Friday, February 3, 2012

Encaustic painting video with Shawna Moore

Although I had seen this video on youtube a while ago, when I saw it again on Pinterest and posted it on my Pinterest board (encaustic painting = bee + artist), I wanted to share it . . enjoy!  
                                                                    


Shawna Moore

She lives in Montana. My son (who loves flyfishing and nature and now lives in New England) spent a year in Montana going attending the University of Montanta in Boseman. He LOVED it. He said the people were so friendly, and the beauty of nature was incredible.

The beeswax she is melting looks to be finely ground, although that may be the resin crystals that she is adding (when painting with wax, resin needs to be added for strength, as beeswax alone is too soft). I wish I had some way to grind those sticky resin crystals to a powder! The resin takes a while to melt into the wax.
                                                                                                              . . and another video that shows her working with a student in a one on one workshop.




How I would love to have a private workshop with her!! She works large, and you can see her paintings on her website here.

She mentions the word "alive" when describing working with encaustic (beeswax + damar resin). That word resonates with me. It's a wonderful description, as I have a "je ne sais pas" (I don't know) feeling, that keeps propelling me to use it. I have heard other artists using terms that I also resonate with . . like seductive, luscious, and more that aren't coming to mind at the moment.

I've been intrigued by collage, assemblage ("boxed" a la Joseph Cornell), and the variety of ways to create textural surfaces and depth with textiles, cement, plaster, clay, wood, and on and on. I have learned so much through other's blogs, tumblr, and now my pinterest site.  But I am always drawn . . again and again . . back to the wax. It almost feels like I have no choice! I am seduced!