A Blog Worthy Demo

Paisley
6x6" encaustic painting

Last Thursday and Friday I was teaching an encaustic painting class.  As a part of the class I did a few demos of  various encaustic techniques.  Usually my demos aren't anything to write home about. Or in this case to write a blog about.  But this particular demo had some potential and above is the final result.
The paisley design came from a sheer fabric that I adhered to demonstrate the use of fabrics when working with encaustic.  Some of the other techniques include using stencils (dots in the lower right corner), creating textures (left side), and collaging paper (heart in upper right corner).

My husband, who is also an artist, and I recently had a discussion about the value in working a surface or a project or a concept until it gets to some resolution.  I am not always able to get an artwork to a finished state that I am happy with with, but I agree that the process of trying to do so can result in valuable insights into the ways in which one works with their materials and ideas.

Mother's Day Reflection

Joanne 1927

This Sunday is Mother's Day.
In honor of my mom who is no longer with me in person but definitely with me in spirit I offer this encaustic work which pictures my mom dressed up and holding a cute little purse.
I have put a halo of sorts on her head.
In the background is the image of a dress, appropriate because she sewed many of my clothes and taught me to sew.
As an avid gardener, both vegetables and flowers, I include this blue flower. and the brown vines.
I miss her every day and think of her whenever I sew, garden, can vegetables, or do home improvement projects which she did constantly throughout her life.

Happy Mother's Day to all!

More Chair Obsession

Two Benches / Two Chairs
6x6"

I love those small wooden folding chairs that were everywhere in Paris.
The bench in the distant background is also of the same style.
These collages remind me of the Spring weather that is just around the corner for Ohio.
Can't wait to get out my chairs and porch furniture and to see green grass again!!

This is 6x6" on board; mixed media collage with encaustic medium; priced at $75 with free shipping in the US.
To purchase, visit my Etsy shop.

Chairs and Music

Chairs of Paris:  Musical Chairs

Sometimes when I am at a flea market or antique shop I feel like I flit from one item to the next.  It is as if I am waiting for the music to stop and for me to land on something.  No, that wasn't it.  Then the music starts again and I hope I will land on something else, something better, something more intriguing, something totally unique.  But landing on something is the what it is all about.  Coming away with a win, just like being the last person in musical chairs, the one who gets the last chair.  Of course I was in Paris and knew that I couldn't come home with anything chair-size from the flea market...not in my budget.  So pictures of chairs and music is as close as I could get.

This piece is 6x6" on a cradled board and priced at $75 with free shipping in the US.
To purchase, visit my Etsy shop.

Remembering Paris

Chairs of Paris:  White

When we were in Paris, I loved the white French Provincial chairs that I saw so many places, especially in the flea markets.  It is fun to see what different regions and countries value and sell in their flea markets and antique shops.

This piece is 6x6" on a cradled board and features a copy of a collage I made with some new additions and encaustic paint.   I think the white encaustic around the edges gives a memory feel to the work.  It is priced at $75 with free shipping in the US.  It is ready to hang and does not require framing.  To purchase visit my Etsy shop.

Before and After/ Geometry and Whimsy

As promised here is the beginning of the next piece in the Upcylce series.  This is the backside of one of my old paintings and therefore the "before" picture.  I added some collage elements, some stitching and a bit of color.  The blank band at the top is the board showing as the painting section I had does not fill the whole 6x6" board.

From here I worked with color, shellac, plaster and encaustic, building up the surface until I was satisfied.  My whole focus in this group of works is to create surfaces that look aged  and layered.
Sometimes the changes until I reach the end product are rather subtle, but the end is achieved through lots of layering

In the final version  on the right you see that the main shapes have been retained, but the colors and textures are more developed.  I extended the shapes from the painting in the larger lower section into the top empty area.

I found that curved area on the lower right corner to be hard to work with, although I really loved that part of the work initially.
My goal was to create a balance between what was in the original canvas and what I wanted to do with plaster and encaustic.  Some elements got lost but when I added that section of raised plaster created by screening the plaster through a stencil doily I found what I was looking for...a balance between geometric shape and organic whimsy.

This piece is 6x6" and priced at $75 including shipping.  To purchase email me.

The Importance of Layering and Transparency

Door and Window

Here is the second in my Upcycling Series where I am reinventing old acrylic paintings along with plaster, shellac, and encaustic paint.  I had a lot of fun stitching the canvases from my old paintings.  Finding a way to use them with these other mixed media elements has been a discovery.

I find that I am using plaster and sanding in the same way I use encaustic paint and a razor blade to scrape and excavate to underlying  layers.  The more I work and experiment the more I realize how important transparency and layering are to me and my process.

This piece is 6x6" and priced at $75 including shipping.  To purchase please email me.