It is the new year! There's so much to consider as the year turns. The accomplishments and failures of the past, the birth and death of opportunity, choices not made and paths not taken.  Life and death and rebirth, one following the other in close succession.

I don't generally preach from my blog, but this verse has been on my mind all week:

2 Corinthians 5:17

English Standard Version (ESV)

¹⁷ Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

This year I have seen a special loved one find renewal and redemption. There are others who still flounder. I hold them close to my heart for the new year.

At the beginning of 2012, I chose to explore new media and soon delved deeply into encaustic. I made a lot of messes, but have also learned a lot and think I've settled into this as "my" medium for a while.

I also deepened my involvement with The ARTree Community Arts Center, and now serve as the board Treasurer. In the new year a fellow board member and I will begin teaching children's art classes at our lovely new community library.  We are so excited for the possibilities!

This year, I want to continue to explore my artistic universe.

I think for me that means I need to make a lot of paintings, and spend much more time working in my studio. Too many days I stall and delay, and flitter and flutter, when if I would just settle down and work I'd see some breakthroughs.  Is 200 paintings too many to try for? I don't think so; I am working on 5 to 10 at any given time. So that's it. 200 paintings in 2013.  And at least one workshop....more if I can swing it. 

So that's my new year meditation, artistic friends. I wish the best for you in all you in all your journeys for 2013.

Here are a couple more recent pieces.

I had a fantastic time at the encaustic workshop and I learned so much!   The other students were much more established artists than I am, with physical studios and gallery representation.  I learned a lot about what I was doing wrong and the value of using the right materials in the right way. So I came home and revamped my studio, kicked out the older cheaper materials and started fresh. (I also finished that blasted quilt!)

Then I read one of Robert Genn's posts here: http://clicks.robertgenn.com/index.php and was challenged to get rid of work I am not proud of. There is a lot of that!  That led to pulling a lot of things off my virtual shelves at my Etsy shop.  And slowly I began to see some things I liked better in my studio.

The final straw was when I went to hear an artist friend speak about her process of applying for grants for public art pieces.  She really thinks and works like what she is: a professional artist.  And she introduces herself as "a professional artist for the last 17 years."  That cut me to the core. Where is the courage to think of myself as an artist? What is different about my friend is that she gives herself permission.

So my artistic goals are all about quality right now.

1. I will produce professional quality work. If a work does not meet my standards, I will not display it, but I will learn from it.

2. I will begin to enter art shows and exhibitions.

3. I will take more care in photographing my work.  This is still a growth area for me.

So here's a little piece I put up in my shop today. I have a few more ready, that will go up bit by bit, and I will share them with you as I can. I hope you like it.

Art Getaway!

So, I am running away from the project from Hell. I will never ever make another King Size quilt.

But all is not lost! I am running TO a four day encaustic workshop in NYC put on by R and F paints, with Barbara Ellman!  And I needed to bring my supplies, so here is my trusty art pack.

And its contents: plywood supports, papers, embellishments, tools, brushes, inks and my sketch bag, with sketchbooks, watercolors, pilot disposable fountain pens, and some other necessities. Off to catch a plane!

More abstract encaustic. I am starting to work a little bigger and will have some larger things to show you soon. I am planning on taking a class by R & F Encaustics in NYC September 20-23. So far I am the only person signed up....I hope some of my Everyday Matters buds will join me!

ETA: Here's another piece with some new detail shots that give a better idea of the delicious swirls of color you can get with this technique. This one is 11.5 x 10.75 x .75 on wood.

Galaxy paintings, redux

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I have been getting into my studio nearly every day, working on a bunch of things at once, layers and layers and layers of hot wax encaustics and inks and oil paints and more wax.  I love the way the differently pigmented inks disperse and flow in the fusing process between layers.  The one on the bottom reminds me of Joan Miro. I will have more to put up over the next few days, I think, many are nearing completion.