Plaster Fit

On July 10th I'll be teaching a plaster painting one day class at Los Gatos, California for Artful Journey. This month I'll be taking time to make a series of examples to take to that class. I want to show how versatile plaster is and how it can be used along with encaustic medium for exciting textural effects. So really, this will be a two-fer; plaster and encaustic. (yes, there is still room in the class).

The image above was done on a plaster panel with tissue collage (so the texture of the plaster is maintained) and then with various paint and distressing techniques over that. The name is carved into the plaster.

I used a similar approach on this one only I added a layer of encaustic medium over the top for added transparency; the photograph doesn't do justice to the texture of the plaster but it is very effective in person. In the following days I'll be adding more plaster paintings to this gallery that will show stenciling and carving. While these first examples are realistic I also look forward to painting some abstracts where I use pure color and texture to good effect.

It's been a long time since I've posted journal pages but of course they are part of my daily routine. We are dreaming, dreamy creatures - the day has to allow some time for play.

I don't entirely agree with the quotation above but something about it attracted me. I do think a lot of life is luck. Of course you can and should be decent and helpful to others but bad things do happen to the good as well as the misguided. There is a randomness about the universe that is undeniable; I also believe in karma though. I think we can improve our odds by doing good.

This is the opening page in the new journal. Wow, a heady time. To look at all those blank pages and know that they will hold evidence of my life. Evidence of my travels, dreams and daily babblings. My one, sweet, precious moment in all of eternity. The record I leave behind of my put-together. Why does filling it appeal to me so? Another mystery to add to the other mysteries. Why are any of us the way we are?

Last night I found out that my younger sister is having a spot on her lung biopsied tomorrow. Please send up a prayer for her wellness if you will. I spoke to her on the phone last night and was struck by her composure. My parents raised frickin' superwomen if I do say so myself. Stoic in the face of danger, capable and strong. I almost said calm but that would be a fib. We are anything but calm. Until the chips are down.

So isn't it noteworthy how we humans can carry so many divergent emotions at once? Joy and sorrow travel with us side by side; beauty and loss. Somehow we do it. Somehow we find things that get us through all of it.

Thank you for coming here. This is my way of getting through it. Making art, telling stories, using my imagination to light a candle in the darkness. I don't know what to make of this post exactly. I'm in a pensive mood today.

SP Wednesday Garden

I'm procrastinating; I admit it. Spring fever has hit me hard so that all I want to do is poke around with my camera and enjoy the sunshine. So here is a long self-portrait post, starting with sandaled feet, happy feet, unfettered toes and painted toenails. Summer. Watermelon. Life smiles again.

This is the bench I stood on to take the self portrait. I stumbled across a flicker site where people take pictures of themselves standing on things and it sounded fun. It was.

The hissing of summer lawns.

In the background is the corn that John and I planted the day before we left for Asilomar. That's how much it grew in a week. (we planted small plants, not seeds)

This is how big the corn was when we left. John is digging perfect holes to plant in. I don't help him with this because our methods of gardening are opposite. I heel things in and go la-de-da about my business while he actually gardens.

The fava beans are getting tall.

This is the broadfork that John uses to aerate the soil. That helps all the little soil helpers breathe better. It introduces oxygen without disturbing the micro life.

And now for the annual rose tour. I can't resist. They are so beautiful that I can't stay away from them. This is Buff Beauty, a hybrid musk. It is a languorous, sultry girl.

Cecile Brunner, the house eater. It want to grow to the moon and mine blooms through November. Very fragrant and the tiny buds look exquisite attached to the bow of a gift.

My little pink mini with a daddy long legs enjoying the view. I don't know the name of it; it was a gift.

Golden Showers. The blossoms are ephemeral, only lasting a day but they make up for it in quantity and fragrance.

Dainty Bess, fragrant and butterfly like; this one peeks in at me through the studio window.

The grape irises are spent now but this is what they looked like about a week ago.

Katherine, another climber that wants a good fence to recline upon. The bees love her and I do too.

Oops, how did this peony slip in here? This is flame, whose petals elongate as the days pass.
They start as cups but end as tall vase-shaped blossoms.

The moss rose that Craig gave me. Craig, are you reading this? Look how happy she is, spreading her resinous scent far and away.

Golden Showers again. I do love her, despite her faults. Like people, sometimes the beauty outweighs the shortcomings.

Siberian Iris. Come and dig it up. We have it growing in too many places now and need to share it.

This beloved rose was given to me by Sky, my friend of many years. I love flowers that have associations with friends.

The Purloined Rose will close this tour. She has climbed 20 feet into the surrounding trees and has thousands of blooms that are fragrant and perfect. I don't know the real name but I think she is a common mongrel; fabulous in her vigor and beauty.

*sigh* The world in all its shimmering, changing, consoling beauty. How can we encompass it all or begin to express our love for its gifts?

I'm really off to the studio now. Going to mix up some plaster, going to use stencils and molds and paints and wax on it. Will have a show and tell next time.

Saying Good-bye to Asilomar

It's true; 2 posts in one day. I want to share the last of my photos with you before I move myself into the studio for some serious plaster play. This class, which was held on the first day of the retreat, was titled "Stencil Your Family" and that's what we did. Students sent me their photos ahead of time and I stencilized them, then we cut, collaged and waxed over our creations.

We had lots of family members, past and present and some that were borrowed for the occasion.

We had ooh la la nudes and movie poster lovers that were actual relations.

We had children in their best cowboy clothes. (Marian, I'll mail your proof to you if you contact me. It was left behind.)

We had bodacious sweethearts and blonde bombshells.

Grafitti inspired images in bold colors.

And a twin set for girlfriends to divide.

Children from photographs taken long ago that we wove into our creations.

Charlie Chaplin with the Art & Soul guitar logo and the face of a shy nephew.

A long distance runner with a bright future.

And a self portrait.

These charming images need to be clicked on for closer scrutiny. They are all wonderful. Again, sorry if I missed any; I always do my best to get them all.

I hope Stephanie won't mind that I share this beautiful photo of mommy and daughter. Melissa is 12 years old; that age of being squarely in the middle of child and adulthood. Don't you think she's the spittin' image of her beautiful mother? It was poignant to be around young daughters again. I loved it.

From Asilomar we drove up Highway 1, across the Golden Gate Bridge and to the house of our friends that you've met before on several travels to Mexico.

I couldn't decide which of two pictures of them to post. Do you like this one?

Or this one?
hee hee.

Asilomar Hot Palette Encaustic

On the second day at Asilomar I taught a class in hot palette encaustic. This is where we mix the wax medium on the hot palette with the color pigment to mix our own colors and paint with brushes. In addition, we experimented with a variety of wax techniques which you will see in the following photographs.

And so in no particular order, is a sampling of the beautiful work produced in class. Collage including tissue collage and random texture pigmented wax above.

Collage, wax, metal, intaglio.

Tissue collage, inclusions, pigmented wax.

Pure hot palette painting. Wax and pigment.

This one has a little bit of everything I think. Encaustic collage.

Pure hot palette painting. Wax and pigment.

Encaustic collage.

Pure hot palette painting. Wax and pigment.

Encaustic collage, faux gold leaf, tissue inclusions, wax and pigment.

Pure hot palette painting. Wax and pigment. A bit of stencil work across the bottom.

Wax collage, carbon transfer, tissue, stencil work.

Pure hot palette painting. Wax and pigment. Stencilled borders.

Tissue collage, faux gold leaf, wax and pigment.

Pure hot palette painting. Wax and pigment. Transfers, inclusions.

Wax, pigment, collage, inclusions, transfers.

Pure hot palette painting. Wax and pigment. Tissue inclusions.

Wax, pigment, transfers, collage, faux gold leaf.

Wax, collage, tissue, transfer.

Wax, pigment, transfer, intaglio, collage, tissue, gosh knows what all. Wheeeee!

Three works by the same artist in a variety of wax techniques.

Wax, pigment, collage, stencil.

Three works by the same artist in a variety of wax techniques.

Wax, collage, tissue, faux gold leaf.

Wax, pigment, collage, amber shellac.

Here are the wonderful students minus a few; patient and accepting of the power problems which challenged us but did not stop us. The night after teaching this class I dreamed I was drowning and they were throwing showers of life preservers to me. It was a wonderful, wonderful day and there was an amazing amount of work produced.

Here is an overview of some of the work. As you can see, there are pieces that I didn't even get photographed; I did my best but always miss a few. The day, the people, the experience was wonderful. One more day to go.