J & M Enterprises
J & M Enterprises Newsletter Fun Easy Art
November 2009
Ideas To Try
:: Supplies
:: Classes
:: My Blog
:: Videos Online
John Ideas To Try
Dear Encaustic Painter,

Another month already. I thought I would take you through one of my latest projects. In the past I have painted on mirrors, but it has been quite a while since I have done it and I thought it was time to re-up the process.  So I got out some 12 x 12 inch mirrors I had purchased and decided to try to get a different look in the mounting. So I started out with using oil pastel sticks and began drawing on the mirror. Then I got out the iron and wax blocks and began the melting process using the iron. In the mix I put in the silver wax because it always does such a good job of highlighting as it tends to run out ahead of the other wax with the hot air gun or iron. Without too much time spent I got a look that I liked on the mirror, and then I got out my large bottle of Diamond Glaze and did a pour over the surface of the mirror taking one of my small painting cards and used it as a squeegee to smooth out the surface of the glaze coating the whole area.  I let that dry and then I began to wonder just how would I mount the mirror. I started out thinking I wanted it to be on metal but  I just was not close enough to someplace that had what I wanted so I got a 12 x 12 cradled board. I gold gessoed the edges and got some clear E 6000 glue to stick the mirror to the wood.  Not sure if that is all I am going to do with this so it will be in the resting stage for a while longer.  But here is everything in steps.  The mirrors came in 6 packs at the Home Depot.  The Cradled plywood boards I got at Artist and Craftsman. The glue E6000 at a plastic store. Next it was waxing on the glass. I thought it came out quite attractive. so next it was fixing it on the plywood surface with the glue. I then decided to wax the edges as there was a slight overhang and I wanted to fill that gap. I went from this clear look below to a red wax I put on later and I also put a layer of Kleenex into the clear first to give it some texture.

mirror set up       mirror
                                             

mirror edge All that is left is to clean up a bit of the edge of the glass and put a wire on the back for hanging.  I liked the end result enough that I think I will do a series of these because they might look good hung together.

 mirror 2    mirror 2    mirror 3


What do you think?
Supplies
You can find all the supplies for this process on my web site on this page.
There are three box sets of wax, Starter, Expanding and Vivid.  These are the Starter colors.

Encaustic Starter Wax Set $21.00



starter wax

If some of you want to make your own wax here is a link to get the how to do it info.
  duck
 Here is a pattern that I borrowed from a friend who does wood carving to see what it would look like in wax. It is always fun to keep your eyes open for direction for a new way to explore with your medium.

The very first large painting I did. Going larger is a bit daunting at first but you soon get the hang of it. For landscapes the trick is keep the look going when you run out of wax. This was done on a pearl gloss card stock.


   highlands
Another landscape but on watercolor paper with some gold gesso so you can see the difference in texture and look.

   Kuan Yin

Change to a water theme. Still on watercolor paper.

  Kuan Yin
 

Upcoming Class Schedules
Looking ahead

emerging



Finally decided on where we are going to go this winter. We decided to return to Albuquerque NM again for the month of February 2010. We have rented a house for the month and I will be arranging some classes while we are there. I have a date for a short beginners class at the Highland Senior Center on Thursday Feb 25th from 11 to 3 pm. Go here to register and pay. I also have a two day class  from 12-5 PM each day at the NMAL building and when I have the date set I will post that here. All supplies are included per usual with my classes. You could also check a site that will have it posted.
If you are in the area and want to help arrange some classes give me a shout and see if we can't hold a class close to you. Now our plans look like we will head down I-5 and then scoot over to the Las Vegas area as we want to check out the Henderson area. Could do a class in this area as well if there is some interest.

The next local class with be at the Scrapbook Pad in Shoreline WA. on Sunday the 15th of November from 1-5 PM for a beginners class all supplies included. Contact the store to book your class at 15815 Westminster Way N
Shoreline, WA 98133-5928
(206) 440-5588


Visit my artist owned gallery located at 508 Main St. in Edmonds WA.
or visit the web site.
One of the oldest artist owned galleries in Washington, formed in 1961 as a non-profit 501-C4 corporation.
 
Waxingitup.blogspot.com
My blog:

Here is a beginning thought and while I am writing this newsletter I will try to put it together for some kind of finished project. So it all starts with a kit for kids on making your own jig saw puzzle art project. The pieces were waxed by my wife while we had a art date with our grandson and now it is time to think of how to put this into something of interest. Here is the stating point image.

jigsaw puzzle

Now it is thinking cap time.

What I did next was to put a large sheet on a pancake griddle and began to wax the hot paper and dab it with wadded up Kleenex for texture and softening. Then I cut up the border around the circle that was also waxed (not shown) and put pieces in the lower left corner. Moved the circle apart to make it look like pieces of a planet coming apart as it moved through space but was going to be captured and contained. Sort of an image of the world in danger but going green and in the process of being contained. I glued those pieces onto the wax background. I have a strip of a scarf on the left edge and a piece of Kleenex stuck in the wax and then painted with Twinkle H2O paint.  Here is the end result. Had the intention to enter the end result in a show that had a green theme.

puzzle

I would just mention another process I have talked about before taking a regular printed image on regular printer paper and coating the back side with clear wax so that the paper becomes translucent. Here is an example of where I did this. I feathered the edge of the photo so that after it was waxed you can now look through the paper to the waxed background that I mounted the image. On this waxed background I had also rubbed in some blue oil paint to pick up on the blue in the image. There is wax applied to the front of the image as well as it was heated to melt into the background surface. This created a very attractive look and one you might play with yourself.

          Kuan Yin
Free Instruction
35 video clips to watch.

To look at the video clips I have on the web simply access them from these links.
Series 1.
Series 2.
Series 3.
Hope they help you and inspire you to give wax a try.
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Thanks for your continued interest in wax painting, my website and, blog, and now my e-newsletter.

Sincerely,
 
John Vandebrooke
J & M Enterprises