Self-Directed Artist Retreat

It's rare in this life to meet people by chance and form a lasting bond.  Two years ago I attended an encaustic workshop at Arrowmont in Tennessee.  I've been fortunate and have kept up with several of the ladies from the workshop. We get together sporadically.  Like a roving band of artistic vagabonds, we gather at a house and make camp for a rowdy weekend.  The cast of characters for this particular trip included Trish, Kevin, and Leah.

Kevin and Trish made great minion -
I mean assistants while Leah posed for me!

We work together, soaking up the creative atmosphere, and share what we've learned since the last time we were assembled.

Leah's work.  She works in 3D
quite often and it shows!

Kevin's wonderfully detailed work

Trish's prolific awesome pile of work

Leah at work adding color to this marine inspired piece

To keep from flipping the breakers every other minute, we shared palette space.

I scraped quite a bit.

Leah fusing an very interesting piece of fiber art.

My workspace

Leah giving us an impromptu paper molding class.

During the afternoon of our 2nd encaustic work day a thunderstorm rolled in.  I had passed this interesting tidal marsh on the way to Leah's house each day and wanted to go shoot it when we had some interesting clouds.  A plan for a quick field trip to play on the highway was hatched!

Yes, we looked like nutters, but that isn't all that unusual for me now is it?

Now these are clouds!

On a side note, Leah's most excellent husband, John was wonderful!  He fetched food and supplies and even packed us a picnic to take to the beach!

This was definitely a mixed-purpose trip for me.  I shoehorned a photoshoot into the already tight weekend of hot wax. 

To start off the day of photography, we simply had to walk across the street from Leah's house to this charming little path through some wonderfully large, Spanish moss-dripping live oaks.  Kevin brought the most amazing vintage dress with rhinestone buttons.  It was wonderful of her to share it and the dress was the perfect fit for this oh so Southern location.

Kevin directing Leah

Next stop - the historic Bonaventure Cemetery!  We spent what now feels like a really short time at the cemetery.  At some point I'd like to come back with a map and some free time to explore more.  Especially if it was cooler! Did I mention that it was hot? It was like standing in Hell and being handed a blow torch kind of hot!  Just keeping it real...

The infrared camera definitely came out for this location.

Our last location of the day blew my mind.  It was quite a drive, but certainly worth it!  We went to Hunting Island in South Carolina.  I will qualify this by saying that I am not the most traveled person in the world.  My experience with beaches is limited to Myrtle Beach and the middle section of Florida's eastern coast, which all look pretty much alike.  This was a beast of different proportions all together!  On this lovely little island, the beach was eroding a forest leaving great hulks of dead trees like prehistoric skeletons emerging from it's white sandy surface.  My tiny photographer's mind simply imploded! I kept bouncing back and forth between what I had planned on shooting and just taking landscape shots.

Trish set off to explore.

Leah posing for her other photographer friend, Kelly Roetto.
I took this shot to prove that the tree in the surf was really there,
not something I added in Photoshop.

This particular tree's claw-like shape inspired some Fay Wray-esque posing.

Mother Nature was particularly kind to me on the day of the photoshoot (except for the heat and humidity).  We had beautiful clouds and the tide coming in on the beach made for some exciting shots.  I'm already planning a trip back to this spot for another photoshoot with a particular ballerina friend if I can talk her into it...  Oh the possibilities!

Thanks ladies for the continuing fun and inspiration!

Not So Tasty Paste

Here's a quickie process update.  

I had been taught to use Yes Paste when gluing down larger prints to cradled wooden boards.  Well, time moves on and Yes Paste is getting hard to find. Both Dick Blick and Michaels have stopped carrying it.

Last night I tried a product by 3M -  3M(TM) Positionable Mounting Adhesive 568.

Instead of writing out a tutorial, I am going to link you to the wonderful Greg Noblin video I watched. He takes you through adhering a print to a cradled birch board step by step.  Check out his work too - it's wonderful.

I have to admit, I'm in love!  In the time it took me to adhere 3 prints, I probably wouldn't have completed the gluing process for 1 piece using the paste.  It also appears with the mounting adhesive, the possibilities for air bubbles decreases.  Yay to that! After mounting the first print, I tugged around a bit on the corners. Everything stayed down and seemed to have a really solid attachment.  

I followed Greg Noblin's procedure of first placing the adhesive to the board.  After using the squeegie to makes sure it was down, I found that it was easier to go ahead and trim the film to the size of the board using an exacto blade.  That seemed to make it less likely to pull up the sticky part on the corners when removing the film.

At least one part of my process will be sped up!

Swimming with the Fishies!

Hallelujah for new experiences! Last weekend I got to experience my first underwater photo shoot and it was a wild ride.

Last year my friend and fellow photographer Suzanne Clements had a pool installed in her backyard in Florida.  In her words, she "hounded and hounded" me with the possibility of exploring under water photography. I don't remember it as hounding, I just remember setting a date as soon as the pool would be warm enough!

In preparation for this undertaking, I studied Brook Shaden's wonderful video about shooting in a pool as well as Jennifer Thoreson's workshop on Create Live! where she shoots in a shallow, constructed baby pool-esque container.  I even made an underwater Pinterest board to collect ideas and see what was possible.  There's a lot of amazing underwater work out there that I respect even more now that I've tried it.

I found a few vintage dresses with full skirts and bright colors with this shoot in mind. My iPhone got a brand new shiny underwater housing.  I justified this by rationalizing that I could use it when kayaking too.  

It turns out thinking about a project can be quite different from the actual experience!  I can't remember the last time I went swimming, but I remember enjoying it years ago...    Super excited, I got into the pool and pulled down the mask to cover my eyes and my nose since I figured I didn't need to think about getting water where it didn't belong AND dealing with a camera.  At that point I had a little panic/claustrophobic attack.  That was unexpected! After a few stern words to myself, I went underwater and shot a few frames. Once I saw the possibilities, my fear evaporated and the right side of my mind said water - what water - get to work?!?  

There is a huge potential for happy accidents when shooting under water. I wish I could say that I saw this shot, carefully composed it, and shot exactly what I wanted, but that would be a big 'ole lie!  The truth is I was quickly floating back to the surface in dire need of a breath and using the spray and pray method of shooting. Whatever works, right?



Dealing with the color shifts and changing light was a challenge.  With full sun we had the typical pool water highlights.  I was delighted at the difference in the feel of the shots when the clouds came out.  We were only shooting in a pool that was 6 feet deep at the far end but with the super soft light, the background in the images appeared to stretch out much farther.  Without the water highlights on the floor of the pool, I could stretch that effect out even more in post processing quite easily.

Also - remember to shake things up.  Shoot from outside the water too. Have the model outside and shoot up through the water.  The possibilities seem limitless.

And now for some of my lessons learned:

• If you are using a new camera or an old camera with a new housing - it pays to practice before you even come close to the water.
• Take a few minutes to get accustomed to shooting under water.  Figure out your ISO and f stops to make sure your images won't be a blurry mess.  Then start to notice your background and reflections.  It took me a lot of trial and error to get my framing correct so I caught those amazing reflections on the surface of the water.
• Remember to give it a second after your model goes under to let the bubbles dissipate.
• Check your camera for water drops on the lens or housing if you start shooting out of the water or you will have random white blobs.
• Sinking to the bottom or floating to the top - just keep shooting!
• There was so much to think about that I thought my head might explode! Taking the occasional break to examine what you've shot and do a little on the spot critique will help to fine tune what you are doing.  It felt like a 500 mile race.  The shots started out a little wacky but I kept making changes until I was getting more consistent results.

Below are some lessons learned from the model's perspective:

• A little goes a long way… there's probably no need to spastically flail around… think slow, steady movement.
• Don't worry about trying to actually swim - you will not succeed… the clothing will drag you around. Instead figure out what the clothing will allow you to do and find a way to work with it.
• Don't forget to pause here and there for the benefit of your photographer.
• Check back frequently with your photographer to find out what's working and what's not.  (Melissa comment - especially if your photographer gets lost in the big picture and instead of giving you instructions just keeps muttering to herself ooooh pretty!)
• Explore with different depths… you might not actually have to drown yourself for a great photo.
• Take occasional breaks to drain ALL the water from your sinuses ;)
• Oh and don't forget ear drops. Those are good for after the shoot to get water out of them ears of yers.
• When underwater, concentrate on softening your expression. Plenty of us squint hard to keep water out of our eyes and noses… try to just let go and think soft.

Suzanne's cat Mr. Noodles did an excellent job
supervising our photo shoot.  I was
precariously balanced on this ledge when he
decided that I was in his way!

Upcoming Exhibition Schedule

Friday June 20, 2014
I will be the featured artist at the Walton and Main Studios for Lexington's Gallery Hop, 5:00 to 8:00pm.  

June 1, 2014 - July 30, 2014
310 Art Gallery, Asheville, NC
An Invitational Exhibition of National Artists working in Encaustic and Cold Wax - I have three pieces in this show.

September 2014
Three person show - "Remnants" at the MS Rezny Studio and Gallery.

March 2015
Solo show at the Fifth Avenue Art Gallery in Melbourne, FL.

Focus!

May 2014
I'm finally posting this delayed snippet to my blog.  It was one of those things I started but never really finished.  I'm tossing it up on the blog though for continuity's sake and to remind me next Winter not to take things so seriously.

*************************************************************
March 2014

One of my Winter projects
ended up being shots of
this poor little mocking bird
who I found passed away on
my front porch during the
coldest week of the year.

I wish my brain had the same automatic focus my camera does.  It's been a struggle all winter to feel like I'm making any meaningful progress in the studio.  I keep making busy work for myself since I can't seem to find my mojo.

One of my artist friends (Leah) called me out of the blue last week and we talked about how each of us was experiencing an over abundance of negative voices right now.  It was a relief to hear someone else say it.  I can only blame this crazy Winter and the odd colds I keep catching.  I've been stuck inside from either the icy roads or the hacking cough for what seems like months now. 

Don't want to go out in the cold?
Fine - shoot in the backyard!

Today I saw my first daffodil bloom in the front yard and it was shocking!  Oh yes - the wheel does turn!  

Maybe now Mother Nature will grudgingly return my higher brain functions to me and I can get on with it.  

I want to move forward but there is no progress without making time to play.  April will be that time!

*************************************************************

Time jump back to May 2014...

I'm happy to report that April and Spring did indeed cure my lack of gumption malaise.  The ideas started flowing, the negative-voice monster was back to more normal proportions, and the work started getting made with a vengeance again.  

I've started shooting at my studio with
it's variety of flooring options.
The model Lauren brought the shoes
and the excellent hot pink tube socks.

Photo shoots in my studio, Florida, and an upcoming trip to Savannah helped me get back on track creatively.  I'm going to try to remember this next Winter when I'm stuck in the house and feeling like nothing is going to ever be right again.  Make a cup of hot tea and quit stewing - Oh the drama!

How many pieces of vintage luggage
can you fit in Teresa's Jeep Wrangler?
More than you'd ever guess!

Anna on location

William and Chris make wonderful minion on a cold photo shoot at the beach.

Once again thanks to my friends and family for not only saying yes so often when I have a hair-brained idea, but pitching in and making it happen...  XXXOOO

Catching Up and a Workshop First

I don't know about the rest of my artist buddies out there, but January has been a frustrating time of wanting to get work done but not having the where with all to make it happen.  The spirit is willing but the mind is fuzzy!

Finally, at the tail end of the month, I have taken a couple steps to break out of the January doldrums.  I reached out to friends to set up a couple photo shoots and worked on projects that only needed busy-type work for completion.

I removed the pressure a tad but starting a fun project with no expectations. Here's a couple of the new book covers:

How come cleaning the studio is much more fun than cleaning at home?  I made huge inroads on tidying up the studio in preparation for giving my very first Beginning Encaustic Photography workshop!  Woo Whoo!  

The clean studio space certainly feels unnatural!  Notice the new light fixture on the workbench.  It took awhile, but I finally figured out where I needed some permanent light available.  I was delighted after working up the courage to drill holes into the new workbench.  The lamp made a huge difference working in the area, especially at night.  It covers the hot wax area and some of the other horizontal space of the work table.  For the rest of the space, right now I'm dragging around an old tripod and a clamp lamp.  Whatever works right?

Students Libbie and Melissa were very gentle with me while I figured out my pacing and which projects were better off left for a later workshop...

Unlike my usual modus operandi, I took very few pictures since I was busy teaching.  It was definitely strange but enjoyable to be on the other side of the workshop experience.  

I was happy to see that there was some beautiful work produced over the weekend!

Adventures in Asheville

Last week I was in Asheville spending time with my talented and incredibly organized friend Erin Keane.  It was a mixed purpose trip designed all around art.  Oh joyous day!

Erin graciously modeled for me in the muddy woods, we had a photo walk in the River Arts District, and I got to take her innovative encaustic + bookmaking workshop.  





On the first day of Erin's 2-day workshop, fellow classmates Jacque Allen, Laurey Masterton, and I prepped wood boards, made image transfers, and finished up with some encaustic medium.

Jacque achieved some beautiful color on her pieces using the pastels combined with encaustic medium.

You know it's a serious workshop when the power tools come out... Notice Laurey's awesome knit beehive cap.  On the second day of the workshop, we drilled holes in our covers, hand tore pages for our books, and learned how to use the coptic stitch to bind them all together.

Erin had quite the selection when it came time to choose our thread to bind our books.

Here are the three books I created during the workshop. Although its definitely going to take some practice, this is a skill I would like to take the time to perfect. It turns out, a book with an encaustic cover is a delight to the senses. It is visually interesting, you can smell that lovely beeswax scent, plus it is a piece of art that the viewer will feel encouraged to touch.  

Thanks Erin for such a lovely art filled week and for being so generous with your time and knowledge!

Location, location, location

There is happy news to report!  I now have studio space in downtown Lexington!  

Here are some before shots:

Truth in advertising time - It's not as big as it looks in the photos due to the super wide angle lens I was using to get the whole room in the shot.  This will be an interesting experiment on just how creatively organized I can be.  The ideas are already pouring in and I'm sure as I start working in the space, other ideas will present themselves.

I knew the first thing I wanted to do was paint those walls but I love the creaky argyle floor!  

My parental units graciously came to help with the installation of my solo show at the MS Rezny Gallery and then stayed to begin the process of sprucing up the studio space.   

My Dad thinking dark thoughts about the light fixture I bought...

Success!

Luckily my father is a patient man.  The new light fixture I got to replace the chandelier fought it's installation every step of the way.  I was so glad that two people could climb my ladder at once because it took at least 3 hands to get this crazy thing up on the ceiling. 

So here's what the new studio space looks like so far.  I have a ton more supplies to bring up.  This is probably the neatest it will ever be!  I can't wait to get in there and start making a mess.