It’s amazing sometimes what happens by chance. In this instance, I needed to have an exchange painting, 8 x 8 inches for the 8th International Encaustic Conference to be held June 6-8, 2014 in Provincetown, MA.
I don’t work that small generally speaking and I guess I could have done something on paper BUT I decided to work on a small 2 inch deep cradled panel. I hated to ask the panel people to make ONE, so I got a dozen.
I had an idea to work on all of them and give one in the exchange. My idea was to take some of the bits and pieces of the shapes and colors I see in the area here where I live on Johnson Creek. I determined to limit my color and just concentrate on the shapes.
I wanted half of them to start light, the other half dark. As they progressed I got excited that they would all look great hung all together as a group.
I will still choose one (not determined at this time) to be wrapped for the exchange but I will let that person come exchange for one of the others if they want to do this. Then I will hang all the others with a blank spot where the missing one would have been.
This plan is not written in stone, but I think it will be an interesting departure. The work is titled, Johnson Creek, Field Notes.
Johnson Creek Field Notes, 12, 8 x 8 x 2 inch encaustic paintings on cradled wood panels.
The whole grouping will be shown and available at the Hotel Fair at the Conference, Sunday, June 8, 2014
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The compact size of each painting keeps the eye from wandering, and keeps a focus on the power of the designs. The fact that each one is different yet creates a “whole” is intriguing. I am sure they will be well received.
Anita Dellal
Thank you, Anita. I checked your site and can see how much you love color. I appreciate your remarks about this grouping. Keep up the good work with your paintings.
I find it interesting that you define this success as ‘chance!’
It seems more the product of defining a challenge and sticking to your parameters. I love how the shapes are really able to speak because you eliminated color. Beautiful, subtle and fascinating how the paintings that began as light are balanced by those that began as dark.
Congrats on your success!
Thank you, Ruth. You are right, I did all those things, setting of a palette, a size, etc. BUT, the ‘chance’ part was that something set it all in motion. This was the need to make something of a size not usual to me..and because of that, it got me out of my box. In some ways, almost everything has a little of a chance catalyst. However, like talent people might be born with, it is what you do with it that counts.
I am now the happy owner of two of the “postcards” you made from this series for the conference. They are already hung on my wall here in my little home in Portland Oregon. Thanks go much!
Jan
Hello, Jan. I’m so happy to know who got them. I hope you had a great conference. I met a number of nice people this time from Portland. Maybe we’ll see each other agin next year.