Happy Valentines Day

Valentines Day

6x6

Encaustic and mixed media on panel

I tried some new things. Some things I haven't done before. I started with printed craft paper as my background which I adhered to the panel with wax. A few layers of medium then I added the heart. I cut a stencil from cardstock and painted in the red wax. I then added some layers to the heart with white tissue paper that I watercolored a red background and design. The square for the face is carved out, then a pink paper square added in the hole. The face is a rubber stamp that I found at a stamping supply store. Lots of layers here, medium and some red wax to bring up the color. The arrow is graphite transfer paper drawn in. The words are done on the laser printer and transfered. Once again I had some trouble with getting a perfect transfer. I made some corrections to the letters and outlined the arrow by scratching in with a needle tool and rubbing with oil stick to highlight the lines.

Happy Valentines Day all.

Sunset in Wax

I spent a few hours dabbling in the studio last night. This is what came of it.

I scraped in the round design with a grooved pottery tool. The groves are filled with red, orange, black and white wax kinda randomly. I scraped back to reveal the multi colored bands in the circle. The black flowers are silhoutte images from a photo I took during the summer. They are laser printed and transfered onto the wax.

Still working small... this one is only 3x3.

I was happy with it.

Just a little Reminder that it is important

What's with the inner critic thing? Anyone else noticed that feeling that you get:

1. What am I thinking?
2. I just really can't seem to do it
3. I know there are about 4000 other things I need to be doing
4. I'm tired
5. I'm not trained properly. I need to read more, look at other's stuff more...
6. (insert here your own)

Its overwelming. Its intimidating. Its really hard sometimes to get past the road block that we set up for ourselves. Those hurdles we have to jump over just to get started. Today I realized I am far too serious about this. I'm making it so hard and it doesn't have to be - its FUN for goodness sake! For some reason I feel that everytime I sit down I have to create a fabulous piece of art. I must be perfect, it must be good - because if its not good - why bother... right? This is the thinking that gets me in trouble. Its the thinking that actually gets me away from the studio rather than in there playing and learning.

Today I cut the 6x6 squares into 3x3 squares and worked in a smaller format. It took the preasure off. It is smaller, less white space, plenty of space to dabble and play and create. I didn't have to make that museum quality piece today. Today, I could have no agenda and just have some fun.

I made this little piece as a reminder to me that it is important

- ART -

Balancing Act

The Balancing Act

I had thought this one would come out a little differently. There were things I really loved here and things that didn't work. It started out as a vibrant blue and white background with a texture photo transfer. It looked pretty good. Then I added yellow which I really didn't like that well. So, I scraped back to expose some of the underneath. But still it left too much yellow I think in the end.

The photo is a laser print. First put in PSE and made into a smudge stick drawing. The first transfer was just OK. I was a little impatient and rubbed off some of the ink transfer. I put a layer of medium over the first pass and then added a second photo transfer of the same image. Again - oops, scraped through a little too hard and took off some of the ink layer. One more time, this time in color and lightened up quite a bit. I really like the result and the way the underlayers add depth and show through. However, I was disappointed in how dark the image got with no way back.

The balls are incised around round lids then scraped out all the way to the panel underneath. I then filled them with the colored wax.

Overall, I'm happy with parts, but unhappy with parts. I need to focus on the things I like about it and think about ways to improve for next time the things I don't like. I think I will work on it a little more and see what comes of it. Or maybe start over.. I'm not sure yet. I did learn a lot from this one which is what counts at this point in the game

Lessons Learned

1. When doing the photo transfer to keep in mind the layering of several images looks cool but gets dark. Need to think through that with image choice, maybe only two layers...
2. A light touch and patience is what matters for the removing of the paper from the image. Good burninshing too.
3. Yellow is bright and makes a huge statement. Need to be warry using so much of it.
4. The round dug out shapes are cool.
5. Really think through and lay out the background before getting into the image transfer. There really is no going back and repairing it or doing it over without somehow going over the photo image too.
6. More wax. Layer it up. It looks better and is easier to work with.
7. Really work on acheiving a smooth surface. I actually think this is harder than I think. It will need some practice.

Laser Photo Transfer

Tulli Snax
Originally uploaded by Rain City Girl

Tulli Snax

Today I needed some instant gratification + I just got my new color laser printer. So, the combo led me to try image transfer onto encaustic. Not hard to do but I did learn by mistakes along the way.

I chose my doggie, Tulli as my subject and picked a group of photos that I changed to black and white in Photo Shop Elements 8 (PSE). I started with my four color photos and added a layer - gradient map to each one. This will change the photo to black and white. I then added a levels layer and tweeked around with that to get higher contrast. Probably not the proper way to do it, but it works for me.

I cropped each of the four photos and then added them one by one creating the matrix in a new file. I'm sure there is some easy way to pop them into a foursome like this so if anyone knows - please share. I did it by resizing each photo. My board is 6x6, so each photo was 3x3.

I then flattened the image. When I printed it, it came out too dark. So, I added a brightness/contrast layer to the flattend image and cranked up the brightness - much better.

After preparring my panel with about 6 layers of medium I was ready to start. On the warm wax I placed my photo print (on regular computer paper) image side onto the warm wax. I then took a nice polished stone and burnished the backside of the paper. Then I added some water to dampen the paper and burnished lightly again. Then I soaked the paper and rubbed in little soft circles. The paper starts balling up and the idea is that the ink is transferred onto the wax and your job is to carefully with a light touch rub the paper pulp away and leave the image transferred onto the wax. I actually did this process twice with medium in between. I then rubbed some oil stick in burnt umber into the pocks in the wax. Heated again and voila!

Lessons Learned

1. A light touch on the rubbing the paper off the back is very important. Too hard and the ink image will come up with the paper - not good.
2. Burnish, burnish again and make sure you really rub it down well. Not too hard or you tear the paper or dent the wax.
3. Patience is virtue - take your time, enjoy the process of removing the paper. Too fast and things don't work out.

Day 1

I was standing at the top of the basement stairs before heading down to the studio. I was thinking today is it... its the first day. The first day to really get started. What a feeling. Have you ever felt that way before starting something new? - like wow, I'm actually doing this. All this build up and work towards today has actually come to a peak at this very moment.

I sucked in my breath and thought- OK, I'm not going to let this overwhelm me, I'm not going to judge anything I do today. Its the first day after all..

This is the first draft, the first run at it. I can be kind to myself and just let ART happen. I promised I would share as I go - so here it is, early stage. Its actually further along than this, but I'll save that for later.

Lessons Learned

1. Don't put a dirty brush into the clear wax pot - especially a red one. Think red sock, white laundry (not good)
2. No matter how careful you are, paint has a tendancy to get places you don't want it. Think hair, table, clothes - where the heck did it come from?!
3. The Procter Silex $20 griddle does not have an accurate temperature gauge. Maybe I should have splurged for the $29.99 model... Guess I've been watching too much Suzi Orman and was trying to be fiscally responsible. Don't think they'll take it back now that it has wax on it. 250 is the new 180.
4. No matter how hard they try, kitties are no help.

Starting Something NEW

005::365
Originally uploaded by Rain City Girl

Its been really, really long time since I've been here. A lot has happened - all for the good (thankfully). Out with the old and in with the new. Lots to do this year - so lets get this party started!

This blog is going to be a new space, a new face. More on this as we go along. But today is just the first day and I don't want to overwhelm the process.

I'm trying some thing NEW - well, old technique actually - but TOTALLY out-of-left-field NEW for me. Encaustic painting. But what's the really cool part is that this is really not about encaustic painting. This is the medium that I have chosen so things may be a little skewed that way - but what its really about is sharing words and content that inspire. I'm going to share my learning process - yes, the good, the bad and the ugly. I'm a total beginner - I figure the only thing that can happen is that I'll get better..

My hope with this blog is that it inspires you to try something NEW - or perhaps work on something old. To stop thinking about it, and do it. Be a writer, a photographer, an encaustic artist for goodness sake - whatever inspires you. Its about taking a leap. Its about taking a chance and being OK with the fact that you're probably going to suck at it at first until you get some miles under your belt. Lets have some fun.

Join in with your something new, something old or follow along however you like. I probably won't be here daily but I promise to be here a couple of times a week with some fun inspiration.