» wax painting

in the studio today

shans — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 05:21:32 +0000

This is new piece I worked on all day today in the studio. I attempted to create a pseudo-landscape by using book covers and threaded spines as the land, and a dried hydrangea (resembling a tree) growing out from it.

While I’m content with this piece for now, I hope to push this concept further in future pieces. For now, though – here’s “By It’s Cover” Number 3.

New Year, new aesthetic

shans — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 03:29:32 +0000

2010 looks to be a promising year of growth, artistically. Judging by the work I produced in the last 2 weeks, my work seems to be heading in a more sculptural direction, and my aesthetic is changing into a more simplified, organic color palette with stylized ink drawings, layered translucent dress patterns, pantyhose and book pages. Here’s a little collage of some elements of my newer pieces. (To see my new work, please visit my portfolio site.)

second opening for “In the Making” show

shans — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 22:36:53 +0000

This Sunday evening, the Vancouver Project II show “In The Making” will have its second opening at First Baptist Church here in Vancouver. If you are in the area, I’d recommend coming at 7 pm this Sunday. There will be a “Celtic Christmas” concert, with an art reception afterwards. For more about the work and to read about the first opening, you can visit a previous blog post here.

Here are some images (I promised ages ago) from the first opening at Regent College.

illuminated manuscript

shans — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 19:12:19 +0000

So I’ve been dreaming and planning a new body of work for several months now. I had this week off (from grad school) so I decided it was a good time to be in the studio to put my ideas into motion.

Illuminated Manuscript

beeswax, rulers, rope light, chicken wire, black ink, text and nylon

10 x 36 x 3″

I don’t quite yet have an artist statement hammered out for this, but I’ll walk you through a bit of my process (and my head for that matter).

Although conceptually this piece is much broader than Ezekiel’s calling, it was originally inspired by this passage:

Then he said to me, “Son of man, eat this scroll I am giving you and fill your stomach with it.” So I ate it, and it tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth. Ezekiel 3:3

full head and happy heart

shans — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 19:57:32 +0000

I just got back from a conference entirely on encaustic painting. It was a whirlwind: 36 hours spent in the car with my best friend in the world (other than my husband of course) – Kathryn, and hours and hours and hours of wax madness. Needless to say, for many reasons, my head is full and my heart is happy.

A few pictures I wanted to share right away from the trip:

And something to whet your appetite. Waxy art that is very similar to an upcoming project I’m dreaming up of illuminated seed pods: artist Lori Fredette

and a video to warm your soul: (a new favorite)