First the Conference

Home late last night from the Conference in Massachusetts after a 6 hour flight from east coast to west coast. There are 200 emails sitting in my inbox. It's going to be in interesting week catching up. But I couldn't wait to share with you.

It's all about growth and change over here. The wide arc of learning the next thing. The teacher's love of gathering and sharing. Of seeing my knowledge grow and of embracing newer, better ideas and ways of doing things.

After spending the first night in Boston with my traveling friends Bill and Linda Womack and Kimberly Kent we boarded the ferry to Provincetown. It was 1 1/2 hours from Boston to P-Town on the ferry and I'm looking a little woozy in this photo that Kimberly took on her new iPad.

Oh the iPad love on this trip. Everyone had one but me. I intend to change that. eBooks, movies to download and watch in bed and on airplanes; where have I been?

My first lecture was on the critique conducted by Toby Sisson. We shared a lunch table. I am her big fan. She is now an even bigger hero to me. She said the things that I practice; the dialogue as opposed to the hierarchical structure in the classroom. Exchange as opposed to top down. How to grow through the art of critique. 

These individuals shared a panel on "Mastering Media" - the media of the internet for the most part but also getting our work noticed if that is the goal. Linda is our voice from the west coast.

One new product this year was water soluble encaustic. It sounds like an oxymoron.

I believe these fellows came from Italy and they demonstrated this medium which works a lot like alkyd paint. No fusing with heat. 

There was a beautiful juried show at the Kobalt Gallery in town and this was one of my favorite groupings in the show. Lots of texture and variety.

Gregory Wright's work. What a delightful artist he is. He demonstrated all kinds of textures to us. His paintings are wonderfully detailed in person and obviously colorful.

My room mate Kimberly and her work that not only made it into the juried show (yay Kimberly!) but also sold. The theme of the show was "Beeline" and the works selected were based on the them of bees and all that could pertain to the avian world.

This was Catherine Nash's piece that won an award. My photo only shows the boat but the piece was rather large extending on both sides of the photo. You must visit her site.

Kimberly and Jess Greene enjoying lunches in the sunshine outside the door of our room. Jess has a new enterprise called "Seeking Your Course" which you can read about at the link. Please support her.

Laura Moriarty's work based on rolled layers of wax. Looking like sliced geodes. She paints in layers and then says she "cartwheels" them off the substrate.

Bill and the lobster feed. Oh man, did we eat!

Tuna Delmonico. And a big piece too.

I liked this little clay doll even if it wasn't made of wax.

The scenery was spectacular. I got to take a water taxi back to Logan airport.

I'm hyper-stimulated from my 3 days of wax, the fabulous people who make the wax products (R&F, Enkaustikos!) and the teachers and artists who contribute to the culture of this country, often without salary or celebration. Civilization. Civil behavior. That stuff. 

Book suggestion: For The Time Being by Annie Dillard. It will drop you to your knees. 

Announcement tomorrow.