Stella Jurgen
Fine Artist, Illustrator, Cartoonist, Graphic Designer, Fashion Designer and Jazz Singer
TV Producer and Host, Fine Artist, Illustrator, Cartoonist, Graphic Designer, Fashion Designer and Jazz Singer
I am a Canadian Artist, born in Buenos Aires, Argentina from Portuguese and Italian roots. My maiden name is Stella Maris Boturao, my father is Hildebrando de Oliveira Boturao and my mother Lavinia Cavicchia Boturao. I was raised in Portugal and later in life I immigrated to Canada with my family. I am well known for my choice of vibrant palettes and provoking themes that reflect my sparkly personality and multi-cultural background. With a musical experience in teen-pop recordings and strong passion for the arts I am a versatile, well-rounded artist. My creative talents include painting, illustrating, urban sketching, photography, videography, fashion and accessories design. In 1998 I founded 17 Designs, a graphic design and websites company with my husband Norm Jurgen. 17 Designs is the recipient of the Mississauga Business Enterprise Centre Award in 2001. Our business was rooted in Mississauga, later moved to Oakville and now is located in Tillsonburg. I took on a challenge to expand my skills in multi-media environment with MDC Media Group as the Artistic Director. MDC encompasses a weekly newspaper, monthly and quarterly magazines, music production, TV and Radio. I was the cartoonist for the Milénio Stadium Portuguese newspaper and I produced and hosted a weekly TV show titled “Stella’s Studio” on Camões TV for three years. The need to include music in my life is expressed as a jazz vocalist with the quartet “Jazz Plazma” in the GTA and with the band “Stella Jurgen and the Swing of Things” in the Oxford, Norfolk, Brant and Elgin Counties. I was nominated for the following awards: Mississauga Marty’s in the emerging fashion category, the Waterfront Award in the Arts and Culture category, the Mississauga Music Award in the Best Local Promoter category and winner of the International Portuguese Music Awards 2022 (IPMA) for the best music video, direction and production of the animation to the song “Lisbon” by Peter Serrado, produced by MDC Music.
How Do I Do It?
Acrylic, Oil, Mixed Media, Textile, Digital, NFT Art & Print
When I paint, I work with all mediums in an eclectic and diverse style. Many of my recent and most popular pieces are pop-art full of colour and emotion. My love for creating art began since I can remember. It all started with pencil, markers, ink, and airbrush, but quickly progressed to oil and acrylic paints. Recently, I have been printing my artwork on textiles and experimenting with applications on wearable items. I have also challenged myself to design and produce clutch leather purses that are made in Canada with unique hand painted motifs.
When I illustrate, my mind has no boundaries and my techniques are varied. I use traditional mixed media and digital artwork manipulation. To see my NFT artwork collections for sale click here: https://opensea.io/StellaJurgen
When I produced and hosted my weekly TV show Stella’s Studio on Camoes TV, I recruited and scheduled guests to interview or visited events and galleries. I wrote the content/script for 30 minutes episodes, designed the stages and screens, gathered b-row material, edited and made special animations. I prepared images and promo videos for social media. Stella’s Studio aired on Bell Fibe channel 659, Rogers 672 and Ignite TV 880. To watch my episodes that are now online click here: https://camoestv.com/category/producoes/stellas-studio/
My Exhibits
Greater Toronto Area
My paintings, illustrations, textiles and purses have been exhibited at the Mississauga Living Arts Centre, Bradley Museum, Abrigo Centre, Consulate General of Portugal, Alberto de Castro Gallery, Artworld Fine Art Gallery, Pixie Blue Studio, The Peach Gallery, Engel & Volkers Oakville, Season’s and Cork’s Restaurants in Oakville, Outdoor Kulture, Pazan Gallery, The Fashion Circuit 2021, Station Arts Centre, Art Emporium in Port Stanley and Beachville Museum in Beachville.
To see a video of the Fashion Circuit 2021 where I presented ten gowns on the runway click here: https://camoestv.com/producoes/stellas-studio/stellas-studio-ep102-fashion-circuit-series-2021-mario-henriques/
Where Am I?
Tillsonburg, Ontario
More recently, my husband Norm and I moved to the vibrant and rapidly growing town of Tillsonburg where we continue to operate our Art | Graphic | Web Development studio of 25 years – 17 Designs. My paintings and purses can be found for sale at the Station Arts Centre, one of the oldest buildings in town that once served the The Great Western Railway. I am very happy to say I recently sold a few paintings at the historic train station and I am thrilled to participate on their board of directors. My jewelry and purses are also for sale in the touristic town of Port Stanley at the local Art Emporium. Please Contact Me if you would like more information about a particular piece of art.
