Showing posts with label #encasutic figurative. Show all posts
Showing posts with label #encasutic figurative. Show all posts

Thursday, April 25, 2019

An Artist Can Only Paint What Is Inside Of Them


I have always felt that painters paint who they are. When I look back on the many years I have been a working artist, it is almost a catalogue of my life, experiences and emotions.

A friend, an artist ,who was my first encaustic student when I moved to Mexico almost 15 years ago, says he likes to paint chaos and uses mostly black on his very large paintings. One of his series is called Melancholy and the Lost. There are symbols that look to me like nuclear clouds. He was the one who told me that to be recognized as a Mexican artist, I had to paint angry art. That is never going to happen. The deeper I get into my spiritual, meditation practice, the less I want to bring more tension in my work.

I have spent a few hours going through images going back to about 1968 and almost got lost in memories of where I was emotionally when I made these paintings. Nothing stays the same and it is interesting to see my artist's journey following my physical and emotional journey. All of these images are figurative.

Since last August, 2018, I have been working on my series, "The Lightness of Being", all abstract. www.ezshwan.com (If you would like to sign up to receive my monthly newsletter, there is a form on the welcome page.)

I did not start photographing my work before the 1960's so the examples are all after that date.




about 1968

1969

about 1975

1978

1976

 
1987
The Circus Series, 1989



Every Woman Is A Goddess, circa 1991

Her Journey, A Woman's path to self-realization ,circa 1993
circa 1994
1995

1999

2000
The Love Letter, 2016
2017
2018


Saturday, January 27, 2018

Nudes in Art?

acrylic on canvas, 1988
This is the first nude I painted when I was a freshman in art school.
I posted an older encaustic painting on an encaustic Facebook page and it started a flood of comments after my post was flagged as being objectionable.

I have been working from live, nude  models since I was 19 years old. In art school, along with drawing and painting the figure, we studied human anatomy for 2 semesters. We had to know all the bones of the skeleton, and the names of them the first semester and the second semester, the muscles had to be learned and at the final exam, we had to draw them from memory.

Anyone upset about these paintings? The human form is still a thing of beauty for me. Interesting that this painting was upsetting to an unidentified complainer.
Here is that trouble maker..     



Tuesday, June 6, 2017

Moving Is Not Fun!

I am getting too old for this! It feels as if we have been moving for weeks; perhaps because it has been 2 weeks of packing hundreds of paintings, many car loads and trips to the new house with my paintings and 2 days of the moving trucks going back and forth between the houses with the household stuff and many plants. The new location here in San Miguel de Allende feels like a community with parks, tranquility and much closer to town than the last house in the campo. Garbage collection here is 3 times a week. That may not be special for you, but when we moved out of the last house, the garbage was pilled up in front for almost 4 weeks.

I had great help with the transport of the paintings and just today the stacks have been stabilized and the paintings are being moved off the floor.

The new studio is half the size of the last one, so creative placement is necessary. I don't need all the tables any more since I no longer have workshops with 5 or 6 people. I am concentrating on teaching advanced encaustic techniques to serious artists who want to do more than just watch the wax melt and marbleize. There is lots of light and ventilation in the studio.

We have been unpacking and trying to find things for 5 days. With wonderful helpers everything should be in place, more or less in another week. I have been moving things around to achieve the right energy flow.

So far, this is where we are.
view from the front door

There will be plenty of gardening ahead for me. This is a great place for art.

One side of the living room. I look forward to hanging art soon so it feels like home

The paintings that are going in the stacks in what will be the viewing room





Sunday, May 7, 2017

Painting Prices Slashed!

It is time to go through all my paintings before the move and decide which ones can be discounted.
The new house is smaller and there will be a big painting sale, Saturday May 13th from 9 to 3 and many household items as well. Time to let things go! Here are some of the sale paintings. All will be at least 50% off retail and some even more. Come to the sale and choose one or more for your collection. If you don't live near by, I will arrange shipping. Contact me for individual prices.

Kai and Red, Nice, Jazz Festival, pastel on paper

"Almost Home" encaustic on board

encasutic















Wednesday, October 12, 2016

3 Galleries filled with Art


Last week's opening reception of encaustic paintings and beautiful, one of a kind up-cycled pillows was a success even though the day was grey, wet and unusual for central Mexico.

We met new and old friends and made some excellent connections.

Champagne and pop corn were the refreshments and were well received.

The installation, driving back and forth, writing the article and designing the invitations and ad for the paper come naturally to me after many years of owning galleries.


sale room
entrances to 2 galleries





Serving champagne

pillows and encasutic paintings


pillow  room


My paintings

Cynthia Hamilton's installation

before the installation

We will start dismantling the exhibits Sunday, especially the pillows , so they can come back to the San Miguel  shoppers.

Wednesday, October 5, 2016

Everything Is For Sale

I am often asked if I have a hard time parting with my work No. I am delighted when a collector chooses one or more of my paintings.

I ,along with my daughter Cynthia, have put in a lot of time and travel getting ready for this Sunday's art reception at the latest gallery in a beautiful new hotel about an hour from San Miguel de Allende.

I have had several favorite paintings in my private collection for a few years and now I am ready to publicly show them again and I am adding them to this Sunday's encaustic show. If you are in the area, please stop by to see Cynthia's and my paintings and a collection of one of a kind, up cycled pillows. There will be something for everyone.
The New Car

detail of The New Car

reception room of Hotel La Villa de Pozos

announcement

The Street Musician

With Arms Wide Open