» wax

residency day 3

shans — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 08:07:48 +0000

After some deliberation, I decided to put waxed book pages into the elongated seed pod shape I had begun working on yesterday. I curled them, dipped them in wax and then set them into place. This piece was hard to photograph in full, but hopefully the images give some indication on the size of the work.

in the studio

shans — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 06:47:49 +0000

I have been coming back to this series “By Its Cover” and as it stands now, the end is definitely not in sight. Too much inspiration and experimenting in this series to stop just yet! I am reworking some earlier pieces and will show progress on those in a later post, but for now I thought I’d show a new piece I started at a retreat in Texas recently, and just completed yesterday. :)

augenschmaus

shans — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 06:14:17 +0000

As part of my weekly schedule, I spend at least a couple of hours researching contemporary artists and engaging with their work and letting their creativity fuel my own. For me, (currently knee deep in grad school papers and projects) I rely on this time of augenschmaus to not only keep me inspired, but to keep from going stir crazy!

I am currently enjoying the works of encaustic installation and sculpture artists: Beth Dary and Deborah Kapoor.

BETH DARY

Beth’s work is playful and light, and reminds me (almost literally with this installation) of the spontaneity of a child running and blowing bubbles. Her use of ordinary materials like pins, linen, steel wire, wax, etc is both simple and complex at the same time.

DEBORAH KAPOOR

I am mostly drawn to Deborah’s sculpture work. She uses encaustic as her medium and like many of us artists, incorporates a whole host of other materials to create any single piece. I am drawn to her careful but expressive use of spiritual themes. In her artist statement she writes: “I choose this material for its ability to express the emotional range from frailty to strength, as we are capable of experiencing the gamut.”

playing catch up

shans — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 23:28:11 +0000

I was away for 6 days at a conference / traveling last week and feel like I’m playing catch up!

2 biggest updates:

1) I helped my friend Phaedra, teach an encaustic workshop at the conference. I absolutely love teaching others about encaustics and this was a real treat to be a part of! People came into the studio late in the evenings to continue working on their pieces. That’s always a good sign. ;)

2) my art is now hanging in a coffee shop in White Rock, BC (outside of Vancouver) along with 4 other amazingly talented artists. Here are the details of the opening night next Saturday and a collage of some of the work. If you’re in the area, we’d love to have you stop in for some coffee + art + live music!

Art of Being Together

shans — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 00:25:28 +0000

My work “Rootedness” (pictured above) has been chosen as a finalist for the L’Arche juried show “The Art of Being Together.” If you are in the Vancouver area, the opening will be next Saturday, March 6th from 1-5 pm. More details can be found here. The piece is also eligible for Judges Choice and People’s Choice awards, so come out to the event if you can!

in the studio today

shans — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 07:38:37 +0000

I went back at it today to wrap up this piece by adding a dried hydrangea and a few extra layers of wax. (The images aren’t the best, so I’ll take more later, but I wanted to get these up right away!) Here’s the result of “By Its Cover” #4:

And I managed to crank out another one (Number 5). I was on a roll and forgot to take pictures of it in progress, but here’s the end result:

For this piece, I kept going with the landscape concept by cutting up a green book entitled “Creation Revealed,” and curled book pages creating the soil.

And I made some finishing tweaks to Number 3. Here’s the result:

This series has been really fun to work on and has pushed me to be more sculptural in my work. I’m taking a break from the studio this weekend, but hope to make more progress next week…

in the studio today

shans — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 02:53:35 +0000

For the last two days, I’ve been fighting a cold. It’s the first time since coming to Vancouver that I’ve gotten a cold– I blame it on the weather going from see-my-own-breath cold to I-can-wear-flip-flops warm.

Regardless, I knew if I wanted to make the most of my break from classes, I had better get in the studio some today!

This piece will be number 4 in the “By Its Cover” series *when it’s finished.* In the last few days, I’ve decided to experiment with different frames. The idea occurred to me that using meaningful objects (that have been recycled) would not only be a cheap option, but also add to the overall concept of each piece.

Here’s the process (and result) of this piece so far:

A trusty green vintage suitcase ($1 at a local thrift store), and a lot of tools to try to separate the top from the bottom.

When I had the top and bottom halves separated, I began to tear out the old fabric that was lining the suitcase.

Next, I gathered up some old books (also thrift store finds), tore off their covers to reveal ragged, natural tan and brown colored spines. Knowing the depth of the suitcase they’d go in, I then began cutting each book down to size with a ruler and an xacto knife.

This is a common sighting in my studio: tons and tons of torn book pages. Materials for a future piece, perhaps?

Next, I set the cut books into place to create an earth-y landscape.

Next, I carefully poured hot wax into the suitcase. I titled the suitcase to ensure that the wax was trickling down through the “landscape” (book spines). I did this several times – fusing between layers – to be sure the books were staying in place.

Here’s the piece so far. Tomorrow, I’ll pour more layers of wax in, add a “tree” (another dried hyndrangea?), and brainstorm how to secure wire to the back so the piece can hang.

But for now, I think I’m going to try to find some chicken-noodle-soup and 7 up and watch the Olympics!

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.

some augenschmaus

shans — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 18:46:07 +0000

Here are some pieces of art that I can’t take my eyes off.

I am stewing on these – both conceptually and visually – as I prepare to get back into the studio this weekend and begin some new pieces. Nothing like some augenschmaus to inspire and motivate!

Inside Out

Jacqueline Rush Lee

Breathing Into

Daniella Woolf

Tenderness Held

Cari Hernandez

Don’t Have One of Your Fits

Judith Kindler

January 23

shans — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 05:58:56 +0000

If you’re in the Vancouver, BC area – come out and join us at Mainly Sweet Cafe!