Bath House Reception

Yesterday morning I spent on trash duty, hiking and cleaning up debris at Spring Creek. There were about twelve of us, some with dogs. Both my dogs came along and had a big time since it was a combination of hiking and swimming for them. We were all tired at the end of the afternoon and I fell asleep on the couch and woke up just in time to get to the reception.

Big crowd at the Bath House last night for the opening reception of Some Like It Hot, an exhibit of encaustic artworks by my local group, Texas WAX/Dallas. There's a concurrent show, also quite good, of women printmakers.

I bought a number of plastic containers with the idea of testing them out as molds for cast resin. I haven't perfected my process and it makes me crazy. Especially when I continue to design installations including cast elements. I'll be pouring samples today to determine what works and what doesn't. I'm not looking forward to it since it's a toxic and messy process. Oh well.

Living on the Edge

REMINDER: Texas WAX reception tonight at CAMP, 2631 Commerce, Suite B, Dallas, TX, 6:00 - 8:00 TONIGHT

When I started this art career some ten years ago I knew that I was taking a big chance, and my income would be undependable, to say the least. That has proven true. What I wouldn't have guessed back then is how valuable good relationships are, and how important it is to align yourself with like-minded people. That truly is the secret to my success.

Technology has changed everything in ten years, including the commercial art business. Where once I would have to paint originals to submit as design concepts, now I spend time on my Cintiq monitor, painting on the screen creating digital images for approval. Now, I don't actually paint anything until I have a purchase order. A trend that has influenced this way of working is the popularity of photography in public spaces. More and more I am asked for photography instead of paintings. And sometimes I do mixed media pieces which incorporate both.

Yesterday I got a request for providing photo files to be digitally printed on wallpaper! That's a new one for me, and requires another new pricing strategy.

As detached as I have gotten from hands-on artwork, I was jolted back yesterday when I attended a lecture of ten artists working in encaustic, including Joanne Mattera, at ArtSpace, running during the CAA conference in downtown Dallas. The sincere thought processes that are the catalyst for creating meaningful artwork were shared by these artists who came to describe their personal visions -- the meaning behind the work. These were all artists using the encaustic medium, but were loath to describe themselves as encaustic artists, preferring not be be labeled. For most, the medium provides them the technical properties they needed in order to tell their story. It was a long afternoon of slideshows in a darkened room, but it fed my creative soul, and reawakened the passion for my work.

Once again I was reminded of the importance (on so many levels) of keeping company with like-minded people.

Inspiration of the Day: relationships

Reading Things Wrong

I made a mistake. Joanne Mattera will not be at the meeting of the Texas WAX group today. She has promised, however, to stop by our exhibition next Friday night at CAMP, 2631 Commerce St. Suite B, Dallas, TX 75226, from 6-8. Come see the show of Texas WAX artists!

I'm up to my creative eyeballs in work. This is the cerebral part, not hands-on, but brain-on. Have two new local projects looking for art. One is a project I've already got the PO for, and it's all design work, for a 3d installation piece with almost 30 components. That's the kind of project I stress over, because I am doing all the design, in multiple mediums, and have to arrange each piece to coordinate with every other element. Things like this always make me crazy, but it's so satisfying when it's all done and on the wall.

And resin is haunting me again, in the project I just mentioned, and also another one. There are fifteen pieces of cast resin, and they want a cleat embedded in the back for hanging. Yikes, have to do a sample to see if the two plastics are compatible.

Who would have ever thought that being an "artist" could be so demanding. Jeez! (I love it!)

Missing the Forest for the Trees

Sometimes I get so busy I completely forget what I'm doing. Case in point, did you know that I joined a brand new group of encaustic artists here in North Texas? I missed the first meeting, and Saturday is the second meeting. There's also a photography convention on Saturday and I had signed up for an all day workshop on enhancing photos using Photoshop and Painter. When Deanna Wood, founder of our new wax group announced that guru encaustic artist and author Joanne Mattera would be here for our meeting I promptly canceled my computer class.

One of my goals has long been to get more involved in my local art community and this is a great way to get started. Texas WAX (including me) will be holding an exhibition next week in collaboration with the weekend meetings of CAA and Women's Caucus for Art. My friend Cheryl McClure will also be showing. It will be nice to see her, too. We last met up when Nita Leland was in town for a workshop. The three of us had dinner.

I've been printing most of the day. I will be SO glad to deliver these huge prints (4' x 5') on Monday. That gives me the weekend for the ink to cure and three coats of varnish.

Lost out on a project this week, but it was so fast I barely noticed. I think it was a 5 day turnaround between the day I submitted concepts to today when I found out we lost. That's amazing in a world where I have submitted for projects that are under construction and won't even be completed until next year! Historically the hotel business has a long lead time. Unless somebody messed up and there's an art emergency. I've certainly benefited by that a few times.

Got another hit of that "is this my destiny" question when I found out that a new project is a local Embassy Suites. If it's the one on Stemmons, that would be too coincidental, since I did stained glass ceilings for that hotel in the early eighties. And I didn't even live here then. I really must be in my groove. Those years as a commercial real estate paralegal and contract administrator were just a side path that brought me right back here. Funny world.

Entering Shows

Considering the nice comments I received about Blue Forest (which you can see in its final form here), I have decided to enter it in the Texas Visual Artists Association exhibition "Works on Paper". I thought it was appropriate since it's painted on a tissue paper background.

I don't usually enter shows, I've done only two or three in my whole career, but things are changing and I have to start somewhere.


While I'm at it, I will be entering the the International Encaustic Artists juried exhibition with "Itch", pictured here.

Ugh. I haven't been taking my thyroid medication, and today have a serious reminder. I did drag myself to the gym this morning, and that usually gets me started, but it didn't work today. I just want to lie down and take a nice nap - which is totally out of character for me.

Back to Business

Lattice 1, acrylic on canvas, 25 x 28

I must have had jet lag yesterday - because today it's back to business. I started a new painting last night, and have finished it today. I already had the canvas ready, or I couldn't have finished this fast. The painting is abstract, and based partially on one of the Generations series I did in Santa Fe.

At this point in my career I feel free to experiment, and am not so attached to how the paintings are received in the marketplace. For instance, I know that the color palette I have used in this painting is not popular right now. Regardless, it was right for me.

I had a call from a long-time client in Denver. Amazingly, every time she has called me over the years, I have been in Santa Fe, and this time was no exception. I'm going through what little inventory I have and will send her what I can.

Had another call yesterday from a client I haven't heard from in almost a year. A hotel project that I did spec pieces for has come through for the room art. I have two pieces, and got to bill for royalties yesterday. Free money!

Encaustic Paints

Look what came in the mail while I was gone! A small expensive box of encaustic paint and mediums. Yum! Can't wait to get started with them.

So even though I'm not busy with orders, I still have a lot going on.