Hi I’m Anita Minelli. Welcome to my studio. This heritage farmhouse was built in 1931. It sits on the homestead next to where I grew up in the Shiningbank Lake area in central Alberta, and it has been in my family for a few generations. It has been the backdrop for many beautiful family wedding photos, and now it houses some of my creative projects.

As summer comes into full bloom, I am completely in my element. Summer is my favorite time to collect and savor all of nature’s beauty, knowing that on some future winter day these colors and shapes will become an enjoyable art piece. My garden provides me with the homegrown inspiration and botanicals for my creative projects and artistic endeavors. 

In the spring I browse seed catalogs and books, researching the best flowers to start early. I like to choose the ones that are naturally flat as they are best for pressing. As an artist, I grow flowers that will retain their vibrant colors when hung to dry. My wonderment comes from deciding which flowers to grow and dry, and which will remain intact to study and paint. 

Watercolor is one of my main mediums. Watercolor is a very free and forgiving medium. With a half inch sable flat brush, mixed media paper, a 7″x 9″ Canson journal and a Peerless watercolor palette, my practice is very portable. I have studied and played with all the techniques of watercolor, wet on wet and dry on wet. I enjoy the flow of color mixing with water to achieve an outcome as close to the flowers natural color as I can. With the dried or fresh specimen in hand, all the little details can be observed and then captured in this easy way. This process has helped me develop my own art style. From my art journal pages comes a season’s worth of brainstorming, drawings, and paintings, all leading me into new creative territory.

Another love of mine is quilting.  I’ve learned the basic construction of traditional quilts, auditioning fabrics, their color and the print scale. Combining all these processes is soulful work for me. I love experimenting with natural dyes and fabric, then finding what color value and tones can be achieved.  All these natural dried fibres work wonderfully in the mixed media of mini – quilts, as they are designed to tell a story of transformation. 

I hope you can find some inspiration through my ideas. Have a wonderful summer!

Photography by Jordan Conarroe of Jordan Conarroe Originals

MORE BEAUTIFUL STORIES OF CREATIVITY:

• Old Shed, Gold Shed 
• Spring Centrepiece With Naturally Dyed Eggs & Pussy Willow Nest
• An Unexpected Bloom with Gemma James-Smith