The Power of Red SD 480p

Living a passionate life

People have asked me how I do it? How can an old woman,like me, be so energertic, happy and creative? Some have even said that I was an inspiration. These comments made me stop and think about my life, my history, life path, peace and joy. To share the story of my life, I have begun to write on Substack. These sharings come from my life experiences and from editing from my 3 books; "Fireworks at Dawn", my menoir, "The Power of Color" and "Better Than Before'. If you are interested please sign up at Substack. It is free.

Reworking paintings

I am still finding more items to be donated as part of my Swedish Death Cleaning and now pulling out older paintings that don't satisfiy me. When I drop this body, I do not want to leave any art that I am not proud of. Today I posted some reworked portraits that satisfy me more that the origials. Click on the website link to see the changes and let me know what you think.

Swedish Death Cleaning

While having lunch with a friend recently, I mentioned my efforts to declutter my home, ensuring that my daughters won’t have to sift through my belongings after I’m gone. She responded, “Oh, that’s ‘Swedish Death Cleaning.’” Initially, that sounded quite dark, but I realized it perfectly describes my process. This term refers to removing unnecessary items and creating an orderly home as we become more conscious of life’s impermanence, according to Margareta Magnusson, who is, in her words, aged between 80 and 100. She is the author of The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning and The Swedish Art of Aging. In Sweden, this decluttering practice is called döstädning, with “dö” meaning “death” and “städning” meaning “cleaning.” This surprising and invigorating process of clearing out belongings can be undertaken at any age and should ideally happen sooner rather than later—before others have to take on that task for you. Last year, I moved from a large house that I shared with one of my daughters to a cozy country cottage with a separate art studio. During that transition, I donated what seemed like carloads of clothes, drawings, studio tables, paint, substrates, shelving, small paintings, and appliances to a local charity. However, I retained most of my art supplies and hundreds of cherished photos, many depicting my life with Kai Winding, jazz musicians, and of course, my family. After my last birthday, I confronted the reality that much of my life lies behind me, and I created the Encaustic Academy, http://vimeo.com/ondemand/theencausticacademy featuring 14 digital encaustic classes to share my techniques and experiences. Now, I’m looking at a collection of paintings in storage that deserve to be seen and appreciated by collectors. I am planning a gallery exhibition here in San Miguel in February titled “The Legacy of Inspiration.” While I haven’t selected the paintings yet, all will be offered at sale prices. Additionally, there will be an online sale, likely in January, where I will either provide free shipping or a 30% discount. Be sure to check my posts for updates on the sale, or visit my website to see if there’s art you’d like to add to your collection: www.ezshwan.com.

Temporary Introductory price on the Encaustic Academy

The online classes / The Encaustic Academy/

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The Upcoming Encaustic Academy

I have been working many weeks creating a new digital class; The Encasutic Academy The Encaustic Academy seems like a great way to share my passion for encaustic art and mygv extensive knowledge with others. I was inspired to take time for self-reflection and have chosen to focus on leaving a legacy through my art and teaching. Creating a digital class with diverse techniques can help many people explore their creativity and develop their skills in encaustic painting. Sharing my tips and memories will add a personal touch that can resonate deeply with my students. Here are some examples of some of some of the finished paintings in the classes.