it's almost the new year

A lot of time has passed since Andre left us, the holiday season took hold and I am right now in Manchester NH where it is a winter wonderland albeit a bit cold. I haven't had the waxes heated up for a while but I am thinking about it all the time. Since then, I went to Art Basel in Miami, and my ah ha! there was, " and why am I so critical about my work?"

I also learned that bigger is better. I have a painting in a juried show in Orlando which is fun. I sent in an oil and an encaustic and the oil got in. I thought the encaustic was better but so be it. Plans are being made for the design of my new studio and all this will happen once we get back to Florida which will be in a few days.

RIP Andre 11/13/07

I know it has nothing to do with painting encaustics but we had to put our 15.5 year old dog down last week. And I am just getting over it now. It was the hardest thing we've ever had to do, but it was the right thing to do. We consulted an energy healer who told us he was toxic and in pain. The animal communicator told us he was empty, and it was his time. He was old, blind, deaf, had kidney failure which created many problems, was in pain and once we realized that we were keeping him alive just for us, we went to the vet hospital and in the kindest, most humane way, they put him to sleep. He knew it was coming. He just lay down and it was all over before the syringe was removed. There was no pain, no suffering. I still question why we make the human's that we love, suffer so as they approach death but for our pets we can be so kind. He was a great dog. He made many people happy in his long life. I think that was his job. I still talk to him and see him in the shadows. RIP Andre aka Bunny

I let it go

Yesterday, I was at a women's luncheon, only 6 of us, some I knew and some I didn't . We went around the room, having our turn to speak. I was wondering what I would say, as life is so good, no problems, no complaints. When it was my turn, I mentioned that, and then unpremeditated out of my mouth came this story and a huge release. I realized that there has always been a part of me that was afraid of making 'crap'. That seems to be the best word to describe it. Crummy art, wannabe art or even worse, mediocre art. BUT... after finally realizing that this part of me existed, it was like a knock on the side of the head. I let it go, no longer fearing it. I came to the conclusion that art is for the artist, and the joy that one finds in making it. And for the observer who enjoys looking at it. That's it. I think working in Encaustics has freed me up as there is so much potential and it is such a process and one never quite knows how it is all going to work out. When it is done, and I like it, that's grand! If I don't, here comes the torch, melt it down and start again. Life is good

new work

I think I am done. I expected it to be easy adding to my website that is and it is easy, more or less. The more I remember how to do it, the easier it is. I have posted some new encaustics. Even got the slide show going. I am trying to discover which way I'm going with this, but it's all to much fun. So I'm still doing a little bit of this and a little bit of that. I'm not ready to pick a theme yet....

redid my website

I met with a new friend yesterday who looked at my website and in a kind and loving way told me all the things that could be improved. She was absolutely correct! So today I redid my website and it is much more user friendly. I still intend on putting some more paintings up... I have them, I just haven't photographed them. There are a few more improvements to make on that site but I don't know how to do it.... once I figure that out, it will be all done.

Encaustic musings....

Well, I finally got my smiling face in the right column. That wasn't easy and took quite a while. I was almost going to abandon blogger all together but that seemed too complicated to go somewhere else. Last night I loaded Leopard on to my MacBook and decided to try again with blogger and it worked!!!

I am heading off into my studio to rework some encaustics. Last weekend I got shelves put up in my tiny space and I can now see the work I have been doing. Now that I can see it, I want to make some changes. My encaustics all used to be piled along the wall separated by wax paper....and I really forgot what was there.

I am having a blast working in this medium!!! It is interesting for me to go into the studio without an idea of what I am going to do and then discover what happens. I spent years oil painting and I would go into the studio to paint a still life, and I knew it was going to look like some tomatos or whatever it was.

My only problem now, is with the county officials, our architect and builder. My husband and I are building a building, 2 exactly, one for his business and one for me. All I wanted was a studio and a place to hang my and others work. It appears that if I call it a 'gallery' I have all sorts of some what ridiculous restrictions regarding bathrooms, and sprinklers and I think parking, as legally it falls into the category of 'assembly' like a church. Hmmmm, if I put it as 'mercentile' like a store those issues are gone. But it seems that the officials may think my store that sells art is a gallery. It will be curious to see how this one works out. It was suggested that I called it a frame shop, that sold art, but I want to paint not frame

I will be posting some new paintings very soon, I have been doing a lot of work.

It's been a long time

I have not posted here as I have been stuck trying to move a photo over to the profile section for a long time. Haven't gotten that done due to blogger and I lost the photo I had here. So I might as well update things.

I have fine tuned my website and have done many more encaustic paintings than are on my site. I would rather make art than photograph art. This Wednesday, the 24th of October there is supposed to be an article in our local paper Florida Today, about my paintings and my donating 10% to the Central Asia Institute. I am committed to raising money to help the Institute, so I put all my paintings on sale---50% off. There are some really nice paintings there, and some people will get a really good deal. But I would like to get my paintings out there . My small studio is over run with paintings right now.

Please come back!

A Blue View

good morning sunshine

an intimate view