Stella Jurgen

Who Am I?

Fine Artist, Illustrator, Cartoonist, Graphic Designer, TV Producer and Host, 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 Jazz Quartet in the Oxford, Norfolk, Brant and Elgin Counties.

I was nominated for the 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/

Where Am I?

Tillsonburg, Ontario

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 are for sale at the Tillsonburg Station Arts Centre.  My jewelry and purses are for sale in the touristic town of Port Stanley at the local Art Emporium gift and boutique.  And recently, my work has been in exhibition and for sale at the Arca Gallery The One in Lisbon, Portugal.   Please contact me if you would like more information about a particular piece of art.

My Exhibits

Art Comp 2024
100 Kellogg Lane, London, ON

I am one of the 100 selected artists to compete at the Art Comp 2024 with my first 3D installation titled “Consumed”.  My piece creates curiosity and awareness.  How big is the footprint that impacts the environment when one person consumes goods for one year that are packaged with plastic, cardboard and foam?

This installation consists of a gown made with recycled and non-recyclable packaging of products that I consumed during one year.  It represents the oceans with plastic flora, the earth in bloom with printed cardboard, and the sky filled with foam stars.  The long train represents the carbon footprint that was left behind — 18 ft long x 9 ft wide x 6 ft tall.  The installation also includes a painting of 40″ w x 60″ h (oil on canvas) that represents a mirror reflecting the beauty of circular economy.  Materials used in packaging and in clothing are repurposed into other products and put back into the market.  The message is clear, we need to re-think our choices when purchasing products taking into consideration the recycling aspect of their packaging.  Click here to learn more about “Consumed” by Stella Jurgen at Art Comp 2024.

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, Oakville Museum, Pazan Gallery, The Fashion Circuit 2021, Station Arts Centre, Art Emporium in Port Stanley, Beachville Museum in Beachville, Annandale National Historic Site Museum in Tillsonburg and The One Art Gallery in Lisbon, Portugal.

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/