Creating and Solving Painting Problems

I put a painting that I liked out in the sun to lightly fuse some oil paint into the encasutic. Ops! I didn't lay it flat and I forgot about it. I lost the freshness and had to scrap off the mess.

Working over it , I finally realized that the figure on the right was ruined and the best thing to do was get rid of it.  I created another problem. What am I doing to do now? I'll keep you posted on the progress. At least I hope their will be progress.

detail

detail

I realized the figure on the right was ruined

Now what?

New Year, New Series

I enjoyed the holidays, while thinking about the new series. It had been forming in my mind for quite some time, but I wanted to finish, "Women Who Changed the World"

The new adventure is "Remembrances" These paintings are inspired by old photos that I saved from family albums and moved to Mexico with me. I don't know who some of the people in the photos are.
There is no one to ask, since my parents and brother have died. Others, I recognize family from before I was born, 

I will be using mixed media, ink drawing and washes, encaustic, oil glazes, transfers, and charcoal.

There is the progress and finished first painting.

ink drawing and washes over milk paint on cradled board, 24" x 32"

3 layers of encasutic medium, oil stick glazes and charcoal

Finished Painting, Vienna 1910

Last "Women Who Changed the World"

Here is the last painting in the series, Women Who Changed the World, Hermila Galindo Acosta (also known as Hermila Galindo de Topete) (1886–1954) was a Mexican feminist and a writer. She was an early supporter of many radical feminist issues, primarily sex education in schools, women's suffrage, and divorce. She was one of the first feminists to state the Catholicism in Mexico was thwarting feminist efforts and she was the first woman to run for elected office in Mexico.

5 Artists Whose Work I Admire

Since I been working figuratively most of this year and want to stretch my technique, I have been impressed with images I have found on the Internet. I am thrilled to see younger artists (everybody is younger than I), painting exciting, fresh  figurative painting. It hasn't been that long ago that I was critized for making art that was not angry. I'm glad to have lived long enough to witness the resurgence of brilliant figurative paintings. I realize that these paintings below are all done by men. I know there are fantastic woman painters, making powerful, fresh art. I will find them.

http://www.colindavidson.com/

http://ryanhewett.com/

http://www.andrewsalgado.com/info;

http://www.jeromelagarrigue.com/

http://www.guydenning.org/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Process of new paintings

I have been able to spend an hour or 2 in the studio the past few days. It helps me to take my mind off the itching and pain of this disease. I am moving into the 4th week of shingles with little change and I need to have a reason to get dressed every morning.

The sunset painting as under painting still shows

The first couple of layers of oil must be fused into the encaustic to make a permanent bond.

Wearable Art

Still not energetic enough to create new work, so I am taking this opportunity to post images of older work that is availabe as wearable art.
http://www.redbubble.com/people/ezshwan/works/16586413-the-jewel You can click on this link and see how my art can be used in everydayproducts.

Here are some of the paintings I have posted that can be transformed into tote bags, T shirts, phone covers, pillows and more.

Marian Anderson, A Woman Who Changed the World

I finished the painting of Marian Anderson today ( I think) Below is the process of this painting.

Anderson became an important figure in the struggle for black artists to overcome racial prejudice in the United States during the mid-twentieth century. In 1939, the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) refused permission for Anderson to sing to an integrated audience in Constitution Hall. The incident placed Anderson into the spotlight of the international community on a level unusual for a classical musician. With the aid of First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt and her husband Franklin D. Roosevelt, Anderson performed a critically acclaimed open-air concert on Easter Sunday, April 9, 1939, on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. She sang before a crowd of more than 75,000 people and a radio audience in the millions. Anderson continued to break barriers for black artists in the United States, becoming the first black person, American or otherwise, to perform at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City on January 7, 1955. Her performance as Ulrica in Giuseppe Verdi's Un ballo in maschera at the Met was the only time she sang an opera role on stage.

Eleanor Roosevelt, A WomanWho Changed the World

I am happy with what is happening in the studio with this new series. This painting of Eleanor Roosevelt is finally working the way I want it to. These portraits are painted over abstract encaustic paintings that don't please me anymore. I have to fuse at least the first layer of oil into the encasutic to assume a permanent bond. I do wear a heavy mask while fusing, since the fumes can be toxic. I then can scrape though the oil to the encasutic base.
Here is the process:

Finished painting

A Different Time

A friend once asked me if I had had therapy. No, I haven't, but that question prompted thoughts about how my art has expressed what was happening in my life at the time.

About 1989, when I was living in Phoenix, Arizona, co-owning a huge art gallery (10,500 sq. ft.) I created a series; "Her Journey; Every woman's journey to self-realization. Below is a painting from that time.

You Must Lift Yourself From Hell Alone

A New Direction, Women Who Changed the World

I had been thinking that I would return to painting abstracts, but no art nothing really touches me like well painted figurative work. I started drawing people when I was a child and faces still are fascinating to me.

I am delighted that I see many, young figurative painters on the Internet.  Their work is exciting and inspirational. These are artists who actually can draw, paint, and SEE. For years, figurative painting has been dismissed by galleries, art schools,  and museums, but there seems to be a renewed interest in large, very loosely painting portraiture.

I would love to be able to loosen up even more than the 50 Faces I recently finished. I seem to be procrastinating about starting because I know the first few paintings are going to be disappointing, until I can get into the magical zone, that sometimes happens.

This series will be, "Women Who Changed the World" I have a list of about 48 women, most of them American. I would love to hear from you with your thoughts and suggestions. These women are not necessarily all Mother Teresa-like. They can be villains in some eyes as well as benefactors. They do not have to have lived in this century.

Below are paintings that are older and some recent ones. This is not what I want to next accomplish. I hope I can stretch my abilities to push into the now world of painting. At my age, I know I don't have 10 or 15 years to keep working. Let's see what I can do.

Not This, oil on canvas 2003

Not This, encasutic on board, 2013

Not This, oil on board, 2015

Not this, oil on board, 2014

Not This either., oil, encaustic, transfers, on board, 2014

Wear one of my paintings and create literacy

Several weeks ago I received an email from VIDA asking me to send some images of my paintings. They had chosen my work from the Internet. You just never know who is seeing my posts. That was a happy surprise.

 VIDA is a global partnership of creators, pairing designers from around the world with makers in Pakistan in accordance with high ethical standards, to create original, beautiful products.  And the best part is that using part of proceeds from the sales of the products, VIDA creates literacy programs for the makers, so that they have opportunities to learn reading, writing and basic math that they would not otherwise have.

So now you have an opportunity to own a piece of my art on clothing and help create literacy.. My last name is spelled wrong on the order page, but the paintings are mine.

There is 1 day remaining to pre-order one of my paintings on blouses or scarfs.Please click this link to view and order.    http://shopvida.com/collections/voices/ezshwan-winsing

Each piece is uniquely designed and custom-printed, and may vary slightly upon receipt. If pre-order goal(s) are met, item(s) will be shipped 30 days after the pre-order window closes, which may vary by product.  Your credit card will be refunded the full amount for any product(s) that do not meet the pre-order goal.

 VIDA’s story is that of the rich, interconnected world we live in -- the story of contemporary life and mindful, global citizenship.
"We are a global partnership of co-creators, from a designer in Paris, to a producer in Karachi, and a consumer in San Francisco."

Click here for more about VIDA:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_P5i0WA5mc&
list=UUVGCwEY5S0SOCN01R8vmASg or the image above.

From the painting The Necklace

From the painting Monarch Butterflies

From the painting, Mexican Sunset

From the painting, Open Arms

From the painting, With Arms Wide Open

http://shopvida.com/collections/voices/ezshwan-winsing

Featured Artist/ Art In San Miguel/ discounted online classes

Check out this week's Art in San Miguel. I am the featured artist.
http://artinsanmiguel.com/wp/meet-the-artist-ezshwan-winding/?mc_cid=2ac80fb370&mc_eid=dc09c00985

Also, August is my birthday month and to help celebrate, I am offering 20% off my online Advanced Encaustic Techniques to the first 25 people who buy the 11 classes.You can stream or download them. This offer is good until Aug. 17th. https://vimeo.com/r/1zMI/NUdEL3c0MU

Below are a couple of my jazz painting I made in the 80"s. I spent 12 years only painting jazz musicians, until I realized that wasn't a part of my life anymore.