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..

 

 

 

 

 

Painting Portraits in Encasutic

setting up the hot palette and preliminary drawing

I have created and posted my encaustic online class, Painting Portraits in Encaustic. https://vimeo.com/ondemand/134921  It is an hour and 27 minutes of instruction, and step by step painting of a face in hot wax, encaustic. It is not slick. It is like standing next to me in my studio and watching me work. The whole class is $75 U.S and can be watched over and over.

If you have no experience in portraiture, you can learn the simple basics of drawing a face; how to measure and lay out the features from another class. https://vimeo.com/ondemand/21068

There is a Face Book page for the participants in the class to post progress, share and ask questions. If you have ever wanted to paint faces in encaustic, here is your chance. After you have purchased your workshop, contact me so I can add you to that Face book group. ezshwan.winding@artbyezshwan.com

Here is the portrait from the class

Like Magic

I had a wonderful 10 day tour of the state of Veracruz before Christmas and took many pictures.

We traveled almost the whole state and experienced different places and energies.
When I got home, I attempted to download the photos to my laptop, but it didn't happen. I tried every tip and trick I could think off, but nothing. Then yesterday, they appeared! I am not a computer geek and I am just trusting that some magic genie removed the obstacle.


My most outstanding adventure was visiting the island in Catemaco at the Reserva Ecologica de Naciyaga. Here witches meet annually for cleansing, and many are living here permanently. I choose to call them healers rather than witches, but make up your own mind. One can have a spa experience with mineral mud or get a shamanic style spiritual cleansing. Ceremonies are conducted, using much of the Olmec or Toltec traditions wedding. 

The 1992 movie, Medicine Man with Sean Connery was filmed there.

This stone god has the traces of black around his mouth, because after a person is cleansed physically and spiritually, this god eats all that has been removed.

This circle is were ceremonies and weddings are held. The church holds no influence here.

The pure mineral water was served to us in a real disposable cup

The on-duty shaman, offering cleansings and magical potions to aid in all aspects of life

The sister triplets. I forgot their significance, but notice the black around the mouth.

The sweat lodge