Newton artist Jennie Traill Schaeffer awarded residency to paint bigger

NEWTON, NJ: From the beginning of November to the end of April, Peters Valley provides residency opportunities for practicing artists. These residencies may be one or two months in duration and provide a heated room and access to a heated studio. Included among the artists this year will be Jennie Traill Schaeffer from Newton, NJ.

Many people have asked the artist why she would want to leave her home, husband, and puppy for a month. Her response was, “It’s a period of time to paint without distractions. I’ve had visions of working larger and I don’t have the space to develop work on such a grand scale.” Schaeffer normally divides her time painting her own work, creating commissioned pieces, teaching private lessons and promoting herself.

Since committing to the month-long residency funded by the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation and the New Jersey State Council of the Arts, Schaeffer canceled her classes and will not accept commissions during January to take full advantage of this opportunity.

Though computer access will be limited at Peters Valley, Schaeffer hopes to regularly post updates on her blog, Emerging Artist, so the public can follow her progress. Schaeffer intends on starting a new series of works painted on three by five foot canvases, gigantic to her usual eight by ten inch paintings. The artist has become known for her tongue in cheek portrayals of vintage kitchen appliances, which she will develop further in these larger works.

Named “Best New Artist” in 2006 by the Sussex County Arts & Heritage Council, Schaeffer is an emerging artist who exhibits in the NYC metro area, with work located in a growing number of private collections including Mountain Creek, Vernon, NJ. Her work has earned several awards, notably from Syracuse University, the Somerset Art Association, and the Sussex County Arts & Heritage Council. She was lauded by the Village Voice and published in the New York Times.

For more information about the artist, visit her web site, www.traillworks.com or go to her blog Emerging Artist, www.traillworks.blogspot.com.