Done well, simplicity always gives a stronger message than clutter.

The speakers also talked about social responsibility and the impact of design on the environment and on society. It is important for all designers to look at their work from a global perspective. It is so easy to get enmeshed in your work. Take some time to pull back and see the whole picture.

In the end, the most inspiring part of the festival for me was the lantern display in the Island Park. Jars covered in tissue paper by elementary school students from all around Kelowna were lit with tea lights, and they were set about to adorn a gazebo and the path up to it. Glowing in their simplicity, colourful and bright, they lit up the night in their imperfect beauty.

marketing tips for artists...

There are so many talented artists in this world and yet we may never get to see their work. Many artists are private people, are shy, or simply aren't aware of how they can get their art out there to be seen.

Here are some tips on how to market yourself from scratch as an artist:

• To begin with, attend art shows of other artists. It is fun and a great way to find out what other artists do at their shows, see how they represent themselves and to meet art enthusiasts. It is inspiring to be around art and its a good way to make connections.


• Craft fairs, summer markets and Christmas shows are excellent forums for marketing your work and also an inexpensive way to do market research. Up close to your customers you get to know first hand what they like and don’t like and what your most popular designs are. These events can expose you to a large number of people in a short amount of time and help you become better known. It's a great place to start off, and I have made some important contacts through simple markets.


• Internet marketing will help you develop a following. Make sure your email address is a professional sounding email address rather than too personal and work on developing a web presence. If you don't have a website yet, post your work on a blog or a photo sharing site. You can also join art conversations on Twitter. A website doesn't have to cost a lot of money upfront; you can start with just a few simple pages and your designer can add new work to it as you send it to them. Even if you build it piece by piece, your website will open a personal link to art buyers around the world. Your website is your digital business card and portfolio. Gift stores, gallery owners, and collectors alike will have your catalogue at the tips of their fingers


• Put your email address or website on the back of everything you sell. Many of my new retailers and corporate clients are obtained from this kind of networking.


• Whenever you have the chance, browse through galleries and gift stores to get a feel for the gallery culture and to compare prices and styles. Ask questions to store owners and learn about the business side of art.


• You don't have to be ready for a gallery to be ready for an art show. Enlist a local artsy cafe or fancy restaurant to host an art show for you. It could last for two hours or for a month. Sometimes one night shows are great because they produce a sense of urgency. Also, people love meeting the artist in person and you are more likely to have sales at a show during the times when you are present.


• When you have an artshow, no matter how small, send out invitations to everyone you know. Put posters up everywhere. Make business cards and professional price tags, labels with your email address and biography, and even brochures. Bring a guest book and have people sign their name and email addresses. Add these names to an ongoing email list for that area and then whenever you have another art show or event in that town, email that list of people and let them know about it. People will appreciate that you keep in touch with them and it is a great way of growing your list of contacts.


• If you can't afford to get brochures and posters made, ask a local company if they will sponsor your marketing and in return put their logo on your printed materials.


• Make appointments with appropriate galleries or gift stores and ask if you can show them your work. Tell them you would love to have a critique and find out what gallery owners are looking for in terms of a portfolio. Work up the courage to ask a local gift store if they will sell cards of your work.


• Once you have your work in some stores, send out letters to your retailers to show them what you have that is new. You can recruit new clients with phone calls, catalogues in the mail and with personal visits. Networking is important since most of your business might come from word of mouth.

Best of all, have fun. If you really enjoy what you do, it will shine through and draw people to your art.