The series , Into the Silence, so far

I have an impromptu one day class on Wednesday, and have to scurry to clean up my studio where I have spread materials on all 6 tables. I will put the paintings that I have been working on in the stacks so there will be room for the students.

I feel that it will be good to take a break, since my biggest problem when I am working figuratively, is over working. I probably should hire someone to burst into the studio and take the paintings away after I have worked on them for a couple of days.

Here is the series so far:

Oil and encaustic

encaustic

encaustic

encaustic

encaustic

oil and encaustic

encaustic

encaustic

encaustic

in process - encaustic

just oil so far

encasutic

Figurative paintings in process

I am working on 3 more paintings for my "Into the Silence" series.

encaustic over an oil sketch. It is interesting that after I post a image, I can see the problem areas still to be solved.

I started this painting with broad strokes of encaustic over a scraped board. I still have all the lovely stain from the previous painting. I hope I can continue keeping this loose. That is my goal, but I tend to over work and loose the spontaneity.

So far, this is just oil

Detail of the face. Time to stop!

I'm ready to give more workshops

Now that I am creating my new series and half way through my commission work, I am ready to offer some advanced encaustic workshops in November. Please see my other bog for details:

ezshwan.blogspot.com

heavy with encaustic

There is so much encaustic paint on these boards that they are getting heavy. Time to stop on both of them. I started a larger painting with just oil. I will test myself to see if I can stop while it is still fresh.

Scraping and reworking

To ease my frustration with the work I have been producing, I tell myself that at least I can see when I am making bad art - art that doesn't have any reason for being, and is badly painted.

I liked the background on this piece. I used a stencil with copper encaustic paint and a shellac burn over the stencil, but the figure was horrible.

So, the figure had to go today.

first scraping

more scraping

starting the new figure

This hasn't been easy

I was beginning to think that my life as an artist was finished. I knew that working to reenter the "zone" wouldn't be easy, but I have been struggling for weeks to get the painting that I want. Working and reworking until all the spontaneity was lost. Today, I finally got what I wanted. Now I hope that I can continue with the fluidity that is important to me.

I am happy with this painting

Scraped down to the board. At least the stain on the board is nice

Yesterday, this was loose and free. I couldn't stop myself from taking it too far again. Maybe I'll scrape it off tomorrow

A woman painting women

This series, "Into the Silence" will be all women - I think... I am still struggling not to make pretty pictures of pretty women. I have seen the paintings of a few male artists, particularly those working in encaustic whose work looks like fantasy women preparing for a sexual encounter or something from a girlie magazine. Even at first glance I know they have been painted by men. That is not how I see women or want to paint them.

I am experimenting with screening over the faces.  I have been trying to get that right for months. I feel closer, but not there yet.

I worked on these paintings today.

Experimenting with technique. Getting closer, but there yet.

I thought this was finished. After photographing, I see that I need more intense darks and perhaps some other color in the background. I'll give it a rest for a couple of days

drawings on larger board - that's for tomorrow

more experimenting

Another drawing for tomorrow. Maybe I should just study for my Thursday Spanish class.

Finished, almost finished and ruined

I spent about 6 hours in the studio today, realizing that I would much rather start painting than finish them. The starts are always fresh and full of potential.
I finished the oil painted figure with encaustic background. Once again it is over worked. When will I learn?

The second oil, mixed with encaustic is almost finished and the third one, "The Red Hat" is awful, and went back to the stacks to be scraped off another day. I was never comfortable with that one. the pose and clothing just weren't right.

I will prepare new boards tomorrow for bigger paintings and hope for the best. The ones I have been working on are 24" x 24"

encaustic and oil... still working

Yesterday

Today

Yesterday

today

Today I just worked on 2 of the paintings. Mostly on the oil figure and the encaustic and oil background of that figure. The camera gives me a different view, and a record of the progress - or lack of it. What do you think? I am feeling that I like the warmer background of the figure painted in oil. Today I used more encaustic in the background and some more stenciling.

The painting I posted yesterday with the stenciled pattern over her face, today looked like the poor woman had a serious skin disease. That's one to scrape off.

There was another painting that I worked on yesterday that I forgot to post. It is better, but still not great.

More unfinished portraits in encaustic, oil and lots of scraping

I am working on several paintings at once. Hopefully, that will keep from getting picking and overworking. These are all still in progress. It is an interesting journey. These painting will be finished when they are finished. I don't know when.

I find that photographing the progress everyday helps to see what is working and what isn't.

The figure is painted in oil, encaustic over oil stained board and more oil on top.

oil and encaustic

all encaustic painting, after scraping almost everything I had done before.

Another reworked painting. All encaustic

Encaustic over an old encaustic painting. Lots of scraping through the many layers

Clear medium with stencil over the face. It will clear some more when it is cool.

Portraits in encaustic, oil and encasutic and oil

        Into the Silence.

I have started my new figurative series. I am working on 3 paintings, one is encasutic, one is oil and encaustic and the third is oil - that I think I will add encaustic to the background when the face is finished. There is quite a bit of work still to be done, but here are the paintings in process:

oil and encaustic

encaustic

oil