I  have spent a few hours today getting the studio ready for the workshop that starts tomorrow. It will be the 72nd class I have given.
Here is a video about the workshops, featuring the talent of some of the participants:
 http://youtu.be/_M5teveVV6c

I am giving more private classes now for artists who want to practice specific techniques.
Bellow a painting that I finished this week.

Frosty Morning, 12"x 12"

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.

I got home from Arizona last night. It was much easier having a direct flight to Mexico City. I then took a bus to Queretaro and then a taxi home.

I got an email from a man in Oregon who has a painting I did in 2000. It is oil on paper. He wanted information on the piece. I hadn't remembered it, so he sent an image. Here it is.

I am in Scottsdale Arizona for the Christmas holidays spending time with family. 2 of my grandsons are here. It is cold, but sunny. I came prepared with plenty of sweaters.

I was disappointed in the Scottsdale gallery scene. I had remembered it more exciting. If you just want Western art, this is the place. I am hoping to get to the contemporary museum before I leave on Saturday.

I didn't bring my computer so I can't download any images. Next week, I will share some images.

Now this is more like San Miguel de Allende

The sun came out and dried up the streets, put smiles on people's faces and certainly warmed up my old bones.

Rare day in San Miguel

We are half way through the second day of an introduction to encasutic and in all the years I have taught encaustic here, I have never experienced such nasty weather. For those of you who do not live here, I have posted a link to the live web camera in the Jardin. Maybe we need a cold, gray, wet day to appreciate all the bright sunny days we usually have.

http://www.sanmiguelrealestate.com/live-webcam-san-miguel-de-allende.php

I am properly chagrined.

The sale has been canceled and I understand why. Even though I thought the second painting was better than the first, it was not the same as the one on the on-line gallery. I would have done the same thing. I am embarrassed and feel chagrined. I have been in this business too long. I knew better.

 I unpacked the painting during a workshop I was giving and one of the participants in the class asked the price and all admired it. So it will sell, but not as originally planned.

Also during the class, two men tracked me down after seeing my work in the galley at the Fabrica. One of the men already owns one of my paintings and he wants to buy another - not encaustic, one of the few remaining paintings I did in oil. Here is the image of it.

It has been an interesting afternoon with one person believing that I am a scam artist and others raving about my talent. I am humbled by both opinions.