A couple of encaustics

I have every intention of writing more frequently here. However, tonight I will just post a couple encaustics that I have neglected to show. They are both ATC (Artist Trading Card) size and both have color transfers of odd insect eggs on them.

This first one is actually now in the wall next to our front door. We had an unused switch box there that was the perfect dimensions to house this piece.

This piece still needs a home. I'm thinking I'd like it to also be installed in a wall since it looks so cool to have a piece of art that appears to be built into the house.

Progression from negative to encaustic

I thought I'd post a 3-picture progression of how I progressed from a negative to a finished encaustic piece.

First, I scanned the 35mm black and white negative and made some adjustments in Lightroom.

I then printed the picture on lightweight paper (in this case, plain old copy paper) so that it would adhere more easily to the board.

I then did a little doodling and hand-coloring to change things up a bit. I used colored pencils, Pitt India ink pens and a Sharpie white poster paint marker.

Finally, I coated the picture with wax medium and fused it to a board that had also been coated with  medium. I then added oil paint, incised marks, some oil pastel, and metallic paint pigment that was mixed with water.

All I need to add now are a couple of eye-screws and wire to the back for hanging. I'm pretty pleased with how it turned out.

Encaustic workshop with Larry Calkins

I spent the weekend at the NW Encaustic Center learning encaustic collage with Larry Calkins. Collage isn't really one of my skills so it was a challenge to get myself pointed in the right direction. My inclinations are for less elements so I can get stymied when I have tons of materials and options available. It's kind of like having a refrigerator filled with really great food and feeling the urge to use everything in one meal.

I was given two large wood panels and access to lots of postcard-sized boards. Starting with a large panel was too much for me, so I backed off and went to the small boards since I'm much braver on a canvas with limited real estate. I finally got loosened up and started playing with the different techniques Larry (and Shaun Doll, the owner of the studio) demonstrated, the vast array of source materials,  and the variety of colored waxes available. I finally made something I liked when I found a rhomboid-shaped scrap board that I added some of my repeating dead birds, a transfer of a handwritten letter, and some oil paint stamps on tissue paper.

Here's what this first one looks like:

Dead robin detail

Detail of oil paint stamps

Today, I decided to try to make another one with a similar feel. 

Charcoal & pastel drawing on tissue paper

I really like the tissue paper transfers that we learned...much better than the water technique I've been using, which is prone to running. I also learned about using shellac with wax (firing it with a propane torch), which creates beautiful "lace" patterns. I'll post a photo of my shellac attempt on another evening.

If you ever get a chance to take a class with Larry or see his work, I highly recommend it since he's a wealth of information and an extremely talented artist.

When I got back home, we chilled on the deck enjoying the nice weather and a beer. Then, we ate an excellent roast beef with spaghetti squash, salad and zucchini meal that Levi had made while I was out. A really great weekend.

 

Recent encaustics

I spent Wednesday afternoon in the garage working on some encaustics. This first piece is something I've been working on for a while...I'll add something and hate it so I remove it. The only thing consistent was the blue ground (which you can now only see through the photo) and the photo. I actually broke into the color wax I've had squirreled away (I found a $20 electric griddle that seems to work well) and tried to lay in some color to the surface. I think the transfers show up really well over the color (the map is a sailing route in the South Pole and the circle is some sort of medieval distorted view of the world as 6 spheres). I'm not sure what it means yet but there's something about journeys and identity in there.

With the next piece, I drew with charcoal directly on the board and then applied the medium on top of it, hence the smearing. I then framed it with the reddish brown and applied metallic watercolor to the surface. Unsure about meaning with this one either...knots? Being bound up? Charcoal squiggles? I like the look of the smeared charcoal so I think I'll play around with that some more.

This last piece is just a first step. I was listening to a story on the CBC about flying squid and went looking for pictures of squids in flight. I found a photo of one in the air (about 1 foot off the water from what I could tell) and messed with it in Photoshop to turn it into a black & white line-drawing-like figure. I then transferred it directly onto the board using nail polish remover (ugh! don't get me started on how nasty that stuff smells). I then applied a layer of medium and a thin layer of the metallic watercolor. Not sure where I'm going from here, but it definitely needs color.

Flying squid

Encaustic workshop

This weekend I took an Encaustic Photography workshop with Nichole Dement at the Photo Center in Seattle. What a blast. Nichole is an excellent teacher - really knowledgeable and patient. I learned more than I imagined I would and am now completely excited to start doing encaustic on my own.

I worked on two pieces. This is the smaller of the two (6"x6") and includes a photo of an abandoned house that I've posted before. This example includes the photo, a transfer, incising, paint, oil pastels, and, of course, wax. The little "dots" around the orange square remind me of stitches. Hopefully, I can convince hubby that he needs to share a corner of the garage with my new-found obsession.