My plaster pieces before wax. Two pieces with wire and gauze; one cast into sculptey.
I finally pushed all other matters aside and gave myself two days in the studio. I am thrilled with the results. These pieces are still examining issues of safety and home, but they were mostly about experimenting with new techniques and materials, namely plaster. I was reading Plaster Studio by Stephanie Lee and Judy Wise (wrote a review here!) and was filled with images of what might be possible. So I set to work. And this is what I created.
Approaching Darkness (detail) (encaustic, wire and plaster sculpture on panel; 12"x12"x8")
Approaching Darkness
Nailed Stuck (encaustic, wire, and plaster on panel; 12"x12")
Nailed Stuck (detail)
this one is still in progressI also did another piece that I am really excited about. It involved painting a piece and then breaking through it from the back and creating a small cavern in the painting. I find it powerful to put physical force into breaking through the painting and channeling my emotions to create an intense piece. This piece is about how the things that happen in our life can shatter us and make us raw and exposed to the world.
Shattered Me (encaustic mixed media assemblage on panel; 12"x12")
Shattered Me (detail)I did another piece like this in the spring, but never posted it. This is it:
Marriage (encaustic mixed media assemblage; 10"x10")I am happy to come back to this idea and am looking forward to doing more pieces like it.
I am loving working three-dimensional in general. I have always been drawn to sculpture and so it is exciting to let my mind go in that direction and see what comes up. Houses are of course three-dimensional so continuing along the themes I have been exploring could include some really cool sculptures.
Better play in 3D before I head to Spain...don't think I will be doing much of it there with the problem of shipping in the way.