News on the Encaustic Front

I am happy to say the little painting that was shown on the last post won an award of merit.

Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts has a prestigious show biennially in the main gallery of the school. It is only open to Sevier County Residents and has gained popularity through the years.
This year's juror was Ms. Teri Alea. She is the Executive Director for Tennessee Craft, a leading statewide craft organization which provides professional development for craft artists across the state.

I entered "The Jester" and received one of three of the merit awards. It was exciting for me to be recognized in my own community for my artwork. Here I am with my painting.

The "Jester" is offered for sale.

Please visit my etsy store: 

www.notsobland.etsy.com

Please visit my etsy store: 

www.notsobland.etsy.com

Here is what I did at Penland!

I did finish a few paintings, in between making medium, and listening to all the wonderful
demos Lisa gave us. She is a very generous teacher with her techniques.

One of the exercises she gave the class was a challenge to do a series of small studies using black and  white with shades of gray in between. I was intrigued and thought I would try it also. These are my results.

























I will share more of my work in the next post.

A Glimpse Inside My Creative Space

I wanted to share my true creative space, so, I did not clean up, or stage any of the photos I am about to share. Ha, I'm sure you will be aware of this fact immediately. Yes, I am messy and work best when everything is in plain view and within my reach. So, that being said.....

Here is one of the shelf areas I have for displaying the things that are inspiring me at the moment.

Lots of wire shelving for storage, and a spot for my printer.

 

My drawing board. This a great one as it can go completely flat for watercolor. My  journal is open

A bit of nostalgia thrown in for humor. My solo show poster for graduation, the year has to be wrong!






A pegboard is always a handy way to have your tools at the ready.






These are the skylights above my paint station.






A view of my encaustic area.






I have plenty of electricity for my hot palettes and irons and a magnetic strip for all the colors I use.





My collection of wax pigments to use in the creation of the encaustic paints.
I just returned from an encaustics class where I was the studio assistant for friend and artist Lisa Pressman. I will devote my next post to my experiences at Penland, NC with her. And also elaborate more on the encaustic space I have, and how I mix medium and my paints.

Venting for Encaustic Painting

One of the most important aspects of designing an encaustic work area is the task of taking the wax fumes out and bringing the fresh air in. My husband custom designed mine and it works exceptionally well.

We researched for months, reading and visiting other encaustic studios. There is a lot of very helpful information on the RF Paints website about building a ventilation system. There are so many different ways of venting air out, and I chose a built-in system so it wouldn't get in my way.

Here are the photos of the parts that are built into the wall. We had a big advantage building from the ground up because none of the working parts of the system are exposed. The only thing you see is the 6" intake grille on the face of the wall, the variable speed switch, and the vent on the outside of the building.

Some important notes are as follows.
1. You should use a licensed electrician for the hookup of the electrical components.
2. It is very important that the variable speed switch is compatible with the fan.
3. The exhaust vent will allow sufficient flow that it will not impede the flow of air.
4. When using the system you will need to crack a window or door to let air into the room to make up for the air that is being exhausted.
5. It might be advisable to consult with an HVAC contractor to install the system.

#1 - Intake Grill and Variable Speed Switch (on left)

#2 - Inline 250 cfm Duct Fan Installation

#3 - Closeup of Variable Speed Fan Switch

#4 - Overall View of Installation

#5 - Exhaust Outlet with Damper