Deb's Blog

Joint Compound....fun stuff!

2011-11-13T05:18:00.002-05:00

This is my first messing with joint compound and encaustic with some pastels thrown in for color. Fun stuff and learned lots! It's 8"x8" on birch panel. More to come!

Encaustic Landscape #1

2011-11-05T19:42:00.004-04:00

Finally trying an encaustic landscape. It's 8"x8" on birch. Loved doing it and am working on another!

Industrial Series #4

2011-10-31T19:07:00.001-04:00

Here's #4 in my new Industrial Series. 12x12 encaustic on birch panel.

The Industrial Series

2011-10-31T07:07:00.003-04:00

These two are my latest with the rust. I'm really loving how well the rusted paper is working. I've got all kinds of ideas that I'll be working on! These are both 12"x12" on birch panels. Thanks to Pat Elliot for the name of this series... The Industrial Series.

Trying out the new rust...

2011-10-28T15:49:00.003-04:00

This is a little 8"x8" on birch that has a piece of the rusted paper pictured below as a foundation. I'm really happy with how the paper towel takes on the rust and how it embeds in the wax.
Now on to using the best pieces! :)

Rust.....Yum!!!

2011-10-26T07:45:00.000-04:00

I just love rust! Judy Wise has a great technique for preparing rusty sheets for my encaustic work that I learned in my Hot Wax Workshop. Did up a load last night. Oh can't wait to get them in wax!

Hot Wax Class

2011-10-23T21:58:00.001-04:00

I've been really enjoying the Hot Wax online workshop I've been taking. Wonderful group! Most of the stuff in week one has been a review for me, but that's always good. I've learned some good tips and am looking forward to learning new things!

These are a few of the pieces I've done this week.

Hot Wax Workshop

2011-10-07T22:28:00.000-04:00

Now that summer is over, I'm getting back to my encaustics. Haven't done much since before Splash because of being so busy with work and trying to overhaul my studio...a very small room with way to many art supplies. Now that it's pretty much useable again, I'm going to take an online encaustic workshop with Judy Wise, who comes really highly recommended. Can't wait for it to start so I can learn some of the techniques I've been wanting to try. If you're interested in checking it out, click on the picture.

AWOL!

2011-10-07T22:17:00.001-04:00

I've been pretty much AWOL from my blog all summer. It's been a good one. Had a fantastic vacation in Indian Rock Beach, FL with a group of friends from Painting Friends, a wonderful art forum. We called it Splash....about 15 of us met for a week of painting and play. I had a blast and can't wait to do it again! It was all watercolor, something I haven't done in quite awhile. Didn't do too bad. The crystal bowl of berries is my favorite of the week that I did. It's from a demo by PF member Mollie Jones. I filmed all the demos so if you'd like to see them, go to YouTube and search for PaintingFriends.com. There is also a portrait demo by Bob Hague. Really good and worth watching.

The appletini is called Deb's Delight. I had one one night when we all were out to dinner. Everyone loved how it looked so we snapped some pics and several on PF have painted it.

Old Hymn Series

2011-07-04T01:15:00.001-04:00

This one is encaustic collage on 12"x12" cradled birch with graphite, oil stick and old hymn book pages.

Cork Series

2011-07-04T01:13:00.000-04:00

These are both encaustic on 6"x6" cradled birch with mounted cork tile, graphite and oil stick.

Encaustic

2011-06-25T21:23:00.003-04:00

This is 8"x8" on birch.

Abstract Encaustics

2011-06-25T21:20:00.000-04:00

These are all 8"x8" on cradled birch.

Encaustic Texture Series #3

2011-04-12T11:05:00.000-04:00

8"x8" on a birch panel.

Encaustic Texture Series #2

2011-04-12T11:02:00.000-04:00

I was working on this series last November, when my brother died. I was not able to get into them again until now. Feels good to be messing with wax again!

This one is a rework of an earlier one. I've added some more elements to it to increase the texture a bit. It's got cheesecloth, tissue paper, ground coffee, stones, and carpet tacks.

Pastel Variations # 10 - 14

2011-03-10T07:32:00.001-05:00

I got a great deal on some suede matboard so I'm experimenting on it to see how the different pastel brands work on it and how many layers it will take. Really loving it. These are all small and the first 3 are on the suede pastel mat. The 4th one is on Colorufix Suede. Not sure if I like that one. Much prefer Pastelmat. The last one is on velour. Not sure what I think about that yet.

Pastel Variation #9

2011-03-06T20:34:00.000-05:00

Finally starting up my variations again. I'm very out of practice and it shows. Never the less, here's Variation #9. It's 5"x7" on Colourfix paper. I had my portrait set out, so I used only those colors.

Pastel Portrait Exercise

2011-03-06T20:28:00.000-05:00

On Painting Friends we're doing a portrait challenge, working on shadows. The ref for this gal is a picture of a mannequin so there was no color variations in her face, just the shadows. We got it from MorgueFile. This is my 3rd portrait. Really need to work on noses, mouths, ears, hair! Lots to learn!

2011-03-05T21:14:00.000-05:00

I recently stumbled across Mastering Color by Richard Robinson in New Zealand, which is a great video painting course for any painting medium - oils, acrylic, watercolor etc - it's all about how to see color properly and translate it to canvas. It covers lots of in-depth material in a way that's really easy to understand. I totally recommend this for all painters who need better control of their color - and lets face it, most of us do! Here's the link to the website:
Mastering Color DVD

Oh, here's the chapter list too:
1. Color Theory
2. Seeing Color
3. Describing Color
4. Value
5. Mixing Color
6. Manipulating Color
7. Color Harmony
8. Light Effects

You can watch the first chapter for free on the site:
Mastering Color DVD

Pastel Portrait

2011-02-27T20:50:00.000-05:00

I've been in a real slump since my dear brother Jeff died last November. I think I'm finally coming out of it. On PaintingFriends.com we have a monthly portrait challenge. I've not done much with portraits in any medium except a wonderful weekend watercolor workshop with Bob Hague a couple of years ago in Florida. Today I thought it was time to get dusty, so I did the old man in the February Portrait Challenge. The ref pic is from Morgue File. I did it as a value study and for my second one in pastels (the first one I'm not showing! LOL!), I'm pretty happy with it. I think I'll be doing more of them!

Encaustic Rust Series #7

2010-11-07T08:09:00.000-05:00

This one is on an 8"x8" cradled birch panel with mounted Rives BFK paper, a watercolor underpainting and embedded rust on paper. I do need to learn how to photograph them better so you can see the depth. It has several layers and I think the pic looks kind of flat. It's not!

Encaustic Rust Series #6

2010-10-31T16:30:00.000-04:00

This one is on 12"x12" Ampersand Aquabord covered with watercolor paper. It has a watercolor underpainting and embedded rust on paper.

Encaustic Texture Series #2

2010-10-29T21:25:00.000-04:00

This one is on 8"x8" cradled birch board with mounted paper. Encaustic medium and paints, cheesecloth, coffee grounds, stones and tarragon. These are fun...more to come!

Encaustic Texture Series #1

2010-10-29T15:49:00.000-04:00

Encaustic on 8"x8" cradled birch panel with cheesecloth, coffee grounds, stones and tarragon.

Encaustic Rust Series #5

2010-10-29T14:02:00.000-04:00

This was an experiement with a watercolor underpainting. I used a 12"x12" Ampersand Aquabord panel and glued watercolor paper to it using Golden Gel Medium. Slapped on a few layers of encaustic medium then embedded rust on silk. Layered some more medium and used oil stick as well. Kinda like it! Off to prepare a couple more panels!

Abstract Encaustic

2010-10-15T19:35:00.000-04:00

This abstract is encaustic and oil stick on 10"x10" cradled birch.

Encaustic Rust Series #4

2010-10-15T19:33:00.000-04:00

Here's another in my new Rust Series. This one is encaustic and oil stick. It's 8"x8" on cradled birch.

Encaustics: Rust Series

2010-10-11T19:02:00.003-04:00

I just love rust and when first saw some of Daniella Woolf's encaustics with rust, I was just blown away with idea. I wasn't sure how she did it but just learned recently. So now I'm collecting everything rust! I went to the hardware store and got a few big washers but they're zinc coated so I've been working on getting the coating off so they will rust. Having some success. I got a few other things as well and have been scouring eBay too.

Anyway, I've started a Rust Series and I expect there will be several in the series. These are all on 8"x8" cradled birch with Rives BFK paper attached. I used some oil stick on the last one.

Encaustic with a Textile Sensibility

2010-10-11T18:50:00.000-04:00

I recently got a new encaustic DVD by Daniella Woolf. I love her work. She does such cool installations and her rust work has captured me! The DVD is excellent and I learned how she did the rust encaustics! So much inspiration. I'd love to take one of her workshops. Someday!!! If you're into wax, I highly recommend Encaustic wtih a Textile Sensibility. She has a new book out with the same name and it's on my list to get soon!

Encaustic

2010-10-11T18:33:00.000-04:00

After a very busy week and weekend, I spent my Columbus Day holiday playing with wax. It's been awhile since I did any encaustics and it was just so good to get back into it. Last Friday I made a nice big batch of medium. This morning I prepared several panels for later use, then got to work. This one is wax, oil stick, photo transfer, and collage on an 8"x8" cradled birch panel. The blue is actually has a little more green in it, but I couldn't fix it in PhotoShop.

A couple of abstract pastels.

2010-10-03T14:42:00.000-04:00

Finally coming out of my slump. It's taken awhile! These are both 12" x 12". The first one is on Wallis and the second one is on Pastelmat.

New Pastel Box

2010-10-03T14:37:00.000-04:00

Gil got me a pastel box for my birthday. I got it all arranged and really want to leave it open in my studio, but I share it with my wonderful kitties, Leapy and Tootboy. Strange names, I know. Leapy's given name is Abigail, but she leaps. Tootboy's given name is Billy, but he has cute feet so became known as Toot Suite with the Cute Feet, which eventually got shortened to Tootboy. Anyway, I made a thick cardboard top to put over the pastel box to keep the cats out. Of course they think this is a new spot for them. So here's the box and Queen Leapy on top of it.

Muse is home.....I hope!

2010-08-31T08:12:00.001-04:00

My muse has spent much of the summer on vacation, but I think she may have finally come home! My birthday is coming up and my husband Gil is getting me a pastel box. I'm really excited about it because I've wanted one for some time now. I was going to get one from Dakota, but decided on the Degas Pastel Box instead. It's a little cheaper and I like the size. Not as big as Dakota's largest, but bigger than their mid-size. Once I get it, I will probably replace the foam with memory foam. And since it was less expensive, I was able to get a few new pastels as well! Always a good thing! I plan to spend much of the weekend arranging it. I'll probably do it by values.

So in anticipation of my new box, I finally got a little dusty last night. This is a 5"x7" on claybord that is covered with Colourfix Primer. Nothing special, but it was good to be painting again.

VBS 2010

2010-07-11T15:19:00.000-04:00

We've been working hard getting ready for our week of VBS (Vacation Bible School) at Immanuel Church. We've got 128 kids registered. Not bad for a small church! I just know we're going to have an awesome week! The theme is High Seas Expedition: Exploring the MIghty Love of God! Here are some shots of the set.

More pastels with oil underpaintings...

2010-07-05T18:25:00.000-04:00

These two are 3"x5". The one on the left is on UArt 600 paper and the one on the right is Wallis paper. I'm going large on these for sure. Love the veiny drips!

Pastel with oil underpainting....

2010-07-05T18:13:00.001-04:00

I've been learning about underpaintins and have been wanting to try some oil painting washes. This one has a juicy wash of turpenoid with pigment from my R&F oil paint sticks. I really love the abstract nature of the washes. Lots of possibilities! Will be more to come for sure.

A little pastel landscape study...

2010-07-05T18:09:00.001-04:00

Things have been pretty busy around here. Getting ready for our VBS (Vacation Bible School) at church and there is much to do! But I did sneak in a little painting time. This is a little landscape study. I'm working on a larger one and was messing with the composition. It's about 3.5" x 5.5". I forget what the paper is.

Variations # 7 & 8

2010-06-14T23:12:00.003-04:00

I was in a wierd mood tonight, so I did something a little different. I like the top one. The bottom one, not so much. Both are 5"x7". What do you think? I've lost my mind, right? LOL!

First Rocks

2010-06-13T23:17:00.001-04:00

Trying my first rocks. Got lots to learn and I needed a few colors for this that I didn't have, but all in all I'm fairly pleased. Need to work on depth and values....not to mention my awful trees! Ah well, I'm enjoying the journey.. This is pastel, 5"x7" on Colourfix paper.

Variation #6

2010-06-13T08:13:00.001-04:00

This one is 5"x7" on Pastelmat. Same deal...trees need work! But I do like how this one slopes a bit. Need to work on hills and slopes. This is turning out to be a good exercise for me, helping me identify where I need work.

Variation #5

2010-06-13T07:55:00.011-04:00

This one is 9"x9" on water-
color paper with Colourfix Primer. Twice I had started another painting on it and didn't like how it was coming out, so I brushed off the pastels and started over. By the time I decided to do a variation on it, the paper was pretty overworked. I'm happy with some of the textures, but I my trees really need work. I'll be doing some tree studies. :)

Playing with color....

2010-06-13T07:45:00.010-04:00

This little pastel is just me playing with color. I love to experi-
ment and see how things layer and how different pastel brands work with different papers. I'm pleased with the texture I achieved in this one.

Pastel Variation #4

2010-06-02T07:34:00.010-04:00

I had a phone meeting last night so I decided to paint while talking on the speaker-phone. It worked well multi-tasking like that except for the pastel dust all over my notes!

This one is on 5"x7" on 400 grade UArt paper. I'm been learning a lot about how the different brands of pastels work on the different papers. Once I got a few layers on this one, it almost felt like I was working on Pastelmat. For me, it's kind of in between Wallis and Pastelmat. They all seem to take the pastels in different ways, which makes the various brands respond to each other in different ways as well. Very interesting learning experience.

Pastel Variations Restart #1-3

2010-05-31T22:34:00.003-04:00

I got up to about 15 of the previous pastel variations I started, but really hated the composition and was getting more and more frustrated with them because of it. I saw some variations online and emailed the artist, B Zahn Griffith, and asked if she minded if I use her composition. She was so sweet and said sure. So, I'm starting over! Here goes!

I'm planning to do them all small so I can do them quickly if I want to. They will be either 5" x 5" or 5" x 7". So far, I think I'm liking the square better, but we'll see. The first one is on Wallis paper, the second on Colourfix paper and the 3rd on hot press watercolor paper with Colourfix Primer.

Abstract Pastel

2010-05-23T23:05:00.001-04:00

This one is 10.5" x 10.5" on 300 lb. hot press water- color paper covered with black Colorfix Primer. Various pastel brands used. It started out as a landscape, but the abstract just seemed to emerge and I couldn't stop it! So why fight it? LOL!

Today's Pastels

2010-05-16T20:11:00.001-04:00

I've not been painting much lately for family reasons, but things are getting back to normal so today I got into my pastels and had a blast just playing.

These are all done on 300 lb. hot press watercolor paper with 3 coats of Colorfix Primer. The squares are 10" x 10" and the others are 7" x 10". I used several brands of pastels. I'm getting a nice collection of together including the gorgeous Mt. Vision Thunderstorm set and some wonderful Terry Ludwigs that my dear hubby got me for our anniversary! What fun. Now I just need that pastel box I'm eyeing for my birthday. :)

Rough Sea #1

2010-04-07T20:19:00.002-04:00

Playing with my pastels and color and decided to try some rough seas. It's my first time with this subject in any medium. Lots of work needed, but it was fun. 4 1/2"x6" on Pastelmat.

Pastel Variations #14-15

2010-04-07T20:12:00.007-04:00

I'm not really thrilled with either of these, but I am learning lots from this exercise.

Both of these are small... 4"x6" or so. The first one is on Pastelmat and heavily layered. It's been helpful learning how the different pastel brands layer with each other. As I learn.... and if I remember as I paint, I hope to make less mud!

The second one is on 800 grade UArt. It's my first time using it, and while I really don't like this painting, I really do like some of the textures I can achieve with the UArt. I think some will serve me well in abstracts. Really like this paper!

Pastel Variations #12-13

2010-04-04T22:17:00.024-04:00

The first one is 6 1/2" x 4" on Pastelmat.

The second one is 6" x 10" on watercolor paper with clear Colourfix Primer. It has a fluid acrylic underpainting. The part of the road near the tree looks much better in real life...kind of like it's going up hill. Couldn't capture it in the pic.

Pastel Variation #11

2010-04-03T17:50:00.002-04:00

Decided to do a larger one this time. It's about 9 1/2 x 14 on watercolor paper. It has a fluid acrylic underpainting covered with clear Colourfix Primer.

Pastel Variations #7-10

2010-04-01T01:10:00.000-04:00

These variations are all done on Colourfix scraps. Don't want to waste any paper so these are all about 3"x3". Playing around with layering and different color combos.

Pastel Variations #5 & #6

2010-03-27T22:57:00.004-04:00

The first one is on black Colourfix. Tried to go with some bold colors.... just playing really... but it was fun!

The second one is on Pastelmat. I didn't like my start, so I brushed it off and it looked kind of foggy so I tried to go with it.

Landscape

2010-03-27T10:14:00.001-04:00

I really need to title my paintings, but I'm just so lousy at it! Anyway, here's my latest. I wanted to practice houses so I got a ref pic from Wet Canvas and put a small version of it in the painting. It's pastels, 10"x14" on watercolor paper with a watercolor underpainting that I covered with clear Colourfix primer.

Pastel Variations #3 & #4

2010-03-23T20:28:00.001-04:00

These are both about 5"x7". The top one is on Pastelmat.....love that stuff! The bottom one is on watercolor paper with white Colourfix Primer tinted with fluid acrylic.

Pastel Variations #1 & #2

2010-03-22T23:24:00.002-04:00

I've decided to do give the 100 Variations a shot. I plan to not make myself nuts with this. If it takes a couple years, fine, as long as I'm learning. These are my first 2. For both of these, I chose my palette before I started to paint. I did grab a few extras out of the box, but I pretty much stuck to the pastels I had chosen. They are both 5x7 on Colourfix paper.

Cancer is limited....

2010-03-21T17:20:00.001-04:00

It cannot cripple love,
It cannot corrode faith,
It cannot eat away peace,
It cannot destroy confidence,
It cannot kill friendship,
It cannot shut out memories,
It cannot silence courage,
It cannot invade the soul,
It cannot reduce eternal life,
It cannot quench the Spirit,
It cannot lessen the power of the resurrection.

What a joy to know Jesus, my Savior,
Who makes all this possible.

Landscape #1

2010-03-16T00:15:00.002-04:00

I came across a blog the other day where the artist has painted the same little painting 100 times. It's really cool to see all the different colors and styles. It's called Variations and the artist is Marla Baggetta.

I thought it might be a good idea for me to try as I learn and practice working with pastels. I took a ref pic today when I was out on Salt Point Turnpike that might be the one I use. Not sure though. I'm thinking I may want a road or fence or something like that in it. We'll see! Anyway, I do plan to do this one at least a few times. Here's the the first painting on Pastelmat.

Practicing skies...

2010-03-14T19:41:00.002-04:00

This started out an abstract based on a rock photo I have permission to use, but there were some colors I need that I don't have. So I brushed it off (such a nice thing about some pastel papers) and started over, figuring I'd just practice some cloudy skies. It's 8x10 on storm blue Colourfix. I did a wet underpainting using pastels and alcohol. Once dry, I finished the painting.

Seagull....my first bird.

2010-03-11T08:18:00.002-05:00

On our art forum, Painting Friends, we have a challenge called Friday Foto. This is from this week's pic. I did him in pastels on the smooth side of Mi-Teintes paper. It's my first bird in any medium, so I'm pretty happy with him. I do need some different blues for water. Got to look into that!

Pear on Pastelmat

2010-03-08T22:58:00.001-05:00

This one is on 7 x 9 Pastelmat. Fist time using this paper. Just amazing stuff! I was sure it would never hold the pastels, but it really does and lots of layers too!

My first pastel abstract....

2010-03-07T23:30:00.001-05:00

Most of what I see out there from pastel artists are representational paintings and I really love them, but for some reason, I just can't resist the abstracts. So here's my first shot at it. It's 4 1/2 x 6 1/2 on Belgian Mist Wallis with a watercolor underpainting.

There is such freedom in working with the pastels. They are very forgiving and I'm really enjoying learning how to mix and layer colors. More to come for sure!!!!

Horizontal or vertical? Can't decide!

My first pastel landscape...

2010-03-07T23:21:00.001-05:00

No, it's not upside down! The ref pic is one by my sister, photographer Roberta Fair, called Alpine Lake Reflection. It's 4 1/2 x 6 1/2 on white Wallis with a watercolor underpainting. I'm pretty happy with how it came out. Learning so much with these. Need some more sky colors!!!!

My pastel box....

2010-03-07T23:15:00.002-05:00

I'm a newbie to pastels and don't have lots of them yet....yet. But what I do have was getting to be a pain to work with having them in several boxes. There are some nice boxes available, but they're not cheap and I'm not ready to buy one just yet. I found a post on Wet Canvas about making my own and today I tried it.

I bought a plastic 3 drawer chest at Hobby Lobby and made 2 of the trays that fit into the drawer. The dividers are easily adjustable and the boxes are lined with corrugated to collect the dust.

I've got all my pastels in them and will make a couple more trays when I need them. It's been so much nicer painting today!

Pear Frenzy!

2010-03-01T20:22:00.003-05:00

What is it about pears that make them so much fun to paint???

These are all pastels, about 4" x 6". The first 3 are on Colourfix paper and the last one is on regular old sand paper. I'm really enjoying how the colors layer and blend.

My first pastel....

2010-02-20T09:31:00.002-05:00

I've been in quite an art slump lately. I imagine it has mostly to do with the time of year, which is an extremely busy one for me at work. That coupled with the nasty cold that's working it's way through my office and home and spending my Fridays, which I usually have off, with my brother-in-law, who has brain cancer, has made January and February really unproductive artistically and I'm getting pretty itchy to play with some color!

Desiree, a wonderful artist, is doing some fantastic pastel demos for Painting Friends and I'm planning on working through some of them in the coming weeks. This morning, just to look at my pastels and get a little feel for them, I did this quick little pear. It's done on a piece of 5..5 x 4.5 sandpaper, 1000 grit. It's my very first pastel and I really enjoyed playing with all the colors, seeing how they layer and blend. Looking forward to doing more.

If you are considering abortion....

2010-01-21T15:11:00.005-05:00

For help, please call 1-800-395-HELP.

Free and confidential.

4th Sunday of Advent

2009-12-13T16:16:00.002-05:00

Encaustic on claybord, 5"x7".

Week 4 - Luke 2:1-20

¹In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. ²(This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) ³And everyone went to his own town to register.

⁴So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. ⁵He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. ⁶While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, ⁷and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

⁸And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. ⁹An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. ¹⁰But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. ¹¹Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. ¹²This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."

¹³Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
¹⁴"Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."

¹⁵When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about."

¹⁶So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. ¹⁷When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, ¹⁸and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. ¹⁹But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. ²⁰The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

3rd Sunday of Advent

2009-12-13T16:13:00.001-05:00

Encaustic on claybord, 5"x7".

Week 3- Isaiah 54:1-17

¹ "Sing, O barren woman,
       you who never bore a child;
       burst into song, shout for joy,
       you who were never in labor;
       because more are the children of the desolate woman
       than of her who has a husband,"
       says the LORD.

² "Enlarge the place of your tent,
       stretch your tent curtains wide,
       do not hold back;
       lengthen your cords,
       strengthen your stakes.

³ For you will spread out to the right and to the left;
your descendants will dispossess nations
and settle in their desolate cities.

⁴ "Do not be afraid; you will not suffer shame.
       Do not fear disgrace; you will not be humiliated.
       You will forget the shame of your youth
       and remember no more the reproach of your widowhood.

⁵ For your Maker is your husband—
       the LORD Almighty is his name—
       the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer;
       he is called the God of all the earth.

⁶ The LORD will call you back
       as if you were a wife deserted and distressed in spirit—
       a wife who married young,
       only to be rejected," says your God.

⁷ "For a brief moment I abandoned you,
but with deep compassion I will bring you back.

⁸ In a surge of anger
       I hid my face from you for a moment,
       but with everlasting kindness
       I will have compassion on you,"
       says the LORD your Redeemer.

⁹ "To me this is like the days of Noah,
       when I swore that the waters of Noah would never again cover the earth.
       So now I have sworn not to be angry with you,
       never to rebuke you again.

¹⁰ Though the mountains be shaken
       and the hills be removed,
       yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken
       nor my covenant of peace be removed,"
       says the LORD, who has compassion on you.

¹¹ "O afflicted city, lashed by storms and not comforted,
I will build you with stones of turquoise, ^[a]
your foundations with sapphires. ^[b]

¹² I will make your battlements of rubies,
your gates of sparkling jewels,
and all your walls of precious stones.

¹³ All your sons will be taught by the LORD,
and great will be your children's peace.

¹⁴ In righteousness you will be established:
       Tyranny will be far from you;
       you will have nothing to fear.
       Terror will be far removed;
       it will not come near you.

¹⁵ If anyone does attack you, it will not be my doing;
whoever attacks you will surrender to you.

¹⁶ "See, it is I who created the blacksmith
       who fans the coals into flame
       and forges a weapon fit for its work.
       And it is I who have created the destroyer to work havoc;

¹⁷ no weapon forged against you will prevail,
       and you will refute every tongue that accuses you.
       This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD,
       and this is their vindication from me,"
       declares the LORD.

2nd Sunday of Advent

2009-12-13T16:03:00.002-05:00

Encaustic on claybord, 5"x7".

Week 2 - Isaiah 7:1-25

¹ When Ahaz son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, was king of Judah, King Rezin of Aram and Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel marched up to fight against Jerusalem, but they could not overpower it.

² Now the house of David was told, "Aram has allied itself with Ephraim"; so the hearts of Ahaz and his people were shaken, as the trees of the forest are shaken by the wind.

³ Then the LORD said to Isaiah, "Go out, you and your son Shear-Jashub, to meet Ahaz at the end of the aqueduct of the Upper Pool, on the road to the Washerman's Field. ⁴ Say to him, 'Be careful, keep calm and don't be afraid. Do not lose heart because of these two smoldering stubs of firewood—because of the fierce anger of Rezin and Aram and of the son of Remaliah. ⁵ Aram, Ephraim and Remaliah's son have plotted your ruin, saying, ⁶ "Let us invade Judah; let us tear it apart and divide it among ourselves, and make the son of Tabeel king over it." ⁷ Yet this is what the Sovereign LORD says:
" 'It will not take place,
it will not happen,

⁸ for the head of Aram is Damascus,
       and the head of Damascus is only Rezin.
       Within sixty-five years
       Ephraim will be too shattered to be a people.

⁹ The head of Ephraim is Samaria,
       and the head of Samaria is only Remaliah's son.
       If you do not stand firm in your faith,
       you will not stand at all.' "

¹⁰ Again the LORD spoke to Ahaz, ¹¹ "Ask the LORD your God for a sign, whether in the deepest depths or in the highest heights."

¹² But Ahaz said, "I will not ask; I will not put the LORD to the test."

¹³ Then Isaiah said, "Hear now, you house of David! Is it not enough to try the patience of men? Will you try the patience of my God also? ¹⁴ Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. ¹⁵ He will eat curds and honey when he knows enough to reject the wrong and choose the right.

1st Sunday of Advent

2009-12-13T15:49:00.011-05:00

Encaustic on claybord, 5"x7"

^{Week 1 - Genesis 15:1-10}
¹ After this, the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision:

"Do not be afraid, Abram.

I am your shield,

your very great reward. "

² But Abram said, "O Sovereign LORD, what can you give me since I remain childless and the one who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?" ³ And Abram said, "You have given me no children; so a servant in my household will be my heir."

⁴ Then the word of the LORD came to him: "This man will not be your heir, but a son coming from your own body will be your heir." ⁵ He took him outside and said, "Look up at the heavens and count the stars—if indeed you can count them." Then he said to him, "So shall your offspring be."

⁶ Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness.

⁷ He also said to him, "I am the LORD, who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to take possession of it."

⁸ But Abram said, "O Sovereign LORD, how can I know that I will gain possession of it?"

⁹ So the LORD said to him, "Bring me a heifer, a goat and a ram, each three years old, along with a dove and a young pigeon."

¹⁰ Abram brought all these to him, cut them in two and arranged the halves opposite each other; the birds, however, he did not cut in half.

Advent Paintings

2009-12-13T15:29:00.004-05:00

Sometimes things happen in strange and unexpected timings. Back in October my pastor emailed those of us in the church who are artists and asked if any of us would like to do the covers for the coming Advent season. I waited a few days before answering because the other artists are so much more experienced than I am and I was a little nervous about being able to do it. Well Jim replied that I was the first to reply, so I could do it. He sent me the Scripture passages he would be using. Read more about them HERE. The theme would be "Don't Be Afraid", a frequent command of God. I was excited and read through the passages so I could meditate on them for awhile and see what God brought to mind.

The past month has been a challenge. My brother-in-law, Bob, has been diagnosed with brain cancer. He's had surgery and will be continuing treatment, but the prognosis isn't good. and my sister, Roberta, and her girls, Jessie and Jillian, have a lot to face in the coming months. I'm glad that we are close and more importantly, I'm grateful that all of them have a strong faith in Jesus. I know He will sustain them through whatever is to come. Of course we are praying for a miracle, and sometimes He does heal. Sometimes He doesn't. It's completely up to Him and we trust Him because His ways are so much bigger than our ways and we don't see the complete picture. As I meditated on each of the passages, I thought about Bob and his family and all they are facing, and prayed for each of them as I painted. It has been such a blessing for me, reminding me that God is in control and resting in Him, no matter what the circumstances, is the only answer that makes sense.

Embedded Leaf Encaustic

2009-11-29T21:08:00.005-05:00

I'm just loving encaustic and am having so much fun trying new things. I started this one a few weeks ago and spent a good amount of time figuring the next steps because I didn't want to mess up the leaf. When I found it, it was still a bit supple because of the gentle rain, so I patted it dry and left it in a safe place where the cats couldn't find it! Just as it was drying, but not ready to fall apart, I started the painting.

It's 8"x8" on birch. I did a layer of plain medium over the birch followed by a glaze layer using medium mixed with the beautiful Manganese Blue Hue pigment stick from R&F Paints. Then I did a shellac burn on part of the board, leaving the space for the leaf. I embedded the leaf and did another shellac burn. I love the way parts of the birch and the first shellac burn can be seen through the wax.

R&F Mini-Encaustic Workshop

2009-11-29T21:05:00.001-05:00

I had the pleasure of attending the Mini-Encaustic Workshop at R&F Paints in Kingston, NY last weekend. It's a really great intro to encaustics. We began with a tour of R&F, which included the history of encaustics (using this cool timeline they have on the wall), a quick look at the gallery as they were setting up for an opening that night, then off to the factory. It was really interesting seeing how the paints are made. All R&F paints are handmade and we saw molds of various encaustics setting up. It's all in one big room with a smaller side room used for handling the pigments. Next was into the workshop room, which adjoins the factory room.

The workshop room has several stations (2 per table) that each has a palette especially for encuastics, heat gun and large workspace. In the back of the room there are 2 stations that have electric frying pans full of encaustic medium and heat guns. Really nice for laying down the first layers. The ventilation was excellent.

Our workshop leader (she didn't mention her name) took us through the safety issues. I appreciated her very thorough presentation and she had some good, helpful tips. She then demonstrated the basics and did some transfers as well. Then it was off to our stations to start playing.

It was so much fun being able to try all those colors I've been drooling over! I've added a few more to my must have someday list. I didn't finish any projects because I was playing too much, but that's ok.....it was my intention! I really loved the palette, especially working on the surface. It was so smooth and was wonderful to mix on. It's not cheap, so it's on my dream list. For now my setup will work just fine. I ended the day by purchasing the raw materials to make my own medium, some tools and oil sticks.

On my way out, I met Richard (RF), who founded the company. He's a delightful man and I could see why the atmosphere there is the way it is, relaxed and friendly and not at all intimidating. I highly recommend the workshop to anyone who wants to give encaustics a try. But be careful.....you'll get hooked!!!

My latest encaustics....

2009-11-20T21:32:00.003-05:00

I'm taking the workshop tomorrow!!! Yippie!!! While I'm at R&F, I'll be getting some raw materials to make my own medium (cheaper). I had just a little left so I worked on these today. Both are 8"x8" on birch. The first one has some oil stick and the second one has a shellac burn.

4 Encaustics

2009-11-14T09:12:00.009-05:00

I'm really loving this medium. The possibilities seem endless! I particularly love the way the colors blend as I fuse the wax. Such wonderful surprises.

I'm finding that I like the R&F brand of paints and medium more than the Enkaustikos...these are the only two I've tried so far. The R&F has a wonderful smooth consistency and seems to not harden quite as fast, which give me seconds more working time. Might not seem like much but it really does impact how the wax goes down. I've also found that they blend quite differently. I find the R&F more workable. We'll see if I still feel the same way after the workshop next weekend.

Here are my most recent paintings that I think are finished. The first two have shellac burns. They create some wonderful textures.

9 WIPs

2009-11-11T20:37:00.004-05:00

Well I'm just having too much fun! Tried some shellac burns tonight. Oh how cool! You dab the shellac onto the board that has some encaustic medium alone or medium and paint, then set it on fire! The results are not real predictable and really fantastic. Here's a shot of the 9 boards I'm working on now....some with shellac burns and some without. And the other pic is of my griddle with my tins full of encaustic medium and paint.

My first REAL Encaustics!!!!!

2009-11-08T19:52:00.009-05:00

I've been in quite an art funk lately. Haven't posted here in 2 months. But all that time, I've been really looking forward to the Mini Encaustic Workshop I'm taking later this month at R&F Paints in Kingston, NY.
I've been gradually gathering my supplies and keeping my nose buried in my encaustic books, planning to start after the workshop. Today decided that I just couldn't wait anymore and had to get my hands in the wax! What fun!!! Perfect medium for the texture junkie I am! LOL! I've got tons to learn and can't wait until the workshop to be able to ask all my questions.

So here they are! My first 3 real encaustics! Yippie!!! The square ones are on 8"x8" birch panels. The other one is on 5"x7" clayboard. In addition to the encaustic paints, I used oil sticks on all of them, photo transfers on the first and second (photographs compliments of my sister, photographer Roberta Fair), and fabric stips on the third one. Can't wait to do more!!!

And another one....

2009-08-30T21:47:00.003-04:00

This one is done on 5"x5" claybord. The poppy and stem are done with tissue paper and pastels. There's some pumice gel and fiber paste in there too.

More acrylic encaustic...

2009-08-30T16:09:00.005-04:00

This is another acrylic encaustic. The photograph that is imprinted in the medium is from a black and white one my sister, Roberta Fair, took. The color has all been added using fluid acrylics and acrylic ink, and the grasses are fiber paste and pumice gel.

Acrylic Encaustic?

2009-08-29T15:20:00.009-04:00

I really want to mess with encaustic painting someday and am planning on taking a mini-workshop in November at R&F Handmade Paints in Kingston, NY. It sounds like a great deal....the cost includes the use of all the paints. I can't wait to try it out. Just got the fantastic and inspiring book Encaustic Workshop by Patricia Baldwin Seggebrauch to hold me over. :)

In the meantime, I've been experimenting with faux encaustic using various acrylic mediums as described in Rethinking Acrylic by Patti Brady. Here are a couple I just did mainly to try out the properties of the various mixes. They are both on claybord, one 6"x6" and the other 5"x7". The 2nd one has my sister's (photographer Roberta Fair) macros as a first layer.

Texture experiments...

2009-08-09T08:06:00.004-04:00

I've been looking at some things I've started and either just hate them or have lost all inspiration for where the piece is going. Not being one to waste art supplies, I've been slapping some gesso on them and starting over. Since some are pretty textured already, I'm just building on it and am enjoying the textures I've been getting by stamping other found objects into the gesso. Here are a couple of close ups of the one I did last night. Not sure what the finished work will be yet, but I'm liking the background!

Some new paintings........finally!

2009-08-07T23:23:00.020-04:00

Well I've finally gotten my life to settle down just a little bit and was able to get my brushes wet. Felt really good. Here are the three that I finished today. The first one is mixed media collage on watercolor paper, 1/4 sheet.

The second is mixed media collage on 12"x12" Aquabord.

This third is mixed media on 8"x8" Aquabord.

More VBS 2009

2009-07-20T20:43:00.002-04:00

Well we had a fantastic VBS week. The kids were blessed and the leaders were doubly blessed! If you're interested in seeing any videos, I've put some up on our church blog. Immanuel Church Blog

VBS 2009

2009-07-12T07:20:00.005-04:00

I haven't been painting much at all lately...at least not fine art. I've been very involved in preparing for VBS at my church. We're doing Group's Crocodile Dock and here's some pics of the set that we finished yesterday. My friend Sarah and I work out all the design. I do much of the painting and delegate lots too. We have 119 kids registered, which is huge for our tiny little church. I think only 7 of the kids are from our church! Quite an outreach.

2009-07-04T18:24:00.003-04:00

Happy Birthday America!

America the Beautiful

O beautiful, for spacious skies,
For amber waves of grain,
For purple mountain majesties
Above the fruited plain!
America! America! God shed His grace on thee,
And crown thy good with brotherhood, from sea to shining sea.

O beautiful, for pilgrim feet
Whose stern, impassioned stress
A thoroughfare for freedom beat
Across the wilderness!
America! America! God mend thine ev’ry flaw;
Confirm thy soul in self control, thy liberty in law!

O beautiful, for heroes proved
In liberating strife,
Who more than self their country loved
And mercy more than life!
America! America! May God thy gold refine,
Till all success be nobleness, and ev’ry gain divine!

O beautiful, for patriot dream
That sees beyond the years,
Thine alabaster cities gleam
Undimmed by human tears!
America! America! God shed His grace on thee,
And crown thy good with brotherhood, from sea to shining sea!

Faux Encaustic Experiments

2009-05-26T17:41:00.007-04:00

As I said in a earlier post this morning, I've been reading about faux encaustics. I don't have all the supplies I need....oh yippie! More art supplies to order! But I decided to mess with what I have and see what came of it.

I didn't spend too much time on planning these small studies. I really wanted to get into using the mediums. They are both done on gessoed watercolor paper with fluid acrylics, acrylic mediums, Caran d'Ache Neolocor 1, cheese cloth and threads. The pics are by my sister, Roberta Fair. The first one is acutally not cut off on the right tree. I just took a crooked pic and ran out of daylight. On the second one, anyone know why the 'here kitty kitty? :)

Lots to learn here and several techniques and materials to try. And it's time to move to canvas. And bigger. EEEK!!!

Mixed Media Collage

2009-05-26T08:10:00.001-04:00

Sunday I finally picked up a brush and have been sort of going nuts! I have only one finished piece to show for it, but lots of experiments in the works. I'm working on the faux encaustic techniques and have some supplies to get that will help, but I've got several little ones going that will be posted soon....if I don't wreck them in the process! Learning tons! More later...

This new one is a mixed media collage done on gessoed watercolor paper. It's 6 1/2 x 14 and is mostly acrylics. I've used several mediums, all by Golden, including a new one to me that's already a favorite, fiber paste. Cool stuff. It's also got garnet gel , coarse and extra coarse, and charcoal. The paints are all fluid acrylics. The photograph is by my sister, Roberta Fair, a fantastic photographer.

Lingering Muse

2009-05-26T07:55:00.000-04:00

It's been several weeks since I've gotten my brushes wet. I've been in kind of a slump I guess. I've been really busy at work and church and dealing with some personal issues. My muse has not been gone, but lingering. So I've been doing what my friend Bob Hague says to do at such times....I've been reading my art books and watching my art DVDs. And it's working! I'm getting all inspired! Yippie!

I've been reading about encaustic painting and some of the faux encaustic techniques in my current 3 favorite books. If you haven't yet, check out Acrylic Revolution by Nancy Reyner, Rethinking Acrylics by Patti Brady, and Creative Paint Workshop for Mixed Media Artists by Ann Baldwin. There are so many cool things that I can't wait to try!

Congratulations Jessie!!!

2009-05-25T11:16:00.001-04:00

I'm so proud of my wonderful niece, Jessie Fair, who graduated from Cornell on Sunday. She's one of the most talented people I know and I just know the Lord has big plans for her! Check out her fantastic tights on her new ShiboriLove Esty Shop. I love this picture of her taken by my sister and her mom, photographer Roberta Fair.

Waiting for Mom....

2009-05-13T16:54:00.006-04:00

My babies waiting in the window for me to get home. By the time I got to the door, they were there waiting for kisses. That's Leapy on the left in the box and Sweet Face on the right.

My Annie

2009-05-12T19:38:00.000-04:00

Today it's been one year since my Annie died. I still miss her so much and think about her all the time. I miss the way she was always with me, following me, never leaving me alone. I miss her sleeping on my chest every night. I miss her being next to my computer in her box whenever I was working. She was perfect in every way and there will never be another like her.

I'm very grateful for my new babies, Leapy and Sweet Face, who have done much to ease me through the grieving process. They are working hard to fill the void. I adore them and they're just what I've needed. I think Annie would like them. I can imagine her playing with them...she could be so kittenish at times.

Annie, I will always love you. My girl.

He is Risen!!!

2009-04-12T21:07:00.002-04:00

Peep Surgery

2009-03-28T20:33:00.004-04:00

Easter's almost here and while it is a spiritual holiday for me, I still love peeps.... stale ones. I usually open the package and let them sit for a day before I eat them.

One of my favorite websites is Peep Surgery. It's an oldy but goody. Make sure you check out all the phases. Too funny.

Afternoon in the Window

2009-03-20T18:04:00.003-04:00

My babies, Sweetface and the Leaper, love to sit on the top of the cart in my studio, on the curtain, frequently changing position.

Here Fishy Fishy....

2009-03-15T21:34:00.007-04:00

Had a good weekend painting. Got lots in the works in various stages. Finally finished one. LOL!

This one is 11"x14" claybord. It's another mixed media using acrylic inks, fluid acrylics, tissue paper and gel medium.

Forest on Fire

2009-03-13T13:31:00.003-04:00

It feels like forever since I last posted! I've been in a really busy mode at work and church. I'm finally finishing up several paintings that I've started. This one is 12" x 12" on clayboard. It's mixed media using acrylic inks, fluid acrylics, tissue paper, and acrylic mediums. Here's a close up so you can see the colors in the darker areas. I did a smaller one like this that I gave away, not realizing it was one of my husband's favorites. I promised Gil I'd do one for him. Here it is honey!!!

2009-02-17T19:35:00.004-05:00

On our art website, Painting Friends, one of our members, Desiree, set up a challenge for us.

She took a photograph and divided it into 10 sections and sent one piece to each of us who were participating. None of us saw the whole pic, just our piece.

We painted our pieces in watercolor and sent a pic back to Desiree, who assembled the final painting.

So here's the painting and the ref pic. My piece is the 4th one down on the left side. What do you think?

2009-02-14T09:11:00.008-05:00

Check out this video from Nita Leland. I have her new book Confident Color and this is a taste of her upcoming DVD. Looks really good! Love the book. Love all her books!

2009-02-10T08:08:00.002-05:00

My goofy cat, Moses, spent all of Sunday afternoon sleeping in the garbage can in my studio. There wasn't anything but paper stuff in there, so I just let him stay until he decided to move. :)

Another bunch of little mixed media pieces....

2009-01-29T21:38:00.007-05:00

Here's some more. Making progress on finishing them up. Still have a few more to go! I'm learning a lot by doing these little guys.

These are all on 5x7 or 6x6 clayboard. I've used acrylic ink, fluid acrylics, tissue paper, cheese cloth, mica flakes, garnet gel and polymer gloss medium.