Off to Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts

I would never plan to do two full week classes back-to-back in such different parts of the country, but sometimes things just work out that way. I packed up at Idyllwild in California on Friday night, flew out Saturday — arriving after dark — and was set up and teaching again by Sunday in Tennessee.

That doesn’t even make sense on paper much less in the real world but it worked thanks to the amazing team of summer interns at Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts who helped me get settled in and set up quickly.

It didn’t hurt that they have more power in that studio then I’ve ever had for a workshop, but we still had to try a few configurations to get it just right. I felt like the indecisive woman changing her mind on where the couch should be, but it’s important to get the tables and equipment set up in a way that fosters community and we did just that.

I had a whopping 15 students in this class. Look at all that power!

Below is a video tour of our classroom, with the gallery just outside our doors for instant inspiration.

I was thrilled to have my work on the anchor wall for the show, and even sold one of these pieces while I was there.

They have an excellent gallery at Arrowmont, run by the talented Gallery Coordinator Karen Green. It’s essentially the hallway between the classrooms but what could have been very ordinary has been transformed into a series of intimate spaces with the use of stones, fountains and quiet seating areas.

My studio neighbor (and new buddy) Susan Fecho discusses her work in the gallery. Click on this photo to see more of her mixed media work.

Susan's assistant Evan was kind enough to share some of their class demos with my students too.

There was a great feeling of collaboration throughout the week. I often invite students and teachers alike from other classes to stop by and see what they can do with the wax in their own projects, and several of them took me up on it including TJ Erdahl (below) the Arrowmont Program Manager who wanted to make a waxed hat for his fascinating ceramic sculpture.

Mary Ann gets the kinks out with a quick hoop break.

As you can see above we did manage to have some fun and that often included “hoop breaks” with our own cruise director Sara Gibson. She brought several hula hoops to share, including one that’s collapsible for travel (!) and got everyone into it (see video below).  She’s fantastic at this!

Another fun break was the Artist-in-Residence open house, where we could see how these talented artists spend their year at Arrowmont. The video below takes you through the work spaces of Andrea Moon, Shawn O’Connor, Wyatt Severs and Jennifer Wells.

Believe it or not, we did do some actual painting during the week. The studios at Arrowmont are open late into the night so there was a lot of time to work too. I was astounded my the sheer number of pieces that were finished, but they were also really high quality.

Several students traded or sold work to one another on the last day of class and everyone went home with some work to be proud of.

My buddy Carolyn aka "spider woman" prepares the real thing for one of her paintings.

We had to snip off his back legs to get him flat enough, then attach them again with wax. Yes, it was icky. And yes, he was long dead!

What a fun group! Special thanks to my studio assistant Lynn Bland, back row third from the left. Thanks for all of your help!

These wonderful folks just about made me cry when they presented me with this beautiful water tumbler, a big bar of chocolate and a beautiful card signed by everyone. Now I’ll always have my water at hand, but that chocolate is LONG gone. Thank you all so much!

Encaustic at 5,000 Feet in Idyllwild

Everything is so orderly before we get started, then creativity causes beautiful chaos.

“So that happened.”  That’s one of my favorite quotes from a great little movie called State and Main (yes, they use the line in the trailer) and seems to sum up my recent teaching experiences in California and Tennessee. I hadn’t planned to teach two weeks of classes in different states back to back, but that’s how it worked out and I have to admit some of it is a blur as I look back. What is crystal clear are my memories of the talented and incredibly creative students I worked with and the beautiful work they made.

I’ll start with Idyllwild Arts in California since that’s where my journey began. If you haven’t been there it’s well worth the trip to spend some time in such an amazing setting surrounded by caring teachers and staff. It’s a stunning area with a winding drive from hot and dusty Palm Springs up to the 5,000 foot mark at Idyllwild, where the weather is much more hospitable. I made the mistake of arriving after dark so I missed the drive up but that made for a nice surprise on the way out. Below are some photos from my travels. Enjoy!

We had an excellent studio for the class, and everyone got right to work.

We had an interesting collaboration, where Vicky started this piece (left) and Rosemary finished it (right). This is a great exercise if you get stuck.

Many students brought materials to donate to the collage table so we had lots of fun images to choose from.

It was warm enough to set up a prep station outside for those who wanted to try textured gesso.

Anne tried an image transfer that didn't work out, but it ended up looking like a bird silhouette so she took the work in a great new direction!

When I have friends nearby I often invite them to visit so students can see more original encaustic work than I can fly with. Amber George was kind enough to stop by to talk about her work. To see more of her work click this photo to visit her web site or go to www.ambergeorge.com.

Everyone hard at work on the last day of class.

Sharon had been working in a very distinctive style in other media for years and was able to apply her design background very nicely to her work in wax.

At the end of each week long course there's a show of everyone's work. Here's Roger discussing his latest work.

Here's our class photo. Thanks to all of you for a wonderful time and many creative memories. I hope to see you again soon!

Luminous Layers Video, Photos and Award Winners

Daniella Woolf's "Turkish Delight" installation was a big hit, giving viewers a chance to interact with some of the art.

It’s hard to believe the Luminous Layers: Exploring Contemporary Encaustic exhibit is over already, after all those months of planning, but I’m happy to report that it was a great success! We had steady, enthusiastic crowds who were ready to buy art, so both artists and patrons left happy.

Here’s a video of the exhibit along with some photos below. The video is a little shaky at times since I hadn’t slept much the week prior, but it will give you a good flavor of the work in the show.

Jeff Schaller gives an impromptu interview to a local TV station

Jeff Schaller, Breathe, 36" x 36"

Our two featured artists illustrated the variety of ways in which the wax can be used for self expression. Jeff Schaller paints edgy pop inspired images that are provocative and whimsical, adding words and language to propel the viewer into scenes of seemingly unrelated subjects.

Cari Hernandez takes a different approach, where encaustic is the connective medium in her abstract, sculptural works which often rely on the use of shadow and light. For Hernandez, combining mediums such as wax, paper, resin and fiber serves as a way to explore themes of faith, courage, joy, and pleasure. I was pleased to also include an additional 60 talented artists who were either invited or juried into this comprehensive show. Look for video of the show to be added soon!

Cari Hernandez, Lovely Bed, 18" x 24"

We had slides running throughout the show with scenes of artist's studios to give the viewers a more personal connection to the work

In keeping with the educational mission of the Lake Oswego Festival of the Arts, there was an extensive roster demonstrations throughout the event. Artists from across the United States shared their knowledge of encaustic, introducing this ancient art to a very appreciative audience.

Brenda Mallory was one of 15 artists who demonstrated how she works with wax.

We owe a big thanks to our demo sponsors, Muse Art + Design (who recently launched EncausticSupplies.com, R&F Handmade Paints and Enkaustikos! Wax Art. These companies are always generous supporters of the encaustic community, especially with educational events, and I can’t thank them enough for their support.

We had standing room only for every demo, where many patrons had never heard of encaustic before

There were 167 works from 65 artists in the United States and Canada, including artists who were invited to participate and those who were juried into the show. Awards were presented in several categories:

Curator Award, Gregory Wright, Beckoning, 20" x 16"

Juror Award, Mari Marks, Sedimentary Series, Terra X, 48" x36"

Juror Award, Dave Laubenthal, Gropious (mandala), 24" x 24"

Juror Award, Karen Frey, Richard, 14" x 18"

Chair's Choice Award, Kevin Frank, Oranges with Yellow Pitcher, 20" x 26"

Chair's Choice Award, Brenda Mallory, Explosion in Gold, 15" x 15"

Committee Award, Judith Williams, Endless Swirls, 26" x 20"

Committee Award, Liz McDonald, Big Blue Ball, 12" x 9"

Committee Award, Karl Kaiser, Red Petals, 18" x 18". This same work also won the Patron's Choice Award.

Panelist Kanaan Kanaan discusses how he brings together his two disparate cultures within his work with wax

As a special part of the show we enjoyed a panel discussion on “Why Wax? How Encaustic Informs Our Art,” featuring artists Jeff Schaller, Cari Hernandez, and Kanaan Kanaan with moderator Andrea Benson. They had a  lively discussion on the challenges and unique qualities of working in encaustic, and why they are drawn to the medium.

Cari Hernandez discusses the allure of working with wax during the panel discussion

As the show curator, I can confidently say that Luminous Layers achieved the goal we set out at the beginning — to show the wide variety of ways in which contemporary artists are using wax in their art today.

This show wouldn’t have happened if not for my very dedicated team who worked tirelessly to help me pull it all together: Kimberly Kent, Natasia Chan and Amy Stoner as well as numerous committee members from the Lake Oswego Festival including Lisa Strout, Marabee Bertelsen, Diane Englert and Andrew Edwards. Thank you everyone!

Luminous Layers Encaustic Exhibit Starts Friday

Click on the images above to see larger versions

Between June 25th — 27th, the Lake Oswego Festival of the Arts will host the “Luminous Layers: Exploring Contemporary Encaustic” special exhibit. Though bound by a common medium, the works are inspired by a wide range of topics–FBI fingerprints, family treasures, and the nuanced tones of nature. There was a nice article about the show in the Oregonian this week.

Transform A Moment, 24" x 24", Encaustic, (c) Linda Womack

Treat yourself to daily encaustic demonstrations, a panel discussion on why these artists love to work with wax and a wide array of art styles from realistic to abstract to sculptural.

Friday, June 25th
· 1:00 – 2:00 pm encaustic art demonstration featuring “Encaustic & Photography” by Linda Womack, curator & artist, Luminous Layers exhibit, lower level Lakewood Center.

· 7:30 – 8:30 “Why Wax?” Presentation and Panel Discussion with featured artists Jeff Schaller, Cari Hernandez, Kanaan Kanaan and moderator Andrea Benson in the Headlee Mainstage Theatre, Lakewood Center. Fee: $5.00 at the door.

Saturday, June 26th
· 2:00 – 3:00 pm encaustic art demonstration featuring “Painting Realism in Encaustic” by Jeff Schaller, featured artist, Luminous Layers exhibit, lower level Lakewood Center.

Sunday, June 27th
· 2:00 – 3:00 pm encaustic art demonstration featuring “Working in Encaustic” by Cari Hernandez, featured artist, Luminous Layers exhibit, lower level Lakewood Center.

View the full demonstration schedule here. (Subject to last minute changes, of course!) Here are also some great installation shots to see behind the scenes.

Luminous Layers Encaustic Exhibit Next Weekend

I’m almost unpacked and organized from the encaustic conference and need to now turn my full attention back to my biggest project of the year, the show I’m curating in Oregon called Luminous Layers: Exploring Contemporary Encaustic.

There was a nice article in the Oregonian this morning by Jan Goetze to kick things off as well as a TV commercial that will be airing on KATU this week. We start installing the show on Monday so I’ll try to post some photos of the process as we go.

There will be exhibit tours and artist demonstrations each of the three days, as well as a panel discussion on Friday, June 25, at 7:30 pm. “Why Wax? How Encaustic Informs Our Art” will feature artists Jeff Schaller, Cari Hernandez, and Kanaan Kanaan with moderator Andrea Benson. (Lakewood Center for the Arts, $5) You can see the festival program online to help you plan your weekend. I hope to see you there!

Photo by Brent Wojahn/The Oregonian

2010 Encaustic Painting Conference Video and More

It was another whirlwind of an encaustic conference so I thought I’d capture it best with a video this year. Here are the 3 days of  the conference in about 3 minutes:

My husband, Bill, was sick during a good part of the trip, but we still managed to get out and have a little fun. Here are a few photos of our outside activities.

Before the conference we got a few days to relax at an old farm house, complete with wild birds instead of an alarm clock.

We also found this lovely "Bridge of Flowers" where the residents of Shelburne Falls planted this old bridge with a garden, trees and all, instead of tearing it down.

During the conference we made our way to Woodman's (in Essex) for fried clams and "lobstah." Kimberly Kent and Bridget Benton also enjoyed the onion rings (and perhaps a few drinks?).

We finally got a chance to meet Steve at Van Gogh's Gear (in Lowell, Mass.) who carries my book, Embracing Encaustic. Nice guy, great art store!

The weather wasn't very good this year but we still got one sunny day before we left to explore Patch Beach in Beverly.

Enjoying a moment of sun before returning to the rainy, cold weather of Portland.

View posts from previous years conference’s here.

2010 Encaustic Conference Update

The Fourth Annual Encaustic Painting Conference has been fantastic so far again this year and I’m having a wonderful time soaking in lots of new information to incorporate into my work and my workshops.

I’ve also been taking short videos to cut together into a montage of what it looks like to attend the conference, but I’ll have to post it when I get back next week.

Until then, here’s an image of my latest work which is currently hanging here at the conference in the Best Foot Forward show along with jaw dropping pieces by many of the other encaustic painters in attendance. What a show! More soon…

Vanish Into the Vast Sea, 12" x 12", Encaustic

Couldn’t get to the conference this year? That’s OK, you can follow the conference blog posts from Lynette Haggard and Nancy Natale to make you feel like you did!

Art Arrives for Luminous Layers Show

What an exciting week! All of the art was due this week for the show I’m curating this June, Luminous Layers: Exploring Contemporary Encaustic. This show will be part of an art festival that’s been going on for 47 years in Lake Oswego, a beautiful little town just outside of Portland, Oregon, where I live.

It’s always exciting for me to see the art in person, smell the wax, and see the surface texture of each painting. Some of the packing is as elaborate as the art itself! Here’s a little preview of what we unpacked yesterday.

Special Exhibit Curator Linda Womack and Juried Show Manager Kimberly Kent unpack "Unfurling" by Massachusetts artist Gregory Wright.

Juried Show Artists Melinda Fellini and Susan Freedmen volunteered to help us check in the boxes containing more than 160 pieces of art for the show.

Kimberly admires both the painting and the padded package protecting "Lingering Sunset" by Kathleen Hooks.

Susan Freedman helps unpack "Guarantee," one of the largest paintings in the Luminous Layers show by Randall Steeves of Canada. The painting on the right is "Calendula Seed Pod" by Karen Clark of Portland.

Save the dates now and please join us for the Luminous Layers show at the Lakewood Festival of the Arts, June 25 – 27, 2010.

Heat Gun Recall

Many thanks to encaustic painter and master panel maker Rodney Thompson for this important information:

Some popular heat guns have been recalled for internal heat build up. “An electrical component failure inside the heat guns can cause them to continue to produce heat after the power switch is turned off. This can melt the heat gun’s plastic exterior, causing a burn if the heat gun is touched and ignite nearby combustibles, posing fire and burn hazards.” Affected models are Milwaukee Heat Gun MHT3300, ACE HT3500 Heat Gun, and the Wagner Heat Gun HT3500.

Below is the web site for more information. They will send you a free replacement if you have one.
http://www.wagnerspraytech.com/portal/heat_gun_recall_spray.html

Please pass along this information!

New Encaustic Club Forming in Portland

Are you interested in meeting with other encaustic artists to share ideas and learn more about this fascinating medium? Here’s a great opportunity for you to join a new encaustic club forming in Portland. I’m not running the group, just trying to help Liz and Linda get the word out about it. Here’s the info they gave me about the first meeting:

Who?
Organizers are Liz McDonald and Linda Marple, avid amateurs and students of Portland encaustic teacher Linda Womack.

Why?
To meet with other encaustic artists for critiques and problem-solving, show and tell, and possibly assignments to explore specific techniques or themes. Group ordering of supplies to cut down on costs. The group will be open to ideas from participants. The goal is to share and learn.

Where?
The first meeting will be at Liz’s house in Irvington – 2159 NE Tillamook St. – and future meeting locations will be discussed then.

When?
Sunday, April 11, 2010 from 2 – 4 p.m. Please RSVP to Liz if you plan to attend.

Introducing Guest Instructor Kimberly Kent

I’ll be teaching outside of Oregon so much this summer that I have time to invite a couple of guest artists to teach in my studio. The first I’ll introduce you to is my friend Kimberly Kent, who has been working in encaustic for many years and is an expert with color. If you’ve taken one of my classes you probably heard my joke that Kimberly could mix plaid! OK, I didn’t say it was a good joke, but it’s true.

Kimberly and I also have a connection with my roots in Hawaii, so we often share music, food and drink (!) of the islands. She began painting in 1983 in Kona, studying, teaching and selling her work in a local studio/gallery.  The journey of art making has taken her through many media and more than 12 countries. She paints in oil, mixed media and encaustic and is currently breaking new ground painting encaustic en plein air. More on that below…

Expanding Your Encaustic Color Palette
Next Date TBD. Check the web site for details (below)

Creating a color wheel in encaustic

In this excellent companion to my Making Your Own Paint class, Kimberly will help you expand your encaustic palette while you develop your color sensibility. Learn to mix, glaze and see color better. The exercises and techniques in this class will give you new tools for understanding how to mix just the color you need. Each student will mix a full range of colors from basic colors and leave class with a traditional color wheel and charts to use for future reference. The class will be taught in encaustic, with a set of basic mixing colors. All supplies and tools will be provided.

Encaustic Landscapes en Plein Air
Thursday, May 13, 5 pm – 9 pm, $95

Painting outside en plein air

The term en plein air comes from the French, “in the open air” and that’s just how you’ll paint in this class using a camping stove to heat your paint and a torch for fusing. The technique refers to landscape painting completed on site, in a natural setting. With the right tools and techniques you can paint in encaustic in the field. A plein air painting concentrates details on colors and the play of light and shadow. You’ll begin with large shapes and blocks of color tones while keeping in mind the lights and shadows. Most plein air artists start in this way and quickly lay out the entire painting. At first it may look like an abstract work, but  slowly you’ll add detail to your painting until you have captured the essence of the scene before you. Treat yourself to this new way of seeing your world.

Values & Veiling
Next Date TBD. Check the web site for details (below)

Learn to see colors as values for a richer palette

This class is designed as the next step in expanding your use of color in encaustic. Kimberly will have you start  with some basic exercises to help you see your colors as values, exploring the use of shadows, darkness, contrasts and light. Using simple compositions you will put this knowledge to work. She will borrow techniques from other art forms and adapt them to work with encaustic. Composition, value,  and color theory techniques will help you bring your work to the next level.

Veiling with layers of translucent color can produce amazing results. You will play with veiling and layering to create depth, distance and interest in our paintings. All supplies and tools will be provided.

I hope to see some of you in these new classes! as always, you can see my full schedule of classes within Oregon and around the US and Canada this summer on the Embracing Encaustic web site.

Open Studio Artists at Portland City Hall

Please join me to celebrate 10 years of local art on First Thursday, March 4th 5-8pm at the 10 x 10 Show—an exhibition featuring artwork 10″ and under by over 80 artists (including me!) from the 2009 Portland Open Studios tour.

Mayor Sam Adams will honor Portland Open Studios with a Proclamation and unveil our 10th Anniversary Purchase Prize for artwork as a gift to the City of Portland. Enjoy live music, refreshments, and this rare opportunity to see an array of art by Portland Open Studios’ artists under one roof.

Opening night refreshments provided by:
Storyteller Wine Co., Full Sail Brewing Co., Artemis Foods, Inc.

Musical guests
Jim Boydston, Daryl Davis, and Steve Remington of Manzanita

This event is free and open to the public. Most artwork is for sale with 20% going to the Kimberly Gales Scholarship fund for young artists.

Exhibition runs March 4 – April 1 Mon – Fri 9:00 am – 6:00 pm
Portland City Hall Atrium – 1221 SW 4th Ave, Portland OR

Portland Open Studios is an annual event that supports local artists and provides an art education experience for the public when everyone can Watch Artists at Work in 100 studios around Portland during the 2nd and 3rd weekends in October.

Artist applications for the 2010 tour opened in January; deadline is March 15, 2010. Apply at www.portlandopenstudios.com

Love in Print & Red Alert!

Shameless Passion, 13" x 13", encaustic & mixed mediums, 2009

There are quite a few shows happening this month having to do with love, lust, red, pink, and passion! My work is included in two of them, both opening this Friday, Feb. 5.

RED ALERT

Last year The Pines 1852 Vineyard opened a gallery in their beautiful tasting room. They feature local artists throughout the Gorge and into Portland and Bend. This month the show is Red Alert, conceived and produced by gallery art director Marty Rudolph. Stop by if you have the chance for a great pairing of art and wine.

Opening: First Friday, February 5th, 5:00 pm
Location: On the corner of 2nd and State Streets in downtown Hood River
Tasting Room Hours: Wed: 12 – 6pm, Thurs thru Sat: 12-9pm, Sun: 12-6pm
Live Music: Thurs & Fri 6-9 pm, Sat 5-8pm

LOVE IN PRINT

This show at Bite Studio is a benefit for P:ear, a Portland based organization that builds positive relationships with homeless and transitional youth  through education, art and recreation. Each year their programs serve more than 350 young people.

Love Lines, 10" x 22", encaustic monotype (light off), 2010

Since this is a printmaking show I was able to finally devote more time to conquering the elusive encaustic monotype and I’m thrilled with the results. Encaustic monotypes require the artist to paint directly on the hot palette and press paper or material into the painting to pick up the image on the substrate. What you end up with is a painting with a very thin layer of wax and a very different look form anything you would paint directly onto the paper. Refer to my other painting, Shameless Passion (above), done in a more traditional manner to see the visual difference.

I decided to present one of my images for the show in a light box, pictured above with the light off and below with the light on. This may be the beginning of a beautiful relationship!  See a preview of most of the art here.

Love Lines, 10" x 22", encaustic monotype (light on), 2010

Opening Event at Bite Studio
February 5th, 2009
6:00 pm – 10:00 pm
2000 SE 7th Ave., Portland, OR

Additional viewing hours: 11-3pm on Fridays – Feb 12th, 19th & 26th 12-4pm on Saturdays – Feb 6th, 13th, 20th & 27th

PanPastels Save the Day!

Linda Womack, What Voices Remain, Encaustic & mixed mediums, 2010

In mid December I received a call for art for Exploring the Triptych: Wax in Three Parts, a show hosted by the International Encaustic Artists. I was interested in entering but the timing was tough so I worked on it a little at a time through the holidays and was finally able to get a good handle on it this week. I’m thrilled to say that it’s finally done, but not without a little help from my friends. I’ll explain.

A few months ago I did an encaustic demo in Eugene and met up with Berni Ward, the co-founder of PanPastels. I had been using these wonderfully soft pastels in my work and classes for almost a year but at the demo Berni showed me some really nice applicators to use with them, along with a bunch of new colors to try out. Well they sure came in handy yesterday while I was finishing up my triptych!

2010 Encaustic Conference in Massachusetts

It’s that time again! Information on demos, lectures, exhibits and workshops for the 4th Annual Encaustic Conference in Beverly, Massachusetts is now online and registration starts January 15!

Conference Director (and encaustic painter extraordinaire) Joanne Mattera has scheduled the conference for June 11 – 13, with three days of post-conference workshops. I will be doing a new demo this year on Embedded Drawings and Photographs. I hope to see some of you there!

Several post-conference workshops will be offered this year, though I won’t have time to teach one because I have to get back in town for the Luminous Layers show. One that I’d like to highlight is a very unusual offering by my friend, Portland artist Kimberly Kent.

Students will paint outside with a butane stove and torch

Plein Air Encaustic

The term en plein air comes from the French, “in the open air.” The technique refers to landscape painting completed on site, in a natural setting. This is a special challenge for encaustic painters because that means no electricity! Kimberly will teach you how to pack up one small bag of equipment so you can paint anywhere your heart desires, then take you on a field trip to do just that. Better yet, she will supply all the equipment needed for your journey.

Kimberly will teach a similar workshop out of my studio in the spring. If you are interested in begin notified when this class is offered in Oregon, please join my mailing list.