Hi there ,

I'm adjusting to NC and forgetting the chill in NJ at this time of year. The leaves are turning and the mornings and evenings are crisp, while the afternoons are still warm. Though I think we're in for a freeze tonight! I'm finding that I'm almost colder now when the temps dip - don't say my blood is thinning!!! 

As the season is changing, I've been reflecting on goals for the year, and the past quarter. Maybe my goals weren't the right ones, or maybe they were just bigger than what I could handle, given my health and family needs, but I haven't achieved many of them. That being said, in reframing what I have accomplished just in the 3rd quarter, life is full of growth, healing, and connection. What I found is that my theme for 3rd quarter is seeking support.

Whether seeking the right health care provider or asking a friend to help me for an art show, I have come to recognize and value the need to lean on others. I've found resilience, love and connection by asking for support. 

Today's newsletter is full of creations that I've made due in part to other's support, and during my September Thrive Together Art Residency. In reality, I met about 50% of my goals during that month. My initial reaction to that realization was disappointment, but in sharing with some other artists, we realized that's amazing efficiency right now. And, at a recent baseball practice, I was sketching some ideas with a pencil that was given to me at the Artist Mother Retreat I attended in May. When I went to take the photo, I saw for the first time, the message imprinted on the pencil: "Mother Yourself." Oh boy!

Below, I'll share more about my September residency and also ask for your time  - to take a few minutes to answer a survey on art lessons. I'm still in a phase of slow healing and finding some space to consider what I will offer and how. If you haven't taken the survey, and you have an interest in lessons or workshops, please take a minute to fill it out. And, consider in what ways are you mothering yourself as the seasons change and we creep to the end of the year? Does art fit into that support in some way? 

Creatively,

This past February I participated in a virtual artist residency supported through the Artist Mother Network. It was a month full of creativity, productivity and getting me out of old habits and into new. While, not everything stuck, I found the experience and work is giving birth to new ideas just now. 

Building on the February residency idea, the new network, Thrive Together, put forth the idea of a September Virtual Residency. Part fear of missing out, and part needing a kick in the butt while going through many health challenges, I decided to participate. 

Finnigan, 12" x 12", Oil on Wood Panel, ©2022 Jennie Traill Schaeffer

Finnigan has hearts stopping! This week the fluffy Pomeranian Toy Poodle got a coat of satin UV varnish and dressed up in this beautiful maple rubbed hardwood floater frame straight from my Tennessee frame supplier. He's going to be boxed up shortly and heading home to NJ. I got word from his owners that Finnigan was put to sleep while I was working on the portrait; they didn't want me to know until it was completed. He was 17 and he was their joy. Wishing them a heartfelt reunion; of course, this isn't a replacement, but a very special tribute to a sweet doggo. 

Interested in a dog portrait of your furry friend, or a loved one's? Get on my schedule now - I'm currently taking only Mini Studio Dog Portrait commissions through November 30th for Christmas / Hanukkah and year-end delivery. Larger, painted portraits can be booked now with a down-payment for completion into 2023. Some limited size offerings are on my web site, but more options are available by contacting me for a price list. 

This commission has been waiting in the wings for final discussions and adjustments from my client, Michelle King. Above is the final selected concept version, creating an homage to Taiwanese cookbook author and tv chef, Fu Pei-mei. Michelle is an associate professor at UNC focusing on topics of contemporary Chinese gender history and food history, and is currently authoring a book on the life and career of Pei-mei. You can see how the idea has been transformed from the original concept drawn below. The background features Pei-mei's Chinese Cook Book, with an iconic Tatung Rice Cooker, seated over one of Pei-mei's many aprons surrounded by bok choy, kumquats, and scallions, some frequent ingredients of Chinese cooking. You can learn more about Pei-mei through an interview, "The Joy of Chinese Cooking" with King by Emily Davis for UNC's publication, Endeavors.  I'll be working more on this piece in the coming month and you can follow developments / progress on my Instagram feed. 

“Art is two things: a search for a road and a search for freedom.”

― Alice Neel