Newton artist goes online

Newton - Technology is becoming as important as an easel and palette to today’s successful young artists Jennie Traill Schaeffer has learned this and spends about half her time in the studio painting, while the other half is spent on the computer. After months of compiling images and copy for her Web site and learning the mportance of blogging, Schaeffer of TraillWorks: Painting & Design Studio in Newton announces the completion of her Web site www.traillworks.com along with the launch of her blog, Emerging Artist www.traillworks.blogspot.com. Viewers can browse through images and learn how she works with clients to develop custom work. In addition, the events page lists locations exhibiting Schaeffer’s work, organizations she works with, and a brand new regional online arts community. Schaeffer’s blog, devotes itself to describing the life of an emerging artist. A blog is a Web site, Web-log, where people post ideas, hoping to engage community involvement. Initially, Schaeffer didn’t think she would ever blog, but she sees the value and fun in it. “I enjoy sitting down and writing about my dilemmas and joys as an artist. I consider the interests of the people reading my blog and attempt not to write about the mundane.” Schaeffer says she feels that blogging also keeps her focused on her goals and provides her an opportunity to reflect on her artwork. She posts to her blog about three days a week, often including recent drawings she’s been developing called “Coffee Hour Drawings,” sketches she completes first thing in the morning, over her cup of coffee. Additionally, posts cover time-management and the challenges of working at home. Named “Best New Artist” in 2006 by the Sussex County Arts & HeritageCouncil, Schaeffer exhibits in the New York City metropolitan area, with work located in a growing number of private collections including Mountain Creek in Vernon. Her work has earned several awards, notably from Syracuse University, the Somerset Art Association, and the Sussex County Arts & Heritage Council. She was critically lauded by the Village Voice and recently published in the New York Times. She is known for her paintings of appliances and cakes symbolizing domestic dilemmas, paintings representing Italy and her functional hand-painted tiles inspired by Italy, the Gourmet and Main Street.