Artists Working in Encaustic (AWE), this is a full newsletter. Scroll to read the whole thing or go directly to the topics via links atop the right column. Montserrat Encaustic Conference was beyond all expectations and I hope to see even more friends there next June. There's still coverage at Montserrat Blog.
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Howard Hersh Works Big!
"This painting was patterned after an encaustic from 2005. It was only 16x48" and the client wanted the commission to be 72x216".
Coincidentally, I received this commission when I knew I was giving a talk on 'Working Large' at the Monserrat conference. So, I took quite a few pictures of the work in progress, which greatly helped put the slide talk together. As my method is mostly pouring, it was necessary to divide the painting into 9 panels that I could handle better. Because my work is so geometric, the lines the panels formed are hardly noticeable. I was very pleased with how the painting turned out, and so were the clients. Its now installed at MD Anderson Medical Center in Houston, TX." -Howard Hersh, San Francisco
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"Mixed Media" - Choosing Your Terms - Joanne Mattera
 In her P Farrell Art Blog, Pam Farrell asked, "What you do in your own studio practice to address the issue of labeling if you use mixed media/mixed techniques. Do you tell all? Or do you mention only the most prominent ingredient(s) when there may be many? Have you developed a specific term that fits for all your mixed-media works? And do you have a specific philosophy or reasoning for your decision?
She has opened up a worthy discussion. At Hylla's request I've expanded my response there for this Evans Encaustics newsletter.
There are no "rules" about how to identify the components of your art. I think different situations call for different degrees of specificity.
*Are you submitting work for a show in which medium is an issue? Be specific.
This might be an issue for, say, encaustic-specific shows.(And it might be relevant in other situations as well. When I was writing my book, The Art of Encaustic Painting, and I solicited images for consideration, I requested that artists be specific about the materials. The work that was described as "mixed media" went into the "No" pile, even if it was interesting. I was under a deadline-this is true for much of the art world much of the time- and had no assistant to make the clarifying phone call; if I couldn't see it from the image, and the artist didn't tell me, I went on to the next package.)
* Are you submitting work for a show in which medium is no more of an issue than size? Then "mixed media" or "mixed mediums" and the dimensions are usually fine.
*Are you doing work in which certain materials and/or techniques are integral to the work? I don't think the description is part of the art, but it certainly helps a viewer understand what the artist is up to. And if you're applying for a grant that has to with process or medium, then clarity is essential. For us, "encaustic (pigmented beeswax)" is a description that would let anyone understand what encaustic is. Is it necessary to say, "beeswax, powdered pigment and 12% damar resin" or some such? Seems like overkill to me.
Even if you don't list all the elements, by all means be specific with your dealer who will want to know how all those mediums will interact and hold up over time. She needs to have informed answers for her collectors. If you don't know how those mediums will interact, maybe you shouldn't be glomming so much stuff together.
True story: In Provincetown last summer (P-town is an artist colony at the very tip of Massachusetts with an amazing number of galleries per capita), I was taking a "wax walk" with some students to look at the work in encaustic at the various galleries. At one venue, the artist was there talking about her work. I'm paraphrasing, but it went something like this: "I work with oil and acrylic on canvas. Sometimes I gesso the canvas, sometimes I don't. I usually add tar and wax-could be Dorlands or actual encaustic-or acrylic gels to build up the surface and then I collage paper or plant material into it. I like to throw some turpentine on it to get these drippy areas. At the end I hit the whole thing with a propane torch until I like what I see."
It was for sale. Any bets on how long it will remain a painting?
Every single one of those elements is responding to daily changes in humidity and temperature in a different way, each one expanding and contracting at its own rate, and then in relation to the same thing that's going on with its neighbors. If you've ever seen people respond in panic to an extreme situation, that's what's going on in miniature, day after day.
Pick a substrate. Pick a ground. Pick a medium and get on with it. Collage and assemblage by definition require more materials, but in general, if you can't say what you want to say in a medium or two maybe you should rethink what it is you're trying to say-or find another medium in which to say it. (Could you imagine writing a dissertation in English, Spanish and German with large sections rendered in Latin, Japanese, Romanian, Portuguese and Dutch, and the footnotes in Esperanto?) --Joanne Mattera |
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Split Primary Set - Ready to Go
Introduced at a full day Color Mixing Workshop at Montserrat College, this set of six colors was a smash hit. It's now available for you to experiment with in your own studio. The set includes several costly pigments, each already mixed with medium and ready to paint: Montserrat Magenta, Joanne Loves This Red!, Italian Yellow Ochre, Hansa Yellow, Cobalt Blue, and French Ultramarine.
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Favorite Panel Makers
 These three are in northern California but all ship across the US.
Wayne Berger, fine artist and furniture maker, specializes in the unusual shapes and custom panels. Email Wayne.
Ryan McJunkin is fast fast fast! Email Ryan.
Rodney Thompson paints in encaustic and has a wide variety of panel choices including recessed, floating, and inset panels.
Where are the women making panels? Send me your favorites!
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CLASSES SCHEDULED
 July 20 - Sunday in Sonoma - four artists, access to all supplies, bring work in progress or start new. Use your paints and medium or mine (pay for just what you use). Lunch and wine are included and one new technique is introduced. Email me!
July 26-27 Berkeley, comprehensive intro class at Kala Institute
August 24 - Sunday in Sonoma - another full day of painting, see July 20th and email for more info.
September 13th - San Francisco, comprehensive intro class at Fort Mason, the Art Campus of CCSF.
OIL PAINTING for Artists Working in Encaustic (AWE) - Sonoma - intro or polish your oil painting skills in a one day class of four artists. All materials are included and of course (this is Sonoma) lunch and wine. Email for details.
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Here's hoping your summer is happy and productive! Please phone or write me with any questions - any time. Custom colors lately included Salmon and Teal. I'm always happy to make new colors in Paint Sticks and Holy Grail.
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