A year has gone by?

I've certainly let my blog writing go.... don't know if there's anyone out there listening to any of this boring blather, anyway.
It's time for another Menucha, that's how long it's been.

So this time, I'll be teaching encaustic, the process of painting with hot wax. I love the smell, the feel, and working with a torch!
Hopefully, we will all keep our fingers and hair and create some decent art. I can say that this medium is personally very rewarding, more so than watercolors.

Today was the celebration at Lake Oswego arts festival. I got an award for a painting called Serengeti. I had caught this scene while watching Planet Earth and put the TV on pause, got out the drawing board and prepped a painting. it sure opens up possibilities for painting resources.

Really caught up watching Wimbledon lately, so the painting is on hold.....

Menucha Week

I taught again at Menucha and it was just wonderful. I had six students and each was unique and looking for her own collage identity. Because of the low number in this class, I had time to really work intensively with each one! Kind of a teacher's ideal world. The location is stunning, up in the hills near Crown Point. The food is way too good, but always a reasonable amount. Check out the Creative Arts Community at Menucha for next year's info, but give it a few months for the classes to be arranged.

Painting in the summer

It seems like as soon as the sun comes out, giving us those fabulous shadows and allowing our colors to shine through (and we can SEE them), the studio HEATS UP like a hot car. If you're NOT an early riser, what to do? I'm going to do some airing out of my studio, maybe working with all doors and windows wide open. Changes the drying time, but beats getting up at 6am to paint. You can add a "retarder" to your acrylics and that might help. Maybe some fans. Any advice? (sure not going to complain about the beautiful sunshine, right?)

I've been collaging alot these days, prepping for a class I'll teach later this summer at Menucha. It's gotten to be so much fun, I've forgone my encaustics for a bit. Here's a few:

LOCAL 14 ART SHOW

It's time for our big show at the World Forestry Center. I'm going to put some different art in this time (some say "as usual"?). Large acrylics on the BIG WALL. Smaller encaustic paintings below that. Tiny encaustic paintings below that, and my shrink wrap bin holds originals, for the most part.
This year, I'm Director of the show and it's been an interesting process. One of the things that I admire about this group is the members' willingness to make this a special show, not one of the many road shows that some do, but one where the entire membership takes ownership of the whole thing, start to finish. Lots of thoughtful and very smart women-- not to mention the talent, which is inspiring.
I hope we can bring you into this event and surprise you with its newness and creativeness. If you are an artist, we hope you'll be inspired. If you are an art lover, we hope you'll find something to take home and remember us by. Or give as a surprise. This is a time when things are a bit tight, but we hope that you'll be inspired to give us a look, and let us know how you enjoy the art in any way you can. Thanks!
www.local14.org