intro to encaustic workshop-3/7

feel like doing something different this saturday? why don't you come try encaustic painting at silver- mine arts center from 10:00-3:00 and get those creative juices flowing. this is a great opportunity to see if this ancient painting medium that is growing in popularity is right for you. or if you have already taken the intro workshop and would like to just have studio time that's fine too. the school at silvermine can be reached at 203-966-6668.

infinity, encaustic on watercolor paper

collage

in its most basic form collage is the technique in which different, unrelated bits and pieces of paper, fabric, found objects, etc. are glued together to create a new, complete picture. i will be teaching an encaustic collage workshop at silvermine arts center on saturday, february 21 from 10:00-3:00. combining encaustic with collage opens up all kinds of new possibilities because we are using the clear medium as glue. since this process involves layering, using lightweight papers (such as colored tissue papers) that  will become transparent in the medium,  depth and other effects are created that are not easily achieved when just using glue. below is a sample of mine that combines collage with transfers. if interested in this one day workshop please contact silvermine arts center.

33 Artists in 3 Acts

if you have any time to read over the holidays or are looking for a book about art as a gift you might want to check out "33 artists in 3 acts" by sarah thornton.  thornton is also the author of the best selling "seven days in the art world". she seems to know everyone and really gets around. this new book is divided into three sections with fairly short narratives on a number of different artists and their art. the only artist that has used encaustic in his work is francis alys although i think this is mostly in mixed media collage type creations. one of the questions thornton  likes to ask each artist is "what is an artist?" and like in any mix of people some artists are more eloquent than others.  their words might encourage you to think of your own creative process and what it means to you and others.

best wishes for the new year, keep on creating!

results & jackson labs installation

so did the painting  "flag" by jasper johns  go beyond the estimate? yes it did-$36,000,000.00.
what can you say- just amazing.
     fyi-just several photos (courtesy of g. feller photography) of my paintings collected by the new jackson laboratory for genomic medicine.

jasper johns- flag (cont)

this is your last chance-sotheby's  contemporary art evening auction is on tonight, 6:30 in nyc-just in case you wanted to bid on this iconic painting by an american master. for those of you who paint with encaustic here is a good closeup of the painting showing the brush strokes and the one other fact that i learned is that the painting was actually done on a silk flag. being a small painting it may not set any records but you never know what might happen in the art world.

detail from flag, jasper johns, courtesy sotheby's

jasper johns-salute

in his late 80's jasper johns continues his creative journey that began in the 1950's-may we all be so lucky. on 11/11 sotheby's will auction one of his iconic american flag paintings from 1983. the encaustic painting is approximately 12" x 18" and quoting  a sotheby's spokesperson "the surface is so rich you just can't help but want to touch it." as encaustic artists many of know this reaction to the unique qualities of the surface and that is why we, in part, choose it.
the estimate for flag, 1983 is $15,000,000.00-$20,000,000.00. so rich is right!

introduction to encaustic on 9/6

come and join us at silvermine school of art for my one day workshop and learn all the basics of encaustic painting. 10:00 - 3:00, small class for individual attention and time to work hands-on. for further info go to  www.silvermineart.org or call 203-966-6668, ext.2