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 :). 

Happy Holidays!

Whether your goal is to enjoy or survive — I hope you making it through!  I think it’s a complicated season for most people - for lots of reasons, tons of reasons actually.  For me, the change in routine is enough to throw me off.  Although the month of December isn’t as crazy as it used to be for me, I’m still ready for my studio schedule by January 2.  And usually, January is a very productive month because I’m ready to buckle down.   

This morning I spent some time at the studio with my cats, feeding and having quiet time with them.  George was especially in need of some time together.  I’ll be ready to settle back into my uncomfortable green chair in a couple of days.

And by the way, the dog draped in lights is Benny.  He’s my foster dog and we played around this morning taking photos — he was very cooperative! 

Going Natural

This is where I’m going next….I think.  After the holiday weekend, I plan to begin a piece using this fig tree as my reference.  This tree is a few blocks from my house and is gorgeous when laden with fruit.  The branches were propped up by 2x4’s this summer.  Really nice.    

And….I’m slowly being overcome by green wax!  I have a full griddle of it - and some very beautiful colors have accumulated.  I’d like to work them into some foliage.  

Is there a good reason?

A good reason to NOT paint, that is?  I feel a little guilty tonight but very little….

Today there were two good reasons.  Meet Sam.  This photo says it all :).  After two years in a pen, he’s lovin’ some freedom and can barely contain himself.  No kidding, this dog is NOT contained.  We’re working on it.

And then there was Daisy.  I brought her to Huntsville to live in a foster home.  She’s been in an animal shelter, then was lucky enough to get a spot in boarding but she was there a long time too.  Daisy is overdue for a her spot on a kitchen floor tonight and a little dignity.  

Yep, it was okay to take a day off today.  Sam and Daisy made my day.  

Weathered

Finished.  This piece has more wax build up :).  There is more haze over the color and I’m not sure why — I don’t have more layers.  In fact, in areas the wax medium is very thin.  The haze is a nice effect in places so I’m still thinking about how I feel about it.