Liberated Art, Charts and a Few More Leaves

WIP
encaustic and paper on plywood 12x36

Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time - Thomas Merton

Seems like cutting out leaves is my deal lately.  Or maybe its just the pure concentration of cutting out something is what I like.  Have you noticed if you are trying to cut around a picture or a drawing that its pure "in the moment" concentration to keep to the lines.  Its kinda nice, really. 
We've been having some work done around the house.  Its the year of the outside projects.  We had a little deck repair work done that left me with some scrap plywood to play around with.  Plywood is a great sub strait for encaustic.  So what better subject for a long skinny board than branches and leaves?  And, also the fact I'm stuck on some kind of tree and leaf thing lately.  Do you ever get on a "thing"?  Just curious if its just me.

I used the charts  from my lucky find and cut them up to make the branches and leaves.  They are nice Big pieces of paper and thick.  I also keep whacking up that old book.  It really took an act of brave to cut up an old hardback book.  Its part of my fabric that "we" don't deface books.  I don't even make notes or highlights in them.  They are sacred or something... except for this one, I guess.  Does anyone else feel that way about books? 
I'm a little stuck on this painting.  It flowed really nicely to this point than hit the wall.  So, now its sitting waiting for the next flurry of inspiration to take it to the next level.  Or maybe I just got side tracked or something.  Imagine that!?

Yesterday I got my first postcard for Liberate Your Art - hosted by Kat Sloma over at Kat Eye Studio.   I'd like to introduce you to the art of Kim Giery.  Honestly, I have so much to learn from beautiful mixed media artists.  I mean, really... look at this card - the colors, the composition, texture - the dots (I love dots).  Super all of it. 
I asked Kim to share a little more about her fabulous art.  It turns out that Kim is exactly what Liberate Your Art is all about.  The postcard swap is the first time that she has shared her work to the outside world.  She loves collage, photography, art journaling and making handmade books.  She has made a studio space in the corner of her living room where she can work on her mixed media creations.  She even dabbles in encaustic (yay!).  This piece is what she calls a "faux" encaustic, using layers of acrylic paint, gloss medium, ephemera, etc. to mimic the look of wax.  Beautiful work and I am so honored to be the recipient of your first - get it out into the world, liberated art.  BRAVO Kim!  The lovely quote at the top of the post is from Kim.  She included that on the back of her card.

It's Party TIME!!