Waxy, Fun, Workshop, With Friends

On Sunday I got to teach an encaustic workshop at Deux Bayous. It is the co op gallery I am involved with, in Arnaudville. I always have a great time when I teach workshops but this place is particularly special to me. The people make it so. Mrs Rita made the best black eyes and rice I have ever put in my mouth. She also made some really nice encaustic pieces!
Actually I believe my favorite thing about teaching workshops (and really doing art in general) is the people I meet and get to know.

Amy and me

This particular workshop I had invited someone to come as my guest assistant, the amazing Amy McDonald. She has a great art site

www.flutterbye.ning.com

Check it when if you get a chance. There are lots of tutorials and inspiration on there for mixed media art making.

Postcard From Brazil

While Carnival rages on in Rio, Gannon ventures into the deepest Amazon rainforest. He is after photographs of the Brazilian Morpho butterfly. He found the perfect shot in the highest reaches of the tree canopy.

This postcard is encaustic/mixed media, using image transfer, accretion and PanPastels. The butterfly is hand cut, painted with watercolor, dipped in encaustic medium, painted with blue Pearlex and attached to the card. Photographs never do encaustic work justice.

Waxy Goodness in a Bean Field

NuNu and  Deux Bayous Gallery Collective

On Sunday I go to a small town in Cajun French, South Louisiana. It is a little hamlet named Arnaudville. Arnaudville is right down the road from Grand Couteau. Grand Couteau is right near Lafayette. (If you don't recognize any of these places or can't pronounce the names, just Google it..) I will be teaching an encaustic workshop, to an amazing group, in an equally amazing space.

NuNu and Deux Bayous Gallery Collective

 What was once a lumber warehouse ( on the side of the highway, in a soybean field), has been transformed into a cultural center, in an area rich in local color. Both visual and performing arts are shared and experienced there.

It is through my experience in this space, that I have come to know and love, so many of the people of the area. My respect and admiration of them continues to grow. 

Mr Rex and Mrs Belinda

Clint

When these folks come together, whether it is to work or relax, there is a true sense of fun and joie de vivre.

If you are ever driving down the I 10, and see the exit for Lafayette, Breaux Bridge or Hendersonville, take a side trip and experience the people and culture of the area. If it a Saturday or Sunday, plug in

1510 Bayou Courtableau Hwy Arnaudville, LA into your GPS and you may find yourself at NUNU, an art space (on the side of the highway, in a bean field). You will be sure to "pass a good time".

www.frederick-arts.org

Postcard challenge ~~ From Spain

Because I was traveling this week, this postcard was done entirely on my iPad. I have a couple of drawing apps that I love. I also use a stylus.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Arianna is in Spain to enjoy one of her favorite sports. While there she also has a visit with her favorite athlete, and close friend. She makes a little sketch and sends it to Gannon. Maybe she is trying to make him jealous..

Crystal Bridges

Last week I was fortunate enough to visit the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art. It is in an area of the country not known for its artistic culture. In fact there were a few (actually a lot of) highbrow art folks who thought it was a waste to put such an amazing museum in such a humble area. 

It is my opinion, that it is in the perfect place. It is choices like these that create art colonies and destinations for art aficionados. 

What I see is potential.... 

 Potential for cultural growth in an area where the land is beautiful but the people have not had the opportunity to see brilliant works of art, in person.

 Potential for galleries to open with art for people to purchase. 

 Potential for workshops, and artistic learning experiences of many kinds. 

If you can make your way to this gorgeous location, I believe you will see the potential as well.

www.crystalbridges.org

First Postcard

Today is the first day for the 2012 postcard challenge. While I do not have a step by step for the creation and design of my postcard, I do have the story line....

In his work as a historical photographer, Gannon Luca Shavonne travels in time. His mission is to document select events for his overseer.
His heart of hearts, Arianna Mazziotta lives on Capri Island, Italy.
Every postcard he lovingly makes, and sends to her has a clue to what she does and is. Everything connects and has meaning... even the stamp.
 

Cleaning up

Yesterday I cleaned and organized-ish my home studio.

It was an embarrassment to me and reflected poorly on all artist kind. Seriously.. there was not a single ------- --------- --->

surface that was not cluttered with paint (oil acrylic and encaustic), brushes, stencils, pens, pencils, glue, paste, look a giraffe--->
(sorry but I love giraffes don't you) medium (soft gel, matte and gloss, and oil), wax, paper (scraps and whole sheets), vintage books (used for paper), wax, lace, punchanello, used paper towels (I know.. yuck), scraping tools, stick pastels, pan pastels, ink, stamps,
vintage postage stamps, (did I mention wax)  fabric bits, beads.. Ok you get the picture.
For a special treat I had ankle deep paper bits everywhere. You know the ones that you make when you rub the white paper off an image transfer.
Speaking of image transfers, the raven image --->
( I made it on my iPad) is a freebee if you want to grab it to use for a project. Just please don't sell it as a digital download.




I finally got the whole thing clean-ish, after HOURS of work. Then I came downstairs and looked at my dining room table. It stretched out for hundreds of feet (well maybe not hundreds) piled to the ceiling with sewing projects, Christmas projects, boxes (I use my table to box and mail the paintings to Crate and Barrel), and really a lot of the same stuff I had in the studio, minus the paint. So...

Encausticamp 2011 Bookmaking

I sat down and started cutting up and sewing together, an old thermal shirt of my son's and an old groovy blouse of mine. I am making an amazing new top for myself. (I will have step by step soon). I have to say I increased the mess quotient exponentially.  By this time it was getting kinda late, maybe midnight thirty or so. Hubby comes clunking in, having just woken up from falling asleep on the sofa while watching TV. He was incredulous that I was making more mess. I had mentioned that I was cleaning the dining room as well. Whatever.... I carried on sewing..
 I did however clean the table (all hundred feet of it), finally making it to bed at 3AM.
Now all the clean empty spaces are calling to me.. Cooooooome create on meeeeee, cooome creaaaate oooon meeeee.

So it all begins again.

Possibilities

Possibilities, is a good word for me. It can be interchanged with so many other words that I like...

Potential...

When I go in my studio I see tremendous potential...
 Also when I see this amazing person --->






Promise..

There are spiritual promises that I can stand on. I just have to get my head around them, and my focus on them. (We all know I have challenges with.. oh look a bubble ---> focus.)

Prospects...
Now we are getting somewhere. What are my prospects? Therein lies my most significant question. Lemmie get back to you on that one.