Elements, one of eight collages in series

Waxy buildup

Here is another experiment from the encaustic workshop. This is on a gessoed 10 x 10 x1" panel and has layers of thick and thin papers embedded in the encaustic medium. In some cases the wax actual pooled into the pattern of a lace-like paper. I liked how the wax dripped over the edges and some of the process revealed itself.

Experimental encaustic

Here is one of my pieces from the workshop... This was done on a 12 x 12" birch panel, tacking a few collage pieces to the board and coating with encaustic medium as a base layer. Other collage pieces and white encaustic (white pigment suspended in beeswax) were painted on in a series of different layers. On the final layer, I created a pattern with a sewing tool that dug into the wax. Then I rubbed brown oil paint into the depressions to make the pattern visible and wiped the rest from the surface. It was interesting to see how quickly the wax obscures layers of materials and how the composition changes as the layers add up. I'll post photos of additional experiments soon... meanwhile, hopefully, I'll figure out how to photograph them a bit better! (...and what are those wheeled, perforating sewing tools called??)

Little paper jewels

I've been experimenting with collage sporadically for many years. (I still remember the first one I made in second grade so the medium obviously made an impression on me!) I tried to incorporate collage influences in my design work and I dabbled on my own art projects occasionally. 

In the late 90s I signed up for a collage workshop through the Naropa Institute for Continuing Education and taught by Christina Craigo. I lived in Denver, worked in Boulder, and was single mom to a young daughter. My friend, Joan Padgitt, offered to babysit for my daughter so I could stay late in Boulder one night each week for 6 weeks or so to take the workshop. (Thanks, JP!) It was the first time I had taken the time to experiment widely or worked in a series (the final class project). 

The collage at left is one of a series of five Color Constructs (8 x 8"), each done as a single color study on black board. I was using cut papers from magazines with a glue stick, mounted to black illustration board, so it is somewhat surprising that they are still intact! Anyway, they remain fun to look at and continue to inspire my work today. I still remember that during the class critique someone said the series was "like a group of little jewels" -- an analogy I loved. I'd like to do more of them sometime... (Note to self: add to list!)