JUNE: 630

June - Swim 630
encaustic mixed media on birch 8x10

 Swim - yes we do, in June.
Thank you for joining me with a painting a day in June.  Below is the entire month of June.  It was a project of epic proportions for me - my first installment work.  Each panel is for sale individually.  When the painting was first viewed - it was like a full beautifully decorated cake that was uncut.  No one wanted to be the first to take a piece.  It was a bit disappointing for me - but the part that I did not expect, nor anticipate is the amount of joy that it brought to me as I watched people stand in front of the painting - pondering each panel, each day and talking amongst themselves about things and memories that it prompted in them.  Discussions of riding in the "way back" in a station wagon on a road trip, gramma's cherry pie, June brides, Father's Day and all other things in between.  It was magical for me. 

JUNE

 



JUNE: 629

June - All Things Random Come Together 629
encaustic mixed media on birch 8x10

I love painting chickens.  And, well... this panel was the one that was the closest to me at all times while working on all 30 panels on my work table.  It was closest to the palette and it seemed like all the cut outs and all the random things would rest on this panel while waiting to find inspiration and a place.   Some of these random bits - they just became permanent after a while. 

JUNE: 628

June - Cherry Pie 628
encaustic mixed media on birch 8x10

Fresh cherry pie with the lattice crust - need I say more?  :)

JUNE: 627

June - Mowing 627
encaustic mixed media on birch 8x10

When I was a little girl, my Dad and I had a game.  He was an artist and painted Northwest scenery, landscapes, boats, seascapes and the like.  But, in almost every painting, he hid a cat for me.  Somewhere, somehow, there was a wee kitty hiding in the foreground, sky or wherever it could be.  It was my job to find it.  So, in this rather large painting of June - there are two kitties (here is the other one) painted in with love - just for my Dad. 
Almost to the end of June.  You can catch up with the painting a day in June project - HERE.  Happy Friday everyone!! 
Here is JUNE in it's entirety  - just a few more to go

linking in with PPF

JUNE: 626

June - Tee Time 626
encaustic mixed media on birch 8x10

I'm a golfer - and summer for me is about hitting the links, teeing it up and as my husband would say - grip and rip! 

JUNE: 625

June - You Are Here 625
encaustic mixed media on birch 8x10

Camping - its part of summer.  It was actually luxurious to stay in a trailer - we mostly did the tent thing.  But, really it doesn't matter where you stay - its about getting away and seeking the adventure.

JUNE: 624

June - Road Trip 624
encaustic mixed media on birch 8x10
 

Do you remember riding in the "way back"?  I do.  As a kid, we'd go on road trips and the kids would ride in the back of the station wagon - riding backwards and watching the miles click away.  We'd play slug bug, and different license plate games.  We'd arrive at some place to camp, or view or hike or whatever.  It didn't matter so long as someone unrolled the window of the back, let down the tail gait and let us out :)







JUNE: 623

June - Yard Bird 623
encaustic mixed media on birch 8 x 10

Love these little flyers.

JUNE: 622

June - The Catch 622
encaustic mixed media on birch 8x10

Gone fishing.

JUNE: 621

June - Summer Solstice 621
encaustic mixed media on birch 8x10

Summer solstice - the longest day of the year.  It is also the change from Gemini to Cancer. 

JUNE: 620

June - Paddle Board 620
encaustic mixed media on birch 8x10

Stand up paddle boarding is the new thing to do on the lake.  It is really fun and not hard to learn.  It replaced the wind surfing craze of years ago.  Seems like we never see any windsurfers any more. 

 A little over one week left of June.  You can catch up with the painting a day in June project - HERE.  Happy Friday everyone!! 

linking in with PPF

JUNE: 619

June - Chickadee 619
encaustic mixed media on birch 8x10

JUNE: 618

June - 618
encaustic mixed media on birch 8x10

JUNE: 617

June - Dutch Bike
encaustic mixed media on birch 8x10

JUNE: 616

June - P's and Q's 616
encaustic mixed media on birch 8x10

JUNE: 615

June - Father's Day 615
encaustic mixed media on birch 8x10

Happy Father's Day!!

JUNE: 614

June - June Bride 614
encaustic mixed media on birch 8x10

June brides - gotta have the beautiful shoes :)

JUNE: 613

June - Love Birds Under the Strawberry Moon 613
encaustic and mixed media on birch 8x10

Friday the 13th and also the full moon.  Did you know, the full moon in June is called the Strawberry moon?

Wondering what is a Strawberry Moon?   In North America, the peak harvesting season for strawberries in June gives that month’s full moon its name.   I love strawberries, especially those fresh from the farmer's market - you know the ones that look so incredibly ripe, you know you have to eat them all in just a day or they won't last - Yep, those ones are the best.

Almost to the halfway mark of June.  You can catch up with the painting a day in June project - HERE.  Happy Friday everyone!! 

linking in with PPF

JUNE: 612

June - Rufous 612
encaustic and mixed media on birch 8x10

Love these guys - little Rufous Hummingbirds

Often described as "feisty," the Rufous may have the ideal size-to-weight ratio among North American hummingbirds. This bird outflies all other species, and usually gets its way at feeders at the expense of slower, less-maneuverable hummers. The Rufous has the longest migration route of all US hummingbirds.

JUNE: 611

June - Wake 611
encaustic and mixed media on birch 8x10

The lake is warming up and the water skiers are out.  

JUNE: 610

June - June Bug 610
encaustic and mixed media on birch 8x10

June bugs - just because.

JUNE: 609

June - Robin 609
encaustic and mixed media on birch 8x10

They are busy - Momma and Daddy Robin.  Lots of worms to fetch to feed the wee babies.  Every robin's nest has 4 Robin's blue eggs to start.  If Momma lays 4 and I was to take one away and leave her 3 - she would lay another to make 4.  If she were to lay 1 and I put 3 in her nest - she would stop because there are 4.  Remarkable, actually.

JUNE: 608

June - Rose 608
encaustic and mixed media on birch 8x10

The rose - June's flower :)

JUNE: 607

JUNE:  Carrots and Radishes 607
encaustic and mixed media on birch 8x10

Two more of my favorite finds at the farmer's market in June.

JUNE: 606

JUNE:  Peeling Onions 606
encaustic mixed media on birch 8x10

Welcome to June!  This is Day 6 of my sharing of a painting a day for the month of June.  If you missed the first 5 days you can catch up HERE.
Needless to say - this is what I have been up to for the past few weeks.  The opening of JUNE and Encausticollages was fabulous - tons of friends coming to see the new works and see me paint.  What a wonderful way to spend a Thursday night.  Honestly, its days like this that make the hours in the studio so totally worth it.  Thank you all.

JUNE: 605

JUNE:  Garden Tools 605
encaustic mixed media on birch 8x10

Spending time in the garden is big part of June.  Seems here in our area, June itself is not the nicest month, so we all spend time working in our gardens so they look perfect for July - September which is our more summer months.  Poppies are blooming madly with their beautiful papery leaves. 

JUNE: 604

JUNE:  Gemini Two
encaustic mixed media on birch 8x10

Gemini - we learned of the positive traits yesterday - now, the other side of Gemini -

Negative traits
Inconsistent
The Gemini are so sharp and quick that it is difficult for them to stay interested and engaged in the projects they start off. Such inconsistency is their major weakness.

Superficial
The Gemini-born are often labelled as superficial people because of their inability to delve deep and pay attention to details.

Indecisive
Whenever they are supposed to decide something, the Gemini are invariably in two minds. Their indecisiveness sometimes costs them lucrative opportunities in life.

Lack of Focus
The Gemini can get bored very easily, which is a direct consequence of lack of focus. Their energies are often scattered.

Nervous
The Gemini are energetic but have a tendency to bite off more than they can chew. This leads to nervousness and makes them fickle.

JUNE: 603

JUNE:  Gemini One 603
encaustic mixed media on birch panel 8x10

Gemini is the Zodiac sign the covers the first part of June until the solstice on June 21.  Pearl is the birthstone of June. 

The sign of the twins
All Signs have dark sides as well as the bright sides, and the Gemini is no exception. People born under the Zodiac Sign Gemini have some distinct positive and negative traits. For example, they are clever and intellectual but they can also be tense and restless. To understand a Gemini it is essential to understand his/ her traits.

Positive traits

Adaptable
Open-minded and easy-going that they are, the Gemini are adaptable individuals as the desire to enjoy each moment run deep in them.

Versatile
A wide variety of subjects interests them, and hence, the Gemini will try their hands at many different things. They will not get stuck in a fixed routine.

Enthusiastic
The Gemini are one enthusiastic lot! They are always up for doing something new and exciting, and their enthusiasm is often infectious.

Eloquent
Blessed with excellent communication skills, the Gemini are eloquent people. They can sale anything to almost anyone!

Witty
The Gemini can easily impress you with their wit and humour, leaving you entertained. Besides, their spontaneity adds to their natural charm.

Intellectual
Since they are always interested learning about as many subjects as they can, the Gemini make an intellectual lot. These smart and sharp individuals will not shy away from voicing their opinions.

And tomorrow - we learn about the other side of Gemini....

JUNE: 602

JUNE:  Tea for Two 602
encaustic mixed media on birch panel 8x10

Iced tea - the drink of the season.  Best made with hot brewed tea over ice and a squeeze of lemon - some add sugar for "sweet tea" and some prefer it "black".

1904 - It was at the 1904 World’s Fair in St. Louis that iced tea was popularized and commercialized (not invented). Due to the hot summer of 1904, people ignored any hot drinks and went in search of cold drinks, including iced tea. Because of this, it changed the way the rest of Americans thought of tea, thus popularizing iced tea.

Most historians mistakenly give credit to Richard Blechynden, India Tea Commissioner and Director of the East Indian Pavilion, as being the creator of ice tea at the 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis. In the East Indian Pavilion at the Fair, Blechynden was offering free hot tea to everyone. Because of the intense heat, it was soon realized that the heat prevented the crowd from drinking his hot tea. Blechynden and his team took the brewed India tea, filled several large bottles, and placed them on stands upside down - thus allowing the tea to flow through iced lead pipes. This free iced tea was very much welcomed by the thirsty fair goers. After the fair, Blechynden took his lead pipe apparatus to New York City, offering free iced tea to shoppers at Bloomingdale Brothers Department Store, demonstrating iced tea is a desirable summertime drink.

JUNE: 601

JUNE: Artichoke 601
encaustic and mixed media on birch 8x10

Welcome to JUNE - a painting a day for the 30 days of June 2014.  Each panel represents elements of June as I know it in my corner of the world here in the Pacific Northwest - Seattle, Washington USA.  Together collectively the 30 panels represent the days of June and are hung together depicting the calendar month.  They are created on cradled birch panels, each 8" x 10".  The panels are painted in encaustic with some mixed media elements of paper and photographs. 
This large painting was created to hang with my summer  solo show Here. 
I'll be sharing each day of June for the month here and on Facebook.  So lets get started...

Artichoke:  601
Artichokes are one of my favorite veggies that appear in June.   Steamed and dipped in butter - yum.