Southeast Area Artwalk THIS WEEKEND!

It's that time of year again for the 6th annual Southeast Area Artwalk THIS Saturday and Sunday - February 28th and March 1st - from 10am-5pm. You can see over 100 artists at 50+ locations! I am again at the Hedge House located at 3412 SE Division St. (spot #39 on the artwalk map). This FREE Walking Tour of local artists is not to be missed!

I will have a HUGE assortment of brand new originalEncaustic paintings on wood, paper and now....even clay!!! I will also have reproduction prints for sale during the event. Please make plans to see what I have been so busy making these past months! You can also enjoy a delicious beverage and meal while at the Hedge House!

For more information on the artwalk, including a FREE map of the tour, visit their website!

If at first you don't succeed...

This little square of beeswax was a l-o-n-g time in the making. This was originally one of my very first encaustic paintings - a really ugly attempt at manipulating wax. It really was hideous. Then, a few months later, after more practice, I coated it with more wax and it became another creation. Still, not something I was incredibly impressed with.

It then sat around the studio for a few years. I would use it as an example board for some of my painting classes, putting a little bit of stuff here and there. At the end of my most recent Encaustic Painting class, I grabbed some more wax and got to coating the entire thing again. I figured, "what the heck". And finally, after several years and several layers, the piece is finally done!

I really love this little bit of art as it just shows that work doesn't necessarily come easy, and finishing something up can take a long, long time. But, isn't that all part of the fun?

Time Management

So, maybe I'm slow to catch on, but after being a mother for 10 months, I am realizing that it is just not going to be "business as usual" with a lot of things, including my art-making. I steal away time when Hazel is napping or in the evening after she goes to bed. I have started bringing stacks of blank panels and matboard up to draw on when she's playing on the floor and I have a moment on the couch. Inevitably, she wants whatever is in my hand, including art and ink, but I can still make some quick marks on paper before stopping to entertain the wee one.

I created this piece above during several of these moments. This morning was the time I got to pull it all together during a nap, and I can share it with all of you now that she sleeps in the afternoon. I can still feel the exhilaration of playing with the materials and getting to MAKE something in this brief moments.
This piece was actually created in the same way, but during her naps and during one of my classes when I first started drawing the flower image on the wood. This piece is for sale on Etsy.

I'm going to take the rest of this nap to actually sit and read and relax for a bit and maybe come up with some more creative ideas to try out during the next brief moment in the studio. Wish me luck!

Art Show Opening TONITE!

This little waxy beauty is just one of six NEW Paintings I created for tonight's show opening of "Red, White and Pink" at Moreland Frameworks and Gallery! The opening tonight is from 6pm-9pm and I will definitely be there around the beginning of the opening! The gallery is located at 6517 SE Milwaukie Avenue, Portland OR 97202, in the lovely Moreland/Sellwood neighborhood.

There will also be fabulous pieces by metal artist Jill Torberson, paintings by Tricia Beck, and collage by William Spencer. Whoo hoo! It's a first friday art party you can't pass up! Hope to see you there!

Keeping Busy

I had a wonderfully productive day in the studio this week and I wanted to share one of my favorites from that time - "la luna". I love the simple, graphic nature of it, combined with all the rich texture going on in it. I love touching this piece! I think I may do a few more in this same theme as I've really enjoyed it.

I put this piece up for sale on my Etsy Store, along with some additional new pieces I've made in the past week. Still, I'm trying to keep busy in preparation for several upcoming shows!

A Little Crafty Fun

I had the lovely pleasure of a crafty evening with some other local mommas, and I took the opportunity to make some stuff for sheer enjoyment and fun...just for myself! It started out innocently with some vintage buttons and some crazy glue along with some hair pin blanks I bought ages ago with this idea in mind. Finally, I got to create some funky little button jewels for my hair!
It then moved on from there and I become a woman on a mission, wielding pliers and jump rings, oh my! I pulled out my bead stash and went to work making some sparklies to jazz up the cold winter weather! It must have been the influence of the sun we enjoyed yesterday, but I was so drawn to warm sunny colors!
I've had these red coral beads FOREVER and finally got to craft them into a little necklace, adding some pizazz with some fun red and turquoise earrings! I might wear these out today!
I found these fun woven beads up at Shipwreck Beads in Lacey, WA, and I just love the texture of them. They just really wanted to hang out with some fun vintage orange lucite beads!
And finally, just some fun dangling summer-time fun! I had a blast making these and will enjoy my new little treasures the next time I'm out and about!

Throw Your Love Around

I've been having a blast making some heart themed encaustic collage paintings, and I will be sharing them with the world starting this friday at the opening for Moreland Gallery and Frameworks "Red, White and Pink" show!

I will be on-hand for part of the opening this First Friday, February 6th. The gallery is located at 6517 SE Milwaukie Ave Portland, OR 97202. The opening should run 6pm-8pm and there will be a bevy of wonderful works to share with the one you love - including this one-of-a-kind encaustic piece I created with a halo of nails and screws....to protect that love of yours!