Thursday, October 16, 2014

Encaustic Landscape Painting, Texture and Unsticking the Stuck

Somewhere Between Here and There
encaustic mixed media on birch 30"x30"x2.75"
Encaustic lends itself to painting landscapes quite well.  In fact, encaustic + landscape are meant for each other.  Imagine being able to just slash away at the wax to create all kinds of luscious texture, melting and dripping and more gouging to create the beautiful textures of nature.  How fun is that!?

Landscape art is new to me - but somehow I couldn't resist the want to try it. I actually started this painting the early part of summer and it got stuck in the ugly teenager state and ended up kicking around the studio for the entire summer until I just got tired of looking at it and tripping over it.  Its rather large at 30x30, so it was hard to ignore it.

After a late summer visit to Eastern Washington and a drive through apple country, the landscape of the great wide open with billowing fields of grasses stayed in my mind.  I roped in a couple of good artist friends and got their opinions on how to unstick the stuck painting.  Lucky for me their guidance was what I needed to get at it again.  Can't tell you how important it is to have artist friends to discuss arty things with.  I mean who else would listen to the woes of stuck paintings, color choices and the benefits of diagonals in composition?  Definitely need these people in my life.  *thank you - you know who you are :) 

I pulled out all the stops for this one - paper, fabric, oil paint, pastels, and Plej radio on Pandora - anything and everything to create texture.  I figured it could only get better from where it was, and if it didn't then it would become an under layer for the next big idea.  This big guy takes up my entire work table and its hard to reach the entire surface from my usual spot.  So, I hopped up on my little step stool so I could be above it a bit and went at it with pokey tools, ice pick looking things and scraping tools.  Heat, oil sticks, paper - more heat, more wax.  Standing it up and heating it til it dripped - laying it down and scraping away.  I just let the creative process take me away.  It was fun and nice to be loose.  A little of this, more of that and so here you have it - the first of many landscapes to come.

Happy Friday everyone!

PS - the Art Walk last night was well attended for an October evening.  Thank you to those who came to share the evening!

20 comments:

  1. I am always so impressed by the colours in my midst, you have captured the beauty I often see in the Fraser Valley of B.C. Just gorgeous what nature offers up! I can just see you chipping away at all these beautiful layers.... a wonderful rich final piece with gorgeous color and texture! I think I see little creatures living amongst the colour!

    Hugs Giggles

    Hugs Giggles

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  2. Beautiful art work! Happy PPF, Valerie

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  3. I love this-I'm glad you worked at it instead of boning it. I think I'd really like to learn encaustic as texture is what i adore and encaustic like you say, is perfect for that!

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  4. Loving the fabulous results. Happy PPF, Annette x

    http://nettysartadventures.blogspot.co.uk/

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  5. This is so beautiful, your work always amazes me!! Gorgeous!!

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  6. Beautiful encaustic landscape Marji!

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  7. brilliant work Marji! This looks like such a fun medium to play with.

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  8. Aahhh Eastern WA. and N Idaho some of the prettiest country around. Ohh I use to live there so I am a bit partial. LOL Love your piece. Very nicely done.
    Nicole/Beadwright

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  9. This is fabulous, the texture, the colours, the surface and the scene. I like the contrast of the squares in the sky, quite unusual and so effective.

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  10. Beautiful landscape and imagine ! it is encaustic! I love the autumn look.

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  11. This beautiful and very peaceful. I love your colors too.

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  12. What a success! Beautiful layers and colors. Thanks for sharing! Happy Paint Party Friday :)
    Tam Hess
    cardmakingartists.com

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  13. You handle this medium beautifully!!!

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  14. What a texture and beautiful color selection....

    my blog - > BLOGitse

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  15. The contrast between the orange and the blue is captivating, along with the texture! Thanks for sharing. I am glad you have artist friends to help you get unstuck!

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  16. This painting is absolutely unique and beautiful. I enjoyed the story behind the artwork very much. You are not only a gifted artist, but you are a talented writer too! I was, er, glued, with fascination to the very end. :D

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  17. Marji, I just LOVE this. I'll bet it's amazing in person. The textures are stunning. Beautiful work. xx

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  18. I just love how this turned out... it was worth the angst and reworking to get it to this point... i really like the depth of colours in the textures... and the movement... it feels like it is full of energy...xx

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