A super productive morning in the studio!  I finished up some paintings that have been lingering.  (All three from my last post are completed.)  It was great to be able to work with the door wide open, I am so ready for Spring weather.  It was one of those mornings where everything seemed to work the way I wanted and all my surprises were good ones.  What more can you ask for?

I did try this week to work a bit in acrylic.  I just can't seem to love it.  Oil paint works so much better for me, the flexibility and drying time are perfect.  I used to use a drier for my oils. Now a days when my studio time is squeezed in around nap time and bed time, and anytime I can get some help, I find that coming back to still wet paint is a life saver.  

I am anxious to get back to some encaustic work soon too.  That's next up!  Although I may need to replenish some supplies before that happens.  

 "Chandelier" 30x40" oil on canvas

  "Hot House" 24x36" oil on canvas

  "Neighborhood" 36x48" oil on canvas

  "New Years" 16x20" oil & conte on canvas

  "Ohio" 30x40" oil on canvas

This last one was a little outside the box for me. It seems more representational.  It has lingered the longest in my studio. For the a while it didn't quite seem like me.  But I am happy with the outcome. I am curious to see if it's a new direction or a tangent.

Have a great weekend!  

 

Spring Snow

So ready for Spring to arrive. But alas, a snow day instead.  I've had a few days recently to actually spend some time in the studio.

I have 3 in progress paintings!! Hoping to get to some encaustic work soon. But here are the oils that I'm working on now.

"New Years" 

 No title yet...

"Chandelier"

Winter Salon Show at The Metro Gallery

 

Metro Gallery is pleased to present a Winter Salon exhibition featuring 37 local artists. The opening reception will be held on November 14th from 5pm - 7pm.

We are featuring affordable works from local artists. This is a great way to support local creativity while shopping for the holiday season. The exhibition will be showing 11/14 - 12/14.

Three of my encasutic pieces with be shown!  If your in town, please stop by!

(I promise to resume regular blogging very soon.)

 

Weekend Inspiration: Andres Amador

I am just blown away by this beautiful, fleeting artwork.  Wouldn't it be wonderful to stumble across this.  I haven't been able to get in touch with the artist himself, but please check out more images of his work here.  And on Andres' website it appears as if you can join him in the creation of these beachscapes/sculptures/prints. I think that would be an awesome experience.  What an amazing medium, and a studio to die for, huh?!
Have a creative weekend!
 

Showering

This weekend seemed to go by quick!  Yesterday, I helped throw a shower for a good friend and co-worker.  We enjoyed a wine tasting at a local vineyard.  So nice!  I enjoy helping organize these things but have learned to keep it simple and not too overwhelming. I think this worked great, a few vintage table clothes, flowers in some mason jars and lots of wine!  The bride-to-be made me a lovely knit blanket at my baby shower so I wanted to return the handmade favor and made her a wreath.  I really like how it turn out, simple as well. 

In other news I got my first rejection from the show applications I've been sending out.  For the most part I am used to it, but this time since I was on a high from so much productivity in the studio, it made me question myself for a second.  Just a second though.  On ward, and back to the studio this week to complete a new commission.

(Side note; Boordy Vineyard, and specifically the interior shot above,  was used in the movie "Runaway Bride"  to film the luau scene.)

Collections of Titles

Does anyone else do this? I collect words I like for I one reason or another and save them for painting titles. Sometimes they fit something already milling in my head and sometimes the imagery comes after the word. But, I write them all over the place. Some I've had for years and still haven't used. One of those archived ones I think I'm ready to pull out. Here's a small group of them: 

Inertia

Tethered

Resonate

Invention

Reinvented

Curio

Ju Ju
Construction
Path
Lullaby
Target
Vista
Visited
Gathered/Gathering
Bailiwick
Variation/Variegated
Tomes
Clearing
Picket
 Cairns
Ancestral
Turned
Wonder
Artifact

If any of them strike a cord with you, I'd love to see what you create!

Patricia Gerkin: Weekend Inspiration

"Greek Chorus" 8x8" encaustic/mixed media on wood

"Secret Woods" 8x8" mixed media on wood

"Spring is in The Air" 12 x12" encaustic on wood

Hubby was searching for himself one day.  (See...I told you I wasn't the only one.)  And he came across Patricia Gerkin. (Gerkin is my married name.)  How surprising that she is a fellow encaustic artist that seems to perhaps be distantly related to my husband!  And to top it off I rather adore her work! I am so glad that Hubby stumbled across her.  Check out more of her work here.  I particularly like the Currents and Consistency series.  Thank you for sharing Patricia.

Just for fun

I'm sure this experiment would of worked better on an iPad, or with a stylus. I was playing around with the Brushes app on my phone. I was hoping to use it to record ideas. Not sure if I'm talented enough with digital media, but it sure was fun.

One of them I even did while Miss V was napping on me.

Sweet Spot

"Atmosphere" 18 x18" encaustic on panel

"Float" 12 x 12" encaustic & rust on panel

"Atmosphere" 10x22" encaustic, rust & metal findings on panel

As a runner, there is always talk about a "runner's high".  I'm not sure if I ever felt that specifically, but I do find that sweet spot everyone once in a while.  For me, it's when I am just in the zone and it's effortless.  On Monday night I had just a couple hours to be in the studio and in no time I found myself in that sweet spot.
I turned around "Atmosphere" and found what I think it needed. (You can check out the before here.) I was able to pull together "Abandoned", I started it last week and I wasn't sure what direction to go in with it. But I was just moving in that rythym where every decision I made turned out to be the right one for that piece.  
I kept moving and with my last remaining blank panel "Floating" appeared.  I'm sure it was a good thing that it was my last blank surface. At least that's what I am going to tell myself.  I mean, what if I could've just kept going like that?  It was great to have such a productive evening!  That sweet spot is like a drug.  If I had another surface I'd be out there tonight trying to capture that feeling again. 

Whispers

"Whisper: Sprout" 4x5" encaustic on panel

"Whisper: Cocoon" 4x5" encaustic on panel

"Whisper: Cluster" 4x5" encaustic on panel

"Whisper: Become" 4x5" encaustic on panel"

I hope every one's weekend was lovely.  We have a sick doggie, so It was not a fun one around here.  But, I wanted to share some new work with you!  Here are 4 little pieces in a new series I am working on.  I am almost set to send off for a show deadline, which listed the postmarked deadline as today!  Hmmm, Federal Holiday. So I think I will try and see if I can get by with a postmark of the 21st.  (Nothing like waiting till the last minute!)  Maybe I'll get lucky and they'll consider me anyway.  Fingers crossed.