J & M Enterprises
J & M Enterprises Newsletter Fun Easy Art
January 2010
Ideas To Try
:: Supplies
:: Classes
:: My Blog
:: Videos Online
John Ideas To Try
Dear Encaustic Painter,
Here we go with another year and I might have a hard time getting out a newsletter in February as we will be traveling South and East over to Albuquerque NM for the month and have some wax classes during that time. I will do my best to find a way to put something together for you during that time away. We should be home mid March. One of the things I have to arrange while I am away is for a show in the Edmonds Library of my paintings and thankfully I have a good friend who is willing to transport them all and also pick them up after the show comes down in March. So if your in Edmonds in February and early March you can catch that show.

I am on an international site with some other wax painters and saw something one of the artists was using that I had to give a try. It is called Spray Webbing and it comes in a spray can put out by Krylon.  I sprayed a section of the following painting with that product and then I rubbed Gold pigment power into the webbing. What I had was plain not colored webbing but I understand it does come in colors. I have not found that as of this writing. There is a texture on the surface that is created with the web as well as the color that it picks up with the powered pigment. I ended up calling this picture, Christmas Ribbons and it is about 17" x 27".


             christmas ribbons

This was painted on a pancake griddle getting the paper hot and then applying the wax blocks to transfer the color. I used wadded up Kleenex to tamp down the background in areas to soften the look and to put some patterns into the wax. If you have not tried to paint on hot paper with wax it is one you should try for it is quite different and new looks can be achieved. 

The next picture is also done on a pancake griddle but this time I took a sheet of inner facing that is the fused webbing and ironed it on to the card stock first. Now I had a textured surface to work on that created something that looked like you had painted on watercolor paper. An overall softer look to the wax.  I called this one Party and it is also 17"x 27".

                  party

I have some gold leaf foil and some tissue embedded in the lower right section. This painting on Pellon does give you a different surface that you might want to explore.

I have some collector sets of telephone calling cards that I purchased years ago. Several of the sets are a collection of Elvis phone cards and it must have been in the back of my mind as I got thinking of how I could market those collections along with a painting. I located an old image of Elvis and printed it on my Inkjet printer and then did the bath in clear wax on the back side prior to using the stylus to wax in the front side. I have not figured out how or if I will be able to combine the two together, but for now I can show you the waxed Elvis image I finished.

                      Elvis


I do like to embed items into the wax and here is an example of embedded Angelina that shows up as reflective threads in the wax. There are also some embellishments that are attached to the wax.  The brighter silver threads are part of the paper.

                               Example of Embedded

I don't think I showed this image before so will post this example of using colored paper stock and wax together. This is a black gloss card stock with white wax.  It has a nice effect with the contrast between the two.  

                    winter on black stock


Abstracts can be a lot of fun and easy as well. Here are two ideas that have a similar look.

   holy flame        lighted garden

If you notice the background has a similar look in both. Multiple stripes of color were on the iron and laid down on the card as stripes of color. Then a pass over those with one of the lighter colors on the iron blended them to create that look. The foreground could then be done with the stylus an with swipes of the iron and with some patting with the iron.  The first I called Holy Flame and the second Lighted Garden.
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.
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. If any of you know of people in this area that might be interested in my class please give me a hand and let them know either of these two opportunities. To encourage folks who might be apprehensive with this new medium I will offer the classes with a money back guarantee. You have to have enjoyed the class, had some fun and were delighted in what you learned.

I have a two day class  from 12-5 PM each day at the NMAL building on Thurs the 18th and Friday the 19th. The cost is $190.00 and all supplies are included per usual with my classes. Log on to the link to Sign up for this class . You could also check a site with this link that will have some more information posted.

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. 

If you are in an area where we will be traveling 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 Henderson. I could do a class in this area as well if there is some interest. After Albuquerque we plan on heading south and west to San Clemente before heading north to Washington in mid March.
Waxingitup.blogspot.com
My blog:
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.

I recently had an idea while I was talking with another artist friend, when I made the comment, "why don't we write a book together". First is was just the two of us and then I considered opening it up to other artists I knew in this group and then it grew to others they knew. So who knows how many it will include. But a book of artist doing what they love to do and sharing it with others to inspire and educate others seemed to be a fine idea. We are going to be doing this on Word Press because we can have up to 35 people sharing this site while we write and view what each other is doing and be able to comment on that with each other. Just sound like fun to me and I will let you know when you can take a peek. Maybe we can have some excerpts to whet your whistle.

Sincerely,
 
John Vandebrooke
J & M Enterprises
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 and perhaps the country, formed in 1961 as a non-profit 501-C4 corporation.