Echoes

"Echoes" 36 x 36 x 2 inches

One of my favorite paintings using encaustic medium and a photograph printed on silk.

Palette Fight

I'm fighting with my palette this morning or I should say this has been going on for more than a week. Yes it is possible to do battle. My main problem is that I have fallen in love with half of the painting. How could this be when clearly my mentor stressed continually "don't fall in love with any part of your painting". My students have heard that over and over. I did fall in love with half of the painting and thus I'm struggling to make it work. Good advice I received last night..."scrape it all off". Why am I hesitating to do this? The answer is I don't know so I am writing to find out why. For the last several days, I've journaled and still not found my path to the next step. Put the painting away for a while. Though also good advice, I discovered a long time ago just how stubborn I am. So I sit here and ponder and think the best idea is to pull out paper and draw. The battle will be over soon. My second option might be to look at the painting as it stands now on the computer screen and try for objectivity. I have a solo exhibit looming out there.. maybe a reason for turmoil to arise as I delve into questions I must face to continue.

So Cool

Right now I'm sitting at the computer and enjoying the cool air. Yes it is very humid outside but my air conditioner is keeping up with the temp and humidity inside very well. So many days it has been too hot to work but of course I have anyway. Firing up the grill on those 90 degree days, not something to look forward to but on the other hand fusing the wax was faster or it seemed so.

I just finished the accompanying painting yesterday and love it. The photographs of the apples were transferred to the encaustic surface and then I had fun doing my usual creating and destroying as I make the painting. The apple tree is right outside my apartment and I've been taking photos for a few weeks now in anticipation of doing something with them. The finished product says what I wanted to say. What more can you ask?

Encaustic Talk

Ah yes, this was a truly interesting week. There was the fact that I am finally recovering from the worst viral bug in my history and I had an opportunity to talk about encaustic painting two times this past week at dk Gallery. Of all the talks I've given I think I enjoyed these the best. The audience was made up of art lovers and artists who were almost as enthusiastic as I was. Lots of questions which made my job so easy.

The "Live and Learn" series at the gallery is such a wonderful way of making art accessible. Each month since the beginning of the year an artist has had an opportunity of bringing his or her art to life. Kudos to the gallery owner.

New Paintings

I have finally finished two paintings that have been quite a challenge. It's work that I'll be sending to a new gallery, and I mean new. The gallery will be opening in a little over a month and I'm truly excited to be participating. How great to be participating in the inaugural exhibit of a new gallery. The owner is someone I will enjoy working with. She visited my studio recently and I did not hestitate to sign on after our meeting. Sometimes you just know when it's right.

This past weekend was stellar! I had an encaustic workshop in my studio. That's an inauguration of a sort too since I have been traveling to other locations for workshops. I had three very enthusiastic participants who were excellent artists. It was fun to watch as they started on the "encaustic road". I don't know if they will continue to pursue the technique but I know it was a good experience for all of us. I plan a followup workshop weekend after next.

I keep saying variations of inaugural, you think politics could be responsible? Though I try to keep it out of the studio it's seeping everywhere.

New Work

I just posted a new image on the index page on my website. I've been working on it for weeks. The photo is really a detail since it is a large painting 30 x 60 inches...the largest that I've attempted so far. I'm now hooked and know that more larger paintings are on the horizon.

Tonight I'm taking it easy. I didn't go to the studio today, taking a little break since I teach tomorrow morning early and then plan to start fusing and painting later in the day. More paintings! Now that I have air conditioning in my studio I can work any time in utter comfort. No, the temp is still around 80-85 but the humidity is gone. Working in the South in the summer can be daunting. When I first moved into my studio I had to take paintings home because the heat was keeping the wax a little too soft when I didn't need it soft. It was a challenge getting ready for the exhibit at Thomas Deans.

Outside my new apartment there is a virtual garden of eden..plum, apple, and fig trees and beautiful flowering plants everywhere. I know that I will be busy with my camera taking advantage of so much beauty as fodder for my new work.

Too Long

Time to post! I have been in the midst of working on a large encaustic, the biggest I've worked on so far and of course I like working big. I think my best work has always been of the larger variety. It's just something that I understand; it's freeing. The work I'm creating now is photo based and that in itself is news because it takes me back to my photographic roots. I feel as if I have come full circle. How phenomenal. I'm energized to keep my camera at my side and this time it's so much easier in the digital world. Though I must admit working in the darkroom was one of my favorite activities. I'll always miss the beauty of the BW print created in the dark. As a matter of fact I even enjoyed the process of developing my film.
My studio is up and running and I love the space, perfect for larger format work and for working in general. The work is flowing in the best way possible.

Great weekend opening at Tannery Row. The "Word" reception was great, poets were interesting and art outstanding. The artists' studios are definitely worth a trip to Buford, Georgia. Interesting town too.

The work above is an encaustic that is now on view at Thomas Deans Fine Art on Bennett Street in Atlanta. Love the gallery and this is one of the paintings that is currently in the exhibit, "From Nature". More to come.

The Good News

I had a dream that my frames were delivered and my dream came true on Saturday morning...There they were sitting outside the studio door. Wow dreams come true? The paintings were delivered and now I can resume work on my commissions.

This day foretells spring. I see daffodils about to bloom and the trees that always bloom early are doing so again. I haven't decided my favorite time of the year but I do enjoy spring especially the beautiful greens I have a chance to see again. I forget those greens for a while.

There are two large panels ready for encaustic. I am so ready but they will have to wait. The anticipation is fabulous. Tonight my plan is to finish the oil paintings and to be free once more to begin heating that wax. I have a new hue, aqua blue, ready for a spin.

Flexible

It finally happened. After all these years delivering work to exhibits on time exactly the way I planned, my frames did not arrive today. That means that I will have to deliver my encaustic paintings sans their lovely floater frames. Allright I can live with this after spending months perfecting each painting and looking forward to a great presentation. At least they are cradled and I've painting the edges. Alas, I'm trying to remain calm.

For the good news. One of my paintings (above) will be in the Georgia Tech Ferst Gallery exhibit coming in March as part of the Women's Caucus for Art of Georgia's regional juried show "Earth a Microcosm". I think I better start preparing this painting tonight for delivery. Who knows what schedule buster lurks out there.

Tonight I cry in my beer, tomorrow I deliver paintings!

Sharing

I conducted an encaustic workshop today and I had a great time. To introduce the process to artists is exciting. Since it's versatile, unmanageable, flexible, unpredictable, shall I go on, there is always amazement at just how interesting an image is possible with a little patience. The group was small and since this was the first experience for most I was amazed at the quick progress some made producing really outstanding paintings for their first try. And of course I had the chance to see the progress over the days time and the finished product. I'm nuts however, I didn't take any photos. Next time. The enthusiasm for another workshop will make it certain that I'll do another one. All in all a good day. Sharing with other artists, I love it!

Tomorrow I'm off to commission land. It's the land of great promise and trepidation. Monday is a full teaching day so tomorrow and Tuesday will be put my nose to canvas (oil paintings are on tap).

Cooling at the End of the Day

This has been a long productive day. I had a student this morning and we worked in clay. It was a very good way to start a day since just working with clay is very meditative. The rest of the day has been one of "burning in" beeswax on two large canvas panels that will become encaustic paintings. I am savoring the start of these paintings as I let myself enjoy the process though believe me holding a heat gun for several hours will give your arms and wrists a workout. Since I've begun lifiting weights again the process gets easier each time and I recommend it.

I must admit I am thinking of some kind of apparatus to which I can attach a heat gun to make this job easier when I am doing a very large work. I'm not sure that it is even possible. At one time I had a black light exposure unit that I made for alternative photo printing so perhaps that design with heat lamps might have possible use in this situation. Or maybe I'll just suck it up and do the work as I've been doing it. My mind always races to think of a new inventive way to do the work.

Ah, the photo. This photo cools me, since that's what I need right now. I photographed the beach in Savannah right after Thanksgiving and let me tell you it was COLD.