Random Arts in North Carolina

I've heard much about the very active art scene in North Carolina - the Asheville area in particular - and met many people from that area on my blog and in my classes.  So I am DELIGHTED to be teaching at Random Arts in September!!  One of my blog readers from Asheville, Lynn, whose blog is here, just asked me directly if I would come and teach in the area, and sent a list of possible venues.  Random Arts is in Saluda, NC, about half an hour outside of Asheville.

Friday, September 7: Unlocking The Secrets of Color

Saturday, September 8: Scribble Collage

Using hand-painted papers to create an abstract collage

Sunday, September 9: Unbinding the Visual Journal

A page spread in my visual journal

Workshops are 10:00 - 4:30; fee is $110.  Click here to contact Random Arts for registration.
The Saluda Mountain Lodge has very reasonable rates and a free shuttle to get you to class.

CREATE in New Jersey

I just got back from two very full and terrifically fun days of teaching at CREATE in Somerset, New Jersey.  This was the first year of offering this mixed media retreat at this location, and as far as I could tell it was - and still is (it goes through Sunday) - a super well attended event.  I got only two photos, as I was too busy teaching and having conversations to stop and find my camera.  Here is my Scribble Paint  class, full of creative energy and output:

The gal in front is Jessica Sporn, a freelance artist who is relatively new to mixed media.  She recently started a blog, which you can check out here.  I also had  very full classes in Fabric-Paper, Fusion Fabric, and Unbinding the Visual Journal.

Other teachers I met include Julie Fei-Fan Balzer, who not only makes art and teaches workshops, but also designs stencils and stamps.  I met Seth Apter, who is relatively new to teaching, but not to making mixed media art.  And I met Cathy Taylor, whose work is just gorgeous!  I hope you will check out these links and enjoy the tour.

My next event is Art Unraveled in Phoenix, at which I'll be teaching Fabric-Paper on Sunday, August 5, and Plaster and Wax on Monday, August 6.

Composition Workshop

Do you tend to carefully compose your artwork from the beginning, or jump right in with mark-making or collage and then find compositional order within the chaos?  Do you think about composition as you are working?  Or does it just happen, or not happen?  What is composition anyway?  And how important is it to the overall success of your artwork?  On July 25 I'm offering my online workshop, "Keys to Dynamic Composition", where you can explore elements and principles of composition through a series of directed assignments based on specific formats. Here is some yummy student work from the last Composition class:

Making a cityscape out of the abstract landscape exercise

A beautiful example of the "cruciform" format

Layering collage, paint, and line

An exaggerated vertical orientation

Another beautiful and moody cruciform

Playing with the grid format

More playing with grids

Try playing with grids on your own!  Just download this pdf, which is not one of the lessons, and get a taste of how you can use a compositional format to explore many aspects of art.

If a more renegade approach appeals to you, or if you've already taken Keys to Dynamic  Composition and want to push it further, I'm beginning a new online class, "Extreme Composition: Breaking All The Rules" on September 12.  This will take you on a more personal and inventive journey of compositional exploration. 

Thanks for visiting!

Plaster and Wax, Part 2

Here is the second video demonstration on Plaster and Wax, which I'll be teaching at Art Unraveled in Phoenix on August 6, and again at Art and Soul in Portland on October 2. If you haven't already, take a look at Part 1.  There are so many techniques you can use on the plaster itself, and then again over the encaustic.  In this video I use Caran D'ache water soluble crayons on the encaustic surface.  Oil pastels, india ink, graphite, china marker, and many other materials are also compatible with encaustic.

And the Winner Is...

It's July 7, the day I promised to pick a winner of the gel plate from the blog hop post.  Jo Reimer is that lucky winner!  Thanks to all of you who visited my blog during this blog hop.  Hope you enjoyed the post and those of the other blog hoppers.  We are all very excited about the release of Sue Bleiweiss's book.  I think it is a real winner! 

You have probably seen Part 1 of my Visual Journal using the gel plate.  Take a look at Part 2, and then here is a little video we'll call "Part 2" - more work in the visual journal using gel plate prints.

The page spread after the first round of collage

Second round of collage plus some painting

Thanks for visiting.  Please join my mailing list (upper right) for monthly updates on upcoming workshops and online offerings. 

The Sketchbook Challenge Book

As many of you know, I've been participating in a blog called The Sketchbook Challenge, organized by Sue Bleiweiss.  On the blog we offer tutorials, themes, and inspiration to help readers work in their sketchbooks.  Sue has written a book based on many of the ideas generated on the blog, "The Sketchbook Challenge: Techniques, Prompts, and Inspiration for Achieving Your Creative Goals".

 

 I am delighted to be included in the book.  Each chapter is based on a theme, and my theme was "Patterns and Grids".  Here are a few photos of my sketchbook on that theme:

 

  

And a couple of finished pieces based on my sketchbook explorations.  These are each 11"x15":

 

This blog hop is sponsored by lots of generous manufacturers of art supplies.  When you comment on this post, you have a chance to win an 8"x10" gel plate from GelliArts.  Go here for my little video demonstration on using the gel plate.  I will choose a winner at random on July 7.

Additional sponsors include:
Mistyfuse, Art Plantae Today, Joggles, Sue Pelland Designs, The Thread Studio, Blue Twig Studio, The Artist Cellar, and ProChemical and Dye.

For the complete blog hop schedule go here.  Hope you enjoy it!

Plaster and Wax

I've been posting my encaustic scribble paintings on paper, but I thought I'd give you a taste of what we'll be doing in Plaster and Wax, a workshop I will be teaching at Art Unraveled in Phoenix on August 6, and again at Art and Soul in Portland on October 2. 

I will post another installment of this demonstration, including application of encaustic medium and then drawing on the encaustic surface.  Stay tuned.

Encaustic on painted plaster texture

Encaustic on painted plaster texture, with crayon and ink drawing

Encaustic Scribble Painting

Here is an update on my Scribble Painting.  I've been working in encaustic on paper, focusing on line. I'm exploring the range of expressive quality of line in various materials that will work with encaustic.  LOVE using the Caran D'Ache Neocolor II on encaustic!  Since these are water soluble, you can wipe off any marks you don't like (unlike oil pastel or encaustic paint).  When you are satisfied with your marks, you can lightly fuse them with a torch and then fix them with a thin coat of encaustic medium.  In addition to the Neocolor crayons, I'm using Pitt Pens, which are India ink, and applying encaustic paint with a heated stylus.

Encaustic, crayon, and ink on paper, 7"x7"

Encaustic, crayon, and ink on paper, 8"x8"

Encaustic and crayon on paper, 7"x7"

Encaustic and crayon, ink on paper, 8"x8"

Encaustic and crayon on paper, 8"x8"

 

 

 

Encaustic, crayon, and ink on paper, 8"x8"

I will be teaching encaustic workshops this summer and fall:

Monday, August 6, Plaster and Wax at Art Unraveled in Phoenix
Tuesday, October 2, Plaster and Wax at Art and Soul in Portland
Tuesday, October 2, evening, Introduction to Encaustics, Art and Soul, Portland
October 13 - 14, Paper and Wax: Encaustic Collage, Guilford Art Center, Guilford, CT

In Plaster and Wax we will explore the many ways you can take advantage of plaster's superior absorbency, as well as its textural capability.

My Introduction tot Encaustics will familiarize you with the basic materials, practices, and techniques of this exciting medium.

In Paper and Wax we will explore encaustic collage as well as drawing techniques on wax.  Since this is a two-day workshop, we'll be able to delve deeper into the material.

Artist's Block

 I've been reading a lot about Artist's Block lately, and I realized I haven't had anything that I'd call a real block in at least a few years.  Lucky me!  But I can certainly remember very frustrating times when I could not seem to get into the creative flow no matter what.  Maybe some artists never get blocked and always have a well of inspiration at the ready.  But I doubt it.

Do you sometimes feel like this?

When you'd rather feel like this?

Have you had artist's block?  What is it?  How is artist's block different from fallow periods in the normal ebb and flow of creativity?  What do you do about artists's block?  What causes it? I created a survey about artist's block to see what the common threads are.

Take this survey.

I will compile the results and post a summary.  I expect that the shared information will shed light on this phenomenon and help us all ride the creativity waves of inspiration and non-inspiration. 

Upcoming Retreats

fabric-paper in progress

Just a reminder of upcoming workshops this summer:

In July, I will be teaching at CREATE, hosted by Interweave Press, in Somerset, NJ:

• Wednesday, July 18, Fabric-Paper, 9 - 4
• Wednesday, July 18, Fusion Fabric, 6 - 9
• Thursday, July 19, Unbinding the Visual Journal, 9 - 4
• Thursday, July 19, Scribble Paint, 6 - 9

There are just a few spaces left in each of the above.

encaustic with plaster on panel

In August I'm returning to Art Unraveled in Phoenix:

• Sunday, August 5, Fabric-Paper
• Monday, August 6, Plaster and Wax 

Register here.
I'll be returning to Art and Soul in October:

• Monday, October 1, Abstract Landscape
• Monday, October 1, evening, Scribble Paint
• Tuesday, October 2, Plaster and Wax
• Tuesday, October 2, evening, Intro to Encaustics
  

The above daytime classes are almost full.

Collage Journeys in Vermont will take place here in Rupert, August 14 - 18 (Tue. - Sat.). This year's focus is on color and abstract composition.  Some of our activities will include:

• scribble painting
• staining tissue paper
• working with a gel plate
• working large
• collage marathons
• working in series
• keeping a sketchbook of ideas

 I have two spaces left for this workshop.


Later in August I'll be teaching at CREATE in Chicago.  The line-up includes:

visual journal page spread

• Wednesday, August 22, Fabric-Paper
• Thursday, August 23, Unbinding the Visual Journal
• Thursday, August 23, evening, Scribble-Paint

One more thing:  my next online workshop begins July 25, with Keys to Dynamic Composition.

scribble painting

The Encaustic Studio

I am happy, once again, to recommend Daniella Woolf's new book, The Encaustic Studio, from Interweave.  I talked about her book in a post called "Putting in the Hours" last month, in which I highlighted some of her advice for artists in general, not specifically encaustic artists.

Besides putting in the hours, Daniella talks about the Power of the Container, by which she means setting parameters, limiting your options.

"If I give myself free rein and infinite options with which to create, I can't move... But if I give myself a few limits, I am golden".  

"I have learned to limit my options, perhaps by color... or medium, but there must be some parameters for my work.  I call this having a container".

So, inspired by Daniella's book, and in the spirit of "Scribble Painting", I went to my encaustic studio yesterday and worked with a limited palette on paper, using lines, repeated circles, and repeated squares.

Encaustic on Paper, 8"x8"

Encaustic on Paper, 8"x8"

Postcard 1, Encaustic on Paper, 4"x6"

Postcard 2, Encaustic on Paper, 4"x6"

Postcard 3, Encaustic on Paper, 4"x6"

 Read about the workshop I took with Daniella last January.  She was such a generous, fun, and informative instructor, I'll be working off what I learned from her for months.  The Encaustic Studio includes a DVD, so you can feel like you are taking a live workshop from Daniella too!

I will be teaching encaustic workshops this summer and fall at the following venues:

• Plaster and Wax at Art Unraveled on August 6.
• Plaster and Wax at Art and Soul on October 2.
• Introduction to Encaustics at Art and Soul on October 2.
• Paper and Wax at Guilford Art Center on October 13 - 14.

Thanks for visiting.

Encaustic Conference

I just got back on Monday from the 6th International Encaustic Conference, hosted by Joanne Mattera and Truro Center for the Arts at Castle Hill.  There were loads of informative talks and demos by very experienced and knowledgeable artists, and tons of art to see.  Fourteen galleries in Provincetown had shows related to the conference, some curated by conference presenters and attendees.  Really fabulous stuff.  If you go to the Encaustic Conference blog (link above), check out all the blogs, websites, and resources in the right margin.  I can't begin to choose which art and artists to show you here, as there were so many fabulous ones.  But I will just pick a few.

Tracy Spadafora gave a great demo on getting maximum optical and physical depth in encaustic. 

Spill, 2010, encaustic, collage, & oil on braced wood panel, 12 x 12 inches

Lynda Ray demonstrated the use of stencils and the "accretion" technique, both of which can be used to create deep texture.

Scuttle, encaustic on panel, 18"x24"

Toby Sisson gave a talk on the art of critique, urging us to use more descriptive language rather than value-laden language when critiquing artwork.  Being a teacher and online workshop instructor, this was particularly helpful to me.  She gave us ideas about asking questions and raising issues rather than "liking" a piece or labeling it "good" or "bad". 

Garden of Secrets, encaustic monotype on paper mounted on panel, 16"x28"

Sherrie Posternak, I discovered, had been involved with PaperWorks in Tucson, where I will be teaching in January 2013.  She does really interesting work in encaustic on paper, fabric, and cotton quilt batting, in addition to wood panel.

Wall + Street, encaustic and photo transfer on panel, 34"x24"

I could go on and on posting images of gorgeous work from websites of people I met at the conference.  I'll list just a few more:  Nancy Natale's Art in the Studio blog; Gregory Wright, who curated a show called "Pollination"; Laura Moriarty, who works at R&F Paints and gave a talk on how to fund your work; Kim Bernard, who curated one of the encaustic shows at last year's conference and offers encaustic retreats in Maine. OK, you get the idea. 

I will be teaching Plaster and Wax at Art Unraveled in Phoenix on August 6, and also at Art and Soul in Portland, OR, on October 2.  I will be teaching Introduction to Encaustics at Art and Soul as well on the evening of October 2.  I'm offering Paper and Wax: Encaustic Collage at the Guilford Art Center in Guilford CT on October 13 - 14.

Thanks for visiting!