Facing the Terror of Beginning
How does one begin a new
series? That has always been a hard one
for me. With so many choices as to
subject or image, I find myself paralyzed.
So, one of the first things I like to do is to give myself some
parameters. Sometimes the restrictions
are inherent in the theme if I am wanting to apply to a juried show or am part
of an invitational show. I find the
limits as actually freeing, and sometimes, the greatest restrictions have
resulted in major breakthroughs in my work.
As a group of instructors
for EncaustiCamp 2015, we do a collaborative show to raise money for
scholarships. In the past, we have
actually collaborated by sending work in a round robin fashion so that I might
start a piece with one direction in mind only to find it become something
entirely different in the hands of several other artists working in hugely
different styles. This year we are
collaborating by setting strict limits on size, colors and theme. This and the following several blog entries is my
attempt to take you along with me on the road to the creation of this body of
work both in word and in image.
Series Restrictions
I guess the first and
overarching parameter is medium. Since
this is for EncaustiCamp, we are asked to work in the hot wax process, normally
referred to as Encaustic. We will each
also be limited to size and support.
Ampersand, who makes the luscious Encausticbord, has graciously created
a special size cradled panel (7”x 21”) for this project and donated eight panels
to each of the seven instructors…seven each to be used for the show and one as
just-in-case! Last July we all trapesed
down to the paint department at Home Depot in Seattle and chose colors that
appealed to us at the moment. We agreed
to use the color from the sample as an important element of our work, so much
so, that it would be a full 70% of the color on the panel. Since we have been instructing in a
particular approach to wax (mine with paper and wax), it is hoped that we would
somehow incorporate our signature materials in the work. And lastly, we have a theme to explore…Seven
Degrees of Separation…or, as we have begun to think of the title…Seven
Degrees of Connection.
I've been staring at the
boards and feeling uncomfortable, yet mildly excited, ever since they arrived
at my doorstep. The size is not really
problematic for me, but I find myself stymied by the panel. I usually create my own panels out of paper
and don’t often work on Encaustibord. As
I look at my color samples, I find myself wondering what I was thinking when I
chose all of those pastels! Yikes! I get
my color from oil and medium. While I
use pigmented wax when I teach encaustic painting, I don’t use it often in my
own work. More importantly, my work has
become more and more sculptural. I have
no clue as to how I am going to create in a way that moves my own work forward.
To see how I began to
approach this project and to discover my two favorite ways to get a handle on
where I am going in a new series…stay tuned to the next blog!
How exciting!
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