Review: Daniella Woolf

Unbelievable! The cover of a magazine jumped out at me today. My encaustic teacher Daniella Woolf from a workshop I took about a month ago at R and F Paints is featured as the cover artist in Cloth Paper Scissors magazine, a publication for collage, mixed media, and artistic discovery.

Way to go Daniella! So excited for you. I want to work with you again, soon!

Suzanne Gibbs, 2012. Pick Up Stix. Encaustic.

I started the above art work when I was in class with Daniella. Since then I submitted it to Studio Visit Magazine and it was juried in by Jonathan Greene for publication this winter.

I cannot thank Daniella enough for her  teaching and encouragment. With her help I have brought my work to a new level.

In the artist profile article in Cloth Paper Scissors, Barbara Delaney writes that Daniella Woolf uses her own unique combination of artists techniques to keep herself focused and grounded to making not only more work but coherant work. I'd like to share with you the three tips that jumped out at me from the article:

1. Morning Pages
2. Containers 
3. Ideas flow from a bigger force.

Morning pages was an idea coined by Julia Cameron. For the past 18 years or so, beginning with a workshop I took in Eugene, OR, I too have found myself working back and forth between using the morning pages technique and abandoning it. Often, it is most helpful when I am feeling stuck.

The containers idea, while not new, is becoming increasingly important to me as I develop my practice while earning my MFA at CGU. I have been making art for the past 30+ years, more if I count my childhood. I am off and on again with my production. I am beginning to realize that I have often dropped away from my creative work when I loose sight of containing the ideas that flow through me. I LOVE the containers idea!

Basically, containers means setting parameters BEFORE beginning a series of work. I would like to attend a workshop on this idea alone. Instead, I will try to channel Daniella and remember that I can produce a more cohearant body of work by roping in some part of my practice. The container could be the materials, the size of the work, the colors I use, or any other parameter that feels appropriate. If you, dear reader, have any ideas on this topic, please share.

Finally–the work comes from forces larger than ourselves. The larger force is different for everyone, but many would agree that it is out there. Thanks for reading and most of all Daniella, congratulations and thank you for your awesome work!

Lecture Notes: Pattern Painting

I was in a lecture recently that discussed Pattern Painting. It is important to me because I use patterns and grids to create my paintings. According to this lecture, Pattern Painting is the opposite of Abstract Expressionist, or said another way: Post Painterly Expressionist. Post-painterly Abstraction is a term created by Clement Greenberg.

Suzanne Gibbs, 2011.

Pattern Painting in itself is not an art movement. Yet many artists use patterns in their work or use patterns as their work. Saying pattern painting is the opposite of abstract expressionist is true and relevant in an art historical lecture, but not as relevant when viewing artwork as influence. A short list of painters to look at in the genre of pattern painting are:

Agnes Martin–gorgeous lines on a neutral background

Suzanne Gibbs, 2012. String, acrylic gel on canvas. Influenced by Agnes Martin work.

Bridget Riley–graphic alteration of perspective on a flat space in black and white

Karl Benjamin–he has the most awesome command of color

Tim Bavington–making music in color

Carl Fudge–super patterny (made up word)

Philip Taaffe–complex all over patterns often made with stencils

Suzanne Gibbs, 2012. a detail of some stencil work I've done influenced by Philip Taaffe

Jackson Pollock–all over drip paintings (a strange and fun Pollock website)

Jasper Johns–his motto: do something that friends aren't doing

Suzanne Gibbs, 2012. Detail of XO. Encaustic, paper, ink and house paint on paper. Influenced by Jasper Johns.

Robert Motherwell–bold black marks on white

Willem De Kooning–bold expressive mark-making, often female forms

Hans Hofmann–another master of color in loose shapes all over the canvas

Barnett Newman–color fields zipped together by color

Robert Rauschenberg–his work is loaded with stuff, combines

Helen Frankenthaler–every bit of the surface is important in her work

Clyfford Still–worked a lifetime of paintings, now has a Museum in his name

Frank Stella–geometric paintings that were flat then moved into three dimentions

The lecture made me think about:

1. Creating a totality and a choreography of the space.
2. What are valid subjects for paintings?
3. Giving people a point of reference.
4. Starting with materials and make the work coming from that.
5. No planning just canvas and materials are brought together.
6. The experience of color is tactile and more.

I could have found pieces of my work that have influences from each of these artists. All artists look at other artists work for inspiration. My son asked me the other day: "Where do musicians get their ideas?" I said, "from other music I suppose, and from life." We are all learning from one another.

Leo Castelli is an important guy because he had the galley that showed most of the artists I listed above. He influenced the art through sales.

Encaustic Artists Take Note: Wikipedia is Weak

As a budding encaustic artist I cannot help but notice that there is not enough information in our on-line encyclopedia to encourage full understanding of this most wonderful and versatile medium. We must keep working to bring more information about this wonderful medium to the public.

Suzanne Gibbs, 2012. Fives. Encaustic on paper sheets.

Suzanne Gibbs, 2012.

If you are an experienced encaustic artist, what would you add to the Wikipedia Encaustic information? Please share.

In The Moment–A recent Show at Beacon Arts Building

While I had every intention of seeing this show earlier and posting before it came down, that was not to be. Instead I share pictures of work that I enjoyed. I would describe the work as: playful, colorful and energetic.

 In the Moment A solo painting show of work by resident artist Deborah Lambert:

Resident Artist exhibition: In the Moment, recent, large abstract paintings by BAB Resident Artist Deborah Lambert. Lambert writes about the paintings: "The abstract paintings [speak clearly to the process of painting] as they exist in the moment and engage viewers with bold color, sweeping gestures and rigorous marks. The dynamism of the work reconnects viewers with their oft electronically overloaded sense of observation and asks them to engage with the work on a deeper level."

Deborah Lambert

Deborah Lambert. Detail.

Deborah Lambert, Detail.

Deborah Lambert

 This is the moment I stopped and really wanted to take a closer look at Deborah's work. She showed her paintings alongside her encaustic paintings.

Deborah Lambert, Encaustic.

Deborah Lambert, detail of hanging mechanism.

Deborah Lambert, detail of hanging mechanism.

Deborah Lambert, detail of encaustic splatter.

Deborah Lambert, Encaustic.

Deborah Lambert, detail of hanging mechanism.

Deborah Lambert, detail of bottom.

Deborah Lambert.

Deborah Lambert.

Deborah Lambert, detail.

Deborah Lambert, Gallery View.

Happy Wednesday: Art From Encaustic Workshop

Today is Happy Wednesday. Last week I posted the work of my classmates.  This week I bring you my work from the encaustic workshop.

Suzanne Gibbs, 2012. Markings, Encaustic on Panel.

Suzanne Gibbs, 2012. Encaustic Study, encaustic on panel.

Suzanne Gibbs, 2012. Good Enough to Eat, Encaustic on wood.

Suzanne Gibbs, 2012. Good Enough to Eat, Encaustic on wood. Alternate view.

Encaustic Workshop - Classmate Work

Encaustic is an extremely versatile art form. While I was taught the same techniques as my classmates, none of us created similar work. Even while working side-by-side.

Below you can see the exciting works my classmates made while in the R&F Paints Comprehensive Encaustic Workshop.

Kathy Leader, 2012.

Kathy Leader, 2012.

Kathy Leader, 2012. A collection of works made at the workshop.

Jackie, 2012

Jackie, 2012

Merilee B Allen, 2012. A selection of pallet paper works in encaustic.

Merilee B Allen, 2012.

I am hoping to have a studio visit with Caryl St. Ama later this summer. Stay tuned.

Caryl St. Ama, 2012.

Caryl St. Ama, 2012. Detail.

Caryl St. Ama, 2012. Detail.

Caryl St. Ama, 2012.

Caryl St. Ama, 2012.

Caryl St. Ama, 2012.

 

 

 

Encaustic Workshop - Day 4

I am continuing to search for clarity and direction in my work as I work towards my MFA. From this encaustic workshop I learned a plethora of new ways to paint with molten wax. All the ideas and techniques made my head spin. I have many new things that I want to try.

Encaustic is an extremely versatile art form. Hopefully over the summer months I will be able to introduce and excite some readers about painting with molten wax. I will document my explorations as much as possible.

Below I show a small sample of our last days work together.

A classmate working on a pallet collage.

Adding pigment to wax with chalk pastels.

Creating sculptural surfaces with molten wax.

Creating forms with molten wax that can then be added to encaustic art work.

Fusing sculptural items.

Suzanne Gibbs, 2012. Carved wax with pigment added (blue lines) and poured wax forms (black and white).

Suzanne Gibbs, 2012. There is no end to how many layers of wax - it can become sculptural.

Suzanne Gibbs, 2012. Selection of works from Day 4.

Finishing touches.

Time to clean up!

Some of us worked until the very last minute.

Merilee B Allen, 2012.  In progress woven rice paper and mono printed encaustic paper.

In the past 4 days I shared bits of what I learned about encaustic painting.
Day 1, Day 2, Day 3.
 
To learn more about painting in encaustic please refer to Wax Works West. A school dedicated to encaustic painting located on the west coast in California.