Merry Christmas, December Reflections and Thrushes

Thrush
Encaustic mixed media on birch 6x8

I want to wish you all a Christmas full of Joy and Peace.  It is a special time of year and I hope yours is Merry and Bright.  M.x

Below are more photos from December Reflections. You can catch up here with last week's photos.

12/14: Stripes

12/15: Favorite Camera
Voightlander Bessamatic - it hardly works but I love it anyway

12/16: On the Table

12/17:  Triangles

12/18: 15 Years Ago...
I called myself an Artist

December Reflections - week two,

Another week of December Reflections with Susannah Conway.
I haven't done a photo challenge in a long while.  Its nice to be back at it, taking a month to pause during my day and in the moment record my December.   

12/5: Leaves

12/6: T is for Trees
Jamison Park, Portland, OR

 

12/7: Best Book of 2014
my new sketch book

 

12/8: Sunset
No sunset on this evening - but it can be very pretty
Looking west to the West Hills of Portland, OR

 

12/9: Diagonals

 

12/10: Reflections
Nothing like a rain puddle for a good reflection

 

12/11: Best Photo of 2014
Top of the Lake - taken on a January morning looking south on Lake Washington

12/12: White

12/13: Comfort
my favorite scarf

Linocut Christmas Cards, Printing for Fun and Sharing Art

Printed and Drying
Christmas Card Linocuts

Love linocut!  What better way to say Merry Christmas than to share art with a handmade Christmas card.  I have been a little slack on sending out cards in the past few years, but this year, I've changed it up.  Seems I've been bitten by the printing bug in a number of ways and its been taking up lots of creative space in my brain.

Inking Up

This past weekend, I spent Saturday and Sunday making and printing more encaustic collograph prints.  This time in the studio of Elise Wagner.  Printing is such a brain teaser for me - I love the mental gymnastics workout that it gives me.  Thinking in reverse, positive and negative space and of course throwing in the fundamentals of composition just to keep things exciting.



Artist Proofs
 

I love the graphic nature of the linocut.  The designs can be complex or simple - but the contrast is what is the tell all if it works or not.  Good things happening here and I'm super proud - I only cut my fingers twice :) 



Mounted on cards and ready to send



Now I just have to get these addressed and out in the mail.  Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas!  And, Happy Friday everyone!

Encaustic Collograph with Elise Wagner

 

Akua Intaglio Inks
nontoxic soy and honey based inks

Encaustic collograph printing...  can't seem to get enough of it.  I joined Elise Wagner in her Portland studio for her encaustic collograph printing class.  Elise is the mastermind behind using encaustic wax for collograph printing.  She's been experimenting with it for over 7 years, bringing it from an idea in her mind to where it is now - an emerging art form.

Prints Drying

A couple of times, a year she opens her studio for a workshop in combining wax and printing.  The rest of the year, she offers the classes around the country and in 2015 there will be a big event at R&F Paints in New York in August.

Inking Plates for the press

I took my first class in encaustic collograph at Atelier Meridian in November.  I was totally hooked and now even more so.  Learning from the printmaker's side to begin with and now more information from the encaustic painter's side providing me with a combination of perspectives. 

 

Encaustic collograph print

I'm very anxious to try and try again at this new endeavor, which means lots of trial and error as I make my way along the learning curve.  However, the holidays are bringing a rest from the studio and all the excitement and information rolling around in my brain.  It will all simmer away in the back of my mind, slowly cooking up some thing that will surprise me in the new year. 

Encaustic Painting, December Reflections and Blue Jays

While You Were Away
encaustic mixed media on birch 6x8

Seems there isn't much going on for me in encaustic painting.  I feel lucky if I get some hours in the studio this time of year.  This Steller's Jay is one of the most recent and probably last ones I will do in 2014.  Its amazing to think that it's December and we will be waking up to Christmas Day not too far from now.  In addition to being totally distracted by the Holiday season, I've gotten bitten by the printing bug and it seems that my mind has shifted to thinking in terms of how to carve a linocut so that the positive and negative spaces work out.  So, I got the happy idea to make my own Christmas cards this year - all linocut of course!  I've been printing like crazy in the studio and have them all ready to be addressed.  I'm feeling very smug that I'm actually on top of it this year.  I'll share my Christmas card and printing endeavors next week. 

I'm also taking part in December Reflections with the brilliant Susannah Conway.  A photo a day (with word prompts) doesn't seem too overwhelming and is actually a nice pause during busy days. 

12/1:  Drinks
December Reflections

 

12/2:  Lights
December Reflections

 

12/3:  The Best Day of 2014
Today of course :) 
December Reflections

12/4: Red
My favorite foxy mug and my very first linocut :)
December Reflections

Hoping your Holiday season is rolling along smoothly so far.  Happy Friday everyone!