Croppings of Eleven Things

I have created a body of work

containing eleven individual pieces of art.

A home brew of 

encaustic wax medium 

(beeswax and damar crystals) 

is the main material.

Some contain hand-spread plaster

mixed in an old cereal bowl...

some have metallic leaf

pressed into their surface...

a few embody photo copies of

trees and crows in the Columbia Gorge...

glassine was used with three

pieces to achieve a different

textural quality...

most have home-rusted

tie wire...

oil paint and pigments...

some are on wooden substrates

I already possessed and the large-scale

pieces I build the panels from scratch...

each one is different from the other,

yet some have similar components,

indicating they could be diptychs and triptychs...

the story of my imagery

spans from hanging out my bedroom window 

attempting to capture crows in deciduous winter walnut trees

to

pulling off on the side of many roads along the Columbia River

trying to catch that moment where the dense fog lurks around the trees.

o

o

o

O

o

Artist selfie

layered with

two images

from above

plus a lil sumpin-sumpin.

o

O

o

o

and this...

Wrinkle Free & A Crocus Invasion

I blew out all wrinkles

and added a few layers

of my recent art...

therefore I have no nose.

The Axon of Repose installation 

near the side creek 

is deteriorating nicely.

A crocus invasion of space.

A Fibonacci wonder.

[excellent with hummus]

Clever signage...

for a waxing house.

One of several new

encaustic pieces

produced this weekend

while on an art making binge.

o

o

o

O

o

o

My long studio weekend go to...

Encaustic Crows

I've been layering some of my photography lately

in multiple layers of textures.

I'm still intrigued with the photos of the winter crows that

always seem to be present throughout the seasons.

They stand out drastically against the

white winter sky.

I will take them further, adding encaustic wax

and more texture with oils.

They will then find their temporary

home at small local boutiques or possibly my
quiet little etsy shop [(I should give more attention to)...waiting

to connect with their future admirers.

This...

...is a video directed by Hiro Murai.

I recently worked on

the art staff for a Shins video he directed in Portland,

of which should be completed in a month or so.

Outside of 

.

a summer psychology course, 

.

a few photo shoots and 

.

a hankerin' to finish my encaustic digital photos

.

my summer is pretty light. Fall semester will be here before I can say...

am I really crazy enough to take another five classes?!?!?!

The answer is yes,

with a grin of gratitude and pride.

o

o

o

O

o

O

o

o

o

One of those quick warm up paintings

that I've come to appreciate.

Oil on bond paper spring 2012.

P.S. I'm not sure why the type in this post randomly spangles inside a white box...

I'll figure that out later. 

Ciao! 

Summer Solstice

Studio desk.

Old art.

Finally some sunshine.

And tasty fruit.

I've got some things going on that take time. Time to be in the moment, take it all in and move from that spot without expectations. That's when my imagination flows best. I am preparing for a gallery jury, slowly working on commission pieces, preparing encaustic photography and conquering anything that falls between the lines. Summer means my life will continue on it's fast pace yet the lazy days will reign over any stress and chaos. The family disperses during the day and always comes together on the front porch at dusk. There's an odd sense of relaxation when the sun sets at 10pm. As if there's plenty of time to accomplish everything that needs to get done. This [click] and this [click] are making me smile.

Bonus Scraps & Fresh Air

Bonus scraps of misc. ephemera stained with inks & encased in encaustic medium. Not sure what I'll do with these exactly. The bottom one I did use for a thank you note. Below I show the work I did today. While I have the encaustic mediums melted I try to use them for as many projects as I can. I'm covered in wax splatter and need some fresh air. Although my studio is well ventilated working so close to melted beeswax & pine resin makes it difficult to completely avoid the fumes. This [click] and this [click] were amongst the musing that flowed through my head while lost in my process...all...day...long. It was one GREAT day.

Speedy Shots Encased in Wax

Today was a day of encaustic work. Seems if I don't schedule a day to do art, art gets bumped to those spaces of time that feel crammed and hurried then I get crabby and impatient. The photos were taken on a walk in late winter, I textured salvaged blocks of wood, tinted them with inks, encased everything in encaustic medium then gently rubbed a white oil stick into the dimples and scratches. These are part of a line of organic/earthy art for a local shop. OK...only the bottom was taken on a walk the other two were 75 mph drive by shots while on vacation in January. No we did not vacation in that desolate area, merely passing through on an adventure. I can tell you...this song was was playing on the ipod [click here].

Snapshots of my future

I've been processing nature photos I've taken since the first of the year for an upcoming encaustic photography project. To my surprise I have quite a few that interested me for this medium. Randomly snapping shots in the moment have proven reliable when I need to draw from a creative source. Being that they are my own makes the process that much more fulfilling. If you click on them you may be able to see them in a larger format. The top shot was taken in my home town. It is the top of a cement barrier that is intended to protect our water treatment plant from a potential flooding of the adjacent creek. The majestic walnut tree has yet to sprout it's leaves and is the perfect hang out for red breasted robins passing through on their seasonal road trip home. My kayak made for a great vantage point when the winter waters were serene. It was 44 degrees out with zero wind and you would of never known it in the last photo. Currently I am waiting for paint to dry. I've chosen to spend this day adding a second layer of black paint to my tub room's built-in cupboards. It's only been a year and a half in between coast. Geez. Something to put a bounce in your step today [click here]