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The High Road (Diptych)                      Oil/Cold Wax on Deep Cradled Panels

I can't believe I haven't written a blog post since April. What's that about? In part it's about being busy, but more, I think, about my tendency to post news on FB instead. I have been thinking about the purpose of art blogs and what I want mine to be as I resume posting.

I do see the blog as a publicity tool, but I want it to be more than that. I'm interested in sharing news about other artists, art tools and methods, art inspirations and ruminations. In today's post I will be sharing some of my work and accomplishments, but also those of another artist I admire. 

I have recently received my advance copy of my new book from North Light! I'm delighted how my work and the work of my talented contributors looks. The book comes out on August 19 and can be pre-ordered now at Amazon or The North Light Shop. I'll be profiling my 12 contributors in future posts.

I had included a resource page in the book, but for some reason it didn't appear in this printing. I've posted the resources on my website. On my resource page I give thanks and appreciation to the artist who has generously shared with many her vast knowledge and expertise in the medium of oil and cold wax. This is Rebecca Crowell, who is currently co-writing her own book on oil and wax. (Hers will be out in 2016, so read mine this year, and hers next year!)

Mayo Coast 3       Rebecca Crowell   Oil/Cold Wax on Panel

Quick note about my classes: My July class in Yachats, OR is full. There are still spots open in my oil and cold wax class at The Miller Studio in Seattle, August 15 & 16. Information/Registration on my site.

Strata of Time: Work from my cold wax/oil class at collage

Here, at last are some images from one of the classes I taught at Collage on Alberta a couple of weeks ago. I've been longing to show them to you, but I've been lethargic due to a cold, so haven't posted for a while.

Coming up: Images from my other wabi-sabi class at Collage, a hunting and gathering report, and info. on my new DVDs coming up from North Light.

Happy Thanksgiving!

The enthusiastic students played with oil paint, cold wax medium, and mixed media elements. They created lively and stunning work over the two day class. We had so much fun! Cold wax is kinda messy, but so satisfying to work with.

"Baby, It's Cold": Cold Wax and Oil at Art and Soul

Here are some of our gloves after we finished the workshop! Messy and so much fun!

I was a little concerned about how we would do with only one day for oil and cold wax, due to the slow drying time. It wasn't a problem! The students happily worked on several pieces at once and with the warmish weather our work set up fairly well when put outside.

This was an especially brave and creative group of students! They discovered an affinity for abstraction they didn't know they had. Teaching this class inspired me and warmed my heart.

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Our resounding cry for the day was "Simplify, Simplify!" Cold wax and oil are so rich and interesting, especially with all the texturing in these pieces. Less is more.

Wabi-Sabi Dumpster Inspires Painting

This is one of the hardest paintings I've done in a long time. It has gone through so many incarnations you wouldn't believe it. I've layered and scraped back, incised, slathered on, rubbed in, and all but wrestled the piece to the ground. This is what it looks like now, but a bit blurry because the cold wax is still wet.

Realms    Cold Wax, Oil, Pigment on Panel

  
 I was frustrated several times during the process of making this piece and I felt bad about "wasted" paint and wax that got scraped off. The painting turned out to be inspired by the wabi-sabi photos of the rusted dumpster shown in my last post. I could have just done that to begin with, right?

Probably not. If I'd set out to re-create what nature and time had wrought on the rusted metal dumpster, it might have looked fake and artificial. This piece contains real scoring, wounds, peeling, and abrasions incurred as I struggled with the materials. We are both bruised from the engagement, but resting comfortably now, as old friends.

Realm                   Detail 1

Realm                     Detail 2

Seeing what is/is not there...

I gasped with delight when I saw the piece below take shape.

The Golden Age          Oil/Cold Wax on Wood Panel

Do you see images in linoleum, cracked wall paint, clouds, ceiling cracks, etc? What about abstract paintings?

 I remember when I was a teen, I read a letter to Dear Abby where a woman was worried that she was crazy for seeing images in her floor covering. I was relieved to have Abby assure the woman that she was not alone.

This has been on my mind lately in view of my abstract work with oil and cold wax. This is intuitive, exploratory work, very different from my representative work.

So, what I was excited to see in this piece is a 17th century harbor with ships ready to set sail from Holland to the South Seas,or the East Indies to pick up spices, china, textiles, or tulip bulbs. The colors remind me of those used by Rembrandt, Frans Hals, and Judith Leyster. 

I can't see the  piece without thinking of that. I've wondered what this would look like to others. So far one person has agreed about the ships in harbor. Another saw a volcano. What do you see? Anyone able to see pure abstraction?

Stories of Cold Wax Painting

My love affair with cold wax painting continues. The pieces I'm doing now are completely experimental and intuitive, which is amazingly fun and occasionally frustrating. I painted last night and transformed my piece quite a few times before I was satisfied. Here it is:

Continuity

 

 

 

 

You'd never know it, but this piece has red, blue, burnt sienna, green, yellow, iridescent gold, ochre, celadon, buff, white, and black in it.
  

Some things I've learned about cold wax painting:

Use colors  you love for the first couple of layers of wax and oil paint--you will likely want to scrape back to them later on.

I work best with large-ish panels so that I can make bolder strokes or excavations.

Adding texture to the layers as you go will result in interesting texture on the top layer even if the old color doesn't show through.

You can paint wet on wet with a few colors but then it is best (for me, anyway) to let the piece dry before adding more so I don't get mud. I find that translucent colors work best for wet on wet.

I need inspiring music to keep my changes and additions brave enough.  

There are thousands of ways your piece could go at anytime in the process. Just do a lot of pieces and you won't  be overwhelmed.  
 

Resurgence

I did this piece in the last Art of Life group, my monthly women's art workshop. The group members made me stop at this point and I'm glad they did.

I'll be teaching a class in cold wax called "Baby, It's Cold" at Art and Soul Retreat in Virginia Beach on April 27. I'm looking forward to seeing what the participants come up with.

Cold Wax Painting

 

A new cold wax and oil painting. I did lots of layers and scraping back and added texture by using string to incise into the wet wax and oil layers.

On the Brink  Cold Wax, Oil, Pigment on Wood Panel

Back in the studio after a hiatus. As David Bayles and Ted Orland say in their book Art and Fear, "art is all about starting over".

New Work from Studio

A new encaustic and two works in cold wax. Fun in studio--love the sunny days.

Down Below    Cold Wax, Pigment, Oil on Wood

Your Last Visit    Cold Wax, Pigment, Oil on Wood

The Reveal    Encaustic on Wood Panel