I most certainly am taller than a dandelion.

March 13-15, 2026 was my very first art walk, and it set the bar high! But, if I'm being honest, I'm not a big fan of new experiences that involve crowds, noise, or malls in sketchy-ish parts of the city, or the city in general. I also don't love small talk, meeting new people all at once, and music is wonderful, but only when I can control the volume. The art walk promised to have all those things and more. Also, I get overstimulated and exhausted in a very short amount of time, and at the best of times conversation (even with my favorite people) has the power to drain what little energy I have at a ridiculous speed. Needless to say this neuro-spicy person was a little nervous how this Artwalk would go, and wondered what the heck she was thinking being involved. Despite the challenges I assumed I would have, it went SO well, and I learned (once again) I should never assume. My biggest concern was there wouldn't be enough organization, or communication regarding the event. Let me tell you though that from the moment I was accepted to the show, the owner and team from the NOA art gallery were a dream to work with. Emails were sent out early on, and contained the exact information I needed regarding every step of the event from unloading Thursday night to take down Sunday; there were plenty of reminders and help available if I had questions. That's just the way I like it if I'm going to venture out of my comfort zone...I want clear, and concise direction and more information than I need.

The other reason it went well is that I thankfully had a corner booth beside a pillar. I had a plan on how to set up my 4 by 12 foot booth space, but of course once you actually get into the space it's a tad different, and you realize that you did not account for the legs of your grid walls taking up most of the 4ft length, so you need to make adjustments. That wonderful pillar allowed me to turn my table so my booth was the shape of an L. Without it, my table would have been sticking out into the hallway, and there was definitely emphasis to stay within your 4 x 12 boundary so as not to impede hallway traffic. I'm not one to ignore rules, but thankfully humans are not able to walk through pillars...yet...so if someone really wanted to walk through that exact spot, they'd have to take it up with mall construction, not me. The reason I told you all that was because thanks to that pillar, I had a really nice open L shaped booth that did not cause my personal bubble to be encroached upon when people came to look at my art...except for that one guy...I'll get to that in a minute. Anyway, with those obstacles averted, the weekend was set up for success.

My booth!

I also wanted to take a moment to comment on how supportive, friendly, and helpful the other artists were. I received some lovely comments about my art. A few times it was mentioned that I capture strong emotion in the eyes of my wildlife portraits. Since I'm still developing my style and artistic identity, it was really interesting to hear what other people see or feel when they look at my art. It's nice to hear " I think it's really good", but it's better to hear why. I also received helpful tips for other art walks, doing prints, and so many smiles and congratulations on my first art walk. Sure, there's always the occasional artist that guards their process, keeps to themselves, or looks down their nose at the art of those just starting out like me, but I did not experience that at this particular show. Having previously been in the dog grooming industry, which is surprisingly factioned and competitive, the art industry feels like a breathe of non competitive and fun fresh air and I love that.

Though I struggle to make conversation (and don't be fooled because I have no problem writing ...I really do struggle with conversation), there are a couple topics that do get me talking and thankfully my grid walls had plenty of one topic. Not art, but animals. I truly love them, and actually fear my heart will burst one day because of it. So when people would stop to point at my horses, pileated woodpeckers, wild cats, or the English springers, I found myself thoroughly enjoying hearing peoples' stories regarding their own personal experiences with those animals. I was actually impressed that not just one, but 3 or 4 guests identified the horse breed in the two horse paintings as Icelandic Horses. They are not popular around here. And, I lost track of how many people told me about the pileated woodpeckers that visited their yard. Those birds really do leave an impression. And of course, because I was advertising pet portraits, I heard a lot about dogs...and a couple cats. A little girl asked me if her pet had to be a dog to get a portrait, and my response was "what ever you consider a pet, I will paint it". That being said...8 legged pets need not apply. 🕷️

One gentleman stopped by my booth and said "Ok, Jenna, I'm going to tell you about all my wildlife encounters" and proceeded to share about the wolf, cheetah, woodpeckers, ect that he has met. They were pretty cool stories, and on the last day of the show he returned again, promptly sitting in the empty seat beside me (belonging to my mother who was getting lunch). That was the only moment my personal bubble felt compromised. But, I didn't comment on his decision to take a seat that didn't belong to him, and invade someone's personal space. He didn't know, and I got the feeling he wouldn't care if he did. He chatted for a while before bringing up greyhounds, and asked if I was aware of how big they are. I'm not an expert, but I know my dog breeds pretty well, so I respond with "oh yeah, they're big. Almost taller than I am."

In which he responded quite bluntly, "Jenna, a dandelion is taller than you are." It caught me off guard and I genuinely did laugh because I do actually forget how short I am, and I also forget that it's likely the first thing people notice about me. "Fair enough" was my response, and after that I don't remember the conversation. However, I will clarify that I most certainly am taller than a dandelion, and if I ever meet a 5ft tall dandelion I will be sure to take a picture next to it. People are funny.

I also met a nice gentleman who works with one of the galleries in the area. I over confidently chose not to write down his name, the gallery name, or if it was Spruce Grove of Stony Plain he was from. I thought I would remember. No surprise, I immediately forgot. But it's still noteworthy to mention, because he felt I did birds very well, and if I was interested in teaching a class, this gallery has a room open for occasional art classes and he'd be the first to sign up. I've never considered myself a teacher considering I'm not a very peopley person...but it's a thought I might entertain in the future.

One thing that made my day was the little kid that took my pet portrait business card, held it out to me, and humbly asked how much it was. If you haven't seen them yet, it has a Golden Retriever on the front of it so technically, from a child's perspective it was a "piece of art". I informed him it was free, and he could take as many as he wanted. He was so excited and leaped with joy that he could have it. It made my day because it's a reminder that it's the little things in life that mean the most. As the cost of living continues to rise, and the world becomes harder to look at, that truth becomes more important to remember. I don't want to spend all my time and energy worried about making a living that I miss out on the little things around me that are often free. Those things are what have always brought me genuine joy and contentment. So if something small and free like a dog on a business card brings you joy...let it!

Before I sign off, I want to take a moment to thank everyone who stopped by whether we chatted or not. Thanks for making the art walk a success. Thank you to all my friends and family, and grooming customers who made the effort to come say hello as well. It felt good to see a friendly face in a crowd of strangers. The owners and employees were also wonderful, and supplied us with delicious food, coffee and tea throughout the weekend. Also a shout out to my mom who struggles with all the same things I do, only with over 30 more years experience. She was a great booth buddy all weekend long. They were long, overstimulating days and we're both still recovering, but she does it without complaining. Also a shout out to my sister in law for helping my mom and I set up. It took the three of us 2.5 hours Thursday night. And without her and my mom I would have been sitting there crying about how I needed a smaller table...but they helped me figure it out and assured me that no one will complain about not being able to walk through a pillar...or at least they shouldn't. She also drove a good 20 minuets either way each day to come hang out with Harley and let her outside. It's maybe not that far, but it's still an extra task in her day and Harley and I are grateful. And also a shout out for my dad who helped my mom and I take down and load and puzzle everything together in the vehicle. We were exhausted and I'm glad we had someone to help with the heavy lifting and packing. My fam jam rocks and I'm so grateful for their support! And thank you to everyone else who supported me through purchases, social media shares, comments or just the good ol' "You got this kid!" kind of encouragement. I appreciate it a whole heck of a lot!

It's amazing how all kinds of art can bring all kinds of people together, and I sincerely hope that I will be selected again to participate in the 2027 spring art walk with the NOA Gallery.

Cheers,

Jenna (and Harley)

NOA Spring Art Walk 2026