A year ago when I sold my coffeehouse I had no idea what I would do next. I've always had a plan or at least a notion of what to research to take me subsequently into the next phase of my life. I knew it had to do something with art but that's a pretty broad subject. I purchased Golden acrylic paint tubes in colors that caught my eye, many, many canvases and begun to paint. It actually took six weeks until I painted something for I was frozen in fear I would ruin the expensive product I had just invested in. I recall passing a section in the art store that had encaustic materials. I was curious but totally turned off by the sample that hung on the wall. I walked away and thought who would ever spend their money on such a medium. I was apparently stuck in the small business mind frame and lacked vision and the openness it took to think outside my frugal box. Above is one of my latest encaustic creations, below will explain more of my journey. Click on it & check it out a bit closer.
I received a new camera from my husband for Christmas. I snapped photos of everything that triggered an interest. Sunlit dancing shadows, textures of household objects and the insane snowfall we had last winter. I ended up taking a beginners encaustic class given by local Portland artist Amy Stoner at the Collage DIY Lounge store on Alberta Street. The sample that hung on the art store wall haunted my thoughts. Not that "I could do better" but more of a challenge to explore that strange medium. Amy was a great teacher and I took my two class projects and hung them proudly in my art space at home. They are nothing like what I have morphed into recently with incorporating my photography into my encaustic pieces but they symbolise a step into the unknown. In taking that class I opened a door within the depths of my creativity that I did not know existed. Go ahead...Click on it, it's cool.
Through my exploration of mixed media, taking photos constantly, posting in this art blog, discovering new magazines in the trade of mixed media art and brewing them together to created encaustic pieces...I have surprised myself with a path of creativity that feels sooooo right. It's taken a year of self discovery and conquering simple fears (but fears none the less) that has landed me in this spot. Hard to believe a whole 12 months have gone by. I don't do much acrylic painting these days. My canvases sit snug behind my desk & under a chaise....patiently waiting. I have been accepted into an art show for the Portland Audubon Society's annual fundraiser Wild Arts Festival at the end of November. A first for me. I'm working on creating my booth space as well as a well stocked arsenal of encaustic art all in the theme of birds and nature. Yet another path in the new journey of my life.
