Sharing Time, Making Time and Where's Waldo?

Waldo
encaustic mixed media on birch 6x6

Seems that Waldo here has a bit of a scowl.  Although if you were up at the crack of dawn every day - you may wear a bit of a scowl too.  Or perhaps there's another reason for his expression - perhaps the quickly coming holiday season...

I just spent two more days in the print studio in Portland learning monotype printing.  I'll say that being a beginner has its good things and bad things - but I muddled through it and have a better understanding of how the "painterly" prints are made.  I do love the wax or any paint really for that matter that if things start going sideways, I can just paint over it.  Not so with prints and there is no going back once its run through the press.  But, its amazingly fun and the mental gymnastics that my brain has to go through to change gears to think like a print artist is good for me.  Its a nice vacation from wax and I truly believe that new ideas sprout back in the wax studio because of time spent as a beginner in the print studio.

But, back to work in the wax and more to come with the holidays coming ahead.  But, I do catch myself daydreaming about the next prints I'm going to try and make once time allows.
Happy Friday everyone!

Fire, Glassblowing and Handsome

My creations from the glass blowing workshop.

I have a fascination with the element of fire.  Its power can bring devastation and it can also bring beauty.  Its strength can be harnessed and beautiful things can be made.
I went glass blowing.  Its something that I have always wanted to do.  I was a little apprehensive about going only because I was afraid that I would love it so and want to pursue it more.  I tend to be a bit fickle and easily wooed away in new directions. 
I loved the hot kilns and the globs of molten glass.  I loved the blowing and turning and twirling.  I loved the idea that while it could be shaped and somewhat controlled - in actuality, it has a total random quality about it too.  It was surprisingly malleable, but not.  I loved the mystery of what the color would really look like when it was cool.  
While I did love many aspects of the glass and found it so interesting, it didn't enamor me in such a way that I would give up my current creative love for it.   So, I'm painting on - with fire :)

Handsome
encaustic on birch 10 x 10