Hard at it

I’m continuing to work on this piece — only had a few hours today because I transported Rosie and Annabelle to their “ride north” this morning.  You’ll notice in the top left corner, I”m cutting into the wax, preparing to put the shadows on the brick wall.  

My rough plan is on tracing paper.  It’s basically a cartoon with placement of the largest shapes.  The last thing to go into this composition will be a fire escape - which is the closest thing to the viewer.

I love the wax medium in the pans — much like with watercolor, I mix on the piece as I paint and the colors on the wax piece are a combination of what is here.  I never try to mix exactly what I want on the palette — being too intentional never seems to work for me. 

Got ‘em Shot

I grouped a few pieces today to see how they look on the wall.  It’s always interesting to see the transformation when they leave my work table.  Part of it is the fact that I quit analyzing and become more detached.  And a frame always does something magical — it pulls a piece together and convinces me that it IS finished.  Some people still revisit a piece after it’s framed but I rarely do - I have to move on at some point.  

I packed up five encaustics and took them to be photographed.  It’s interesting after lugging around watercolors for so many years - sliding them into boxes and loading them vertically in the back of my van.  I’m paranoid about traveling and handling these wax pieces but I know I’ll adjust.

 

Walt Schumacher  with WSPhoto did my photos.  He’s quick and has a great set up, and can be contacted at walt@WSPhoto.org. I was in and out in 30 minutes! He’ll provide a CD but I just asked that he email my images to me and I’ll pay via Paypal.  Love it!!

Then back to the studio this afternoon.  My new setup is working — I’ve added a palette, so the pans I’m using the most are on the table beside my piece.  The “L” shape is becoming a long reach but so far, it’s manageable.  

Dogs for Lunch

I framed today and this piece is finally hanging on my studio wall.  I worked after dog biz and then again after lunch.  And yes, dogs were the subject at lunch.  When are dogs NOT the subject?  Well, when cats are, I guess.

I frame my work in batches, mainly because I don’t like to pause to do it.  The more practical reason is that I purchase my frames wholesale and the shipping is free IF I purchase over five frames at a time.  If I wait too long the task is overwhelming, so five or six is a good number to work with.   

Tomorrow I’m having my encaustics professionally photographed and it’s the first time I’ve hired a pro in years.  Photographing my watercolors was a simple process - setting up two light stands at 45 degree angles and shooting.  My encaustics are going to require a different approach - maybe a couple of diffusers will be all I need but I’m going to let a pro help me this time.  Thank you, Walt!!

Carm in the Middle

 Framing today.  Gluing backing boards on six encaustics and Carm had to be shifted as I added each new piece to the table.  Tomorrow I’ll put them in the frames.  

After the glue was dry enough to leave it, I went back to work on the new piece I’ve started.  

At the end of the day I said good bye to Noah.  I got a text from the shelter over a year ago while I was working at the studio - they had a kitten with a cut down the side of his nose and asked if I wanted to come get him.  I went over and got the very shy black kitten and he began his journey through foster homes and adoption events.  Noah landed back with me ;).  His right eye still drains occasionally and he has a small scar down his nose — he’s very shy and cautious by nature so he’s joined my family of wonderful misfit cats.  He’s beautiful and I’m lucky to have him.

A Four Griddle Day

Finished this piece today and then decided I can’t go on without expansion!  I have pans of encaustic paint piled around me and I’m getting TENSE!  So I took a Target break and bought my third griddle.  With my R&F Palette, I know have four heated surfaces.  Maybe I’ll be satisfied for a while.

And while I was doing odd jobs before diving into a new piece, I made two batches of medium — this is ten pounds of beeswax and a smaller bag of damar resin.  I use the standard 8 to 1 ratio and now prepare medium in an electric skillet.

This will last a few paintings.  My new drawing is completed and board is on the table.  Tomorrow I begin.  

The Color of Berries

Berries start like this.  Red, orange, maroon, and yellow is on the palette to the left.  Encaustic is a messy business and I’m getting used to it.  I never clean brushes and I’ve quit using my soy wax completely.  I think that’s progress!

My painting day was interrupted but I managed to start attaching some berries.  I want to get a few in before I begin clustering more leaves.  I’ll add more berries in the final layers.

And they just don’t get cuter than this.  Dana burrows in and all I usually see exposed is her nose….or her tail.  She’s precious and quiet as a mouse around the studio.  She loves going every morning and is happy to settle into my office chair and snooze through the day.  She’s going to make someone a terrific companion.  

It’s Crazy

I was totally absorbed in leaves today - it was a dreary, wet day outside.  Jelly and Misty were snoozing in the front room and Dana, my new foster dog, discovered the office chair to be a perfect napping spot.  Music from Pandora filled the studio and I worked….one leaf and at time.  

At the end of the day I propped this encaustic against the wall to think about where I’ll start tomorrow and it struck me as odd, as it does every now and then — that doing this is so important to me.  I spend hours, days actually, working on a board - and while I’m doing it, my successes and failures effect my outlook on everything in my life.  My whole world is dictated by a 12” x 16” piece of wood….and some wax.

It’s crazy.  It really is.  

Dana and…..Dana

I spent several hours today on a new encaustic.  I prepared the board yesterday with the first layers of wax medium, finishing with blues.  Today I started cutting into the wax and creating my leaves, beginning with the ones that are farthest from me.  

Using a dental tool, I cut the leaf shapes away, fill with pigmented wax, then scrape the excess away with a straightedge blade.  I work until the surface needs to be protected by a layer of wax medium then scrape it back to a very thin, smooth surface.  Then I begin again.  

This is where I left it today….branches, more leaves, and eventually berries will come, pretty much in that order. 

Little Cornell was adopted by a wonderful family so I went to the shelter yesterday and asked this beautiful lady if she’d like to hang out with me for a while.  Her name is Dana and she’s a perfect companion.  After three weeks in a dog cell, she was THRILLED to get in the car and blow that joint!  And I learned today that when Dana sleeps…..

She burrows!!  A few minutes after this she was all the way in and didn’t come out for a couple of hours.  She’s so darn cute.  

I took this as far as my preliminary drawing could take me then started drawing directly on the wax today, making changes in the composition.  I’m going to put it aside for a day or so and think about it…..or not.  I might jump back in tomorrow.  I like the piece better in person - the photo is less interesting to me.  

And I hung my most treasured Christmas gifts today.  I received art from my grandsons!  

I just need to stay a while….

Sasha only needed a babysitter tonight….she really didn’t want to be a bother.  She thought she could play with the other dogs and maybe share their toys.  T

Think again, Sasha!!  Cornell was polite but he wasn’t AT ALL sure about her her intentions!  And Jelly thought we had way too many little people in the house.  Misty followed her around, making sure she didn’t touch anything she wasn’t supposed to.  It isn’t easy being the new girl.

 

I’m still working on this piece.  More leaves in the foreground tomorrow and I can see some corrections to the composition that I need to make.  Today was tough - I turned the palettes on but I probably didn’t work more than an hour — it was one of those days when I was THERE but the distractions were winning.  I seriously need to handle my day better tomorrow.  

Maybe halfway

Cornell and I worked this afternoon.  He spent his first day at the studio and wasn’t a lot of help — but his pure delight with EVERYTHING kept me smiling all day.  This piece is coming along.  I have a vague plan on tracing paper but I’m mainly enjoying the freedom to let the foliage develop — lights and darks with decisions based on what happened in previous layers.  Most of my lip chewing comes from deciding what areas to fill with pigment before adding a layer of clear medium and moving on.

“Summer Garden” went to her forever home today.  Every time I see a watercolor go out the door, I think of pulling out a piece of Arches and stating a new painting.  I’m missing my old friend.  It isn’t that simple to leave the wax though.  I remind myself to be thankful that I have both mediums and keep working.  Thank you, Kelley and Scott. 

And THIS is Cornell.  For some unkind reason, this baby was dumped in an animal shelter in a community that feels they have no choice but to euthanize at a very high rate.  He was within 2 hours of losing his life.  Today he had McDonald’s french fries, went to the dog park for the first time, and is snuggled against my leg as I type right now.  Every animal and human deserves kindness.  Foster.  Donate.  Adopt.  Volunteer.  Please help.  

Now I have proof….

I’ve been feeling somewhat befuddled — slightly askew.  It started when I quit making lists and grew worse when I stopped wearing a watch.  I’m not complaining - it works for me most of the time.  All the same, I’ve been suspecting that I’ve gone off the deep end.  At the end of the day today I looked at my work space — and got VISUAL confirmation.  A major overhaul may be in the planning - if I have any planning capability left.  THIS is what I’ve become.  

Considering THIS is what I was, you can see why I’m noticing the askew-ness.  This is how I worked a few years ago. Noooo….I’m not going back to this.  I couldn’t if I wanted to — but I do need to open up some space, somehow.  I can barely move in my little wax slinging cave and when it reaches the point where I can’t get to the refrig for my Diet Mountain Dew….well, panic isn’t too far away.  

After Stella….

An underpainting in wax - that’s what this is.  I’m building layers of wax medium over broad brushed color to “push it back” and then I’ll start developing my limbs and foliage.  This could work — I have to believe!  I like where it is right now although I’m a little concerned that it’s too strong at this point.  Okay…back to believing.

And before I settled down at the encaustic table, there was Stella.  She was in an animal shelter for TOO long and then a kind rescuer put her in boarding….where she has been TOO long.  We’re trying to help her get into a foster home so we visited her this morning to get a feel for what kind of dog she is.  Well, she is a GREAT dog!  Sweet, loving, and very deserving of a chance.  We took photos and video - and I’m Stella’s biggest fan.  Ask me how you can help!!  

Pain Pill Please…

I photographed this in New York a few months ago…near the Library somewhere.  I loved it and unfortunately, it applied today.  My plan to walk the dogs and get an early start at the studio were lambasted by a migraine.  At 3am I realized my day wasn’t going to follow my plan — and after years of dealing with migraines, I’ve learned it does NO good to be angry.  More recently I’ve learned that working with wax really doesn’t mix well with nausea and a headache.  

So my day was spent in bed with pain pills, three dogs and four cats.  Headaches are bad but life is good.   

Why aren’t you HERE?

George’s evil eye is very effective.  George is pretty intense about everything, actually.  He thinks I should come back to work and he’s right.  Tomorrow is the day.

I also need to cut some wood shelves for this rack.  It’s going to serve as a holding rack for encaustics in process.  Finding a way to store them so that surfaces won’t get damaged is a problem — and storing in a space saving way is really challenging.  This should work well.

Continually finding smarter ways to work in a new medium.  Always with the problem solving :).