Kingston Artist, Portia “Po” Chapman Completes Over 45 Art Pieces in 18 Months
It is difficult to believe, but it is true. I had lost track. How funny is that!? As they say: “It never feels like work when you love what you do.” I guess, when not sleeping, I am creating. With that said, I often wake up suddenly with an art project idea and quickly sketch it down on a pad of paper that I keep on my bedside table. So, maybe I am working, even in my dreams.
Also, since my 25th birthday in April 2022, I have had a lot of life altering things happen. My family and I moved our home from Belleville to Kingston, and I received a couple new teaching positions. As both a treat and necessity, I even bought my first vehicle. Although the move had its challenging moments, it provided me with space for a small gallery, a bright meeting space and mural painting room, plus a rough space for wood working and drum building. I like to make most of my own hardwood stretchers and like to stretch my own canvas. This winter, I will be able to use a wood steamer that I built in the summer. I can’t wait to bend my drum frames and circular painting stretchers. As you can imagine, life as an artist is never boring.
As an emerging artist it is really exciting as my art is growing in popularity. While preparing competition documents for a current mural commission, I put together a snapshot of my most recent art and art-related projects. As strange as it may sound, I surprised myself. I knew that I had been busy, but when I compiled it in a list, I was like: “Wow, I guess I have done a lot.” The following is the rough list that I compiled. You can read more about these projects in my CV.
29 Freelance Commissioned Pieces:
– 7 digital web icons – Queen’s University
– 1 painted drum – Queen’s
– 2 painted drums – Private Commission
– 2 exterior murals – Base31
– 1 interior mural – Base31
– 5 Sensory Garden signs – Base31
– 2 digital border templates – Base31
– 1 interior mural – Queen’s
– 1 book cover digital to print image – Broadview Press
– 5 title page digital to print images – Broadview Press
– 1 logo digital to web and print – Kingston School of Art
– 1 logo digital to web and print – WEYTK Communities Inc. (B.C.)
3 Philanthropic Art Donations:
– 1 painting – QAC/Parrott Art Gallery
– 1 art print stone lithograph – PEC South Shore Joint Initiative (created 2018)
– 1 painting – PEC SSJI
3 Gallery Showings:
– “Must We Wear Heals” sculpture / cast (created 2017) – Parrott Art Gallery
– “Emergence: Future Unknown” painting – QAC / Parrott Art Gallery
– “Drumming Sounds of Colour” 15 piece solo painted drum exhibit – Parrott Art Gallery
Additional Fall 2023 Art and Art-Related Projects:
– 5 Sensory Garden signs – Base31
– 3 large painted drums – WEYTK
– Mural reveal presentation – Base31
– Drum exhibit art talk – Parrott Art Gallery
– Concurrent Education seminar leader – Queen’s
– Artist in Community presentation and workshop leader – Queen’s
– Nursing medical textbook cover
– Drum creation for spring show & sale
– Ongoing paintings
Art Teaching:
– Elementary online Itinerant Art Teacher – ALCDSB
– Grades 9 & 10 Visual Art PECI
– Grades 9 – 12 Visual Art – Regi & HC, ALCDSB
– 5 monthly Creation Stations – Agnes Etherington Art Centre
– 1 March Break Art & Sports Camp – Agnes
– 1 Summer Art & Sports Camp – Agnes
– 1 digital online video children’s story book – Youtube
Additional Art Training:
– Teaching Gr 12 Media Art – University of Windsor
– Teaching International Baccalaureate Visual Art – University of Windsor
Features:
– Kingston in Focus
– QAC Umbrella (this winter 2024)
– QAC Member Spotlight
– County Arts Member Spotlight
Volunteer:
Tett Centre for Creativity and Learning, Kingston – Training November 2023
Love Art by Po 
