Wednesday, June 30, 2010

what i'm working on




rows: school 2, 2010, encaustic, mixed media on rusted and branded silk on wood, 16x16x1, rows: four o'clock on fourth street, 2010, encaustic, mixed media on rusted and branded silk on wood, 16x16x1, rows: bank, 2010, encaustic, mixed media on rusted and branded silk on wood, 16x16x1

new pieces from the rows series....see more here.

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

geoffrey gorman





Typhlops, Wood, metal, cloth, foam, found objects, 16 x 16 x 5.5, sorry, no info on this one, , Indri, Wood, metal, cloth, foam, found objects, 14 x 16 x 6, Gymnura, Wood, metal, cloth, foam, found objects, 18 x 12 x 6.5, Halli, Wood, metal, cloth, foam, found objects, 33 x 20 x 10

nightmarish, yet endearing creatures made with impeccable craftsmanship...see more here.

Monday, June 28, 2010

alison elizabeth taylor




Security House, 2008-10, Wood veneer, shellac, 93 x 122, Chainlink, 2008, Wood veneer, shellac, 34 x 46 , Squatter Doorway, 2009, Wood veneer, shellac, 53 x 46 1/2, Switch, 2009, Wood veneer, shellac, 14 x 11 1/2

amazing, powerful images executed with amazing skill in a very difficult craft...see more here.

Friday, June 25, 2010

luke jerram





Smallpox, HIV and an Untitled Future Mutation, untitled future mutation, detail, swine flu, detail, e. coli,

these are just too gorgeous for words, sparkly, clean, icy...see more here and here.

Thursday, June 24, 2010

meghan price




all: acting like starlings, enameled copper wire

i can't even begin to explain how much i love this...fiber and drawing coming together...a gorgeous pairing...see more here.

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

barbara stutman





on being female, 4 brooch/tampon holder set, 1993, colored copper wire, brass, copper, fine silver, spandex, tampons, spool knit, crochet, sewing, 19.3x9.5x3.8cm, survival of the footest 1,fancy sapphire fantasy for a maharajah, neckpiece r25, 2008, colored copper wire, gold filled beads, sterling silver beads, freshwater pearls, peridot beads, seedbeads, magnets, crochet, 26.6x22x3.8cm, sappire mix bangle royale, bangle, rb5, 2008, colored copper wire, vinyl lacing, gold filled beads, pearls, sterling silver beads, pearls, spool knit, crochet, 14x12.7x3.8cm, neckpiece for a maharajah on a hot summer's night, royal neckpiece, r17, 2004, fine silver, sterling silver, colored copper wire, seedbeads, magnets, crochet, 22.6x17.8x2.8cm shoulder brooch and stand, 1999, sterling silver, copper, colored copper wire nickel silver, fur, spool knit, crochet, 11.5x3.5x8.5cm

i love it when jewelery is FUNctional sculpture...see more here.

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

julie maren


go forth, 24x24, nest in the apple blossoms, 30x30, cream and sugar, 24x24

i was introduced to this artist's work last weekend at the encaustic conference by my new artist friend and roomie at the conference, ruth hiller. i love her exciting use of color, and the dreamy nostalgic narratives partially concealed within the layers of paint...see more here.

Monday, June 21, 2010

scc encaustic workshop session 1








encaustic work by robert villamagna, an intersting painted block by robert, 2 pieces by martha skarlinksi, an abstract landscape and mixed media piece by joyce ross, a multi-mini-block piece by rhoda taylor, an eclectic collection of encaustic work by christine fondi, our outside workspace under tents and our cozy indoor workspace

i recently taught a 3-day mixed media encaustic intensive at the society for contemporary craft in pittsburgh. this is the first of two sessions and was added to the schedule because the one i'm teaching this week filled up so fast. this workshop was also the very first encaustic workshop EVER taught at the society for contemporary craft and i'm very excited that the scc entrusted me to bring this exciting medium to their workshop program.
being that this was the first encaustic workshop ever taught in their studio, there were some kinks to be worked out like ventilation and electricity issues. the studio windows don't open, so to avoid the harmful wax fumes, we decided to hold the workshop outside and under a number of tents. after securing at least three tents, (which sounds easy, but it wasn't!) we had to figure out how the electricity would be distributed and using about 20 extension cords, we did it! and with no tripped circuits! despite the heat and large, noisy trucks, working outside was a lot of fun and we attracted a lot of attention from the passers-by. the forecast for the next two days, was rain, rain and rain, so a spot was carved out for us inside the studio and where we could open a loading dock door for ventilation.
the workshop itself was great fun, the class was small and all personalities gelled well together and were quite supportive of one another. as a teacher, this is a wonderful environment in which to teach and takes a lot of the pressure off! this workshop was especially interesting because no one in the workshop had any experience working with encaustic. despite this and the fact that this is an extremely challenging medium, everyone enjoyed working with the medium and made amazing work. the participants in this workshop were joyce ross, christine fondi, martha skarlinski, rhoda taylor and robert villamagna.
i'm really looking forward to teaching the second session this week friday-sunday!

Sunday, June 20, 2010

sunday church drawing


real sunday church drawings are back! for those of you who don't know what these are, here's an explanation from a while ago:

i draw in church during the sermons. it helps me hear and retain the words. i usually begin by drawing the first thing i see-a piece of furniture, the shadows in the architecture, the pattern of someone's shirt-and let the drawing take on a life of it's own. most of the time, the object or pattern i started with isn't recognizable. i only work on these drawings for one sermon and rarely work back into them. here's one from a few weeks ago.

i now also draw in meetings, lectures, etc., whenever and wherever i'm sitting and required to listen. i find i can concentrate better when i'm doing something with my hands.

Friday, June 18, 2010

john divola






all images from the 1970's zuma series
Every time that I would return to this house I would notice that it had changed. Often it was a minor change, some rearranged papers and a few empty beer cans in the corner. The change was at times more substantial, like arriving to find the house full of large tree branches that had recently been set on fire and extinguished, water still dripping from the ceiling. On another occasion there might be a strong wind blowing through the window. Once I arrived to find the house gone.

On Initially arriving I would move through the house looking for areas or situations to photograph. If nothing seemed to interest me I would move things around or do some spray painting. The painting was done in much the same way that one might doodle on a piece of paper. At that point I would return to the camera and explore what ever new potentials existed.

These photographs are not meant to be documents of painting, or sculpture, or even of environmental works. When photographing the space I saw my painting as only an aspect of what was there. The painting did allow me to explore my own gestures. However, it can not be isolated from the broken glass on the floor or a curtain being blown by the wind. No element is of greatest importance. I am most satisfied when the line between evidence of my actions and what is already there is not distinct. These photographs are the product of my involvement with an evolving situation. The house evolving in a primarily linear way toward it's ultimate disintegration, the ocean and light evolving and changing in a cyclical and regenerative manner. My acts, my painting, my photographing, my considering, are part of, not separate from, this process of evolution and change. These photographs are not so much about this process as they are remnants from it. My participation was not so much one of intellectual consideration as one of visceral involvement.
i love these images and this idea for a series. i also can't believe this series was done in the 70's, the work just seems so current...see more here.

Thursday, June 17, 2010

raw art: brian belott





sorry, no info on these pieces, but they're all mixed media collages.

i love raw artists (see this, this, this, this, this, this post for other raw artists and here for info), they don't bend, acquiesce, imitate, think too hard, agonize (in the studio, that is) or care what others think, they just make and love every minute of it...what a powerful example...see more here.

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

denyse thomasos




dogon digital, 2009, acrylic on canvas, 42x60, life, 2009, acrylic on canvas, 42x60, birdie, 2009, acrylic on canvas, 40x54

if a city planner, an architect and a painter all worked on the same canvas...see more here.