WAXING POETIC - encaustically speaking

Painting in encaustics, which is an ancient, artistic medium, is my newest creative passion. I feel as if am participating in mystical alchemy through the process of heating, melting, adding, fusing and peeling away hot, brilliant color.

The process takes over my consciousness, and I imagine myself on an archeological dig, diving deep into the realm of the archetypes.

I am lost in an ancient journey of discovery, carving and digging for patterns and imaginal motifs.

My encaustic pieces remind me of ancient encrusted treasures, with each work becoming a sacred artifacts.
This process allows me to participate in a deeply physical way, with an ancient artistry and seems to naturally bring forth images of healing and myth.

Here are some of my encaustic paintings..
..."The Blessing"...

..Spirit House.....


......A Prayer for the Earth.....

......" Joyous Union.....



Notice how rich and lusterous the colors are....encaustics glow and shine like colorful jewels....

Not only that...although the process is labor intensive... it is also both fun and magical.....

Enamored with Encaustics....

I have finally found time to get back into my studio...
and am ready to do some encaustic painting.......
finally!!

Inspired by a photo of malta ....however, I left that behind and the piece

became something else again...
This encaustic is not finished, still in process.

It needs something more...as well as some carving...///

I am documenting every step in the process of this one piece
so the following are photos of each step...(almost)...so that is what follows..

The first images are my stopping place for the day....more to come... more possibilites ...still not complete.






HOT PLATE...with melting encaustic medium...










FUSING THE WAX WITH HOT AIR GUN..a grey under coat








ADDING COLLAGE IMAGERY...





MORE FUSING....






HOT PALLETTE with paints melting




ENCAUSTIC PAINTS.....what lovely brilliant color...

What if......

This collage ( which I created several years ago) often acts as a guide and reminder for me to be open and accept what is, as well as to look for the guidance available right in front of me.

Last week I read this poem, written by Oriah Mountain Dreamer, .... as a reminder to accept wherever we are at in the moment in our lives..whether it be the drawings we do and our internal critical voice about them,
or anything else that is up for us in the moment.
One of my students requested I copy it and bring it into class this week...so I decided to post it here. This is something we all have to re remind ourselves of daily.

How would this shape your choices about how to spend to day?
Perhaps letting it inspire you to do some art around it....

WHAT IF …by Oriah Mountain Dreamer

WHAT IF it doesn’t matter what you do but how you do whatever you do?
HOW WOULD this change what you choose to do with you life?

WHAT IF you could be more fully present and open-hearted working as a cashier in the corner store - able to really see and be with the people who come into the store – than you are when you are striving to do what you hope or think will make a more important contributions to the world and the lives of those you love?

HOW WOULD this change how you want to spend your precious time on this earth.?

WHAT IF your contribution to the world and the fulfillment of your own happiness is not dependent upon discovering a better method of prayer of technique of meditation, not dependent upon reading the right book or attending the right seminar, but upon relly seeing and deeply appreciating yourself and the world as they are right now?

HOW WOULD this effect your search for spiritual development?

WHAT IF there is no need to change, no need to try and transform yourself into someone who is more compassionate, more present, more loving or wise?

HOW WOULD this effect all the places in your life where you are endlessly trying to be better?

WHAT IF who you essentially are right now is all that you are even going to be?

HOW WOULD this effect how you feel about your future?

WHAT IF the essence of who you are and always have been is enough?

HOW WOULD this effect how you see and feel about your past?

WHAT IF the question is not why am I so infrequently the person I really want to be , but why do I so infrequently want to be the person I really am?

HOW WOULD this change what you have to learn?

WHAT IF becoming who and what we really are happens not through striving and trying but by recognizing and receiving the people and places and practices that offer us the warmth of encouragement we need to unfold?

HOW WOULD this shape your choices about how to spend today?

Drawing The Light From Within

Recently I have been placing my attention on the positive, regarding some personal, life challenges.

This process has made me realize how my on-going involvement with the mandala process has deeply influenced me.

So, I am posting some of my images as well as ones created at Illuminated Mandala Retreats that Patricia Waters (art therapist and my co-partner at the Creative Arts Studio) have facilitated at past mandala retreat days.

By drawing on black paper with white prismacolor pencils and using the pencil as a light orb, directly connected to the light within the heart space, we transform traditional shading into a powerful, dynamic metaphorical process for drawing the light from within.

This amazingly simple art process allows us to manifest an image of the creative life force directly in front of our eyes, on the richness of the deep, black space of our unconscious...represented by the paper.

For more information on our next Illuminated Mandala Retreat Day...
Sunday March 25...see our website
http:www.creativeartstudio.com .... (click on the mandala & workshop pages)

Both myself and Patricia my partner at the Creative Arts Studio are facilitators of the Mandala process developed by Judith Cornell.

For more inforamtion on the work of Judith Cornell, see her website....
http://www.mandala-universe.com

Mandala's Galore

Mandalas are up for me as I rework and frame a few to take into the gallery in Healdsburg Ca where I show and sell some of my work. ART & ALL THAT JAZZ.

I recently faciliated a Mandala retreat with my art therapist friend and partner in the Creative Arts Studio .... so I am back to the lovely, meditative process of working with prismacolors again and finding comfort in mandala making.

Here are a few of my Heart Mandalas... for a pre Valentines Day inspiration.

Want to make one? Draw a circle on paper, find the center, draw/paint/collage a shape, or image in the center and then work out to the edges of the circle thinking of balance and symmetry.

Remember to put only images that you want to draw attention to in the center.. postive, uplifting..healing visions!

Heart fully....

Want to buy a print or card of one of these mandalas? or maybe an original?....
check out my etsy site (www.soularteeclectica.esty.com ) or get in touch with me here.

Art - Full Musings

Out of my Head...straight from the Heart. As I begin this creative venture I hope to not only bring my images out into the world ..as if they were beings who had work to do and were tired of hiding under the bed and in the closet..but also to share, inspire and manifest through these images for the highest good for myself and others...

This watercolor is a favorite of mine. I did it many years ago when I gave myself a task of doing a watercolor a day and not letting my inner critic stop me in any way. No matter what it looked like initially, I gave myself over to taking each painting to an esthetic resolution that appealed to me.

"She Who Lets the Images go Freely " fits the intention I have loosely set for this blog.

I hope to post images on a regular basis as well as promote my personal art, as well as my classes and retreats as an art therapist and my various web sites.

All of the art posted on this site...is available for purchase as prints, cards as well as some of the originals...

Art fully yours....