Encaustic Workshops, February 2012 -- Part Deaux

It's been a while since the remaining two workshops.....I've been travelling, moving, painting the walls of the new place and working on a couple of commissions. So now, I'm just finding the time, early in the morning to get this post completed.

The remaining two workshops were just as fun as the first two. The beauty of workshops is that each one takes on a personality of its own. Some workshops are loud with raucous laughter, others are quieter, with students heavily concentrating on their work. Either way, all work stations began their day with a complete set up. I charge a full price for my workshops, so I do not skimp on the tools or supplies for each student. This is what each student started with each morning, which I think is a pretty good set up:
As you can see in the above photo, each student receives a substrate (canvas) upon which to apply the encaustic paint, multiple brushes, carving tools, texture tools, stencil supplies, and other implements to manipulate the colors in the pots on the hot griddle.

Here are photos of students at work, followed by their paintings:
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This is a close-up of the kind of texture an artist can create utilizing one of the techniques I taught. 

The beginning classes were so successful, I have an interest list already built for a second set of beginning classes. Yippee! I think we'll do them towards the end of May. Plus, many of my students are interested in an Intermediate Class where we'll learn more techniques, such as image transfer, more embedding techniques, and possibly the shellac burn technique. Stay tuned for more information on when those workshops will be scheduled!

In the meantime, keep scraping to uncover, discover and discard!!
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Encaustic Workshops, February of 2012

Thinking that others would like to learn about the art of encaustic, I developed a Beginner's Encaustic Workshop at my studio in Boquete, Panama. I wasn't sure just how much interest there would be, and so I limited enrollment to 4 students per workshop and I scheduled four 1-day workshops. Imagine my surprise when almost every spot got filled!

I've held two of the four workshops and people seem to be genuinely pleased with both the content, how it's presented, what they've learned and the value received.

I'm genuinely pleased with their results. Check out these photos of their paintings and people at work:
Artists busy at work

And check out these results....

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Library Installation

One week ago, the efforts of many years' work by many honorable people in Boquete came to fruition. Boquete's first lending library, in a new, sleek and modern building opened to fanfare. Many speeches were made by local dignitaries -- all in Spanish -- and the folklorico "polleras" ( the gorgeous fancy dresses) were on display. After the typical congratulating of all the hard work by everyone involved, a ribbon was cut, the doors opened and we all filed inside.

This is where my involvement began. I had been asked to paint a large encaustic piece as a permanent endowment to the library. In exchange for permanent information about myself displayed next to the 3 ft x 7 ft piece, I agreed. 

If you want to see pictures of the opening of the library, click here to read about it in my other blog, "thirdworldwife.com". Because RobynColeArtworks is about art, this discussion focusses on the piece itself.

For the past 7+ weeks, I have been in my studio full time preparing this piece. Dreaming about it, planning it, designing it, envisioning each panel as it tells the story of Boquete's evolution of art, music and literature.

Rather than type on and on about what the piece is all about, I think it's easier to show the painting and the written description next to it.

Here goes:
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"Art Music, Literature: A Boquete Tapestry"

And here is the discussion of the piece:
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Here are a couple of more photos, just for funzies:
Showing parts of the painting  to friends.
A side view, while patrons explore the piece.
The slightly over-excited artist talking with a patron.
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                          "Ruh Row, Raggie!"

I haven't posted in 6 weeks. And I have a good excuse. Really.

They're called Henry and Joe. They're my grandkids and they've been with me for a month. Oh yeah, a couple of others came with them. Like their parents, their aunt, and their other grandmother. But those people are incidental, right? I mean, compared to two darling, blonde 6 and 3 year-olds, EVERYONE else is incidental.

They leave tomorrow for England, which is home. Yup, my grandkids speak with English accents because my son married a Londoner and they're raising them in a darling village south of London. Odd to hear my own grandkids say: "Grand-muthuh, might I have a glahss of woe-tuh?" Jeez, they sound smarter than me.

After they leave, I'm in the studio solid until January 26th. All will be revealed, but suffice it to say I'm doing a large painting for the new Boquete Public Library. It opens on the 26th and my painting will be featured on the ground floor. And with family staying with us over the holidays, I'm late. Very, very, late.

I will see you in late January and I will have posts on my art activities: A truly successful Holiday Selling Season (0ver $1,000 in art sales and 2 more commissions), 20 people interested in an encaustic workshop, progress and photos of the library commission and its development and more!

I have no idea what is going on in the world, but I can quote word and verse of the Scooby Doo movie. 

Rock on, Scooby. "Ruh Row, Raggie!" 
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Holiday Bazaar, Part I: The Results

I have been in such gratitude lately. Ever since John and I packed up my booth from Boquete's Holiday Shopping Bazaar on Friday, November 25th and took our tired bodies home, I have been giving thanks.

My artwork was VERY well accepted into the Boquete community! I was selling all day long, people asked for brochures and business cards. I developed an interest list for an upcoming encaustic workshop after the first of the year. I sold three encaustic paintings and have a commission for a 4th. In addition, of the 15 whimsical bling pieces I showed, I sold all 4 bling bowls, 2 bling balls, one hanging cross and one standing cross. With orders for more! How gratifying, how fulfilling this is to me.

Thanks to all my friends and new customers for supporting my efforts! These are the paintings I took and the circled ones sold. The woman who bought the upper left one also ordered a companion piece to go with it:
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In addition, one of my favorite whimsical bling pieces, the two-sided cross, sold to a dear friend and the same woman who purchased the painting circled on the lower right, above. It's a precious piece to me and I'm glad it went to a great home.

I have two more shows to do. One is a "Girls and Gab" invited event at a private home on December 1st, and the next one is Holiday Bazaar, Part II on December 10th. Then I hope to rest, relax and get ready for 8 family members coming in for the Holidays.

I will keep you posted on how the future events unfold. I'm also excited to build my first encaustic workshop. I'm able to take proceeds from my sales and purchase additional encaustic tools to build out a well-stocked encaustic workshop. Let's see, I need a new heat gun, another griddle, more paints, more beeswax, ooooh, maybe I'll get that butane torch I've been wanting, and.......ahem.....talk to you later!
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Okay, readers, my heart is in my throat these day, my eyes are at half mast and my body is weak and tired. Why? I'm showing my new encaustic paintings for the first time here in Panama in 3 days and it's exciting, thrilling, scary, and all that.

I took a photo of the body of work. I've got twelve small paintings I'm putting on display and they are available for purchase, as well.The show is a "Holiday Bazaar" at the local community center, called BCP. Other Boquete artists, vendors, crafts people, etc will be showing as the idea is to kick off the Holiday Shopping Season with us! So, while technically, it's not a formal art show (that will come in February), it IS the first time anyone here sees my work.

And there's a good chance it will raise some eyebrows. From what I've seen here to date, the art here is very traditional: landscapes, flowers, local indigenous children -- representational stuff.  Mine is not. I paint concepts, not people, places and things. So, like a said, I don't know if there's a local market for my type of art or not, but either way, we'll get a good idea of it one Friday, right? I'm really taking a risk, but what is life without a few risks and multiple shots of adrenalin that keep you up at night, eh?

Anyway, after the show I'll update y'all, and in the meantime, here's the photo of the 10 x 10" encaustic paintings I'll be showing:
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Sandi Miot 10/01/2011
 

SANDI MIOT


I'm in love with a new social media group called "Loving Mixed Media". It's run by a completely selfless artist who seems to be devoting himself to his art and this .ning web site. I'm new to it, so I may not know everything about the site, but if you're a mixed media artist, you should check it out.

While perusing the site, one of the other artists posted this video about an artist she admires. I admire it to. In fact, I'm jealous as hell of her talent! So, I'm sharing that video with her here. Enjoy!
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Stacked Medium 09/25/2011
 
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It's been a few days since my last post. You saw the video for my first encaustic medium pour. Well, ALMOST saw my first pour, if my right arm hadn't been in the way the whole time! Hey, like I said, I'm a painter, not Steven Spielberg!

The 8 ozs. of medium went well, so I just jumped right into making two pounds. I have two muffin tins: one small and one large, so I poured all of the two pounds into the muffin tins. The next day I popped them out and stacked them. This is two pounds (less one of the larger spheres) of my stacked medium. Hey, this in and of itself could be an art installation, don'tcha think?

I've already used one of the blocks of medium and I think it's pretty good. What I'm learning, though, is if I put too much oil point in the heated tin, it will cause the wax to resist hardening. It will always feel sticky. I've got to pull back on the amount of paint I use. Which is could, because it's less costly, right?
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I am such an immature little kid when it comes to trying new things. I woke up at 4:30 am this morning, thinking with excitement out the day ahead. Finally! I get to play with wax that is not in teensy tiny tins and trial sized! I couldn't wait to get errands out of the way and get into the studio.

As much as I love the refined, rich colors of manufacturers such as Enkausticos (shown below) and
R & F, my budget and my plan of painting are not in sync. These small amounts are fine if you're doing the European style method of encaustic painting, but the way I plan to paint is to use much larger amounts of paint in a much more freehand style.
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Once in the studio, I quickly cleaned up my studio and made my encaustic work area ready for making medium. I gathered all the players together for a little family portrait. Shown clockwise, starting at the top is: a heat source. In this case, an electric griddle; pharmaceutical grade white filtered beeswax from Swans Candle Supplies in Washington; Damar Resin Crystals from the same source; aluminum tins from the store to hold mixed medium, oil paints from Gran Morrison in Panama City, a weight watcher's scale I brought with me from the states and a large pot. The pot will go one the griddle, 8 oz of wax will get melted followed by the addition of 1.5 ozs of damar resin. All will be mixed together until all is melted. Then it will be poured in the metal cups.
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Or, better than that, just watch this video. Remember, I'm a painter, not Steven Spielberg! Enjoy:

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I'm Like a Kid on Christmas Eve!


You know that feeling you had as a kid on Christmas Eve? When all of life's wondrous gifts were still possibilities? When the puppy you'd been praying for could STILL be on Santa's agenda? When that guitar you'd begged and begged for just might be hidden in the house somewhere?

That's how I fee right now. I feel like a kid on Christmas Eve. Because starting tomorrow, I will be able to roll up my sleeves and get into making encaustic art BIG TIME!!

I haven't been able to truly begin experimentation because: A) the encaustic set of medium and paints I originally had were only a starter set and B) I've been researching the best way to get the best grade wax imported into Panama.

But now that all comes together: My 10 pounds of wax and 2 lbs of damar resin (for hardening) have arrived at Airbox Express in downtown Boquete. I found a set of pots for melting large amounts of wax at a patio sale at The Zapadora in Potrerillos today. My neighbors gave me a hot plate they're no longer using. I've bought 5 tubes of oil paint I will use as pigments after I dry some of it out. And, through the generous loaning of a miter saw by my friend Kelly Collier and the access to a free wood pile by Michelle Brewer of Bajareque Wood in Volcancito, I have been making my own substrate wood panels for next-to-nothing in cost.

Tomorrow I plan to lay out oil paint to dry, I plan on melting 6 to 7 parts wax with 1 part resin to create my medium. Normally I would use an 8 to 1 ratio, but  encaustic expert Joanne Mattera suggested I use a little bit more resin because of the additional oils from my oil paints I'm using as pigments. Normally one would use dry pigments to mix with the wax medium, but I'm starting with oil paints as they are more accessible here in Panama.

I don't have any photos to show you, but I would like to begin referencing some of my favorites in this industry. I love love love the work of Gilda Snowden. She is a Detroit artist my age and loves to upload videos. I've watched almost every one and this recent one has really captivated me. I plan on painting in the pouring style she shows in this studio tour. Enjoy, and I'll post pictures of work in progress tomorrow!

I had troubles embedding her video, so just click on this link to watch it.

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