Art and Urgency

I am really feeling the crush these days. My hands are half numb, and I have soooo many projects to do!!
My wonderful soulmate, that man is the very best art supply that I could have. He stretches canvas. He makes frames for my work. He tirelessly and painstakingly supports me with all that he can.
He's built me an 8' easel. It is huge and will hold a canvas/panel up to 12' x 12'.
You should see the neighbors faces when we broke that out! They couldn't decide what was going on. I'm sure I saw a couple of the older Latinas cross themselves.
I've got one project that is getting finished tomorrow. Maybe tonight. Depends on how I feel. I feel, these days, that I haven't much time, and I have art projects beating on the doors of my mind. Each one is selfish and sure that it is more important than the other thoughts beating at the mind's door.
Sometimes, these images make it very difficult to sleep.
When that happens, it's best to just get up, and do what I have to to get that image happy enough to let me go back to bed.
I know that these are my thoughts, my ideas and my concepts, but many times, it feels as they have a life and a mind, of their own.
I'm just the messenger, sometimes. ;]

The travelling Artist

I had a great trip to Louisiana! LSU is a lovely campus; I think I'm going to do my Master's there. I also think that this little artist is probably going to move there.
The people were wonderful, the food was delish, and I have to say, I felt like it was home!
The lecture I gave went over well; all of the students as well as the profs, were engaged and asked plenty of questions!! It ran over time, and had to be cut short. I consider that a triumph, as well as the students that asked questions afterwards.
Baton Rouge is absolutely beautiful. I think that Louisiana as a whole, is just gorgeous. I'm hooked!
I think that most interesting part was how many of these people looked like me, prominent cheekbones, squarish face, curly dark hair and many with light eyes. I had an old woman welcome me home. She said she could see Louisiana in my face. I could see Louisiana all around me on the faces of the people.
Awesome!!

New Projects

I've been working on a new series of mosaics. They are going to be heads, but I want them to be clear, so I'm not limited on the art glass that I can use.

I need 'em hollow so I can mount the LED's. Therefore, that sexy beast I married is going to build me a rotational resin casting machine. I love that man!!

An hour in front of YouTube and he's got it. He hasn't failed me yet! That man can take a video, get the idea, and figure out an improvement whilst assembling the materials! I am one lucky cookie.

Futhermore, he works for love, affection and chocolate. No problem, I can supply all of those needs. *grin*

The first step was finding the proper form for the liquid latex rubber mold material. Then I used a paper mache-plaster mix to make the rigid form to set the latex mold in.
Done.
Then, with that completed, both halves of the mold were put together, with an inside overlap of latex rubber. Since these are going to be covered with art glass, a seam is not an issue. But I think that I'm going to be doing a few cast resin body casts. I have some visions that have come to me...

So, tomorrow, it's the materials for the rotational caster.
Then it's the cast. Will post pics tomorrow of what I have now.

I did have a happy accident, though. My first thought for the rigid mold was an air dry clay. Well, I put too much water in it. It cracked on the form, but in such fantastic ways!!
Now that has become a project. It's looking pretty cool. Tomorrow is going to be busy. I also have to make some more encaustic medium in order to finish that project!
It's going to be a mixed media piece. I've gotten wax. some fantastic art paper from I don't remember where, but I'm thinking Japan, encaustic, and I'm thinking some photo transfer.

Also, I have to report on my trip to LSU. But that deserves a whole new post of it's own, cause I have some fantastic stuff to share!!

The top is the inside with Gamblin's traditional gesso, and the bottom is the head covered in that lovely paper afixed to the head with PVA size. I have to take more images, but the cracks are sutured with copper. At least as suture like as one can get that copper wire to go!

The next ten years

It is my hope, my wish, that we can recover our compassion, recover from the trauma that was inflicted on our nation. That we can look at one another and see fellow Americans, instead of Muslims, or Christian or Jewish or Pagan.
It is my dream that we, as a species, can learn to heal and to move on. Not to forget, for that is not possible, to forgive and move on, for ourselves.

New Work, Corporate Commission

The Phoenix Rising  encaustic on poplar panels

 This piece is done! It was an adventure, working on a piece as large as this one, in encaustic.
I modified an office chair and it worked perfectly!

These other images are closeups of the new art supply I've been working with. It's a proprietary formula, and so my lips, they are SEALED!!
This particular piece is for the Phoenix Brite corporation. They are a financial sort of place. Not my area, I'm just the artist...
;]

I love encaustic, I really do! This piece came out really well, better than I had expected. I think the shellac burned in really gives it a hot appearance. Nice! Fun to work with, and it can give such a fantastic webwork to the images texture.

WIP Middle Panel

This is the largest encaustic I've ever done. 48" x 24" for this center panel.

Here it is and boy, this was a beast to do!

This one is a corporate commission, and it has been a challenge, but I am pleased with the way it's coming along.

Commission in Progress

This is the largest encaustic I've ever done. Three panels totalling 48" x 48" meant to be spaced out.

I have the center panel pretty much done. The picture is the cartoon that went on the panel.

Will post images when it's done!