Archives and Sold Paintings

A little 6"' x 6" that was sold years ago. A friend's poem, printed on a wood cut is the background

The model for this encaustic painting bought it in 2006

I have taken the last few weeks to work on updating my website. I have added images to my online galleries and archived older work; some of which I had forgotten about until I moved tables away from the art stacks and pulled out older work.

I also found old encaustic paintings that I didn't like any more. I put them outside in the intense April sun here in San Miguel de Allende and the layers of wax soften rapidly and can easily be scraped away. I have a mound of old wax piled up.

I am starting to miss working in the studio, but the weeks of computer work has left my clothes spot free and my finger nails are clean for a change.

I hope I can reuse some of this.

Transfers on encasutic over oil

My daughter and I are getting ready for our gallery show the 2nd of January and I decided I would make some paintings that I could sell for lower prices than my big, new works.

I chose some face paintings on wood that I made as demos for my online classes of painting and drawing faces and covered them with clear encaustic and transfers using parchment paper - my favorite way of transferring onto encaustic. Here are a couple results.

I don't have a name for this one - any suggestions?

Grandma's Recipes

A week of moving

It is a week today that our move began. Well, actually, there was a whole day before that that was just moving paintings.

All the paintings are in the stacks. There is a bit more arranging in the studio and it will be ready for students and new creations from me.

Yesterday we sent a good part of the day unpacking kitchen stuff. We certainly have a well stocked kitchen, combining 2 households of dishes and cooking utensils. We do have many duplicates and are planning a sale of a lot of stuff.

I bought in many pots of herbs that were getting burned outside and now we have an indoor herb garden.

My nasty cold has left me and I feel like myself again.

When the art is in place, it will really feel like home. I will start hanging paintings soon, now that the furniture has been placed. I will need my drill, the cement walls will not accept a hammered nail.

next step, getting covers for the storage areas

just some of the kitchen herbs

2 refrigerators

This is like being at Grandma's house!

I had 3 of the most delightful people in my workshop Monday and Tuesday. I had planned an advanced technique class, and then at the last minute, after I had gathered all the materials, the class became an introductory one. Since there were only 3 people, everyone got what was almost a private class and by the second day, they had experimented with several techniques beyond the intro level. Gary, a photographer, exclaimed, "This is like being at Grandma's!" You have everything we want just for the asking. I loved his comment and told him I would share it.

We joked a bit about being with Grandma (me) and Flora said, "No you are more like a mother, very caring, thoughtful and directly to the point. I have spent a lot of money since I have been in San Miguel, but this class was the most worthwhile." I said, "I have considered stopping teaching", and she said "You must never stop teaching. You have too much to share." My heart was filled to over flowing.

An encaustic demo

under painting

I didn't have much time in the studio today. I spent the morning catching up on errands and later studying for my Spanish conversation class tomorrow. It is a 2 1/2 hour class and my brain is tired afterwards.

I got some more paint on the boards - still working on the underpainting. I am finding that I really need to get it right before I apply the encaustic.

2 encasutic faces finished

I softened the background on this so it did not look so much like wallpaper.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I took this with my iPod and the copper doesn't show up well.

before softening the background

encaustic on board, 24" x 24"

first day

2 paintings of the Into the Silence finished.

2 days ago

 

 

 

Life and art in San Miguel

 


http://youtu.be/nvUinNihSXs

Here is my latest YouTube Video, with some of the color and culture of San Miguel de Allende. 

No red in these paintings

I need a name for this one. Can you help? 24: x 24"

"Sisters" 24: x 24"

This is an older painting, part of my series, "With Arms Wide Open" It makes a nice triptych with the other 2 new paintings.

I do love red and made another red painting, but for a change of palette I used more earth tones, experimenting with rubbing in powdered pigments, using gloves and a mask and some oil glazes.

Lots of Layers

This was the painting that I was struggling with last week. Even with Victoria's help, I just didn't feel good about it, so I added lots of other colors and covered most of it with red. I like it now.

Finally, some new encaustic paintings!

I hadn't been able to work for a few weeks. Two of them I spent in the States with family, but yesterday, I felt driven to get back to work. I pulled out 5 old pieces that never were satisfactory. There already were many layers of encaustic on them, so I had a wonderful base. I moved from one to another, working rapidly and not taking time on any of them to get picky. Now I am thinking that is the way I should always work. I still have plenty of paintings in the stack that never quite worked.

It seemed to be a RED day.

Encasutic eggs

I made a few more birds' nest paintings. These are small, just 10" x 10". They seem to be a cross between painting and sculpture. The eggs are encaustic, one covered in gold leaf, another is silver and the third pure encaustic.