Pet Portrait Steps

 

A commission for a dog portrait came about this summer.  I got to learn a little about the breed Chow Chow and reach out to the spirit of BEAR through oil paint. I hoped to catch his furry magnificence and his personality essence. 

Felt BOHO Bag

 

'A labor of FELTED LOVE!'... Yes, indeed I discovered the process of wet felting to be physical work. Lots of bashing, squishing, rubbing, and rolling, is the perfection of shrinking wool to the size while shaping the form.

Art Deco Sketchbook Studies

 

Art Deco or otherwise known as Le Style 25 started with the luxuriant French school of design that got a lot of attention during the 1925 Paris World's Fair. Today, many of us love Art Deco in its fluidity of curvy designs that have been used to decorate our homes, objects d'art, and architecture.

Abstract Art Gallery

 

Abstract Art is the releasing of a creative flow going for an adventure with various mediums and surfaces expressing shapes, colors, and textures.

Abstract Black & Color Pens

 

Creating art on a black surface brings POP, mystery, and the opportunity to use brilliant colors.

One Painting 15 years to Completion

 

A question often asked of artists is, "How long did it take to finish a work of art?". 'The Empress Moon Meditates Upon the Rose of Gratitude' answer... 15 years including changes along the way. 

Curriculum Vitae for Minaz Jantz

In the Curriculum Vitae, you will see an art education that is built up over years of attending private instructors, colleges, and art schools, to study and learn methods to the ongoing madness that challenges me as an artist and to keep pushing the comfort zones. 

Garden Inspired Art

 

Growing a garden for food and for viewing pleasure is only part of what gardens offer. I like keeping a camera close for the opportunity to capture moments for garden-inspired art. The Two Spotted (Bombus Bimaculatus) bumblebee comes to work daily on the chives & Egyptian Walking Onion Flowers!

Diversify Drawing Tools

 

Is not variety the spice of life that gives all its flavor? Drawing doesn't have to be all about pencils. Any tool that makes marks is possible for drawing in such a way that is unique to express shapes, colors, and textures.

Clairefontaine PastelMat Paper Review

 

Clairefontaine PastelMat Paper is made in France but found its way to Nova Scotia.  I won two sets of this brand of pastel paper with an online auction... SCORE! I have never seen this paper in any of the local art stores or have used it before and was excited to try out a new pastel surface.

Holbein Acrylic Gouache Review

 

This winter I enjoyed playing with the new 5 Color Holbein Acrylic Gouache set while always looking for a product that performs well with multi-media artworks adding pens & watercolor. Turns out Holbein Acrylic Gouache has unique attributes that combine the durability of acrylic paint & the mat surface quality for a finish like traditional water-based gouache.

Drawing From Politics

Captain Terrible & Jab His Worm; is a symbolic satire painting of political insanity. I add a splash of color and a twist of humor to sort out the bull crap of our country's leadership ruled by a delusional spoilt MAN/BOY using tactics to destroy the Canadian spirit of freedoms that is stated in our national song. That's my take... this is my art.

Derwent XL Graphite & Strathmore Artagain Drawing Paper

 

Derwent XL Graphite Blocks & Strathmore Artagain Drawing Paper are two art products I recently purchased for expanding my drawing skills. The result of these two products is my whimsical drawing titled, 'There is a Unicorn in my Rock Garden'.

Passing of a Pet

 

Rest in Peace, Stormy, a.k.a The Bossman. 

DIY Folk Painted Pots

 

DIY handpainted FOLK POTS are transformed from repurposed coffee tins into decorative pots that enlighten a garden or home as a container to hold STUFF with a lid or for the perfect size plant pot for indoors and outdoors.

Pencil Drawing Inside Out

 

Washing dishes by hand is meditation beyond my kitchen window when peering upon the grand showcase of nature and wildlife. The window inspiration was captured with a pencil drawing inviting the viewer into my world along the east coast of Nova Scotia.

Drawing Agony & Boredom

 

Pencil and black ballpoint pen in a sketchbook.

October 2020, I decided it was time to do a liver cleanse to renew, restore and get ready for a winter season of art-making in the studio. And then the unbelievable happened to my skin!

Oil Painting Steps for Still Life

The genre of still-life paintings created by the Dutch of the 16th & 17th centuries utilized allegorical symbolism which is continued by today's artists who still represent popular objects that spark meaningful memories that define our era. 

Rock-n-Zen Garden Transformation & New Plants

Transformation is a goal for 2020 Rock-n-Zen Gardens with additional new plants and a DIY rock garden that will be a visual feature from the side window. Gardening is a personal expression of my artistic skills merging with wonderment for nature's perfection.

DIY Hand-painted Pots

Decorate the window sill with DIY hand-painted tin pots.  Transform the empty coffee tin for the perfect plant pot to display on a window sill or brighten up an open shelf to store cookies.  This one-of-kind pot is the funky sidekick to any plant or treasure stash.

Art for Charity

Charity & volunteering time and talents are my family tradition. This blog post is a memorial dedication to my MOM, Norma the volunteer.

Proverb Pillow Talk

NEW Proverb Pillow Talk series... It Takes Two... pillow design with lots to say! A month-long hand stitching extravaganza started with an idea from my sketchbook.

Crochet Hippy Purses

Groovy Baby! Fashion is FUN. What started out as lessons crocheting squares, later were fashioned into my chic hippy purses that softy caress the hips with a splash of colorful distraction!

Music Man Pillow

Music Man Pillow is my latest creation for my musician-songwriting mate. Sewing and hand stitching pillows are a way to personalize my comfy gift. 

Silk Nuno Felt Scarves

Nuno felt is a textile combining roving wool and gauze-like silk with the method of rolling and wetting until the wool fibers felt into the silk fabric creating a flexible textile that has a luxurious surface. 

Fish Myth Light Box

Fishing for Myth LightBox: gathering collectible found objects, my creative juices flow with layers of paper and drawing with Exacto blades to cut out a tale of 'The Big One That Got Away'. 

DIY Closet Transformation

No need to spend BIG BUCKS for DIY transformation for home decor. One pint of mineral paint for $20.00 and a couple new ceramic knobs for $10.00 with two days to spare, and at the end of all that effort was a cleaned-out coat closet and a fresh new look to our beach house entrance.

Creative Fine Art Framing

There are many ways to frame art creatively with the ultimate need to preserve the original artwork using acid-free framing materials.

Goat Pastel Portrait

Turning the corner of winter, March was time to shake off the winter blues and dust 22 pet portraits to showcase SMILES in the reading room of the newly renovated Musquodoboit Harbour Library. Also on May 27th in the community workroom, I demonstrated the unique qualities of pastel, starring, 'Flower Bud is my Name'.

Revamp Older Artworks

Time to celebrate my years of past, add a dash of change, contemplate thy art children & put them into their new archival frames. It is an artist's prerogative to revamp older artworks and update a FRESH layer using matured skills and new mediums.