A charming art book exploring universal themes of family through 300 watercolour paintings of objects "preserved" in Mason jars.

The fragmented history of one family’s hope, challenge, failure, and persistence is beautifully depicted in this book of watercolour images by artist Joanne Thomson. Combining still-life painting with visual storytelling, Thomson presents everyday artifacts—from flowers to fruits, tools to toys, and photographs to farm equipment—and places them in, on, beside, or behind a glass jar.

Carefully gathered from the artist’s family members and the natural environments where they lived, the simple objects in this collection represent the depth and complexity of daily life. Arranged thematically, the pieces explore traditional gender roles, the issue of food security in times of scarcity, renewal and hope presented by the bounty of nature, treasures passed down through generations, and the looming presence of family secrets. Beautiful to look at and infinitely fascinating to ponder over, 300 Mason Jars is a stunning addition to any art lover’s library.

Joanne Thomson is a full-time visual artist, dividing her time between painting, illustration, teaching watercolour painting, and facilitating community art projects, including murals in Victoria and Saanich and the Beatty Biodiversity Museum Blue Whale Project. Currently, Thomson is the illustrator for Life and Death Matters, an independent publishing company that creates resources to support health care workers and individuals providing care for the dying and bereaved.

Joanne Thomson's profile page

“300 Mason Jars is a deeply thoughtful and artistic exploration of all that I hold dear—familial love, labours of love, storytelling, and love of nature. Joanne Thomson awakens one's senses and memory banks with her art and words while using humour to enliven her complicated yet familiar Canadian story.”
—Robert Bateman, artist and naturalist

“Joanne Thomson's 300 Mason Jars contains paintings and poems filled to the brim with colour and detail, providing sustenance for the many seasons of our lives. With remarkable ease, Thomson has mastered the illusionary contortions that objects in glass jars can take on. More than just realistic renditions of kitchen preserves, she adds seasonings of humour, wit, and candour that will catch the reader's breath in recognition of our shared human experience.”
—Emma FitzGerald, author of Hand Drawn Victoria and Hand Drawn Vancouver

“A poignant family memoir told poetically through watercolours of humble objects set in Mason jars, a metaphor of poverty and resilience. Jars of memories: the container and the thing contained.”
—Michael Kluckner, author-artist of The Rooming House: The West Coast in the Seventies and Surviving Vancouver

“In 300 Mason Jars, there is an immediate connection to the fragile and yet durable strength of the transparent mason jars being able to 'preserve' the delicate, transient, or factual components of our lives. The paintings have a striking composition with the use of well-planned graphic design. The simplification of detail further emphasizes the fragile and dream-like quality of each piece painted with sensitivity and commitment. The related story, told through each title and accompanying text is done with skill, insight, and passion, giving us an awareness into the intimate state of the artist’s thoughts and her artistic sincerity.”
—Margaret Roseman, award-winning artist, juror, art educator, and founder and director of the Toronto Watercolour Society

“Like an archeological dig, this charming watercolour record of objects gradually reveals the stories of a family as they weave their European roots into the soil of Canada.”
—Iris Hauser, nationally exhibited Canadian narrative painter

“Ever wish you could bottle a feeling, the essence of something experienced or imagined that stands in for something greater? Joanne Thomson accomplishes exactly this in 300 Mason Jars with beautiful watercolour images and musings that preserve and pay homage to her family’s history. A book that speaks to the heart.”
—Carol Bruneau, author of Brighten the Corner Where You Are: A Novel Inspired by the Life of Maud Lewis and No Ordinary Magic: The Art of Laurie Swim