Navy Pier

Navy Pier

30" x 30" 

encaustic collage on cradled panel

I continue to be inspired to paint places I have been since moving back to Chicago. These new paintings are turning into a series, and the key elements are landmark locations and architecture in Chicago, working large, using wax as the primary medium. I have printed a group of my favorite photos, this is the 2nd of 5 photos to be collaged, and the first of what will be a transition into new techniques and materials.

Rather than transferring the black and white photo (what I have always done in the past), I collaged it into wax medium directly on a cradled birch panel. After fusing layers of wax underneath and on top of the photo, I decided to add dry pigments (recently purchased at the encaustic conference), using copper, graphite, and silver. Safety is a priority, I put on rubber gloves and rubbed the powdered pigments directly into the encaustic medium fused onto the photo. I also added oil sticks (white, blue) rubbed into the sky, and then dipped a strip of mulberry paper into wax, collaged it to add sculptural qualities to the prominent building on the left, Lake Point Tower. I also collaged paper on the far right along the wooden wall structure in the foreground.

I have been running so many ideas through my mind ever since the conference, I have new supplies and tools, and want to continue to experiment and discover new ways of sharing my creative energy with the world.

Crazy Month

I used to check my blog daily, was really good about keeping up with others, but a month has passed and I am just now finding time to blog. I think other social media sites (Facebook, twitter, instagram, linked in, pinterest, vine, to name a few) have made the blogspot network less of a focus for many of us, or maybe it's just me not finding the time to write a more in depth summary of my art life and news. Regardless, a lot has happened in the past month and I would like to share.

The first week in June I attended the Encaustic Conference in Provincetown, MA. It had been 4 years since I had been to the conference and I was ready to absorb and learn new things (the best teachers continue to also be some of the best students, in my opinion), and this conference is a mecca for all things encaustic. There was a vendor room with everything your encaustic mind could fathom, all day events, demonstrations and talks, intense 3 days of artistic sharing, educating, inspiration, and networking. A highlight for me was watching demonstrations using a HOTBOX™ as a palette instead of an electric griddle; I am now inspired to work with encaustic on paper rather than on board. I interviewed Pat Spainhour for the FusedChicago blog, she demonstrated scroll works, painting on the hotbox, and talked about incorporating Asian sumi-e influences in her work; you can read my interview here. After watching Paula Roland demonstrate various monoprint techniques using her trademark HOTBOX, I decided to purchase one for my continued exploration and self-education of encaustic painting.

The last day of the conference I participated in the hotel fair and as a result, a new gallery (28 & Bank Studio) opening in Harwich Port, MA (Cape Cod) end of the week will have an assortment of my small encaustic mixed media works for sale. 

The month of July will be the perfect opportunity to play with new ideas. Having just completed my 2nd outdoor art festival weekend, I will now have time to develop some works on paper before my 3rd art festival weekend August 2-3 at the Lakeshore Arts Festival in Evanston, IL. I also added lots of small works to my Etsy shop, and with the monoprint process consuming all of my creative energy I look forward to sharing a new direction in the coming weeks.

Booth Shot from Art in the Village this past weekend -

Chicago is Home

Chicago Skyline, view from Larrabee Street

4 x 8 

mixed media on 300 lb paper

It's almost my one year anniversary since moving back to Chicago after 25 years of living in New England and I have been asking myself why I am so inspired by the city, its buildings, and people. I find comfort in the Gothic architecture, the Greystones and Brownstones, the grid-like flow of traffic, the Lakefront, the local hangouts and especially this time of year, the outdoor cafes. My childhood memories are all rooted in this city, my grandparents lived off of Lake Shore Drive, and every time I drive past where they lived it reminds me of how happy my childhood was. I never realized how much I missed this place until I moved back. Now that I live here it's as if I can't get enough and everywhere I go I see something new that I want to translate into art. 

City Dogs

7.5 x 11 

mixed media on 300 lb paper

Luxe Cafe

2.5 x 3.5 

mixed media on board

Greystone on Pine Grove

4 x 6

mixed media on 300 lb paper

Tulips along the Drive

3.5 x 2.5 

mixed media on board

And my newest discovery - Kozo mulberry paper for transferring photos. The effect is almost blurry, and there is a an ethereal feeling after fusing into the wax medium. I am going to look into finding a printer that can handle much larger Kozo paper.

Chicago Skyline 2, view from Diversey Harbor

4 x 6 

mixed media on Kozo

These new works will be going to the Encaustic Conference in Provincetown two weeks from today. I am participating in the hotel fair and hope to fit about 15 total into my suitcase.

Spring Art Festival

Success. It had been over two years since I last exhibited in a weekend art festival and this was my first outdoor exhibition in many years. Remembering the process to accept credit card purchases (by using Square One, a small device that plugs into my cell phone), was probably the biggest challenge of the weekend!

It's definitely a crap shot, deciding which festivals to apply to, hoping the weather cooperates, and hoping people come to see the work (when I lived in MA I only participated indoor after hurricane force winds ruined my tent one Labor Day weekend many years ago). From what I gathered, many of the participants in this weekends Riverside Art Festival were disappointed. Lots of people came, not so many were interested in buying big items, fortunately I had a wide range of price points. I am going to be exhibiting in two more weekend festivals, the next is in June, then August. I will need that much time to rest up and energize between shows.

My booth setup:

Pre- show opening, early Saturday morning:

I am really looking forward to resting tomorrow, organizing, and if I am lucky I will be able to get back into painting new work. I exhibited watercolor paintings this past weekend, but I admit that my focus has been more on mixed media encaustic paintings. My next two shows will only be featuring new mixed media encaustic work.

Art in the Village
Lakeshore Arts Festival

The S-Curve

The S-Curve

18" x 24" mixed media

photo transfer, encaustic, pigment, oil pastel

Size does matter! I have a 30" x 40"encausticbord panel and plan on transferring this image once I can focus without interruption. It will take time just to prepare the panel with layers of encaustic medium, transferring the image will require patience. When I try to rush things, I end up ripping the paper which distorts the image. The fun part for me is when I can finally add color and depth using pigments, oil pastel, and wax, the process brings the piece to life.

Lake Shore Drive

photo taken yesterday

Every where I go, I look at the Chicago architecture and I continue to be in awe. I want to paint buildings and angles and combine nature with the urban settings, in order to soften the feeling of the city created in my art. I hope I can do justice to this photo once transferred into wax. The first version will be 18" x 24", and then I plan on using the same image to photo transfer onto a 30" x 40" board (largest single encaustic piece to date). I hope to start preparing the panel tomorrow.

In the meantime, I taught an encaustic workshop on Saturday at the North Shore Art League in Winnetka, IL and it sounds like I will be offering a weekly encaustic class in the fall. More information will be available this summer on their website (and mine).

I also received an email from the gallery director at Chicago Art Source on Friday informing me that two of my paintings were included in the International Art, Antique, and Jewelry show at Navy Pier this past weekend. The gallery teamed up with the Susan Fredman interior design group and although my paintings seemed to be more of an accessory to the furnishings, it was incredible publicity in a fantastic place that I did not expect. When things like this happen, I remind myself why a gallery gets 50% of an art sale, they provide exposure in places I can not get to on my own.

Full booth shot

Gallery shot, my work on the left of the wall sculpture

Postcards from the Cape

"Storm Approaching"

"Cape Cod Light"

"Dunes"

Each of these paintings is post card size, 4" x 6", mixed media encaustic on 300 lb. watercolor paper. I will be donating these to the post card show at the International Encaustic Conference that I am attending the first week of June. The conference is in Provincetown, MA and fortunately I have been there; I had specific references for each painting.

The conference is an incredible opportunity to learn about art from the best and most knowledgable artists I know, it is also a wonderful networking opportunity. I hope even though my paintings are representational landscapes, the work won't look out of place with all of the amazing abstract artists that will be attending.

International Encaustic Conference Info

I have been planning out my studio time and events carefully these days as I have a part time job. I started working at Bloomingdales as a bridal registry consultant and even though its part time, it forces me to organize my art making and commitments more than I am used to doing. I think it will get easier but for now it's a challenge.

My last bit of news, I was accepted into the 3rd of three art festivals I submitted work to, and I am probably going to participate in all of them ... that will allow me exhibition opportunities in May, June and early August. Fingers crossed that the weather will be on my side, but with global warming and such it's a bit of a concern.

Summer Sky (more of Chicago)

"Summer Sky, Chicago"

20" x 16" watercolor and wax on 140 lb. paper

The painting started with this older watercolor -

Using an abstract painting from years ago, I once again decided to create an identifiable cityscape by painting in new watercolor details combined with layers of wax. This piece is all about the texture representing the concrete of Lake Shore Drive, heading South into the city (Diversey Harbor on the right). The perspective is enhanced by using textured wax on the drive against the smoothness of the skyscrapers, the largest being the Hancock Building center left, with Sears Tower in the background to the right. 

I am thinking about starting a large diptych (36" x 72") on encausticbord, continuing with cityscapes, skyscrapers and identifiable landmark buildings here in Chicago.

Other news to share -

I received notification that all 3 of my mini works on paper will be included in the 35th annual Mini-Works on Paper exhibit at Jacksonville State University, AL. Last year I won first prize and sold one of my pieces, this year I hope I am half as lucky!

The accepted works are all 2.5" x 3.5"; these small works have become my "bread and butter" of art sales, retailing for $150 once mounted and framed. The work for the show is required to be matted in white or off white, no frames allowed.

Chicago

"Chicago"

mixed media - watercolor and wax on 140 lb. paper

30" x 22"

For a while I have wanted to re-work several older watercolor paintings by incorporating wax medium and pigments, adding new dimensionality and details. Until now I have not combined wax with watercolor and I can tell there will be lots of experimenting to come. 

Original watercolor painting 

The original painting was inspired by the view I had of Boston from my coastal home although I painted the city as generic with no identifiable Boston landmarks.

View of Chicago seen driving in from I-90

 The architecture in Chicago has been keeping me creative and I decided to use one of my photos as a reference allowing me to add details to the existing painting.

The wax added was minimal and it is easier to see on an angle with the light reflecting. I will have to raise the matt to prevent the wax from touching the glass once I frame this, it should be interesting although I know what needs to be done.

"Eventually, I think Chicago will be
the most beautiful great city
left in the world."

- Frank Lloyd Wright

Food

The creative process is equally as important to me in the kitchen as it is in the art studio. Last night I gave a small dinner party with the help of my partner and together we put together a delicious combination of our favorite foods.

We didn't photograph everything but some of the highlights are shown below. Terry was in charge of appetizers and he made prosciutto wrapped around melon, too delicious to do justice with a photo. He also created the beautiful bruschetta. 

Bruschetta with tomato and basil

(cheese platter in the background)

Our main course was Caesar salad, poached salmon with a cucumber dill sauce, Pici pasta (discovered when we visited Tuscany), sautéed asparagus, and Italian bread with dipping oil.

Poached Salmon with cucumber, radishes, lemon, and dill

Pici pasta with olive oil, basil, parsley, and parmesan cheese

Pici is a thick, hand-rolled pasta, like a fat spaghetti. It originates in the province of Siena in Tuscany; in the Montalcino area.

I have to admit I got carried away with desserts - red velvet cake, lemon cookies, fresh fruit platter, and vanilla ice cream topped with mixed berries.

Bon Appetit!