Art of Life Regroups

The women's art group, over which I loosely preside, met again for the first time since June. It was a delight to see old friends and welcome two new members. We had artists working on collage, acrylic painting, mixed media, and oil and cold wax painting. The studio was a beautiful mess. Love it!

Here are the results: Some are finished and some in process. 

Sarah's Oil/Cold Wax Piece

Connie's Acrylic Painting

Oil and Cold Wax in Process

Acrylic Painting in Process

Susana's Mixed Media Piece in Process

Iris' Image Transfer and Collage Piece 

Iris and I Worked on this Together, Using Her Photo

Carolyn's Painting in Process

Cindy's Mixed Media 3-D Piece

Pear Prompt

To get warmed up for creating larger cold wax pieces I worked on one of my favorite images, the trusty pear. When I first started painting I made a lot of still lifes, with pears as prominent features. Now, when I want to explore a particular medium, I find that creating the rounded shapes of the pear is a great a way to get started.

Other favorite images or symbols for me are the cup or bowl, the suggestion of ships at sea, and mountains.  What symbols crop up in your work? 

Prompt for the week: Use one of your favorite symbols in a medium that is new to you or that you haven't used in a while.

Renaissance Pear    Oil/Cold Wax on Board

Student Work from Saturday's Class

Bright colors, texture, and incising in a work that reminds me of the Abstract Expressionists

 Students had fun with their first encaustic pieces in Saturday's class. I wish the pictures were less blurry, but I am happy to be able to share them with you!

Many layers of color in this Universe

 

A colorful and loose riot of flowers

Especially for Halloween

Incising, bold strokes, and contrasting color--it makes me think of a hill on a rainy day

 

Incising and shellacking create a mysterious Victorian piece

 

A snowy landscape done in a loose, whimsical style

Was It Murder??

"Cafe Solitude" by Serena

Is it possible that Van Gogh, our model for the starving, unappreciated artist was actually murdered, rather than died by his own hand? That's a theory outlined in a new book on Van Gogh. Find out more about it here.

I'm interested in reading this controversial book and the question of murder or suicide makes me think about the stories we take for granted. What would it mean for us as artists if Van Gogh didn't kill himself, but was rather going about his work of painting and trying to recover from a nervous breakdown? What if he didn't intend to give up in despair?

Vincent Van Gogh with Cut Ear

In 2009 two German art historians who had studied Van Gogh and Gauguin's friendship extensively, declared their belief that it was Gauguin who perpetrated the famous ear slicing of Van Gogh during a fight, and both artists agreed to hush up Gauguin's involvement. You can read more about this story here. If this is true, then it calls into question Van Gogh's self-destructiveness.

Did Gauguin Do It?

We'll never know for sure about any of this. But I think of how entrenched the story of the desperate genius starving in a garret has affected our view of artists. Artists are often encouraged by others to remember that Van Gogh only sold one picture in his lifetime, the idea being that most of us are doing far better than that. Or maybe that we'll be famous after we're dead.

 
What if Van Gogh had just kept plodding along and eventually made a modest living as a painter? Would the world still have recognized his genius? Would he have made a better role model for those of us plodding along steadily? What do you think?

Encaustic Workshop Coming Up

 

"Bloom"    Encaustic on Wood Panel

I interrupt the posting of student work from Art is...You and Art and Soul to announce my upcoming encaustic workshop for beginning and intermediate students.

When:  Saturday, October 29, 2011 1-5 PM
Tuition: 85. Supplies provided.

Fall in love with the aromatic, luminous, and versatile properties of beeswax in the form of encaustic painting! Learn how to build up layers, add color, and add collage elements. No previous art experience needed—just lively curiosity and willingness to risk addiction to painting with wax! 

We'll play with fire (safely) as we wax lyrical over this wonderful medium.

Playing With New Toys

Don't you love trying out new art supplies? I recently got a delightful encaustic iron and yummy hot sticks at Muse Art/Design. The iron is lighter than my other ones and covers a larger area. The hot sticks are made by Enkaustikos and contain rich encaustic pigment with a metallic sheen. I made this triptych just playing around with the iron and sticks.

 

Triptych       Encaustic on Wood

 I used the iron to smooth out my base coats of wax, then did a couple of coats in off white. I then melted the hot sticks onto the iron and ran the iron over the piece. I first used a quinacridone gold stick and then a gold pearl stick. Finally, I used encaustic paint on a brush and made the black swirls. As often happens when I'm just playing, I was happy with the result and with the experience itself.

If you don't live here in Portlandia, you can order these supplies and much more here. I love the iron for an interactive experience with the wax, and the hot sticks are delicious!

July 4th Special on West Coast Art is...You Classes!

I'll be teaching photo transfer in "Transferred Secrets" at Art is...You

I just found out about an amazing offer I want to pass on right away! The organizers of the West Coast Retreat, "Art is...You" are offering 50.00 off your full class registration when you register this Monday using the coupon code July 4! 

Art is...You is an established, respected, and delightful organization that has offered retreats on the east coast and Australia for years. This fall will be the first west coast retreat in Petaluma, CA.

I'm very excited and honored to be teaching in Petaluma.

I'll be teaching all day workshops on Mixed Media Encaustic ("Wabi-Sabi Wax,) and Creative writing and visual journaling ("Time Travel Diary). I'll be teaching evening workshops on photo transfer ("Transferred Secrets) and palette-knife painting ("Landscape of Dreams.)

Check out the many wonderful class offerings here. 

Here are my classes:

Create juicy landscapes with palette knives in "Landscape of Dreams"

 Have fun with art and creative writing in "Time Travel Diary."

Mine above is the journal of a 17 year old girl living in France

in the 18th century. She has a crush on Mozart.

Create encaustic/mixed media pieces in "Wabi-Sabi Wax". (Torches are involved!)

Encaustic Workshop Coming Up

Detail of "Palimpsest"  Encaustic on Wood

"Mind Your Own Beeswax"

Saturday, July 16, 2011 1-5:30
85. Supplies provided

Fall in love with the aromatic, luminous, and versatile properties of beeswax in the form of encaustic painting! Learn how to build up layers, add color, and add collage elements. No previous art experience needed—just lively curiosity and willingness to risk addiction to painting with wax! Register here.

Mary inspired by Della Francesca

Egg Tempera on Board

I have a couple of spaces left in "The Egg and I", a new workshop I'll be holding on June 4. If  you've ever been curious about how to paint with egg and pigment, come join us! Register here.

The title of this workshop comes from a 1940’s book about chickens. But it’s not the chickens we are interested in, it’s the eggs! 

Learn how to make the simple and inexpensive paint that Botticelli used for "The Birth of Venus." Using pigment, water, and egg yolk, you'll create rich and luminous colors, just like medieval painters did. The process is fun and easy. You'll use the paint to create a glowing portrait, still life, or abstract. You'll learn how to prepare your support, layer colors, develop lights and shadows, and how to scrape and incise paint for special effects. You’ll experiment with using your collaged backgrounds with your paintings. 

You'll leave with at least one wonderful painting and with the knowledge that you can make your own paint any time! Don’t worry if you haven’t painted before—I’m here to help and encourage!

Note for Art Unraveled Attendees: I'll be teaching this class in August!