An Early Start

My day started at 6am with this little guy.  Rocky and I picked up Amber and the three of us headed to Tennessee to meet their ride.  Rocky and Amber have forever homes waiting for them several states north of us….and they’ll arrive very late tonight.  I enjoyed giving them a lift out of Alabama on a cold, rainy day.  Have a great life, kids.

The rest of the day I worked on this encaustic.  I have some finetuning yet and I’m being very careful - the wax is very thin in places.  This one is a mine field.  I was absorbed today for several hours while it rained outside and the dogs slept around me.  I’ll probably go in tomorrow and finish.

Benny is the new kid under the table.  He’s wearing a soft harness because he has a 4” incision where a large growth was removed from his chest.  Benny is an absolute delight.  In spite of his Frankenstein line of staples, he took Carmela on and WON!  Poor Carm is really fearful and tries to hide it with her blood-curdling tbreats. Benny gave it right back and she took off through the air and didn’t come back all day!  

Then little Benny curled up and took a nice, peaceful nap.  He can handle himself.

From Benny to Sundown

I have a new man in my life.  

Who can resist a smile like this?  He’s been stuck at Huntsville Animal Services since October because of a golf ball size growth on his chest, causing adopters to pass him by.  He’s my new foster buddy and he’ll be working with me at the studio for a while.  Meet my newest assistant, Benny.

I contiued today on my second railroad piece.  I’ve gotten past the crisis spots, and there were a couple yesterday  I’m slowly developing areas and enjoying my work.  I can’t push through an eight hour day on these pieces — it seems better to work a couple of hours then break for a bit.  

And as I left the studio, I got one last gift of color for the day.  The sunsets from my studio porch are amazing.  Who knew Oakwood Avenue had so much to offer.  

It was a nice day because…..

I worked on this piece yesterday and continued today — the wax is getting thin in places so it’s challenging.  By the end of my day today, all of the exposed board was covered.  The really nice news of the day is……

Our little Punky found a home!!  This lovely couple drove up from Birmingham and took her home as a Christmas surprise for their girls.  Only problem was they couldn’t keep a secret!  They put a big red bow on Punks and in no time our Punky had become “Maggie” and was sleeping in the bunk beds with two little girls!

Once again, the studio served double duty today — a little art and a little magic for a pup who needed a home of her very own.

Happy Holidays, everybody.  

Guard Ducks

I don’t put a lot of energy into it — some of the same stuff has been in my studio for years.  On the other hand, new things come in every month and yet somehow, it never fills up.  My studio is simply my place.  I feel like whatever I think or make or do is okay here.  I guess that is what a studio should do for an artist.

And if anyone has a problem with that, my Guard Ducks will handle it.  Don’t make them mad.  

Leaving

Leaving the studio tonight, she caught my eye.  She has watched over my watercolor table for years and now I’m working in a different room.  I don’t know whether to move her or get another old soul to watch over me while I work with wax.  For some reason, moving her doesn’t seem like a good idea.  

I’ll think about it.

Speaking of old, I drive by the Tip Top every day.  It’s closed now but I remember when my son’s band wanted to play here.  Maybe they did, I can’t remember.  I  should remember something like that and I should have been worried about it.  

Only a couple of hours at the studio today but it was good.  

In the line of …..

I’m sure the Otter Box wasn’t designed for this  I’m scraping wax off my phone at the end of each work day.  I could move my phone but I have SO many cords and this one only reaches THIS far.  And I’m changing Pandora regularly, answering texts, looking at emails.  A little wax won’t hurt.  

It was a peaceful day.  I cleared a spot for Carmela and she made herself comfortable.  She stayed with me for over an hour until she realized Punky was under the table.  She attacked, sprinkling white fur all over my work, and I had to carry a fat snarling, biting, spitting monster into the other room before Punky lost an eye.  

Punky’s so chill, she was napping again in no time and I returned to work.  It was a very nice day.

Tools

From the beginning, my fascination has been with the beeswax.  The smell, feel, and very nature of it is a wonder to me and I knew it would be a huge challenge. Working in this medium actually had me stumped for longer than I expected - I did a LOT of staring at the board, walking away, popping the top on a Diet Mountain Dew (a trusted delay tactic) and then staring some more.  

What I’ve realized is that it wasn’t the wax that was so alien — it was the tools.  I could still think like a painter but my hands were handling totally different tools and it was like learning a new language, which is another thing I’m REALLY bad at.  

I do a lot of cutting, carving, digging, and gouging.  These dental tools work great but in the beginning, I destroyed them in days.  I was trying to plow through too much wax with a delicate tool.  They now last much longer and I’m more accurate with my cuts.  I also have a “cat hair removal” pick too.  The average encaustic artist doesn’t need one of those!

Without a doubt, the hardest thing to learn to handle has been the single edge blades.  I scrape back each layer of wax to the thinnest possible layer, also hoping to get a level layer that is as flawless as possible.  It reminds me of pulling a beautiful graded wash in watercolor - the only way to learn to do it is to do it over and over and over…..and over.  

I’ve had a brush in my hand daily for twenty years.  Wow, that seems so strange to say.  Anyway, it’s true but these hake brushes are completely different.  I’m using them like mops.  I load them with pigmented wax, pull color over an area, then load the brush with another color, mixing pigment IN the brush and bring it back to the painting.  The wax is hardening in the brush as it approaches the painting, so I’m working fast and thinking has to be done in advance.  There is more feeling than thinking in the moment….and some hoping and praying.

My work area looks like this right now.  I have finally, after many adjustments, settled into a comfortable and productive work space.  I can see that I’ll need another griddle soon and that will shake things up.  I’m also almost ready to graduate to a larger board.  I’m working on 12” x 18” boards now and will want to work larger soon.  That will be my next challenge.

Clear Mind, Open Mind

Distractions.  I create them if they don’t surface on their own.  A wide open studio day can stretch out in front of me and I’ll still sabotage my work day.  Today at noon, I was still popping out of my chair for one thing after another.  I felt unsettled and I’ve been recognizing for a while that I’m not allowing my mind to flow with my work.  I’m dealing with static and I’m creating it myself.

The answer today was to leave the studio for about 45 minutes with a promise to come back in the door with a clear mind.  I drove Misty and Jelly home — one of my concerns all morning was that Jelly was cold!  Insane but I could feel that he wasn’t comfortable and it was bothering me….yes, it was a distraction and yes, it was manufactured.  They seemed glad to be home today for some reason so I ate a quick lunch and went back to the studio.  I turned my music LOUD which is another trick I use and locked in on my encaustic piece.

It began to move along.  Amy, my foster Chi, slept beside me with her tiny space heater keeping her warm.  The cats were all settled and I worked steadily through the afternoon.  I’m reminded again that when I can’t get control of my day then I need to look inward.  Because that is the truth  I…can’t….get…control…of my day.  I’m the one not getting the job done and I can change that at any given moment.  

It was beautiful outside today but Noah and I were in the same kind of mood.  He was in his safe spot on the cabinet and I was in mine behind the encaustic table.  I didn’t get there till after 11am because I transported a pup this morning, but I finally made it.  

I worked on the undercarriage of my railroad car today, starting to create STUFF. I’m starting with the elements that are the most recessed and working forward.

See what I mean about all those colors?  This isn’t all of them but you get the idea.  This shot makes me happy.

At lastly, Amy discovered the little blue chair today.  Every small foster dog and some not so small) love this chair.  Amy can barely jump into it so I help her to keep her leg safe.

Changing tracks

Today was a good studio day.  I finished the fire escape piece and completed the drawing pictured here.  My board is prepared with wax medium and I’m ready to start.  I have two griddles packed with containers of beautiful colors, some full and others just have a smidgen of pigmented wax — they’re all from the last two pieces I’ve completed.  As I look at them on the palettes, I feel like each color eases into the next one and they need to stay together.  

So, I’m going to do this piece with these colors as my starting point.  Sometimes nice things happen when I use what I have… especially in the underpainting.  I’m going to think about warm and cool, not local color.  As I progress through the piece, I’ll mix more specifically but for now, this approach feels right.

The window at the top is the most recessed element in the composition, so I began there.  As I add layers of wax, it will be the furthest from the viewer’s eye. The lower area will be the undercarriage of the railroad car.  I’ll build detail on top of this so much of it will be lost and these rough transitions won’t matter.  

To my right, Amy happily chomped away on a tiny rawhide.  What you can’t see is the space heater that is three feet from her.  She is BASKING in the warmth of the heater!  The bare spot near her shoulder blade is where she had a significant laceration when I got her.  I have a theory that a bird of prey picked her up and dropped her, breaking her leg.  We’ll never know but she was terrified of the outdoors for the first few days.  She’s healing in spirit and body.  I work with Jelly under my chair, Amy to my left, Carmela on the encaustic table, and Misty keeping guard in the next room.  I love them all :)

It must be so relaxing…

It’s something artists hear a lot.  ”You’re painting?  Wow, that must be so relaxing.” or “How nice to get to sit around and paint all day.”  I never know how to respond.  For years I dreamed of the day when I could paint every day, all day and I’m still completely grateful.  But relaxing?  Not exactly.

I can only speak from my own experience, but I’ll be honest.  I work like CRAZY to protect my painting time each day.  I’m up at 6am to do chores at home, shower, take the dogs to the dog park, and try to be at the studio by 9am.  The evening hours are packed full as well, caring for a foster pet and fitting my rescue duties into the day — my lifestyle is probably very similar to people with traditional jobs in many ways.

While at the studio, I’m perched on a high chair, leaning over my drawing table all day.  I LOVE being there but once I’m “in the chair”, I only get up to take the dogs out.  I don’t wander over to look out the window or pull an art book off the shelf.  I’m painting!  I might not get up for 2 or 3 hours straight and when I do, my eyes have trouble refocusing and I’ve lost track of time.  

Many days when I get home, I feel like I’ve been hit by a truck!  I’m tired and I can’t figure out why….I had a WONDERFUL day and the time flew….but my back hurts and my brain refuses to put two thoughts together.  I vaguely remember that I promised to cook dinner but surely I wasn’t serious.  Maybe tomorrow night…..

I’ve wondered if I’ve turned something joyous into work but I don’t think so. I think creative work IS work when I’m totally plugged in.  And work has never been a dirty word to me - total engagement feels right and a good tired is confirmation.

The Holiday Sandwich

We’re in the middle!  The pre-Thanksgiving buildup knocked me off the tracks a bit ad then we were out of town over the holiday.  I was back in the studio yesterday by sheer determination but our bag still isn’t unpacked or laundry done.  Every year I’m determined to work through December and I do….sort of!

Right now I’m working with this 4.6 lb wonder tucked under my drawing table.  Amy was dropped off at a vet clinic on the day before Thanksgiving by Animal Services - to be euthanized.  My guess is that a hawk picked her up and dropped her because she raised CAIN!  Her right leg is broken and she had body lacerations.  She spent the holiday with us and I’m having the leg taken care of this week.  She is precious.

I’m working on this piece now.  I’m working steadily and of course, with interruptions, but I’m amazed at how slowly it’s coming along.  It’s the subject matter I’ve done for years in watercolor and the familiarity feels nice.  I think it’s helping me work with wax more confidently at this point.  I had so many things to think about at once while working with a new medium — it’s a relief to take one concern off the table!  Only I’ll know that I’ve handled the subject differently than I would with watercolor — editing the shadows and making decisions differently.

And I’ve accepted defeat.  I’m a messy encaustic artist.  I’ve gotten messier in my life IN GENERAL over the last few years.  Priorities change….that’s my excuse….and wax has completely defeated all my attempts to keep it clean.  At dinner last night I ate with blue wax under my fingernails.  I finally found a long apron so my clothes are surviving - but the studio floor will never be the same.  

There are problems and then there are PROBLEMS.  My Capital P list is fairly short.

Maybe one more day….

I’m going to think about it overnight and put the last layer of wax medium on it tomorrow.  I think there are still some areas that I need to bring forward and push back  In fact, I see some of them already.

Major discoveries today included Foster for the People, an amazing indie group that was in my ears all afternoon.  And the fact that new foster dog, Sophie…..

is NOT house trained and is terrified of Carmela!!  So, we took potty breaks every hour or so and learned to not incur Carm’s wrath.  She may have been trained but has lost it while in animal shelter and while transitioning between fosters — stress can do that to an 8 month old.  I’m very glad to help her and she makes a good addition to our animal family while we wait for an adopter.  

Sunday Painter

I worked a couple of hours in the studio yesterday.  I lost some of the oil bar work I had done - I guess I tried to put it in too early or got carried away with my razor blade :).  Long way to go yet - back at it today.

Relationships

I concentrated this morning so deeply that I forgot to turn my music on.  It’s hard to believe, looking at this photo, I’m sure.  The piece is developing with more interest than you can tell here.  When I came up for air, I was pondering what pulls me into such a deep and wonderful place.  

It’s the color relationships.  I love planting one color against another, making one place whisper quietly while another pops.  I’m thinking ahead a little about what I ultimately plan to do with each area of the composition but at times, I’m simply enjoying what colors do together or to each other.  

I think creating art is probably that simple.  I’m sure writers love stringing words together and beautiful gardens begin with a bit of moss.  I met a man recently who bought a piece of land and goes outside every morning with his sleeves rolled up.  He digs, researches, examines, transplants - with joy.  He stops to drink a cup of coffee and look up at the trees.  The piece of land is changing very, very slowly — and I have a feeling it will be stunning some day.  No doubt, he’ll know every stone, bunny, and wildflower on it.  He’s building a relationship. 

Valuing the simplest elements of what we do is where the peace is.  I think by slowing my pace over the last couple of years, I’ve rediscovered that.  Rediscoveries take patience too.