JeniBlogs

Arbor Vitae

27/8/2016

It's been a while since I posted a blog, I know; it's actually been rather lovely to hear how many people have missed them and asked why I had stopped. I had often wondered if anyone actually read them, but now I know that you do! I intend to get back on track and send out regular monthly ones again, honest...... but forgive me for getting sidetracked!

Framed paintings ready to be hung somewhere new!

I became completely obsessed with the idea for an exhibition focused entirely on trees. I have been painting, writing, researching for weeks and weeks..... Now the paintings are ready, beautifully framed. The written texts to go with them are almost finished (I keep having new ideas!) and I was nervously beginning to shift my focus to the actual opening night.

I decided to call the collection "Arbor Vitae"

Nature Trust Malta were going to have a display of indigenous saplings for sale, with other information about the wonderful work they do to protect and preserve endangered wildlife and endangered species in Malta. Such as their hogwatch to rescue and treat injured hedgehogs.

When the creative floodgates open, all sorts of things can happen. I was debating whether or not to include this beauty - is she too weird, I wondered?

She is wearing a dress with a long tree print. Her head is the tangled roots of a potbound plant... I even made her a necklace and earrings from bits of bark I picked up on the last painting holiday I led to Sicily with Caroline Said Lawrence.

You can see, perhaps, why I forgot all about writing blogs......

I did write though; each painting has a short text attached to it, exploring different ideas and aspects of trees.

From the symbolic 'Tree of Life' decoration in Malta's Hypogeum to rainforest shamans helping researchers to find plant based cures for cancer. From the communication networks of tree roots to how vital trees are to filter the air we breathe. From abstract paintings to plein air studies of trees in situ.

I want to help raise awareness around how important trees are to our health and living conditions. That if we treat this planet as if we can control Nature by destroying and decimating her, it will be human life that pays the ultimate price.

You can read - and see - the main part of the collection by clicking HERE

"Dryad"

Anyway, all my plans have stalled, as the venue I had intended to use frustrated me so much that I cancelled the whole thing. I have never done anything like this before, so I'm feeling a little shell shocked about it.

There will be a better venue I am sure; I'm not really worried about that. I have a few options on offer already. I just have to pick the best one.
Or I might just decide to do it it my house.

I will let you know when it happens.

If you are in Malta at the time I hope that you will be able to come and see the works, and maybe buy a sapling to plant too!

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Art for Divination?

23/6/2016

8 Comments

I wonder if you have ever noticed shapes and figures, monsters and animals hidden in the swirls and patterns of cracked tiles or peeling paint? My green marble bathroom tiles seem to be seething with all sorts of wonderful patterns, and one day I really should sit in there and copy them as carefully as I can.

I think that it was Leonardo who advised his students to do just this. He said it was the best way to liberate and encourage creative thought.

Once you start seeing things, it’s hard to stop. First you will probably see faces, as that’s what we humans seem to identify with most easily, but soon other things will pop up and surprise you too.

I often cover canvases and paper using a homemade crazy roller. I tie string around a foam roller and then use it with a mix of gesso and acrylics. Lovely! The unpredictable marks that this produces on canvas or paper are always interesting. I just couldn’t make those marks on purpose.

In this way I can produce sets of patterns with lovely textures that just have to sit around and wait until I am inspired by them. Then the trick is to pick out just enough detail to define what I have seen without losing the mystery of the marks. It’s as if the pictures are paintings themselves, and that they were just waiting for me to be in the right frame of mind to see them. I'm sure that someone else would see completely different things in them......

When I found a pile of canvases in my studio that I had resurfaced ready for repainting, I wasn’t really surprised when the random marks became worried faces and trees.
This is probably true for all of us; we will find things in odd patterns that are relevant to what is currently happening in our lives. It’s a bit like reading tea leaves – a way of divination perhaps?

I have been working on a collection of paintings of trees for some time now. It’s a subject I return to quite often. I have made so many sketches and studies on the subject that I am seeing tree shapes everywhere. My feelings around their wanton destruction and our disregard for their importance are also coming to the surface.

I will be exhibiting these paintings - and many more - at Palazzo de Piro in Mdina from September 7th until October 30th. The collection will be titled "The Rhythm of Life" and will explore the connections I make between trees, music and movement. For more information please contact me HERE

Classes Update
Figure Drawing classes at Palazzo de Piro will start on Tuesday July 5th - we will be working with live models every week.
Outdoor classes at Villa Bologna will continue on Friday July 8th.
Both classes are from 9.30 am to 12pm and are 20 euro, 6 classes for 100 euro.
All levels are welcome - we are all eternal students !
More information HERE

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A Sicilian Adventure!

5/6/2016

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After a scouting trip to Sicily in early April to research the locations for our painting tour I came back full of ideas and a new found love for all things Italian. We simplified our programme and then eagerly waited for the big day to come. Caroline Said Lawrence and I, as co-tutors, were looking forward to being let loose in such lovely surroundings with a group of students to inspire.

The trip was organised by PaintMalta’s Miriam Fiorini and Ann Caruana Montaldo, and GoSicily’s Mario Spiteri. Between them they tailored a unique idea. Painters and non-painters paid the same amount. The painters were taken to the chosen locations and then left in our capable hands to sketch, paint and have a generally arty day.

The non-painters had a separate itinerary and, guided by the amazingly well-informed and enthusiastic Mario, visited all kinds of interesting local venues and sites. From the archaeological fascination of old Noto to the nature park outside Marzamemi, from wine-tasting to churches and historical sites, he entertained and delighted them all.
Both groups met for lunch and then went their ways again afterwards. Everyone had the option of changing groups if they felt like it; painting half the day and then sightseeing, for example.

On the first day we caught the early morning ferry from Malta and arrived in Pozallo around 8.30 am. We then stopped for coffee and pastry in a charming cafe next to a completely deserted beach in Marina di Modica. Apparently it gets very busy in August but it was a very peaceful scene that morning!

Next day both groups went to the charming town of Noto, full of historical and beautiful buildings, cafes and atmosphere.

After that we continued on to the hotel, where we spent the day, sketching in the grounds before lunch.
We stayed in a fabulous converted Benedictine monastery in the province of Syracuse. It was a real retreat – surrounded by two golf courses, three lakes and seemingly endless grounds.

After a sketching stroll around the grounds to orient everyone, and then a break for lunch and unpacking, Caroline and I demonstrated our totally different approaches to the same subject, and we continued to paint all afternoon.

In between all this painting there were many good meals and many, many glasses of great Sicilian red of course!

demo painting in the hotel grounds

Dovecote in the grounds

cafe in Noto

Summer class updates

On Tuesday mornings 9.30am to 12pm I am holding figure drawing classes at Palazzo de Piro in Mdina. There will be a class next week on the 7th June. Then there will be a break of three weeks, until 5th July. We will then continue with these classes throughout the summer.
Friday classes at Villa Bologna in Attard will also continue through the summer months – the trees there provide natural A/C, thanks goodness! There will be classes on the 3rd and 10th June and then, again, a three week break until the 8th July.
Classes are 20 euro each or 6 sessions for 100 euro. Contact me HERE for more details.

On the second day we visited Marzamemi, a small fishing village which was buzzing with Italian and other visitors. I’m sure Mario explained all the historical facts and figures about both places, but I don’t remember any of that; all I registered were endless scenes and places that I wanted to paint. At 6.30 pm we had to pack up our kits and drive to the ferry, tired but happy. And sad that we weren’t able to stay longer.

We’re planning to do it all again in October - hoorah! – hopefully for a few days longer and of course visiting different places...... I, for one, can’t wait
www.paintmalta.com

Here are my Sicilian paintings

Three Trees in the grounds

one of the three lakes in the hotel grounds

Marzamemi

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Fabriano, Sicily and where next?

1/5/2016

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I don’t quite remember which star I wished on, but all of a sudden I seem to be travelling all over the place, mainly to Italy and mainly art-related.
Much as I love Malta, it’s lovely to feast my eyes on rolling green vistas and new sights and sounds.

At the beginning of April I was in Sicily with fellow artist Caroline Said Lawrence on a scouting trip for the art holiday we will be leading 27th - 29th May. We were whizzed about timing distances and looking at the locations (checking out the local cafes, ice creams, restaurants etc) (plus extensive wine sampling) honestly, it was hard work! We simplified the programme and are very excited about it all! It’s not too late to book – more details here.

See Caroline's report on our test run here :-)

Last weekend though, I was further north, in Italy itself. Led by our intrepid Leader Andrew Smith, seven of us represented Malta at the Fabriano Watercolour Convention. Fabriano is the home of the famous watercolour paper loved the world over. The mills have now moved out of the town, but we toured the old paper mill and museum. Some of us even had a go at making hand-made paper!

All the artist's names displayed together.....

looking for ours......

The picturesque Medieval town welcomed artists from all over the world; 50 countries, 38 artistic communities and 730 artists to be exact. There were people painting everywhere we looked, and every public space had been filled with our works. We all contributed one painting and it was fascinating to see the collections from countries as diverse as Iraq , USA, Japan, India and more.

.. and I am above Alvaro Castagnet (Watercolour God) ha ha

We stayed in a nearby hilltop village called Collamato which means 'love of the hills'.

Collamato

The Andrews Smith and Borg, Anna Galea, Sarah Calleja, Diane Agius, Joe Casapinta and I did our best to show Malta at its best. Anna gave a demo in front of hundreds of people (I wasn’t brave enough!) we danced to a brilliant ethnic band at the final party, painted in the streets with the rest of them, ate as much pasta and drank as much wine as we could. Malta should be proud of us. This was all self financed, I have to say. We deserve to be supported next time.

On the way back to the airport we stopped off at Gubbio and Assisi – both beautiful and full of delights.
The seven of us are plotting more adventures together including an exhibition of the works we created, so watch this space!

I wonder where I will be going next?

Meanwhile, my Tuesday morning classes are moving from Le Meridien in Balluta Bay to Palazzo de Piro in Mdina from the 3rd May. I am looking forward to helping students tackle those great open views from the upper terraces!
My classes still continue at Villa Bologna on Friday mornings. This Wednesday 4th May we will be opening our first Spring Exhibition of works there. My students and I are hanging two works each. It will be open to the public from 5th May to 2nd June, so do drop in if you are in the area.

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Drawing on our differences

18/4/2016

1 Comment

"Rock Nude 2" available as a print

We have been using Art to communicate for 34,000 years. At least, that’s as far back as we can actually date humans drawing and painting on rocks and the walls of caves.
We don’t know what happened before then of course; less permanent methods of mark making are lost to us forever. We also have no idea what those beautiful cave paintings signify – were they magical means of capturing reality, plans for the hunt, shamanic rites of passage or simply means of expressing life as they saw it?
I like the theory that, as the cave paintings are carefully placed to become part of the uneven surfaces they adorn, they represent the shaman’s ability to travel between the worlds. That what we see is superficial to the hidden world where everything is one profound and plentiful soup of living energy.
The shaman contacts the spirit of animal or plant to commune with all of life.

Besides imagery we self-express through music, dance and the written word. The wonder of a sunset, the sorrow of loss, the joy and hope of a new birth, life often touches us deeply and we are moved to find ways to share it with others. We smile, hug, cry, give gifts. We celebrate and commiserate. It’s what makes us human.

Art can tap into this deep emotional urge to communicate abstract emotions that are beyond words. This can vary from the literal translation of a scene to the darkest of obscure abstractions. Ultimately we are speaking to ourselves, making our feelings visible. How well we manage to do that depends on our level of expertise, and can be very frustrating if your drawing is like a seven year old’s, or your painting of a sunset turns to shades of brown.

It would be lovely (if a little boring after a while) to produce professional standard artworks every time, but ask yourself WHY you are painting/drawing?

Is it to please someone else or yourself?
Assuming that you’re not aiming to sell or exhibit these ‘feeling’ paintings, does it really matter if they’re not perfect?

Personally, I think It’s worth practicing your skills and honing your techniques so that your paintings satisfy you more and more on an aesthetic level. They will also gain praise from others as a consequence, but always try to hold onto your personal motivation. Why did you choose this view and not another? What did this particular colour combination stir in you? Why did you use this technique or method? Keep it real and individual, keep connected to your art and it will communicate on many more levels than its outward appearance.

"Axis Mundi" mixed media on canvas

There are plenty of painters out there who can reproduce reality and churn out commercially popular works, but many of them communicate absolutely nothing other than ‘here’s another one, buy me!’

We are all individuals; we all have different approaches to life.

Let’s enjoy being ourselves!

"Mnajdra Temple" watercolour and crayon

"Pray Tell" watercolour and pastel

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Painting in Sicily this May!

7/4/2016

2 Comments

Fountain in Noto, Sicily. Watercolour

Last weekend Caroline, Miriam (PaintMalta), Mario (GoSicily) and I popped over to Sicily to finalise the itinerary for our three-day painting holiday May 27th - 29th. It was a whirlwind trip really, as we visited so many of the places on (and off) the original plan. Everywhere we went the people were wonderful (I think Mario knows everyone in Sicily) and the scenery was stunning.

Caroline and I, as artists, got very itchy to stop and paint instead of zipping past the endless vistas. The only chance we had was in one of the magnificent squares in Noto..... oh, and I caught a quick little sketch of a street musician.

The trip was invaluable though - non-painters find it hard to understand that all artists really want to do is stay in the same place for a decent amount of time, let our eyes settle and then just try to capture whatever grabs our attention. We find it tiring and overwhelming to be shown vista after panorama after view without a chance to stop and really see into it. So Caroline and I simplified the programme to our liking - there will now be plenty of time for everyone to focus and really do some good work. To see our revised programme, please click HERE

First of all, our four-star hotel is amazing. It's a converted monestary in the middle of a golf course!

www.imonasterigolfresort.com

It is beautifully landscaped, surrounded by orange groves, a small lake and even a typical Sicilian dovecot in the grounds.

We will be spending the first day in the grounds of the hotel. On the second day there will be a choice - those who wish to paint in the nearby town of Noto will go there with Caroline, anyone wishing to continue painting in the grounds will be with me.

Noto is jam-packed with corners and cafes and wonderful architecture.

On the third and last day we will be spending the day in Marsamemi, which is a tiny fishing town with so many subjects to paint we'll be spoilt for choice.

Caroline and I will be a good team as co-tutors; we both emphasise good drawing and basic skills, and we also love to experiment with unusual painting techniques. She loves urban scenes, architecture and cafe scenes, working mainly in acrylics. I prefer natural landscapes and more rural scenes. I find watercolours more convenient on location. We have both been teaching art for years to students of all ages and abilities, from beginners to advanced.
Read Caroline's blog about our test-run trip HERE

While we are doing our thing, the non-painting group will be out and about with Mario, who is a walking talking encyclopedia of everything Sicilian.

To join us on this adventure, do have a look at the full itinerary HERE and book soon!!!

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Arbor Vitae

Art for Divination?

A Sicilian Adventure!

Fabriano, Sicily and where next?

Drawing on our differences

Painting in Sicily this May!

Jeni Caruana

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Arbor Vitae

​Art for Divination?

A Sicilian Adventure!

Fabriano, Sicily and where next?

Drawing on our differences

Painting in Sicily this May!

Jeni Caruana

Categories

Archives

Art for Divination?