I just returned from a wonderful trip to Grand Rapids, Michigan - where the ISEA's (Int'l Society of Experimental Artists) annual juried international exhibit and seminar was held.  What a wonderful exhibit!  There were 67 paintings and every piece was exceptional and so creative! And to top it off, I won the ISAP Award (International Society of Acrylic Painters).  What a surprise to be so honored in a group of excellent pieces of work.  I have added a photo of my painting that won. 
 
Also, I had the privilege of demonstrating "encaustic techniques" to the artists that traveled to the show.  They were from all over the United States, Canada, and as far away as Wales!  Everyone enjoyed the demo and I was asked to possibly conduct the 2012 workshop for the ISEA show, again, what an honor. 

"Rock-A-Bye" - my newest painting.  This piece was actually started at one of my experimental classes - it was the demo of the week - I finished it later at home.  It reminds me of Noah's Arc, with all the compartments for the animals.  I know, I know - I have a vivid imagination!  The colors are many shades of green, with highlights of yellow, white and black.  I really enjoyed creating this contemporary piece, especially since it is smaller than my other recent pieces.

This is a very busy time of the year for me - I'm off tomorrow to the Bethlehem Arts Festival.  It is being held this weekend (Mother's Day weekend) in Bethlehem, PA.  If you are in the area, please stop by.  Also, the following week - I'll be teaching an encaustic workshop at the Art Center in Mechanicsburg, PA.  The the first week of June, we'll be off to Michigan for the ISEA (International Society of Experimental Artists) annual conference and exhibit where I'll be demonstrating encaustic techniques.  Plus, I'll be teaching my regular weekly classes - I hope I can get through all this! 

This past week I have the priviledge of teaching an encaustic workshop sponsored by the Art Association of Harrisburg.  It was a great workshop attended by 7 great artists....one being only 12 years old!  I have included several phots of the students doing various things to their pieces.  See Below!


Shirley Jackson and Roberta Little adding texture to their pieces.


Lynn Kennedy adding a new color of paint - look at all the colors on her hot griddle!


Gloria Casale using a writing tool.  This tool can handle lots of paint.

 
Karen Moses making a new batch of paint.


Here's my youngest ever student, Lilia Putt - 12 years old - using a torch to fuse.  Isn't she a beauty!

 
Irene Bartz using small hot iron to fuse.

Another workshops are scheduled this coming weekend (Maryland) and in Mechanicsburg, PA in May.  Hope to see you there. 

As a lot of you know, I love to demo encaustic techniques.  I really enjoy sharing this wonderful medium.  The Franklin County Art Alliance invited me to demonstrate at their March meeting, and approximately 40 people were there - obviously the group's monthly meeting is very well attended! And, lots of good questions were hailed my way.  Many did say that they would be signing up for one of my upcoming encaustic workshops.  I have attached several photos. 
 

 
 

Tomorrow I'm off to Myrtle Beach's "Springmaid Watermedia Workshop".  I'll be doing independent study.  This trip is always enjoyable and I am able to complete at least 2 or 3 pieces while I'm there.  You can paint 24 hours a day - the studios are always open.  It's wonderful if you ever get a change to go - approx 200 or more artists in one place - all creating!  I have over the years become friends with many of them - it's great to see each other once or twice a year. When I return, I'll post some photos of my trip.   

 Here's my newest abstract painting....just finished this morning.  It's acrylic on canvas (40 x 30) with lots on soft greens and bright reds.  I challenged myself - thought I would paint a red and green painting that wouldn't look like Christmas.  I think the painting is very successful.  It's great to be painting in my new studio.  This piece will be going to the Garth Gallery in Columbia, PA. 

I'm back finally - it was a long, hard move,  and at my age, it exhausted me, but it's at last over.  It's amazing to me how much "stuff" can accumulate over one's lifetime.  "Stuff" that is so hard to detach from.  We sorted - threw away, gave away, and boxed up our life's treasures.  It took weeks of loading and unloading boxes and furniture, with the help of our family and movers.  Now that it is behind us, parts of our new basement are loaded with boxes almost from floor to ceiling.  I'm not sure when we will ever use or need all the "stuff" we brought with us, but "just in case", we'll have it somewhere....

With all that said, I didn't pick up a brush from late October till just 2 weeks ago.  I was so anxious to start painting again.  Never do I want to go through such a dry spell of not creating - I love to paint, it's my passion.  Bob (my husband) and I worked on my new large studio (approx 25 x 17), though it's bare bones - cement floor, pegboard walls, handmade shelving, but it's mine - no carpet, no plush chairs, and no fancy store-bought furniture.  However, it's organized, has running water, lots of light, and plenty of room to paint and create:  several huge tables, portable lighting, a wall to attach canvas or paper to, an easel, shelves of paint lined up in a row, lots of storage, buckets of brushes and palette knives, and an encaustic area under the window.  What more can an artist ask for? Need I say more?  Two pictures of my studio are below...and as you can see, nothing fancy.  It will probably never be so neat again - I'm a messy painter.  What's so nice is that I now can paint at home - in the middle of the night or even at five in the morning if I want - where before when I rented a studio, I would have to drive 35 minutes just to begin.  I can now create, whenever.

It's heaven to be back!


 The Encaustic Area

My husband and I are in the process of moving - that's why I haven't posted anything for a while.  I did, however, complete 4 new paintings while studying independently at Springmaid.  I'll catch up with everything in a few weeks.  Our actual move starts tomorrow (Wednesday, the 25th) with our movers coming the following Wednesday (12/2).  We then have to get the old house ready for sale.  With that all said - "I'm excited" - I'll have a huge studio and gallery in my home!  I plan to post quite a few photos in 2 or 3 weeks.  Happy Thanksgiving to all! 

Well, I believe that I have taken the most wonderful workshop ... ever.  The instructor's name is Steven Aimone from Asheville, NC. (winter) and Monhegan, Maine (summer). Steve's website address is www.AimoneArtServices.com.  He instructs you to paint from within - does not do any demonstrating - simply gives you challenges to complete on very large paper (approximately 40 x 40).  You simply use drawing instruments such as charcoal, pencil, pastel, watercolor crayon - basically whatever will make a mark.  You may also use black and white acrylic paint - and very little color.  But, with that said, the color is the absolutely last piece of the painting - if you choose to use it at all.  I will strive to KEEP with me what I learned this past week.  I suggest to any artist who wishes to take a workshop to consider Steve's "expressive drawing" workshop - it's based on the "line and mark" - you will grow as an artist.  Excellent, excellent, excellent!  I'm already signed up for a second "abstract painting" workshop to be held in February of 2010 in Florida. 

  Summer - time has gotten away from me.  Like other artists, I’ve been busy over this past summer.  My art festivals were very successful - exhibited at Bethlehem, PA / Harrisburg, PA / Manayunk (Philadelphia), PA / and Lititz, PA.  They alone kept me on my toes trying to coordinate framing, pricing, booth set-up, etc., not counting the tear-down and putting away.  Art festivals are a lot of work.  Anyone going into them should do so with open eyes.  I have one more for the season - Kennett Square, PA which is a near Philadelphia.  It’s one of my biggest shows of the season, and I always enjoy being here.  I have a couple of photos from the art festivals above (Manayunk) and below (Bethlehem).
 

Other things that have been going on is teaching an experimental mixed media workshop at the Mechanicsburg Art Center.  It was a busy week of teaching and learning from each other.  Those who attended went home with several finished paintings.  Also, I attended 2 WONDERFUL workshops myself - even if you are a teacher as I, you NEVER stop learning!  The first workshop I attended was with Bob Burridge at Cheap Joe’s in Boone, NC.  I can’t say enough about Bob.  Not only does he keep you laughing, but he’s a wonderful teacher and I thoroughly enjoyed my week immensely with him.  The second one was with Pat Dews, again in Boone.  Actually, it was my second workshop with Pat.  I credit her with my journey to abstraction.  I always painted realistically, until Pat’s first workshop several years ago - her first workshop took me into a completely different style.  I decided to take her again since many of my friends from “Springmaid” were going to be there and we had a great time painting together and visiting one another.  Pat has become a friend.  It always amazes me to think of all the artist friends I have made over the years - from Florida to Maine and everywhere in between.  I always miss them on my return to home.  

Plus, I have been painting to my heart’s content!  I will post some of them soon - they have to be photographed.  Other news, I have been selected to exhibit in a new gallery opening here in Harrisburg, “Sparma”.  The grand opening will be early September, and I’ll, hopefully, post some of those  photos as well.  Talk to you soon!   Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Wow, I haven't posted for awhile.  I've just been too busy and I have so much to post.  At least I'll try to catch up on a few things.  I've been very successful with selling paintings.  The economy is definitely getting better!  During my past two street art festivals - Bethlehem, PA and Harrisburg, PA - I sold a total of 11 large original paintings and also a few smaller paintings.  I have been overwhelmed with the fantastic comments about my work.  I also completed a commission recently (Timeless). 

Some national and international shows that I have been accepted to exhibit are: 

1 - PWS (PA Watercolor Society) - "Wonderland" - water media  (opens in August)
2 - ISEA (International Society of Experimental Artists) - "Red Square" - encaustic (opens in Sept)
3 - Watercolor USA 2009 (Springfield Art Museum, Springfield, MO) - "All Things Remembered" - water media 
4 - VMRC (Harrisonburg, VA) - "Spectator" - encaustic
5 - A Fine Line (Center for the Creative Arts in Fredericsburg, VA) - "Green Squared" - encaustic
6 - Lancaster County National Juried Art Show - "Earth Matters" - encaustic.

So far, I have won 2 awards - in the national show in Lancaster, I won 3rd place for Earth Matters
and the the regional show at York County Art Association's annual abstract show, I took 2nd place for one of my newest pieces "Revelation" -

And I just received word today that my piece at the Watercolor USA 2009 exhibit at the Springfield Art Museum in Springfield, MO sold to a patron of the museum!

 

I'm packing up the van today - headed for Philadelphia tomorrow for the Manayunk (Phila) Art Festival that is being held on Saturday (11-8) and Sunday (10-5) on the main street in Manayunk.  If you are in the area, please stop by. 

Other BIG NEWS!  I just started painting in my new "Art Studio & Galley" at the Mechanicsburg Art Center in Mechanicsburg, PA.  Now that I have committed myself for the rental of a studio, I've been painting even more.  Next week, I'll post some photos of my (ever so humble) studio - it's small, but it's mine.    Till Next Week ...