How do you know when a piece of artwork is complete? ......

"Contemplating Toscana", Encaustic Mixed Media, 18 x 18 Framed, 2011

How do you know when a piece of art work is done? What are some things you do to know..?

I know sometimes I live with the work for a while, keep it somewhere I can view it often, and sometimes it becomes obvious what might be missing, or what might be needed...

Other times just putting it away and then coming back to it with 'fresh' eyes helps...

I would love to hear back from other artists on how they decide when a work is done or not....

This piece currently on exhibition at the Whitestone Gallery, Guelph, ON. 

New Fall Workshop Dates & Events

Interpid Flight, Encaustic Mixed Media & Collage, 34x 18, 2011

Soul Collage Workshop on Sat. September 17th, 2011, 10 to 4 p.m. with Heather Smeding.   INTRODUCTORY SOULCOLLAGE®

WORKSHOP

Creative, Nurturing & Fun!

Use magazine images to make small 5” X 7” cards that represent parts of your Self and speak to you [in sometimes surprising ways] from your own quiet wisdom. SoulCollage® is a powerful, intuitive collage/journaling process that you can continue to practice by yourself or in community as a way to help you answer life’s questions by accessing your inner ‘knowing’.

Heather Smeding is a trained SoulCollage® Facilitator and has been making her own cards since 2003. The book [‘A Hârmunee of Parts’] she created for the Orillia International Women’s Day Art Show is based on some of the 100+ SoulCollage® cards in her personal deck.

‘Each time I do SoulCollage®

 I find more of me to bring to my marriage, my parenting, my community, my life.....’

DATES: One-Day Encaustic Workshops - 10 to 4 p.m.  (Choose one of these dates and topics)

1.Sat. Sept. 10th The Encaustic - ‘Beginner’ (Level 1) 10-4 - Fergus

2.Sun. Sept. 18th The Encaustic -‘Beyond Collage’ (Level 2) 10- 4 Fergus

3.Sat. Oct. 15th The Encaustic - ‘Beginner’s’ (Level 1) 10-4 - Fergus

4. 4.Sun. Oct. 16th The Encaustic - ‘Beyond Collage’ (Level 2) 10-4 Fergus
5. 5.Sat. November 12th The Encaustic - ‘Texture Galore’ (Level 3) 10- 4 Fergus
6. 6.Sun. November 13th The Encaustic - ‘Pushing the Boundaries’(Level 4) 10-4 Fergus
7. 7.Sat. Dec. 3rd The Encaustic - ‘Beyond Collage’ (Level 2) 10-4 Fergus
8. 8.Sun. Dec. 4th The Encaustic - ‘Texture Galore’ (Level 3) 10 - 4 Fergus
9. 9.Sat. Dec. 10th The Encaustic - ‘Beginner’ (Level 1) 10-4 Fergus

DATES: Half -Day Encaustic Card Making Workshop 

1. 1.Sat. November 5th 10- 2 p.m. Encaustic Card making
2. 2.Sat. November 26th 1- 5 p.m. Encaustic Card making

5-week In-Depth Encaustic Course  Weds. Oct. 19th to November 16th 6:30 - 9:30 p.m. in Fergus Studio

Detailed Descriptions of the Encaustic Play Shop Classes (one day format):

The Encaustic ‘Beginner’s’ (formally called Level 1 ) will cover an introduction to encaustic, basic fusing techniques, safety issues, use of collage materials, using various papers, handmade, heavier papers, archival tissue, layering and making your own encaustic medium.  

The Encaustic ‘Beyond Collage’ (formally Level 2 ) will cover the use of photocopy image transfers (black and white & colour), rub-ons, charcoal, oil pastels, wax pastels, using gold/copper/aluminum leaf, use of oil sticks, the encaustic iron and other hot tools.  

The Encaustic ‘Texture Galore’ (formally Level 3 ) will cover masking off areas, building raised areas with encaustics, building texture using dry brushing, stencils, use of stamps (wood and rubber), adding a crack technique, dry wall plaster, and other found objects to create more texture.

The Encaustic ‘Pushing the boundaries’ (Level 4) will cover using alcohol inks, water colour, indian inks, mica, glass and textiles and using drywall plaster into encaustics.

The Encaustic ‘Mono Printing’ (Level 5 )will cover Mono-printing on various japanese papers, using a hot-box and mono-printing with these papers and then including these mono-prints on wood substrates.  Then adding various textures on top to complete a two dimensional piece or to incorporate the encaustic papers into a book.  Mono-printing kit available for sale: includes an anodized aluminum plate (19 x 10 inches)& bamboo baren.

For more information on dates and fees visit :    www.supriasdesigns.com

Random Joy and Inspiration....Taking oneself on an artist date....

Some images that inspire, bring random joy in the moment and feeds the artistic soul...... An old faded bicycle basket, my favourite horizon blue colour, like the sky and a nice rusty colour bike.....

Shadows and light.. I love how they play with each other to create magical patterns....

Old narly roots, beautiful like wrinkles ......love them.....

Who says weeds aren't beautiful....they are to me....

Maps and journey which inspire the soul....I love using maps in my work....

Also inspiring is going to the a gallery and taking yourself out on an artist date, which I did recently to see the AGO Exhibit, on Abstract Expressionist New York, Masterpieces from The Museum of Modern Art, New York..highly encourage seeing this exhibit...only on until September 4th, 2011

A group photo of most of the masters...some of the women in the exhibit are not in this photo....it was great to see the women masters and their work...

Enjoy the exhibit if you get to go .....

What Happens to Art once it is sold...stories about the journey which keeps unfolding ....

"Window to the Soul" - Book Art, Encaustic and Mixed Media, 2009

"Window to the Soul" - Inside, Book Art, Encaustic and Mixed Media, 2009

Well, a funny thing happened to me a few weeks ago....I was preparing for the "Beyond the Cover", Beeswax meets Mica, Altered book, Encaustic Assemblage, a 3-day long summer art playshop....and I decided to stop into one of my favourite antique shops in Guelph, Chat Noir.....

I had to come back several times, as it wasn't opening until 11 am, and it was only 10 a.m...so I did some errands, came back but it still wasn't open....Yet something kept pulling me to wait..and not dash back home, which was a half an hour north,...I needed to get into the store....For some reason there was a VERY STRONG pull to wait.....I thought it was for some delicious finds for new work....antique finds or so I thought....So I went off to do some more errands..then came back....

Finally at 12:30 the store opened...I asked the owner if I could come in though he was still setting up as I had to be back and had been waiting to get in...found some really cool things for my mixed media art work...but along with the finds I also found "Window to the Soul" my very own art work (above images)....At first I was taken back...as I had sold this work back in 2009 at a collective gallery I belong to....it was odd to see it here...and even more odd was the gamut of emotions I was feeling....

I went home after this,  reflecting at what the Universe was telling me...and discovered a few interesting messages.   First that our work after it leaves us has a journey to take and stories to unfold, sometimes or always, way beyond our control....It was interesting that this book was calling me back...and this preceded by a few days the of teaching a great summer intensive on making encaustic mixed media books to a great group of students....I decided I needed to buy it back.....

So I went back two days later and bought it to keep it with me a little longer...and it was great to share with the students.

The second message I got from this, was to not 'hold so precious' our work, to value and respect it yes, to share it and trust the unfolding journey it will have...it will find its way to others sharing its message and beauty wherever it goes...and this one needed to be seen again by the Chat Noir's customers and to find me again.  I have decided I will hold onto it for a while and see what else and other wise things I might get from this book and the story that needs to unfold....

And once again it will find its way to someone else that needs to have it....

Interesting to me is how art resonates and shares even years after their birthing.....

Two great guest artists teaching at Supria's Designs in the Fall - Learn more here

"Bee-Long", 2010, Encaustic, Image Transfer, Leaves, Seeds, Tea, 12 x 12

Tania Wycherley's art work above and below, encaustic mixed media using large image transfer techniques. 

"Eagle Lake 1", 2010 Encaustic, image transfer, leaves, seeds, tea, 24 x 30 

" Shirakaba", 2010 Encaustic, Image Transfer, Leaves, Seeds, Tea, glass beads, 18 x 24

For the longest time I have admired Tania's tree pieces..she has been one of the first people I know to use these tree images in a beautiful poetic manner and captures the light behind the trees and the magic of the forest.  I remember first setting my eyes on her beautiful work in 2007, and was so pleased when she wanted to do a trade with me for my work too.
She has only grown even better in doing what she does, fine tuning the 'image transfer process' using her own photographs and working large.  The image transfers she works on is larger than the 'standard' print size of 11 x 17.  She has demonstrated this technique at the Fifth International Encaustic Conference this year, 2011 and will be turning this great demo into a full blown day long hands on class at Supria's Designs, on Sat. Oct. 22nd.   For more on Tania Wycherley and her work visit her website.

Tania will be teaching the following class on Sat. Oct. 22nd 10- 4, space is limited, small class size to enhance the learning experience, creativity and fun - description below, to register or for more info.
email : info@supriasdesigns.com

Advanced Image Transfer in Encaustic: Going Large with Tania Wycherley

This session will demonstrate how to transfer toner images that exceed the 11x17 inch paper size barrier. We will discuss computer software to help with sizing as well as printing options. Burnishing techniques to create near-seamless image connections as well as tools and tricks to blend any resulting lines will be demonstrated. Participants will then be guided through the steps in completing their own enlarged image on either an 18x14 or 16x16 sized panel.

Date: Sat. Oct. 22nd, 10 - 4 Fergus

Cost: $180/person all supplies provided including large birch panel

Another great opportunity arrives Sat.Sept. 17th, 10- 4 ...Heather Smeding, will be teaching "Soul Collage"

Introductory SoulCollage Workshop - Creative, Nurturing &

Fun!

Use magazine images to make small 5” X 7” cards that represent parts of your Self and speak to you [in sometimes surprising ways] from your own quiet wisdom. SoulCollage® is a powerful, intuitive collage/journaling process that you can continue to practice by yourself or in community as a way to help you answer life’s questions by accessing your inner ‘knowing’.

Heather Smeding is a trained SoulCollage® Facilitator and has been making her own cards since 2003. The book [‘A Hârmunee of Parts’] she created for the Orillia International Women’s Day Art Show is based on some of the 100+ SoulCollage® cards in her personal deck.

Saturday September 17th, 10 - 4 at Supria’s Designs Studio in Fergus. $65/person, Email for more information and to register

‘Each time I do SoulCollage® I find more of me to bring to my marriage,

my parenting, my community, my life.....