Continuing to build the surfaces . .

So here are some pics of the last paintings . . still evolving. I've let these rest a while to see where I want to go next. Looking at art on the web always helps me. When I see a painting that draws me in, I get ideas for compostion, tonal value, line, etc. I never copy. I examine what it is that I like about it, store it somewhere inside, take some time . . then . . "bam!" as Emeril, the chef says, something clicks, and I know where to go next. I will describe some of the mediums I've been using with the wax. The pic below has rubbings of oil pastel and oil pigment stick . . 

. . and some encaustic paint

The next image of the above has some verticle lines at the top and bottom in grey oil stick and graphite oil stick . . . 

BUT . . I didn't like these

I could have scraped them back (wax surface), but as they were rubbed into the surface and the underneath is a combination of wax medium and wax paint, I decided to go over the top ones in a warmer color . .

In this photo I toned down the brown in the top and bottom with clear encaustic medium and rubbed oil stick into the top vertical "lines" that were grey. I plan on "knocking" this back a lot, it's got "too much" for me.

The warmer oil stick I used looks like yellow . . but . . not in person. Coating an encaustic painting that has color on the surface with clear encaustic medium, depending on how thick of a coat is put on, starts to mute the surface. This is where much practice with applying the wax comes in. Too much wax will start to take the image away. Even though it's described as "clear" and is a vehicle for the paint, it is not totally clear when it's hardened (cold) . . kind of a slight haze. The beauty of working with this wax medium, to me, is that I can scrape back areas where the medium is too thick. It isn't easy to apply a smooth, thin coat of the medium. When I start a painting I have to decide how "bumpy" I will allow the surface to be, as I think of how I want it to look when finished. There are many, many decisions and techniques that are involved. But I love the tactile and reductive possibilities of this medium. It showed me how much I love process and actually showed me that I may get into assemblage at some point or perhaps a more 3 dimension surface.

I haven't worked on this next one as much as the one above. But I have decided where I will go next. This was the one I had used a tack iron on, then rubbed graphite oil stick into the surface.

This image shows some tan encaustic paint and more graphite oil stick.

The verticle section is encaustic paint and the hard edges are done with graphite oil stick. Anything that goes on the surface, from oil mediums to the wax paint and medium must be heated, or fused, into the surface that accepts it. I've found this is an art unto itself. It doesn't take much for the flame to alter the surface where no alteration is wanted!

I plan on muting the second horizontal line at the top as I explore altering the composition. Both will have one or more circles when done. To me, less is more, and it is a struggle for me to not add a "this" or a "that" . . "here" or "there."

Again . . just letting you in on the evolution of these two painting processes. In doing this, I realize I may risk the fact that what I consider as an unfinished surface may be more appealing than what the final result is. I consider this an exercise in artistic vulnerability . . something I value in other artists but find difficult to do. I've always been one to test the "edges of my safety zone". I so value vulnerability in others and the generosity of other artists sharing their process, that I have chosen to start pushing myself.  :-)

The beginnings of two encaustic paintings . . .

I've had a painting block for a while. My knee "went out" after I completed my painting wall (also decided to finish some painting on the studio walls and shelving) and was moving/organizing things in my studio. The next step I had planned was to paint the floor. That thought must have been a little overwhelming. So I just shut down for a while. Painting with hot wax is enticing to me, so I pushed on. I usually don't post my process, as the finished piece is SO different from the beginnings. But I know how much I enjoy it when others show their process. So here goes . . The following are the beginnings of two paintings . . each 16 x 24. The colors are not accurate, as "I" am photographing!

After priming and fusing (butane torch) the wood surface with clear encaustic medium (beeswax & damar resin), I painted two layers of white encaustic paint and fused. (From now on I am creating a background surface . . far from the finished painting). Then I rubbed some brown pigment oil stick into different areas. At the top I rubbed in some black oil stick. After very lightly fusing I let it rest 24 hrs.

This next picture is after I started using layers of encaustic paint mixed with medium (this is like mixing acrylic paint with water or oil with solvent). Some colors were tan, some rust, some brown, fusing between all the layers. I am fusing very lightly, as a heavier fusing would distort the surface. 

The beginnings of my next painting . . .

On this wood surface I did many overlapping layers of beige, tan, and grey paint. This time, as I was fusing, I purposely used the flame of the torch to move the paint around.

In this image (above) I used a heated tack iron to flatten some of the surface and blend some of the colors.

This next step (above) changed the more golden tones to greys and charcoal. As you can see in this next detail shot of the above, the iron left the kind of surface texture that happens when an iron is used. I had decided to rub the surface with graphite oil stick to bring out this surface texture.

This last detail show shows the oil stick that is "caught" in the wax that was created from ironing the surface.

This paintings will most likely be entirely different as I progress. I also thought I'd show you the fans that are running as I paint with the molten wax. The first pic below is a fan that was original to the 1932 building. No air conditioning then, so this sucks air from the inside to the outside. It is on the wall just below the ceiling.

Originally, when I moved in, the wiring had been cut. After getting it rewired, I discovered that the suction wasn't strong enought to pull the fumes (when the surface is fused, it goes above 220 degrees and creates fumes that need to be ventilated) out of the room. I was going to create something to direct it out toward the exhaust fan . . a pretty daunting task with dryer duct over the work area to the ceiling and into the fan. But I tried directing the fumes away from the work table with a floor fan directed toward the exhaust fan . . and it worked!!! Whew!! Much easier!

So when I paint with encaustic I have two fans going at once. The large old one near the ceiling is pretty loud, but when I'm working I don't notice it and have gotten used to it. It works!

So there you have it. Aaahhh . . . the little "extra" steps that involve creating art!!!! That's why they call it "WORK"! . . but . . fun work!

Building a painting wall for large paintings

I had been planning on constructing this painting wall for a few years. My home is the upstairs of a former hardware store (before that a meat market) built in 1932, and the main floor is my studio. It was built for a family business, and so the upstairs is like the home of an  old house rather than a commercial area. There is 24" shelving all round the base of the room, and about 7ft above that is another shelf. I finally figured out how to make myself a painting wall (for large paintings) without taking out the very sturdy and well constructing shelving. Here are some pics . . haven't finished yet. I have to wait for my aunt to come by and hold the lumber and sheetrock while I drill in the screws. I realized I couldn't do it myself. So I must wait until she can come by to help.

I also made a great 4' x 6' table with two hollow core doors and four saw horses. I love it!!!

As I seem to be mostly right brained, I am going to feel very proud that I have constructed this on my own. I don't like working with numbers (I like them in paintings!), so instead of trying to figure it out by calculation (which wasn't working . . have to have a visual), I purchased an 8', 2 x 4, put it up against the shelving, and realized from that what direction I needed to take (won't go into a long explanation!). I will post pics of the completed wall. I have decided to use cradled wood panels instead of canvas for oil painting. It's necessary for oil and cold wax and encaustic, but I'm also drawn to go back to just oil, and this way I can really attack the surface with subtractive techniques. Wow . . that word "attack" is pretty strong! :-)