Octopus Studios

Jennifer Mitton. I’m a romantic-impressionist oil painter and writer. I joined Octopus Studios from Parker and Portside Studios. I love this studio: I’m upstairs with a big window, lots of artists always at work here. If I want to draw people I walk across the street to Oppenheimer park. My big news in 2015 was to receive the honour of signature status at the Federation of Canadian Artists. This was a wonderful milestone for me. In other happenings my seascape, Quicksilver Sky, Tofino, won 2nd Prize in the Landscape Show at the FCA. I’ve been painting big, 36x48” and as usual oil on canvas. Evening Shore, Tofino, was my contribution as a juror to the Scenes from Western Canada show in September and another big one, Crashing Surf was selected for the Icon show in October. Jennifer still shows at Arts Off Main Gallery, on 28th Ave. at Main St. I’ve also been continuing sketching and writing little stories. And of course I continue to draw and paint at Basic Inquiry Life Drawing. I host the session on Sunday afternoon, and all all welcome to drop in. Drawing live models at Basic Inquiry Life Drawing is at the heart of my art practice. For me, staying in shape with drawing is essential to creating a painting even if I don’t happen to outline or use the point of a brush. My first intensive training was with Ted Seth Jacobs at his art school, L’Ecole Albert Defois, in France (named after the mayor of the town.) That is where I met my husband, figurative artist Cyprian Libera. (Our 20 year old is studying biology, and she did get my writing bug.) Later I went on to study with Antony Ryder, Michael Grimaldi, and more recently with artists such as Stephen Early, from Studio Incamminati. Closer to home I’ve got degrees from UBC and Emily Carr and in 2015 I took a short workshop with Ingrid Christensen.