How long have you been painting?
What inspires you?
How long does it take to complete a painting? I have been asked that questions several times. It depends on a few factors. The size, the complexity of the scene, and whether it is going right at the time. For a 11x14, it generally takes ten hours. Are your paintings available to view somewhere on the Island? Yes, my paintings are for sale on my e-commerce website, on my Etsy Shop and during the summer at The Dunes, Kensington Art Cooperative, La Palette Cooperative, Little Red School House, and the Fox Den. Do you offer classes? Where, when, and the cost for a class? Yes, I have offered classes for groups and individuals. This has been reduced drastically because of Covid-19. Before it began, I offered paint night type of classes at Sleepy Hollow Correctional centre for women twice a month during the day and at the Youth Centre in Summerside once a month for residents and staff. I have also offered group classes for ‘Ladies Night Out’. This past year, I have offered classes at the East Prince Youth Development for the students. These classes are generally $30 per students with me providing all the materials to complete a painting. I have taught classes one on one guiding the student from start to finish with a painting and charge $20 per hour lasting for two hours. Having an art business also has its challenges. My biggest challenge is marketing and promoting my art and the time spent out of my studio away from my easel and instead in my office trying to market my business on my own.
About 25 years.
The scenery of Prince Edward Island is my inspiration. The sandy beaches, the unique lighthouses, and the rolling farmlands. What are your favourite subjects to paint? My favorite subjects to paint are the beautiful beaches on Prince Edward Island. I like the sand and the rich red cliffs. I find they are calming and peaceful. How do you get started with a painting? Is it an idea, a scene, something else? I get started with a painting by taking pictures when I am out exploring the Island. I may drive by a scene, and back up to take a few photos either on my phone or my camera. From there, I crop it and decide what is the best dimensions. I then print the photo off on my color printer and begin to sketch it out on a stretched canvas. It is important to get the right proportions in any painting. I begin at the top of the canvas with the sky and work my way down through the painting. I then shade and highlight where it is needed. When I think the painting is completed, I leave it for a few days so I can determine if there are extra touches that are needed. Do you prefer working on large canvases or small ones? I prefer to work on 11x14 canvas as it is easy to manage, not too big and not too small. I have painted small paintings for quick sale,
How did you get started creating artwork? I started taking an evening oil painting class that was taught by Nan Ferrier through the PEI Community School that was offered at Ellerslie Elementary School. I was hooked on painting. Afterwards, I began attending Emily Durant’s art classes once a week. I continued to take courses from other artists learning different techniques. What mediums do you work with? I started with oil as my medium of choice. I have also created some paintings in acrylic and have taught several art classes in acrylic. I have tried watercolor but find it much harder and less forgiving, but plan to challenge myself to do some more in this medium. Which do you prefer? I prefer working with oil as it is what my passion for painting originated in and I am most comfortable with. It takes several days for oil to dry, therefore, taking longer to finish a painting. I blend my colors a lot and started off working with just three colors red, blue, yellow, and white. And mixed all the colors from those. One of my instructors would not let us use black, we had to mix it as well. This was challenging, but it made me understand the importance of colour mixing.
and I have also completed much larger paintings for commission work. I presently have some large canvases that I want to challenge myself to start and complete. Do you work on more than one piece at a time? Funny you should ask. Yes, I have been known to work on three paintings at a time as this allows the other ones to dry when I am working in oils.
www.juneellis.com
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