Encaustic Collograph, Pomegranate Art and Pulling Prints



Poms
encaustic collograph print 8x8

I feel a bit like a giddy school girl with a crush.  I just took a class at a Portland print studio - Atelier Meridian.  The class was taught by master printer Jane Pagliarulo  - Two half days of pulling prints -  I am totally hooked.  Jane is brilliant at combining monotype printing and encaustic collograph and was a great instructor.  And the studio is a wonderful place to work.  Granted I have A LOT to learn - but I'm kinda pleased with my first attempts.

3 Poms
encaustic collograph print 8x8

Collograph printing is about using collage or wax in this case to build a relief design which is then inked and run through the press.  We used Akua water based inks as they work well with the wax and also are a non toxic ink.  The textures the wax provides are incredible and beautiful.  I spent my time experimenting with an encaustic hot pen and seeing if I could get raised line on a flat background to work.  It did and it didn't, I lost a lot of detail, created halos and I learned a lot and have a ways to go to get it right - but there are a lot of good things happening within the prints.  Below are the plates that were used to create the prints.  They are beautiful in their own right with the remnants of ink still on them.

encaustic collograph plate for "Poms"

These plates were created on encaustic board.  We were also using plexiglass as our substrates.  These encaustic boards can now be mounted as paintings when I am done with them - double benefit.  Love - that's all I can say.  Going back for more print time when I get back to Portland. 

encaustic collograph plate for "3 Poms"

Happy Friday everyone!
And - my friend Nic over at Nicsearth.com gave me the most amazing gift - you have to go have a look.  I am over the moon grateful - thank you, Nic!

Art and Stereotype, Encaustic Painting and Franie




Franie
encaustic mixed media on birch 6x6

I just left a long winded post for a good friend, Kat Sloma, over on her blog - Kateyestudio  She was pondering the concept of labeling in the art world.  She is a photographer.  Now, I ask you.. does that conjure up a picture in your mind of what her art might be like?  I know the label photographer definitely brings up images of traditional photography in my mind.  Yet, her art is beautifully altered photos done digitally.  She is really good at it and her art is beautiful.  However, her question is - is what I do photography?  That's where her roots are and where her artwork starts - as a beautifully taken photograph.  Yet, after she works her digital magic - her art looks more like a painting.  It brings up a really good question of labeling.

So, I label myself as an encaustic artist - yet the representational work that I do in encaustic is the minority of what is done.  Most people conjure up the idea of beautiful textured abstract work as the stereotype for encaustic.  Yet, as a medium it is hugely diverse... There is encaustic collograph printing, encaustic over clay, rich beautiful monoprints  Its endless what can be done with the medium, yet is there a stereotype?  An expectation if someone says - I am an encaustic artist?  Is there a label?  How about other artists - oil painters, acrylic painters and watercolorists?  Is there a stereotype with these mediums?  Or have these been around so long with so many different representations done that people are open to and curious about what it is versus planting a stereotype?  Its an interesting subject to ponder. 
Happy Friday everyone!