Artist Spotlight: Peter Etril Snyder

“If you can see it, you can paint it,” says Pine Ridge Art’s newest artist Peter Etril Snyder.

 Anyone who follows his work realizes that he takes on many unusual commissions, his most extraordinary being the creation of a dinosaur (Parasaurolophus) painting for the Earth Sciences Museum at the University of Waterloo.

Commissioned Painting for Earth Sciences Museum

Peter’s paintings are influenced by his Waterloo childhood. Both of his grandfathers were Mennonite farmers and were regular vendors at the Waterloo market, which stood in the spot now occupied by the Waterloo Public Library. His small town and Mennonite background, riddled with practicality and rural interest, sparked the starting point for a singular career in painting and presenting his work to the public in his own gallery.

Peter and his wife have travelled to many parts of the world, including parts of Europe, North and South America, Africa, the South Pacific, New Zealand and even Iceland. His travels have brought him many new and interesting ideas.

“For me the act of painting is a pleasant puzzle. I relish the challenge of manipulating the visual information. My attempts are to create something that rings the artistic bell inside me. I remake or transform topics through my aesthetic insight.  Only after I have had my way with the elements of a painting, am I ready to offer it out to others.”

Pine Ridge Art
Vertical Calendar

For over forty years Peter has specialized in paintings of the more conservative Mennonite communities. His paintings of the horse-powered groups are by far the most interesting. They represent a historic view of what used to be in Ontario but still exists in this little piece of the Waterloo region.  It hasn’t been easy to make contact with many of the individuals in these conservative groups because of their wish to be left alone and their reluctance to be photographed. It has required a great deal of time to build even a small bridge of trust. Peter values the friendships that he has built up over the years with many of these folks.

Peter loves working with people who paint and encourages fans of his artwork to email him with questions or comments. He finds it very interesting to hear the many remarks about his work and how his paintings relate to each individual’s personal experiences. He is so adamant in helping that he serves as a mentor through “Painting Doctor.” He offers a free-email service to any painter who wishes help with their work. Peter has been providing this service since January 2010 and enjoys it very much.

For more information on Peter Etril Snyder please visit his website at www.snyder-gallery.com

Monday Morning Giggle

Classy People™ Card #9794

Good morning! Hope everyone had a great weekend. We know its not always the greatest feeling to be back to work on a Monday morning. Let us help you brighten up your day by tuning in every week on our Facebook page for Pine Ridge Art’s Monday Morning Giggle. Our first post features artwork by Alice Hinther.

Mother's Day Gift Ideas

Classy People™Cards - Artwork by Alice Hinther

Mother’s Day is right around the corner.  We’ve made it easy for you to find a memorable gift with these terrific ideas.

You can never go wrong with a personalized greeting. Choose from several of these clever and humorous cards from the Classy People™

card line.

For the Mom on the Go

Travel Mug

Choose from a wide array of vibrant images. Each mug holds a generous 16oz serving. Our Thermal Travel Mugs have a secure travel lid, and a stainless steel interior ensuring that her drink is piping hot or arctic cold throughout the day while she’s in or out of the office.

Travel Mugs - Artwork by Nel Whatmore
and Louise Cunningham

Slim Journal - Artwork by Nel Whatmore

Slim Journal

This hard cover journal’s compact size makes it perfect for taking on the go. A glossy finish, adding shine and texture, enhances the vivid cover artwork. Details we love are the 176 lined pages, a handy magnetic clasp and a ribbon bookmark.

Mouse Pad Planner - Artwork by Nel Whatmore

For the Tech
Savvy Mama

Mouse Pad Planner

Add something pretty amongst all of the high tech products she currently owns. These 55 sheet Mouse Pad Planners will compliment any work environment. It features a perpetual date pad with lots of room for notes, as well as a non-slip backer.

Stoneware Mug - Artwork by Nel Whatmore

For the Calm and Collected Mommy

Stoneware Mug

She won’t want to miss her morning coffee in these stunningly colourful mugs. Each Stoneware Mug holds a generous 16 oz serving of her favourite beverage.

Tea-for-One

These tea-for-one sets are sure to put a smile on her face. They are so cute and each set comes with an inspiring message such as “A family is nature’s masterpiece,” “Cherish forever what makes you unique,” and “Take time to enjoy the little things.” Its hard to choose a favourite!

Tea-for-One - Artwork by Amanda Hillier

Hopefully these ideas have helped you out and if not… Just remember to show your mom just how much she means to you. As long as she feels loved and appreciated that’s all that matters.  

Organize in Style

If chaos is overpowering your life leaving you feeling messy and overwhelmed as a result, its time to get organized! Being organized takes time but with these tips and tricks life can become much easier.

Tip # 1 - Use a Calendar

Obtain a calendar and put it in a place where you see it every day during the mornings. Try to keep your calendar close at hand when sorting through papers. You’ll find that you can file or even toss announcements for an event if it’s recorded on your calendar. Calendars can remind you to do things on time and there’s no need to rely on stacks of documents.

2014 Bold and Beautiful Desk Calendar by Nel Whatmore

Spectrum Collection 2014 Planners

Tip # 2 – Use a Planner

Planners are especially useful if you have a lot of appointments and have trouble keeping track of your schedule on a day-to-day basis. It’s easy to carry a planner with you for frequent consultation. A bonus of having a planner is being able to fit more information! Take a peek at Pine Ridge Art’s Spectrum Collection 2014 Planners. For all of you fashionistas out there, several of the luxurious faux leather trendy colours such as Jade, Cobalt, Lemongrass, Persimmon and Brick Red are very similar to the featured colours found in Pantone’s Fall 2013 report. These planners contain 13 months including January 2015. Other features we love include a ribbon bookmark placeholder, an elastic ribbon for secure closure, and a memento pouch to use as an organized repository for papers, business cards, and receipts.

Spectrum Collection Journals

Tip # 3 – Write it Down

Anything and everything you need to remember should be written down. It’s a good idea to carry a journal and pen with you at all times in order to write things down as they come to you. Record, phone numbers, appointments, birthdays, shopping lists, and things to do, and record them where you can easily find and refer to them when you need it. Pine Ridge Art’s stylish Spectrum Collection Journals come with 192 pages of lined paper – perfect for taking notes. Take time to organize those receipts or store those tickets, photos and special keepsakes using the special pouch found on the back.  

Store those phone numbers using our upbeat and colourful address books featuring 12 alphabetic, laminated index tabs. This small binder easily adds or subtracts pages and its universal icons identify the contact information.

Spectrum Collection Address Books

Tip # 4 – Make Lists

Make a to do list for your day. Create a daily or immediate list, a to do list for the week and for the month. Need visual initiative to write those lists? Our vast array of list pads should help you out.

With a little time and perseverance you are well on your way to having that organized life. For more inspiration view our Pinterest board for office organization ideas including stationery and accessories.

Springing into Pinterest

It felt like it would never come but the first day of spring is finally here. To celebrate we’ve rounded up a few of our favourite spring themed images on our newly created Pinterest site. You may be wondering – what is Pinterest? Think of it as a  virtual bookmark to organize your interests.  You can visit our site to find out more about our artists, colour trends and things which inspire us.  Check out our first board posting “Spring is in the Air.”  Have a great day and happy pinning!

Click on the image to view our page.

Spring's Renewal

His paintings hang in many homes around the world. People who’ve met him are surprised at how humble and grounded he is. Perhaps this is because Mark Keathley is one of the brightest stars on the art world’s horizon. Everywhere he has gone, he has found great acceptance for his work.

When he was nineteen he attended a small one man show in his college art class and saw, for the first time, someone selling artwork. This was all it took for his renewed interest in painting. Mark was determined to learn more and painted for twelve to fourteen hours a day, six days a week! Within a year he found that many people were beginning to collect his work.

Clockwise from top left: Stoneware Mug, Slim Journal and Coasters

Pine Ridge Art features a variety of products with Mark’s “Spring’s Renewal” artwork. The second of the Seasons of Life series, this painting portrays that spring is a gentle reminder of the new life that comes after the cold and grey winter.

Click on the video below to hear what Mark has to say about this beautiful painting.

For more information on Mark’s work including Painting Workshops and Artwork demos, visit his website at www.markkeathley.com.

Laughing Out Loud!

Classy People™by Pine Ridge Art's clever greeting cards have struck a chord with customers and many local and national card and gift stores. Talented artist Alice Hinther has been featured in Ottawa at Home's Winter 2013 publication. Find out how it all started by clicking on the article below.

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Ottawa at Home
16 Feb 2013