Working in Wax

Looking at art has become an obsession with me lately and these encaustic pieces have caught my eye so I will share:

Semiotics
16" x 16"
Jann Gougeon

I find the composition in this work beautiful and the way she has juxtaposed the symbols a perfect contrast to the grid like background.

8" x 16"
Mary Philpot

For artists that love to draw, the beeswax medium works so well for detail. A sharp stylus, needle, nail or awl is used to incise the surface. Oil sticks or oil paint is then rubbed into the scratched surface. The result is amazing fine line work.

Not That Fragile
6" x 6"
Mary Black

Encaustic with collage always works for me. So much to look at and contemplate.

Dunkel
Mark Perlman

Another colorful approach to painting with beeswax. A very nice geometric design.

Very Exciting News!

I just received this notice that my encaustic assemblage has been chosen for a national exhibition in New Mexico.

Congratulations to the following 43 artists who have made it into

our second juried show - National Juried Encaustic Exhibition,

September 22^nd through October 21^st. 

====================================================== 

Patricia Aaron                                 Josie Rodriguez

Guy Baldovi                                     Judy Rosenzwieg

Margaret Betrand                            Melissa Rubin

Tina Blackburn                                Francesca Saveri

Lynn Bland                                      Michelle Schaefer

Brigette Borders                             John Schaeffer

Paula Busch                                    Pat Spainhour

Michael Carter                                 Deborah Sullivan

Debra Claffey                                  Rodney Thompson

Charlotte Cooper                            Michele Thrane

Helen Dannelly                                Deborah Traer

Susan DelGalvis                             Harriette Tsosie

Erna de Vries                                  NJ Weaver

Susan Eve                                       Catherine Weber

Linda Fillhardt                                 Holly Wilson

Pat Gerkin                                       Deborah Winiarski      

Lorraine Glessner                          Dianna Woolley

Kathryn Kaye

Diane Aldrich Kleiss

Karen Krieger

Susan Lasch Krevitt

Jaqueline Mallegni

Barbara Maricle

Otty Merrill

Gretchen Morrissey

This is the artwork that was selected.

Palm Reader
9 x 12 x 1.5
Photograph by Jill Greene

detail
photograph by Jill Greene

I painted a shadow box with 7 layers of milk paint. This is a paint that is completely natural, biodegradable, with no VOCS,HAPs,or EPA-exempt solvents added. The Original Milk Paint company has found a safe way to reproduce the old paint and yes it will spoil just like whole milk but its also as safe as drinking whole milk.  After each layer is allowed to dry, I sanded  the surface with fine sand paper The final coat is buffed and then covered in beeswax and encaustic paint. I have collaged onionskin paper on the background that I stained with walnut tea (made from soaking walnut shells and making a natural dye with the tea) This was then coated with clear encaustic medium. I use various found objects to complete the assemblage. Encaustic paint was used to paint the cheese cloth, the brass wishbone, and many of the objects used.

Taking Encaustics Outside the Box

Nancy Natale

This painting is a collage of papers that have been dipped and painted with encaustic paint. Nancy works with old book spines, found and painted papers, and collage.

Lorraine Glessner
One of the things that draw me to this artists work is her delicate use of line. She uses long strands of human hair collaged under the encaustic medium to achieve this technique.

Brenda Mallory Capsules, 2006-2011,
 Waxed cloth, nuts, bolts, 11 units, each 10" x 10" x 17"

Beautiful three dimensional cloth objects can be encased in wax to give strength to an encaustic piece

Exciting texture can be added by imbedding paper and cloth into the surface. The wax also acts as an adhesive if heavier objects are to be imbedded, and they need not be completely submerged in the wax.

Perfect Specimens, Encaustic Collage
Lynn Corsi Bland

Exquisite detail can be achieved by transfering a photo copied image directly to the surface of the wax. The lines were drawn on the wax with a sharp needle and then filled in with black oil pastel.

Lynn Corsi Bland
encaustic and oil pastel


Another method to add drawing and line work like this piece, is to start with a drawing on paper. Watercolor paper is collaged to the surface of the board and the sketching is done on the paper before the wax is added with oil pastel. The painting can be completed using pigmented encaustic paint. 

The artists for these beeswax pieces are anonymous, but they show us the grace and beauty that nature gives us everyday. We, as artists, try, but the perfection evidenced here cannot be duplicated.

Entry for the National Collage Juried Exhibit 2012

        Judson's Art Award                              

                                                                    

"Flight"
21.5" x  17.5" x 1.5"

For the assemblage that was selected for the show I combined found objects, paper, encaustic paint and milk paint.

The center piece is part of a sewing machine carrying case that I mounted on linen mat board. It is attached with antique brass brads. The rolled scroll is an antique book that had lost it's cover.
I wrapped it with silk and wired it to the surface. It is dipped in beeswax.

On top of this I mounted a piece of black paper that I treated with bleach. The bleach left a nice organic shape (see detail below)

The collage is on hardboard, with clear encaustic paint and an image transfer from an antique
 botanical print.

This image shows a detail of the handmade envelope with a feather inside and a piece of
vintage silk cloth. It is  hand sewn to the mat board with natural thread.

The # three is a copper number distressed, painted and wrapped with wire. An air force uniform
 button in brass is sewn on. I attached the vintage watch face to a piece of found wood I painted
with encaustic paint.

Watermedia Class 2012

I had the pleasure of teaching nine talented, budding artists at Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts.

Since I am a huge fan of this creative place, the opportunity was both exciting and so much fun. Arrowmont is a well equipped school with state of the art classrooms and a friendly environment. Unfortunately, on the day I photographed, Debbie, was not present so I am missing her work. She paints lovely whimsical collages and combines paint with stamping. We are having a reunion soon to see what new exciting work is being created and I'll have more examples to post then.

Robert busy at work researching for this piece

Chuck showing off his self portrait

Robert's Acrylic on board
The brushstrokes add so much to the surface of this work, I especially love the burnt sienna,
it reads as a worn patina on rusted metal.

A colorful landscape by Chuck
Acrylic on board, he is a master at layering color, and the palette he has chosen is bold and clear.
This is the very first painting he has ever done! All these fabulous colors were mixed by the artist.

Anne and Beth sharing like good friends should, and Carolyn
in the background standing at her table in the back

Victoria ventured out of her comfort zone and tried some of the acrylic techniques I taught.
Her talents are many and she showed us her recent work... beautifully rendered portraits in colored pencil.

Victoria's vibrant trees
The quality of the foliage is so loose and textured and the little touches of color in the grass contribute the
success of this painting  

Linda working on placement for collage

Linda's Landscape
This girl is not afraid of anything and was willing to go for it. Great composition and such exciting lively color.
Acrylic and collage

Beth's cute little bunny
This is a perfect example how simplicity can make a painting sing.
She was able to resist the temptation to paint a background. Good job!

Carolyn's autumn leaves
The play of light is so great in this painting
Her shading gives the scene so much depth it looks 3 dimensional.
I love how the darks and lights are dispersed

Anne working on one of her paintings
She was very productive and came away with lots of finished works

Anne's tissue paper collage
This beautiful background was made by crumbling white tissue and attaching to the surface with medium. A fun and unpredictable technique that was really embraced by this student. You cannot tell by the photo but that is an actual  piece of driftwood attached with gorilla glue. She embraced this glue as well.

February's Work

This is acrylic on crescent board with lots of texture. I did a grid composition so I could experiment with texture in the different boxes. I used Golden Crackle Paste, Light Modeling Paste, Gesso and Matte Gel.
They each give a very unique surface, and take the paint so differently. I especially love the way the crackle came out when the paint was thinned before applying. The designs are hand carved stamps I made, and the text is from old book pages collaged on the surface.

Also acrylic with a textured surface of Matte Gel and Gesso. This is definitely in process and I may cover the whole painting with an opaque mask.

This one is acrylic with collage and ink on canvas. I added some marks and line drawings with pencil.

This one is on Crescent Illustration Board that I covered with collage, stamping, and lots of drawing.  I used stencils for the numbers. Then I negative painted around the shapes to create the composition. I am
happy with this one and it is finished.

January's Projects

Off to a slow start , but have a few works to share. These are all in process, soon to be complete.

I like the composition, I want to add more shading to the background

This one may be very close to complete

Really like the shape of this, but where to go with it? And the framing will be quite a challenge.