Art Experiences with Kjaer Neletia Pedersen
Maple Ridge Artist in Residence
... register.... http://www.theactmapleridge.org
... look at Kjaer’s work: www.kovancouver.ca / atc’s: www.atcmapleridge.blogspot.com

Kjaer (care) has been a Secondary School Art Teacher for a number of years, has taught from Grades 1 to adults. She owns her own clay studio and has been successfully selling masks, murals, and tableware to galleries and private collections for a number of years. She has just started an exclusive clothing line, which is already in two major boutiques, and was accepted as an artist at Circle Craft Christmas Market this November at the new Convention Center in Vancouver. Kjaer was just recently named Artist In Residence in Maple Ridge and is offering some exciting new courses and projects.

Come play in the Mud – at the Maple Ridge Arts Center Studio
Join Kjaer Pedersen for these monthly clay classes. Classes for people who want to relax, enjoy, and creatively play with clay. They are designed to encourage everyone, including the complete beginner, to experiment with a range of pottery making techniques. Her ceramic classes are designed to help you discover, develop and use your creativity. These classes are all about hand building, even though wheel work can be demonstrated and experimented with. Various texturing, finishing, and glazing techniques are also part of the course. This class is certainly for everyone... and teachers, of all grade levels, will find Kjaer’s instructional ideas invaluable and will have projects, and lesson plans, to bring directly back to the classroom (even if your school does not have a kiln).
Sept. 20 – Oct 18 – Nov 8 – Dec 13 (gifts all ready for Christmas giving)
--- 2 separate sessions:
- morning classes from 10:00 to 12:30 or - - evening classes from 6:00 to 8:30
Cost is $25.00 per 2 ½ hour session – only $100.00 for registering for the four classes....
materials extra as there is a clay/glaze replacement charge

Artist Trading Card workshops - at Maple Ridge Arts Center Foyer
Hosted by - Kjaer Neletia Pedersen –Drop in – from 7:00 to 9:00 - refreshments available for purchase –
first Tuesday of the month = October 5, November 2, December 7, February 1, March 1, April 5
ATC night is a place for artists of all skill levels, all ages, beginner to professional, to come together in a
relaxed and welcoming environment to share ideas.... create and swap Artist Trading Cards
Please bring bits and pieces for collage - magazines, buttons, coloured paper, markers, gluesticks, scissors – or a toonie donation is appreciated otherwise for supplied materials.... note: school teachers may have a particular interest in working with Kjaer and bringing back activities to their classrooms

Group Mural
Under Kjaer’s direction, with her years of experience teaching and creating many group murals, she plans to work with a secondary school art teacher and students who have an interest in creating a clay mural for our Leisure Centre.

Empty Bowls
Kjaer looks forward to meeting other community members who would like to work with her to begin an Empty Bowls project that will focus on feeding the hungry in our community. The Empty Bowls Project is a collaborative community event that gathers together artists, school kids, community members and businesses to create a simple dinner fundraiser of entirely donated materials.
.....reach Kjaer through the Arts Center.... or at kjaerpedersen@hotmail.com ....

KJAER WILL BE SHOWING AND SELLING HER CLOTHING LINE AND SOME POTTERY AT THE HUGE ANNUAL CIRCLE CRAFT ART MARKET AT THE CONVENTION CENTER IN VANCOUVER... NOVEMBER 17 TO 21

Thank you to Babs for photographs and to Viola for modelling... my clothes just look so much better with this professional touch...

SENIOR STAR SEARCH - I have been honoured to be asked to be a judge in 2010 and 2011

What fun!!!! Such an exciting day... I was asked to judge the Senior Star Search.... and... who knew it would be such a blast... such talented people... so inspiring.... and simply FUN!!!!!....
As judges.... we were given the kitchen area for our decision making... Simply a great day.... I was also honoured to have my boys there to support ME.... lucky lucky me.....

Creating with cloth 2010

I confess... I LOVE to sew... I love love love to create... I am having so much fun just creating with cloth today....

Adding another sale item to get things moving on Etsy... all one of a kind... you snooze you lose.... crazy stupid low price because I want to move things on this new site... www.kovancouver.etsy.com

Another beautiful original piece of clothing just posted at a crazy sale price on www.kovancouver.etsy.com

Have more ideas than time right now.... and want to create some new loose tank tops to wear under my jackets..... one of the exciting projects that I am up to today...

Life is GOOD!!!! Sewing like a crazy woman today.... throwing material on the floor... free style cutting... and sewing at break neck speed.... along with a bit of Tai Chi.... and ... I FEEL good... off to meet with my girlfriends later... always cheers up my day.... a couple of drinks and a whole bunch of yak!

One of the many pieces that I made today... I decided to have an amazing sale on it to see if I can sell it right away... if not... I will take it off of etsy and put it in a boutique... it is a lovely jacket.... free flowing.... would easly fit a small/medium woman right up to an xxl...... great deal... won't last.... www.kovancouver.etsy.com

Just added another great piece to www.kovancouver.etsy.com

Raining today in beautiful British Columbia..... after days of heat and sunshine..... everything is fresh and deeply green and lucious again... smells so good....I love this weather!

I have started to post new works on etsy again... new site is: www.kovancouver.etsy.com

this beautiful blue jacket was just posted on etsy

... and... I have a new web site: www.kovancouver.ca

A TON OF

NEW

STUFF

CHECK IT OUT

BUY IT

IRON IT

HA HA

DON'T

FORGET ONE OF A

KINDS

WWW.KJAERPEDERSEN.CA

Hold on tight..... arm warmers....

The same jacket that I photographed earlier... but on the mannequin.... this jacket feels like total heaven... light weight... silk and rayon... moves and breathes with you.... heavenly!!!

A simple top to throw on over anything and/or under a jacket or wrap. Easy, comfortable... good looking wearability.

KJAER NELETIA PEDERSEN – BIO – CANADIAN ARTIST

Kjaer Neletia Pedersen proves to be a continuing work of art in progress. She was born in Owen Sound, Ontario to Kjaer, a Danish tailor and to Neletia, a strong beautiful woman of colour and substance. Kjaer grew up gleefully enjoying all of the wonders of her life...... love, dancing, art, academics.
Teaching all of her life, Kjaer has just retired after 30 wonderful years in the classroom. She has taught from Grade One to Adults, run large First Nations Alternate Programs, and, along with almost every subject area in all Grade levels, chose to teach secondary Art exclusively and joyfully for the past number of years. Kjaer and her students created wonderful massive murals together, in clay, paint, collage, and tile mosaics, along with assisting young people to earn University credit while still attending high school.
Working part time in her pottery studio, located on her own acreage, while still teaching, allowed Kjaer the creative outlet that she needed. She has successfully sold in many art galleries and her works are in private collections worldwide. Kjaer is drawn to the human face and began her serious ceramic work when she began to make clay masks, but, as everything in her life, she quickly became interested in a multitude of other related work.... playing with wall hangings, mirrors, along with various and gorgeous tableware pieces. Life is good. Kjaer shares her pleasure of having ‘eye candy’ in everyday life .... drawing ourselves back to the present moment in appreciating the finer details ... a simple bowl of soup can become a special occasion for one in a piece of art by Kjaer.
Kjaer Neletia Pedersen has an insatiable sense of enjoying a wide variety of artistic experimentation and has just recently incorporated her crazy, and admittedly somewhat obsessive passion for clothing..... in that she is always wanting and searching for unique, comfortable, artistic clothing world wide ..... Kjaer laughingly realizes that her own children didn’t even know that she could sew on a button, as she unexpectedly purchased a sewing machine only a few months ago and already has become a featured fabric artist at a world renowned shop, Bab’s Boutique on South Granville, Vancouver, and was just accepted to sell her wares at Circle Craft Christmas Show and Sale. Magical as it seems that Kjaer can sew, she recalls that in her youth, vividly remembering sitting at her father’s knee as he speed sewed......... mesmerized, awed, inspired.... learning and not realizing.
Totally excited about her new developing exclusive clothing line, Kjaer has already gone through various stages of development but, of one thing you can always be sure of... every work of art by Kjaer, both with pottery and with cloth is always one of a kind... work is freehand cut and designed so that ORIGINAL is what you will wear, place on your table, put up on your wall... when you purchase from Ko – Kjaer Originals.
Kjaer, a definite work of art in progress, and in quoting Oscar Wilde, “One should either be a work of art, or wear a work of art”, and Kjaer proves with her artistic passion that she can be both. Kjaer is sure that your chosen piece will become a fast favourite. Works of Art to Wear... Clothing for EVERY body.... Look good and FEEL even better. Enjoy!!!
Please visit my web sites: www.KOVANCOUVER.COM – WWW.KJAERPEDERSEN.CA – WWW.KJAERPEDERSEN.COM and email me at STUDIO@KJAERPEDERSEN.COM

Not the best photo of this wonderful mask that I made... but... it reminds me.... I remember when I broke my front tooth... the Dentist said that he could do nothing but pull it... I was horrified and resistant to losing my front tooth... he pulled and he yanked... and I felt like a cartoon character with this little old man Dentist almost on my body pulling.. yanking... exclaiming how hard it was to pull out this root... that he had never seen anything like it... he was sweating... he was exasperated.... then... I realized that I was holding on... holding on for dear life... holding on to MY tooth... and I knew then that I had to accept what was the inevitable and simply relax and release... let it go... the very second that I did that the poor Dentist went flying in the air across the room ... but... with total glee as he now had this tooth.... so... why am I telling myself this story... reminding myself of the amazing power of the mind... my mind... because it is time to release my much much much loved log house... allow it to go ... let another family enjoy my home as I did.... I will go up on Sunday and, along with encouraging my family to participate, let this dream that was magically manifested of mine from over 15 years ago be released... and allow my new dreams... my new exiting life begin.... it is time..... I am ready....

Demented jesus... seemed somehow the appropriate name for the mask.... a little warped...long thin mask with flowing beard.... many people wanted to buy this and my husband wanted to give it to friends as a wedding gift.... hope they like it... it is not exactly for everyone.... but a very powerful and intriguing piece....

These are the last photos that I have of my more recent works... lately I have a whole new array of beautiful new long and short jackets... hoping to find my camera battery charger - from the move that isn't near unpacked yet .....as we wait for shelves .....in order to complete the organization in our new home....

As soon as I saw this print in the fabric store - I thought of my sister... this was made with her in mind.... I made a dress to match, too.... the jacket would fit up to at least an XXL - but the dress would fit only up to an XL at most - pieces, of course, are bought and can be worn separately.... clothing that looks good, easy wear, wash and wear... and FEEL GREAT!!!!

Another beautiful jacket just made .......

This morning I created this jacket and dress.... there was a student art show at the Mission Arts Council and, as I was in charge, I wanted to dress appropriately.... I felt great and comfortable all day long... look good and feel even better in my K.O.'s - KJAER ORIGINALS - designed to live in... all of my work has been machine washed and dried... designed to ENJOY!!!!

A few more pieces.... not the ones that I did yesterday... no photos yet but back to jackets... and dresses!!! Off to the Arts Council today and.. also.... hopefully.... the very last weekend of clean-up and fix-up our log house which is now up for sale.....

I now have my sewing machine up and running... I plan to sew sew sew today.... and then meet my girlfriends.... new creations are so much fun... I plan to make some dresses and some jackets today... and something very special for a family member.... I can't wait to get started.... wake up my boys... do a quick clean with them ... and away I go.... free hand cutting and then sewing like the wind.....

A couple more beautiful, flowing tops that remind me.... that ironing would make everything look better.... I have been trying to steam the wrinkles out and it doesn't seem to be working... oh well....

Off to Vancouver today to get my sewing machine working, deliver some pieces, and maybe find more fabric.....

A couple of new creations.... off to the stores tomorrow....

I have always loved the simplicity of this mask... and the feathers I added gave it more interest... I called it simply "gettin' by" - no emotion - no real interest... just getting by... doin' OK... kinda like..... whatever....

I forgot about this mask.... double eyed.... nail spikes in head.... scary to some... beautiful to others....

I keep meaning to take pics of some of my new clothing line... K O's total knock outs.... Kjaer Originals.... coming very very soon....

San Dan... a quick sketch of my beautiful sister, Sandy.

I am still trying to get on top of this move... will it ever end.... so much to do.....

Years ago I had the absolute pleasure of working with Joel Fink - he is an amazing ceramic artist and I took a course from him creating this time consuming, picky PICKY box. I did not enjoy the process as precision is not my forte..... but, I must admit, that I am pleased that I made something as 'perfect' as this.

I then went on to work for Joel, only for a very short time, in order to acquire some studio time. I made a lot of glazes for him, tested the glazes .... and we created with clay, I actually made my first few masks of any significance in his studio, and we did quite a bit of raku firing.... which is always a total thrill ..... this piece is raku fired.