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.