Redo, Reuse, Recycle

While looking for my prismacolor set...you'd be surprised at what other things I've found during the search...I came across this calendar from 2008 that was filled with high quality full page prints of notable Arkansas artists. It was a project of the Govenor's office and was signed by Ginger Beebe, former first lady.

Storage is a premium, and everything has to have a reason for taking up space, but this was too good to pitch. I brought it into the studio for some creative thinking. Fifty-Two weeks/pages, and my art could be in there along with the others who only got one page.

I did a video talking about my process, although basically I painted over the calendar pages and picked up a brush for the first exploration. There are some current images below because I add one or two a day to the book. Enjoy!

How I took a very nice printed calendar with 52+ pages of full color art and turned it into a journal for play. Too good to throw away, and signed by Ginger Beebe to boot (former first lady Arkansas). www.VickiRossArt.com blog post:

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xxoo

A few notes on Encaustic

Some of my mixed media artists are beginning to explore new media, including encaustic. I offered to share a few tips about working with it.

RULES:

1. Industrial ventilation: I guess if you had 10 work stations going, or didn't monitor your temperatures and keep the wax 200° or lower, it might be advisable. Modern recipes aren't as toxic as those experimentations in the 1950's. My studio is 14' x 10' and haven't had any breathing issues. I faithfully use a flat temperature gauge on the griddle and make sure it is working. A window fan blowing to the outside will help. Any shellac burning or regular size butane torch is done outside. BUT, if you are the type to wear gloves when working in other media, you might feel you must have 3000 BTU exhaust.
2. I use a pancake griddle with flat bottomed tin cans. I also keep soy wax in an Oatmeal Tin to toss my brushes in. When ready to use them, I pull them out and wipe off excess with paper towel. They stay in the can between sessions and that is all the cleaning they get. Once an encaustic brush, always an encaustic brush. I also use synthetic brushes that are worn from oil painting. Haven't had any issue with them melting...and it is a good way to recycle them.
3. I use a heat gun (already in my craft stash) and some small propane torches from Freight Salvage that were under $10. Any heating tool is handy (like those meant for woodturning and other crafts)
4. I make my own medium with supplies from Swans Candles, refined beeswax and damar resin. It does take the better part of a day waiting for the resin to melt. Swans pre-made medium is good and reasonably priced. I've used several more expensive brands and really can't tell the difference. As with all art supplies prices and qualities range all over the place.
5. Colors: I've got some blocks of colors, but prefer to make my own for several reasons. It costs less, and I don't have a storage issue with 50-100 color blocks. I keep a cup or so of melted medium on my griddle, with 6-10 smaller tins for colors. In the smaller tins I mix a limited palette (similar to my oil paint palette) with oil paint. NO ACRYLICS with encaustic! Warm/cool reds, yellows, blues, and white. From those I can mix most colors I use frequently. The brand oil paint I like best is Lukas (Jerry's Artarama) because it is milled with a bit of beeswax and seems to melt quicker. Just make sure your paint doesn't have an excess of oil (doesn't play nice with wax medium). If it does, squeeze it out on a paper towel, then put it in your tin. I also have a Ranger Melting Pot and a smaller warming tray (from thrift store) that I use for mixing as needed. 
6. I sometimes work on watercolor paper mounted on mat board or cradled panels. Even Luan 1/4" panels from Lowes work great. American Easel has good quality and pricing and are made in USA. Wax needs strong support to keep it from cracking.

Some of my encaustic art can be viewed here: 

I've written several blog posts about processes. 

http://axully.com/axully-blog/2014/8/27/soft-pastel-collage-and-encaustic

http://axully.com/axully-blog/2014/9/11/origami-and-encaustic

http://axully.com/axully-blog/2014/8/27/delft-encaustic-and-collage

xxoo

Art Journaling is the bomb!

Adonis prints and cards available HERE

My evolution as an artist has brought me full circle. Almost every painting I did for 13 years was suitable for framing and competitions. When I figured out this mindset was doing me no favors, I drifted into mixed media. That art community was having so much fun...and the products designed for them were fascinating.

I had to completely change my direction, it seemed at the time. Playing? Not in my vocabulary. Turns out that was exactly what I needed to add. I've had a ball, and now have four+ journals going...when one dries, pick up another, turn the page and keep on going. I've been studying techniques learned in workshops and from tutors I always meant to delve into. 

Attendance in a class or workshop is great, but you cannot learn in a few hours what a particular tutor has taken a lifetime to perfect. You have to go back to your own studio and practice until the something different becomes part of your vocabulary. I did so much study I never took the time to do the real work.

Slowly, I picked up watermedia again. Always liked doing faces, and now have a journal devoted to watercolor figurative works. Here are a few:

xxoo

Skin Tones for Journaling

I am SO glad I took up art journaling! It gives me an excuse to PLAY, really play! New materials, wonky ideas, practice techniques and methods. Even got out my first love, watercolor, last week. 

Had a request from a google+ community member for a video explaining how I achieve my skin tones. The pieces in question were more illustrative than painting, so I pulled out my most familiar color techniques.

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As part of this new adventure, I am participating in some great online workshops. This was for one of the weekly suggestions from LifeBook 2015. I highly recommend this year long resource! I've found that all my study and tutoring in fine art meshes beautifully with mixed media.

In these videos, please keep in mind that I was merely showing a few techniques to achieve skin tones, not to paint the perfect face. Had I been doing a 'real' painting, it would have taken much longer than an hour or so.

Enjoy! Subscribe to my YouTube channel to stay on top of what Wicki is doing.

xxoo

Rubber Pack Carving Rows #4 and 5 (3 of 3)

Well, this is done. I love the material...and can't wait to put it to use. May have to carve deeper if I use acrylic paint with it, but so far it is working great with ink pads.

I've had some requests for blog posts back when I was posting about art and processes in oil, watercolor, and pastel. To save my sanity with all the social media to update every day, I started blogging here on Axully.com. My old blog posts are still 'out there'! I did my first post in March, 2008. Check them out...there's some good stuff there! www.VickiRossArt.blogspot.com

So without further ado, here is video 3 of 3 on Rubber Plumbers Pack carving. Please subscribe to my YouTube channel and like the video. I'm having fun sharing these...and my muse needs encouragement!

xxoo

Digital Downloads for Collage/Assemblage/Journals

BRAND-NEW! Digital downloads for Collage/Assemblage/Journals. Use in mixed media projects from collage on canvas to image transfers in encaustic, Journal Jumpp starts, whatever your art is, these will be a great compliment to your artistic vision.

Each of the 100+ pages contains original painting elements and/or photography from Vicki Ross and are for your personal use ONLY. No sharing allowed, or the Wicki Muse will haunt your art forever. Capisce? (got it?)Not gonna list do's and don'ts because I expect everyone to treat these with the same respect you'd expect if they were your creations.

I am looking for a few partners who are willing to use their favorites in their art, and share with this my readers. Then, you will share on your blogs, social media, etc. 

Easy-Peasy! We all share together. 

Let me know...which pages you want to start, and when you will get your project and instructions to me. I'll prepare a schedule and see where this goes!

Origami and Encaustic

This article first appeared in MixedMediaArt.net

Love our local thrift store, Helping Hands in Bentonville, AR. Found an origami kit that followed me home. Since I like to see how I can incorporate these types of treasures into my regular art (I think that's an oxymoron...my regular art :)

Anyway, I tried folding paper. MUCH harder than it looks. And, of course instructions were not the best. I had to fudge a few folds.

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Next, I took 4" square tumbled marble tiles and coated them with a couple coats of plain encaustic medium (beeswax and damar resin, I make my own). Yup, visit all those flowers and bring the pollen home to my web. Shoot, my colony. Then, off to Madagascar to drain sap out of the damar tree. (I made that up, FYI)

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Each gets a pour because I wanted to keep the three dimensional look of the folded paper. After two pours, fusing, I took a brush and made sure all crevices were filled. When cool, I scraped back as far as I could, again maintaining the 3-D look.

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When I declared victory, each was signed...not an easy process on such smalls. Here is the group.

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all images © V.N.Ross

Encaustic, collage on tumbled marble tiles.

Rewind! Reinvent! Refresh!

Was reading a good blog post today by Lynn K (not gonna try to spell her name) wrote a post that caught my attention...titled "Where I Stand Sunday". Several comments were made about blogs that reveal more of the life of an artist, not just the available workshops, paintings for sale, or other self promotion. Been there, done that. And it does throw a wet blanket on spontaneous postings. She also mentions the self imposed pressure of detailed tutorials, or other more formal posts.

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White Rose, Encaustic, Xerography, Oil on mounted paper, 7"x7" $245 Available HERE. Will be on exhibit downtown Bentonville at pop-up art show, Majesty Gallery on the square, Oct. 4 and 5.

i built a strong group of followers for blog posts that I'm afraid we're based on some of those things. Not anymore! In fact, I've begun loosening up in my art as well. Some of it has already flowed over into my blog. SO, welcome to the Wonderful World of Wicki. 

i realized that as an artist of realism that there was nothing new I could say about a tree that hasn't been covered by so many others. My studio was neat as a pin, with supplies organized in the closet where the doors would close...and my workstations...one for soft pastel, and one for oil. Then, I added another work area for encaustic (hot wax) painting. Because so many more relaxed processes are involved there, from collage to xerography to mono printing ....papers, threads, stencils...3-dimensional works...

Flag Ball, 9" round, encaustic. Available HERE, or visit and purchase from Two25 Gallery on Main Street, Bentonville, AR © V.N.Ross

Mixed Media roared into my life a few months later. I now have a tsunami in my neat as a pin studio. A die cutter, embosser, acrylic paints and decorative papers. Stamps, spray inks, fun foam and torn cardboard. 

I've found an entire community of artists who like to create just for fun...not for competitions, sales, or galleries. AND they share and ask questions and interact! I'm gonna have fun. ITPS (It's the Process Stupid), not the product. You are welcome to play along with me.

SO, 

what did I eat for lunch today? A juicy cheez burger and homemade fries from Rons Hambergs in Bentonville. I'm not nicknamed "Wimpy" for nuttin!

What am I reading now? Art books, always, by my chair (real books) and (electronic) on ipad. Current favorite is "Printmaking Unleashed" by Traci Bautista. These get studied after studio time, with adult juice at my side. In bed for that last hour of awakens, whatever novels I've downloaded free on my kindle app.

what I'm making? Stamps, free stitching on fun foam for stamps, screenprinting screens, stencils, all for eventual inclusion in art journals, or collages.

what am I wearing?  Before 5pm, Jeans, crocs with socks, and a gimme T-shirt, the better to sling paint! After 5, all the above except sweatpants instead of jeans!

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Stencil of girl made from magazine. Stencil made from glue gun, Gelli Plate printed on deli paper. Image was originally vertical, but I like the idea of swimming upstream in heels :) These papers will find their way into all kinds of mixed media art!

xxoo

Keep Those Hands Busy!

When I read this blog post today, I immediately knew I wanted to share it here. Lynne Knowlton writes about how pulling out the knitting needles for an easy project helped her struggle over the grief of losing one of her hairy kids last week. 

Zakly (exactly...hey, a new wick-word) what we talk about here! How busy hands help your soul...when you are counting stitches, there is no room for anything else. Same with mixing paint colors...quilting a patchwork quilt...You know...all that 'stuff' we do for fun.

Enough of me...now here's a short snippet of Lynne's post (and she includes a free pattern!)

Knit A Chunky Wool Blanket. It Will Keep You From Unravelling …

February 28th, 2014 | 20 Comments | Posted in Design Your Blog Life

Thanks, Lynne! 

Would you lurve to knit a chunky wool blanket?  Good.  Me too.  I knew I liked you. This blanket can keep you from unravelling, one stitch at a time.

Whaaaa you don’t want to knit a blanket?

 

No worries, there is other juicy stuff in this blog post for you too.  Skip to the end of the post,  I need your opinion on stuff.  You are my trusted advisor, don’tcha know?  I count on you to give me the straight goods.  

Read the rest of the post here:

xxoo

PS: Be sure to tell Lynn you read about it here!