Donna Andreychuk Inspirations

To expand upon our Artist Studio Project, Canvas Gallery asked Delaware, ON artist Donna Andreychuk a few questions to find out what's been keeping her creativity flowing over the past month of self-isolation, including what she's been making, cooking, drinking, reading, listening to and her view of the world. She shared her story along with some beautiful imagery and videos of the things that keep her inspired. 

Most of my time is spent at home. I can safely isolate here, but I am distracted and worried, and at times, shockingly calm. I live in a lovely home with space, my fantastic husband, a beautiful yard and the best dog ever. We have no shortage of food and drink.

This is an afternoon view. Usually cocktail hour (on the days we have cocktails) we have a HomePod and Siri plays whatever we ask. There has been a lot of John Pryne of late, and I have listened to him all of my adult life. Rick did not. So we both found that interesting. I am more of folk girl I guess.

We both love Jazz, and rock. I love love love choral music, so Sundays are a good CBC day for that. 

I listen to the CBC at the studio a lot, but most painting is done in silence. Some people will enjoy a glass of wine when they paint, I don’t, coffee yes. My son had a Kurig machine that he wasn’t using, so I use it at the studio now. Its perfect for there as I come and go. 

A new palette from a few weeks ago...

My drink of choice as Megan knows is a Pinot Grigio, the dryer the better. I seem to be looking forward to my wine more often these days. Honestly, who isn’t?

Red Wine Spritzer

White Wine with Blueberries

White Wine Spritzer, my favourite blanket, my dog, a bird feeder, and sunshine.

We had a waterfall feature installed about five years ago. We had to take it all apart this spring move rocks and patch leaks etc., but it’s like brand new now. 

A painting of My Mom .... always in the studio looking out for me and our family.

My upstairs hallway...

Some reading material...

A sketch of my dog..

Salad in cousin Wanda's pottery, farm fresh scrambled eggs, oatmeal, & White Fish with mango...

And finally, some inspirational words spoken from the artist herself, including one of her latest gorgeous landscapes.

"Immersed in Nature" oil on canvas, 48" x 60" $4900

Thank you Donna for providing us with a peek into your life and all of the things keeping you inspired. We love you and your beautiful art, which inspires us!

To view available works by Donna Andreychuk, please visit www.canvasgallery.ca.

Celeste Keller Inspirations

To expand upon our Artist Studio Project, Canvas Gallery asked Toronto artist Celeste Keller a few questions to find out what's been keeping her creativity flowing over the last few weeks during self-isolation. She shared her story along with beautiful photos so we could have a peek into her life & inspirations.

What is your window on the world these days …are you in your studio, or social distancing at home? 

My husband, Tim Malonie and I have lived and worked together for the past 15 years. Tim owns a concierge-style, renovation business. We’ve been living in our current home for the past 14 years and over the years, Tim has sculpted our property into a live/work haven. I have my painting studio and Tim has his workshop and music studio, so we have plenty of places to hide out when we get on each other’s nerves.Thankfully, my husband Tim does all the cooking. He’s a fantastic cook! He never follows a recipe and can always make a delicious meal with whatever we have in the fridge and/or in the pantry. He makes the best salsa and his sushi is amazing, too. 

What is your favourite view out of your window …. morning or night? 

Morning is my absolute favourite time of the day, each day presents a new beginning. I love the views into our backyard gardens, although they aren’t so pretty at this time of year.

We woke up to this guy in our tree yesterday morning…

What are you cooking/eating/baking …. loaded nachos? Chips? Cookies? …. or sourdough bread! 

Thankfully, my husband Tim does all the cooking. He’s a fantastic cook! He never follows a recipe and can always make a delicious meal with whatever we have in the fridge and/or in the pantry. He makes the best salsa and his sushi is amazing, too.

What are you drinking ….. lattes, tea….. a martini? 

Coffee is my go to drink. We buy green beans and roast them ourselves, which makes for a pretty amazing cup of coffee. 

What are you creating ….. drawings, sketch books, poems, sewing?

I’m continuing to work on my underwater, self portraits. I have so many photos to pull from and the quarantine time, although stressful, has relieved a lot of the regular daily stresses, opening up some creative breathing space. I’m still grounded in realism, but trying to think in more abstract ways.

What are you listening to ….. news? ugh….or jazz/pop?…. What's your go-to creative music? 

I’m limiting the amount of news I watch. I take in just enough to stay informed, but not too much to stay hidden away under the covers. I love the BBC’s Graham Norton Show and watch it  whenever I can. It’s so funny and mood enhancing. As for music, I’m completely in love with the album ‘Passages’ by Justin Rutledge. His remarkable talent is a great studio companion. I’m reading Twyla Tharp’s ‘The Creative Habit’. It’s a self-help book for the creatively challenged. I find it especially motivating during these unprecedented times where self-starting is essential to staying mentally and physically well. I highly recommend it.

Thank you Celeste for sharing your world & your beautiful paintings with us all.

To view available works by Celeste Keller, please visit www.canvasgallery.ca.

Kaitlin Johnson Inspirations

As a continuation of our Studio Project, we checked in on Oakville, ON artist Kaitlin Johnson to see what's been keeping her busy & inspired during her weeks of self isolation, including what she's been creating, cooking, and her window view. She replied with a fantastic video to illustrate her story.

Kaitlin: I’m lucky my studio is in the house so that I’m able to work during this time. I’m trying not to push myself too hard and just doing little bits whenever I can. I’ve been working on some abstract pieces lately, letting myself explore and seeing what comes up. I normally have music blaring while I’m working but it’s been quiet in my studio – so I can hear what everyone’s up to upstairs!

Definitely need at least two to three cups of coffee with cream first thing in the morning to get me going. There’s been lots of snacking to keep morale high and I’ve been doing quite a bit of baking with my kids, so trying to balance that with getting exercise everyday. 

I love opening the blinds early in the morning so I can see people walking by and the sun starting to come up. Just finding ways to feel connected and stay positive through this time.

Thank you for sharing Kaitlin! We love watching you create your bright, floral acrylic beauties.

To view available works by Kaitlin Johnson, please visit www.canvasgallery.ca.