Encaustic Conference

Just finished teaching a wonderful 2-day workshop on Photography and Encaustic at Castle Hill Center for the Arts in Truro, Mass.

I have been in Provincetown, MA for the last week attending the 5^th International Encaustic Conference, and it has been an incredible experience! The whole event makes me aware of the many talented and wonderful artists embrace this medium… 

I am so happy to be part of this group!..

here are a few images and will be posting more…

 The Moors

Province Lands

Cake presented to Director Joanne Mattera for her incredible vision and work

She was totally surprised and really touched!

Joanne Mattera and Jane Allen Nodine

To top it off, we held a drum circle last night to celebrate.

Almost forgot!

This was a good write up in the local paper:
http://www.provincetown.com/fine_provincetown_art_craft/gallery_dealer_photo/_/18474/

Notes from Land's End: Going Global, Provincetown Style: By Laura Shabott June 6th, 2011

Artists from 35 U.S. States and 6 countries (Brazil, Spain, UK, Canada, Mexico, and New Zealand) gathered at the Provincetown Inn this past weekend to immerse themselves in the medium of encaustic wax. Joanne Mattera, Founder and Director of The Encaustic Conference, says, “Having this festival in collaboration with Castle Hill is a match made in heaven.” Provincetown opens it arms world-wide and says, “Come stay, work, create and play.”
  Kobalt Gallery Curator Francine D’ Olimpio selected works that encompassed a wide range of composition and content. One standout is “Bee Habitat” by Venezuelan Elena De La Ville, a piece using fabric, rust and beeswax. “The sculptural form even attracts bees”, said the artist/bee-keeper. "Over 120 participants are also attending post conference workshops at Castle Hill", says Cherie Mittenthal, their Executive Director. “Joanne and I worked very hard to make this the most exciting conference ever.” Brava, ladies.

Stories embedded in Wax

De La Ville, Torso, Feathers,  2011

 Narrative in Wax

Wax can be used as glue, as a transparent layer and also as a mask. I will introduce the work of several contemporary artists that use Narrative Collage as expression, focusing on the story-telling element in their work. 

Join me for my talk at the 5th International Encaustic Conference on Sunday June 5th at 3 pm.

Encaustic Conference

Just finished a 1-day brush up workshop for 3 students, last one before I head up north. We had fun, they produced very interesting work and wanted to come again tomorrow ;>0)

I am getting ready for my trip to Boston and Cape Cod for the 5th Encaustic Conference. It is this time of the year again!

I am a presenter and will be giving a talk on Narrative in Wax on Sunday at 3 pm. I will also be teaching a post conference workshop on Photography and Encaustic on Tuesday and Wednesday, June 7th and 8th, at Castle Hill Center for the Arts.

 

My work has been selected Beeline show at the Kobalt Gallery in Provincetown. It opens on June 3rd and coincides with the encaustic conference.

Spring in Florida

In my painting studio I have been working in a new direction that  involves steel, fabric and raw comb wax made into “Cocoons”  that will be hung in close proximity to my hives in Old Myakka.  These will become living habitats for my bees and I will document the process via photography and video. They will then be exhibited, (part 2) as bee-modified habitats.

Each piece hangs from a wire and moves and turns slowly in the air. It is a motion and time continuum.

 

Open Studio

My new gallery is almost ready.

 I want to invite you to share the beginning of

The Gallery@ Bay Road!!!

I am holding my first open studio evening this Saturday from 5 to 8 pm. Please drop by before, after or during your evening events and feel free to invite your interested friends.

I will have art in my gallery, in the upstairs studio and in the courtyard facing the water with a fantastic sunset and welcoming courtyard. Not to mention the exiting new and older pieces in encaustic, birch, metal and paper.

I have both original, small works and prints available.

 

I need to make space for the next series of work!

If you cannot make it on Saturday, my gallery will be open by appointment.

Please come by! 

Conference, workshops and new venture!

I have been gearing up for the best encaustic conference ever in the world: The 5th International Encaustic Conference in early June. Artists from around the globe will be descending on Cape Cod for a week of learning, reconnecting and sharing our passion for the medium.

Joanne Mattera and Cherie Mittenthal, Executive Director at Truro Center for the Arts at Castle Hill, have joined forces to hold this important event in the contemporary art world:

From the website

http://encausticconference.blogspot.com/

I will be presenting a talk on Sunday, June 5, from 3:00—4:00: 
Narratives in the Wax: in which I will show and discuss the work of several artists who use storytelling and narrative as an integral part of their work.

I will also be teaching a 2-day workshop:
Photo and Encaustic,
June 7 & 8, Tuesday & Wednesday
9 – 4 pm
2 Sessions at Castle Hill

“This is an opportunity to study with a master of mixed media who incorporates photography into her own work. In this workshop you will learn how to incorporate photographs into encaustic paintings and to transfer photographic images onto a wax surface. You will learn mounting techniques to secure paper substrates or photographs, textural techniques such as stencils, and surface techniques such as encaustic pouring. Proper tools and safety procedures will be discussed.”

 Thank you who have enrolled and I am looking forward to meeting all of you!

Also: Ongoing small and private encaustic workshops are held in my Sarasota studio:

Next dates:
Feb 17 and 18
March: 17 and 18
April:  21 and 22
Email me if interested.

In my spare time,  ))…I have also started a new venture: Recycled Relics, in conjunction with Pat Gormley, we proudly transform discarded material into contemporary, unique and functional wearable art.

We create functional pieces and accessories made of recycled inner tubes, bottle caps, copper, silver and steel, sewn into belts, bags, clothing and body adornments. The forged steel buckles and clasps are made from repurposed found materials.

We forge, we sew, we design and create each individual piece.

visit us at:
http://recycledreclics.blogspot.com/

Working on the marketing aspects of it now…
so many things, so much fun!

Miami news

Just came back from the Miami Art Fairs… What a treat.!!!
Great art, artists, good friends and lots of energy,  Cortaditos and empanadas…
I met with people that I had not seen in over 30 years and made some incredible new friends.
Visited with one of my favorite artists that I have been following for a number of years : Evelyn Valdirio. Her work is luminous, (oils and resin, sometimes) , political and fascinating to look at..

http://www.evelynvaldirio.com/html/english.html
Take a look


Some images of the trip:
Wonderful found surfaces:

Wonderful instalation at the Rubell Collection:

And.. one of the best signs I encountered:

I will be at the Art Center Sarasota sale on Saturday 11th with new art pieces and a new fun line of forged
metals buckles and rubber belts.. Come by!

ENCAUSTIC SHOW

If you are near Lexington, Virginia... 

come and see this show! 

The invite:

curated by Christine Rooney...

I HAVE MOVED! 

Beautiful waterfront studio in Sarasota.

 Here is a small glimpse from my window:

 And, of course: the ever present sunsets!

New workshops coming up:

Art Center Sarasota: Beeswax Collage on Dec 13th.

Ongoing private workshops, every Thursday...

... email me if interested

Life as Art= Art & LIfe

Being an artist is really about being in the moment.
How many times have we encountered blocks and have turned 

them into possibilities???

My trip to Penland School of Crafts, Asheville and the NC mountains was 

an eye-opening and expansive time: art, creativity, beauty.

Full of thoughts and planning; 

Forged metals, photography, daguerreotypes, beautiful mountains 

and incredible people!

Thank you!

Too much fun this summer...

Riding, paddling and waiting for family... 

On the way to Tampa for Art Show

New pieces in the making:

Fabric, Steel and wax!

And another view:

At the farm we have over 20 new chicks!!! Yikes!

The horses are back!

Encaustic Artist at the Hermitage Artist Retreat

TheFlorida Gulf at Sunset

Taken from the Hermitage website

Yesterday, I had the wonderful opportunity to meet up with artist and Hermitage Fellow, Barbara Ellman. She is here in beautiful Manasota key for her final days of residency at the Hermitage Artist retreat, just south of Sarasota.

I was invited by friend and artist Elizabeth Van Riper to meet Barbara, who also works in Encaustic. She has produced an extensive body of work which include many Public Art projects in NY. We had dinner with Barbara and Mimi Herman, a writer who is also in residency at the Hermitage.

We had a wonderful time talking and sharing stories and getting to know one another as we enjoyed the views and sounds of the Florida Gulf sunset from the outside deck.

We had an incredible treat of a reading of poems by Mimi as we enjoyed our dessert and then a visit to Barbara’s studio to see her latest work. It is so much fun to meet fellow encaustic artists and talk shop!

Thank you all for a memorable and inspiring evening.

Barbara Ellman

Barbara and Elizabeth Van Riper

New piece influenced by the glorious Florida light and color.

Works in progress.

April news/ End of semester

 

FULL MOON OVER MYAKKA

The semester is drawing to an end.
I have had an incredible teaching experience teaching Darkroom technique and alternative processes. 

I am so proud of my students! We have gone from developing B&W film to fine art printing and toning.

I am part of the WILD MYAKKA Show, a gathering of wonderful Florida artists still on view at the 

Art Center Sarasota. These are 2 of my sold pieces.

MYAKKA LONGWING

ONE OF MY PIECES FOR THE WILD MYAKKA SHOW

PHOTOGRAPHY/TRANSFER/WAX
 

 

RIVER OTTERS

PHOTOGRAPHY/ENCAUSTIC/TRANSFER/WAX

I will be traveling to Martha’s Vineyard where I will be teaching a Beeswax Collage Workshop at Featherstone and then on to one of my favorite places...

the 4th Annual Encaustic Conference @ 

Montserrat College of Art in Beverly, MA

 

Back in the darkroom and loving it!

There is a mystery and a sense of awe every time I work on a silver gelatin print.
Playing with cyanotypes, fabric and wax! 

Images of the week

Life keeps on changing in positive ways....

Life is full..

I am enjoying teaching and creating art.
My 1st year photo students are going into the darkroom for the 1st time and it still amazes me  ( and them!) to watch the power of a black tone coming out of a totally white surface.
Blows everybody’s mind.
Photography does mean: painting with light!

I am working on several shows coming up. Will let you know very soon.

Here are some images from of my week:

Barack: the main man

Red...Next in command

 

Paddling at the Rye Preserve

 

Chief and friends

 

CD Cover

Photo/Encaustic

Camille and Anais in  Trentino, Italy.