A day with Ezshwan #art #artwork #mexicantown #sanmigueldeallende #conte...

The Workshops Continue

The past two months I have been meeting interesting new friends and artists and giving both cold wax and ensautic workshops, almost back to back.I feel blessed to be able to share all my expereince and techniques of working with wax.It pleases me to see that each person makes a different, personal painting. If you want detailed information on the workshops, please see my website ezshwan.com Here are some photos of some of the participants.

Scheduling workshops for 2024

How quickly time is flying by. I have had many workshops in this new year and there seems to be renewed interest in cold wax and oil classes and of course the excaustic workshops continue.

I no longer post dates for the classes, but schedule around the dates that the creatives choose. Those are my private classes and there are also sign-ups from Trip Advisor and Vawaa. I have been so busy that I have litte time to make new paintings, but 5 of my encasutic abstract paintings have been part of a group show in Gallery Calderoni, in San Miguel de Allende since December. Sales are good

It is a privilege to meet many new people that wish to expand their creativity both in the studio and in the gallery.

Contact me to schedule your workshop: and check out the workshop details and photos at my webssite

Isn't it Time That You Explore Your Creativity?

Happy Holidays.

Blogger will not allow me to post the latest video about my encaustic workshops, so to see it,Please go to my Facebook Page, ezshwan4art, or contact me if you are interested and I will send you a link. ezshwan4art@gmail.com

Selling and Making Art is A Business

Since there is no internet connection in the Vandiver Gallery, I have been painting smaller pieces with oil and cold wax.

Yesterday, another painting sold; this one a larger oil and cold wax. I realized all 5 of the paintings that sold in September were cold wax and oil; two were purchased while still a bit wet. One was bought before it was finished and the collector came back the next day to pick it up, after I had completed it. I forgotten to photograph it, so I am waiting for her to send a photo of this small nude when she gets back to Boston. Three figurative paintings and two abstract paintings were the ones that sold.

This experience of being in a gallery again, that I am sharing with my daughter, Cynthia Hamilton has made me wish I could own my own gallery again. Cynthia is an art dealer with 18 years of experience selling blue chip art in San Francisco. She is an artist, loves art, understands every technique and introduces collectors to work that will enhance their lives.

The gallery, Artisimo, in Scottsdale  AZ. that I co-owned, was, 10, 500 square feet. I had my own show room and studio, but it was a tremendous amount of work; seven days a week. I learned to respect what it takes to run an art gallery.

Below are four of the five paintings that sold, and some rather fuzzy images of the Scottsdale gallery.

Oil, Cold Wax, Transfers on canvas

Oil and Cold Wax Medium on canvas

oil and cold wax medium on canvas

"The Tattoo" oil and cold wax on cradled board, 20" x 40"

Artisimo Gallery, with my grandson, who is now 27 years old

Artistimo Gallery

We had some wonderful artists in Artisimo Gallery

My space. Loved the light and the size.

Not Every Painting is a Masterpeice

It has been a while since I have posted on this blog. One of the reasons is I have not been painting for a while. That always signals problems and difficulty getting back in my grove.

The painting I started a couple of weeks ago got worse and worse everyday that I spent hours working on it. Finally, after about a week of struggle, I realized that it couldn't be fixed and I would paint over it.

I get frustrated when I am in a creative funk. I look at paintings I made in the past and think. "I used to be able to paint. What happened?"

I was listening to a podcast about artists, including musicians and writers, who often don't recognize their "masterpieces". Time and other critics will decide. Shakespeare did not think his Hamlet was one of his greats. Beethoven also did not revere his most accomplished compositions. So we artistic creators maybe should not to be making final decisions about the quality of our work; however, I live with another artist, my youngest daughter and she has a qualified and experienced eye, and she agreed that this recent painting was not going to be a masterpiece.

See for yourself:

The figure in this encaustic painting was flat, too pretty and boring.

I added the veil and that didn't help at all

First layer of old wax and oil

Next day. I disliked the colors

I am stopping here for a while. It is not finished, but I hope to get some inspiration after two weeks of gallery sitting for a friend.

Starting a Painting or Finishing One, Which is Harder?

I have a lovely fresh board waiting for me in the studio. I have the idea for the painting; a continuation of the White Gloves series, so why am I looking at the rain and writing a blog rather than starting the painting? It is such a lovely blank space. Can I make a painting that means something to me and others? Once I start putting paint on it, am I spoiling the surface or creating improvements?

I finished the first "White Glove" painting a couple of days ago. It is hung in the living room and now I feel it should have been a triptych rather than a diptych. What do you think?

Finishing a painting is not nearly as much fun as starting one. At the beginning there is so much promise and then towards the end I have to solve all the problems that I have created.

rainy day view from the studio

last painting in the viewing room

In the living room

the nice, clean, blank board.