encaustiZINE Spring-Summer 2016 by International Encaustic Artists

Registration for the IEA/EAI ENCAUSTIC RETREAT at Buffalo Thunder Resort, Santa Fe, is now open: http://www.internationalencaustic-artists.org/WorkshopsEvents Workshops available at the Seventh Biennial 2016 ARTISANS MATERIALS EXPO: CREATIVE ASCENSION Register for your workshops now: http://expoartisan.com/ Over 20 encaustic workshop offerings for every level of artist, as well as workshops in practically every art material imaginable! Artisans Expo also features a fabulous Vendor Floor of world-class art materials at discount prices, as well as opportunities to watch demos, get samples, and more!

Dear members,

many good things are underway with our encaustic retreat preparations! Registration is now live on our on our website (http://www.international-encaustic-artists.org/). The retreat fee is a modest $175, and includes the opening reception to the joint EAI-IEA juried show on Friday, Sept. 30th, morning coffee and light snacks, a special dedicated retreat area with demos, talks, and content only for retreat participants, the Saturday night La Vendéenne Awards Banquet on Oct. 1st, gift bags, and a host of other perks. This is a great opportunity to connect with old and new friends, add to your artists’ skill set, and more! And, while you are thinking about the retreat, give some thought to your entry for the juried exhibition: Making Your Mark. To download the prospectus and enter click here: http://international-encaustic-artists.org/CallforEntry and to nominate someone for the prestigious La Vendéene Awards click here: http://international-encaustic-artists.org/La-Vendeenne-Nominations The retreat is coming soon, Thursday, Sept. 29 – Sunday, October 2, and workshops are now live for registration on Artisan’s Materials website: http://expoartisan.com/Why not stay an extra few days and take a post-conference workshop offered by one of our teaching members? We have two to tell you about: PAULA ROLAND: Encaustic Monotype Workshop, October 3rd – 6th IEA member Paula Roland is holding an independent Encaustic Monotype Workshop in her Santa Fe Studio October 3-6. She is extending a discount to fellow IEA members who would like to attend. You may see a description of the class at www.RolandWorkshops.com and email her at PaulaRoland@yahoo.com for more details. Paula was awarded the IEA La Vendéenne Award for Innovation in 2014. ELLEN KOMENT: Encaustic Master Class, October 3rd - 5th This 3-day workshop will combine the expertise of a mature artist both with hands-on demos and ample time for students to work, as well as portfolio reviews for individual participants, and advice related to professional development. Ellen will share techniques and work one on one with each student. For more information go to: http://www.nmencausticworkshops.com/ Ellen is the 2013 recipient of the La Vendéenne award for excellence in encaustic education. Additionally, I want to share with you a new benefit to IEA membership that is designed to help chapters help you in your career by sponsoring exhibitions and workshops. IEA has obtained general liability insurance covering chapter events such as exhibitions and workshops. Before now, chapters have had to purchase insurance event by event when a host venue required proof of insurance. From now on, and at no additional cost to chapters, this insurance is provided and paid for by IEA. In order to obtain a certificate of insurance for an event, please have one of your chapter officers contact Membership/Chapter Director, Janet Hickok, who will obtain necessary information from you to get the certificate issued. Please note that this benefit is only available to members of IEA in good standing. At this time, the benefit applies only to US-based chapters. If a non-US chapter needs insurance for an event, please contact Janet Hickok at membershipchapters@international-encaustic-artists.org for assistance in obtaining event insurance. We have another new benefit to announce: IEA now offers a student membership at a reduced rate to anyone who is enrolled at least half-time in an accredited college or university. The reduced rate is $35 and carries all the benefits of a regular membership, including access to local chapters and the ability to enter members-only shows. If you have a student friend or family member who is interested in encaustic, this would make a great gift! To enroll a new student member click here: http://international-encaustic-artists.org/JoinIEA Lastly, I want to welcome you to the inaugural issue of IEA’s new e-zine, encaustiZINE©! Your board of directors has been working hard to bring informative content together for you in a way that is appealing and accessible to you. So, let’s kick off summer with a theme of ‘Art and Travel’. You will learn about ‘destination’ workshops from several of our members and veteran instructors, as well as artist residency’s abroad, all while you are preparing for the upcoming retreat in Santa Fe. See you there!

Melissa Morton Lackman, IEA President

keeping the fire burning: refueling our creative energy We all have been there: the creative juices are flowing, the

Traveling to a new destination, with the intention of delving in to your creative work can be game-changing and exhilarating. Over the course of my own artistic career I have been fortunate to travel to a variety of places, with the intention of creating art, and have found it to be one of the best ways to shake things up. From Japan, to Florence, Italy, to southern France, I have spent time in fellowships, residencies and workshops, all with the intention of generating work and clearing my vision (as well as my head).

work is pouring out of us, we feel invincible, super-powered, attune with an energy source that can almost feel divine. We are in the ‘flow’. It’s times like this that an 8-hour day in the studio can pass in an instant. Nothing can stop us...well, except for ourselves.

We can be our biggest fan, and also our worst critic. When we let the negative voices in our head take over, and sometimes, take up residence, it can really stall our creative In this premier issue of encaustiZINE© we invited IEA output. It has nothing to do with the reality of our situation. members to share their own experiences in which they Whether we are doing our art full-time, or doing it when traveled to do their art or to teach others. Peru, we’re not at a day job, there are ebbs and flows to Spain, Costa Rica, Italy and Ireland, are the creative energy needed to remain focused on Perhaps one art-making. Sometimes, just being in the same way to re-ignite destinations our members have traveled to, with physical place, day in and day out, can get you in your passion for the goal of making art, or helping others to do so. This is a dedicated bunch: dedicated to learning, a rut. It can stall keeping your vision as clear as your work is to and to their practice as artists and teachers. They you’d like it to be, and fear, doubt and, get way out of know the value of picking up and changing the sometimes, just plain boredom can set in. town! scene, all with the intention of moving their, and their students, art forward. Making the commitment to your artist-self, to show up, to do the work, has challenges, just like any other As you read, I hope you find their stories inspiring and committed relationship. And, those challenges must be maybe feel the beginnings of your own fire burning, nudging attended to and dealt with, sometimes in ways that will force you to look at your art process differently and maybe even us to see things from a new perspective. For some of us, it try one these ‘destination workshops’. might mean taking a workshop to learn a technique we have always wanted to try. For others, it may mean working side And, if you are interested in seeing what the world of by side with an artist whose work we admire and would like international artist residencies can offer, just visit our to learn from. Or, maybe it means getting as far away from ‘Residencies’ page on the IEA website: http://internationalyour studio as possible. Getting far away from the studio? encaustic-artists.org/Residencies. You will find a variety of Seems counter-intuitive. Perhaps one way to re-ignite your resources there. So...are you ready to take your art on the passion for your work is to get way out of town! road...?

By Melissa Rubin, Editor, IEA Education Director & Grants Administrator

painting peru

by shary bartlett

There are few things I love more in life than art and travel -

In case you feel inspired to tuck some wax into your backpack

to indulge both passions at the same time is heaven! A few

next trip, I’ll share what I learned.

years ago I taught art in Bali with Mark Glavina of Travelling

lightweight encaustic kit, I considered my favourite tools,

To assemble my small,

Brush art adventures and when he approached me to teach

materials and ways of working.

in Peru with him this past March, I soared to the top of

hardboard substrate was too heavy for this gal’s pack, so I

Machu Picchu in a heartbeat. Bucket list…Check!

experimented with wax and my favorite travel art form: the illustrated watercolor journal.

Together with eight intrepid art voyageurs we painted our

encaustic wax before leaving.

and Arequipa – right to the top of Machu Picchu! We

ceviche and charmed by this friendly country.

the book on my return.

Despite the obvious limitations of few tools and

Travelling with a group of artists is always

working outside

amazing. We’d sit together in the town square

the studio, I found

over vino tinto and café to sketch the bustle of

the possibilities of

goings on, wandering off to spend quiet time

waxing poetic on

exploring the market or cobblestone streets. No one sighed when someone stopped to take yet another photo – we were all snapping away!

I brought other pages

unprimed but kept them loose so I could work flat and bind

marveled at the brilliant colors, stunning geography, unique finding ourselves stuttering Spanish, savoring

Tearing loose sheets of

watercolor paper, I pre-primed several pages with clear

way through Lima, Cusco, Ollantaytambo, Aguas Calientes

architecture and rich history of this country,

The traditional encaustic

the road both fun and liberating.

While admittedly, a paper/wax surface is more fragile than a wood substrate, I found it withstood handling. My wax kit included pellets of pure filtered beeswax and small chunks of colored paints (chosen with my destination’s color palette in mind). Instead of toting heavy heating equipment, I brought two small hot tools: a mini iron and a stylus with a fountain pen nib. These have interchangeable heads, so I could have managed with one, but being an artist who likes instant gratification, I preferred having two devices

We showed each other our paintings, offered suggestions

that were simultaneously hot!

and gathered inspiration from each other’s work and instruction. Together we pursued our unique passions for

I employed the mini iron to melt wax - either by placing the

plein

colored wax chunks on the upturned iron and then painting

air

water-color

painting,

pastel,

sketching,

with it, or by laying pellets of clear wax on the paper surface

photography, illustrated journaling and encaustic.

and then melting them.

Now I agree, wax does not appear to be a medium that lends itself to the creative traveler: all those wires, electrical

When dipping the nib of my heated fountain pen stylus in the

equipment, torches, tools, paints, beeswax… But love for

colored wax, I could draw deliciously thin lines across the

that translucent lustre, texture and aroma of beeswax will

page. Unfortunately, these two devices required palm-sized

drive one to try! Despite the obvious limitations of few tools

electrical converters (due to the 220 voltage in Peru) and

and working outside a studio, I found the possibilities of

outdoor power sources at my hotels – the latter being

waxing poetic on the road both fun and liberating.

sometimes challenging to locate with a table and chair nearby!

I brought a dual voltage hairdryer to fuse, but rarely used it; next time, I’d just give needy areas a quick once over in my bathroom with the hotel hairdryer (and touch up my eternally messy artist’s hair at the same time!) My wax kit included my favorite clay tools to carve and thin. I found the few PanPastels and sponge applicator I brought were great for creating background fill and highlighting surface texture. On those pages I’d not pre-primed with wax, water- soluble oil pastels created crayon-like lines or a loose wash of color. An unabashed lover of ‘bling’ I couldn’t do without a small container of Inka Gold highlighter wax (and anyway, doesn’t it cry out to be brought on a trip exploring ancient Incan civilization?). Above: Woman in Ollyantaytambo Marketplace, encaustic on photo © 2016 Shary Bartlett

I found that a small sheet of aluminum foil made a lightweight palette. Finally, my most important tools were an open mind and the repeated mantra: “Work loosely and don’t expect your customary results with such limited art supplies!” Despite a number of frustrating failures (…I mean “highly successful efforts to work outside my standard practices”), I found waxy inspiration in my Peruvian surroundings – particularly when painting amidst the luscious gardens of my hotels where I found myself “plugged in.” The bright atmosphere of the southern hemisphere was intoxicating and, as a lover of color, I relished the opportunity to mimic the waxy light through the petals and leaves. I took 6,000 digital photographs over a three-week period (!) and had a few images printed during my sojourns, adding these to my journal and augmenting them with wax glazes and texture. Coca tea bag labels, museum tickets, stamps and dried flowers became fodder for collage under my mini iron. Above: Hand-spinning at the Chinchero Weaving Cooperative; Previous page: The author and artist, Shary Bartlett paints at Machu Picchu © 2016 Shary Bartlett

Line work and script were scrawled across the pages, thanks to my trusty stylus, drawing pen and China pencils. In the end, I found waxing on the road fun, discovering new ways of working and stumbling upon innovative ideas that I never would have at home. My next step, now home, is to develop these small revelations into larger works with more durable substrates. Working in a journal format is always satisfying: I don’t apply the same judgments of “success” and “failure”, believing journals to be meant for experimentation – if all else fails, an unsatisfactory page can be torn and collaged into another! I learn as much from paintings that don’t work as from those that do – maybe more – and over the years, these journaled chronicles of my artistic and international travels remain my most treasured possessions.

My Tilley hat’s off to those intrepid Fayum Mummy portrait artists who laboriously heated pigmented wax in a charcoal brazier, then painted and fused those beautiful portraits with heated spatulas! It’s my honor to continue experimenting with their inspired discoveries and art form.

And how much more I now appreciate the modern wonders of an electric skittle, my home studio’s wideranging supplies and that warm hake brush!

To learn more about my travel experience view the Travelling Brush ‘Painting in Peru’ video: http://www.travellingbrush.ca/?page_id=2228

SharyBartlett http://www.sharybartlett.com teaches encaustic and mixed media art in Vancouver, Canada and has taught in the US, Indonesia and Peru. Founding Cochair of CanWax West, Shary’s work is held in public and private collections in Canada and the US. Shary’s encaustic work and techniques are published in Encaustic Art in the 21st Century (Schiffer Books, 2016) and in Encaustic Revelation (Baldwin-Seggebruch, North Light Books, 2014). Her work can be seen in the Encaustic Arts Institute’s Summer 2016 show, Encaustic Art in the 21st Century. Join Shary for her IEA workshops on encaustic photo alteration at the Artisan’s Expo in Santa Fe, Oct 1, 2016. YouTube video on encaustic photography https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_EKb5rZJIL0

Where do we as artists find creative inspiration? From

has a beautiful encaustic studio set up in the historical downtown.

nature, from films, music, art… from other people, from ourselves. It can be a brave endeavor deciding to take a trip abroad to a place we don’t know much about, with a group of artists we may have never met.

But most importantly over the past years Málaga has become THE cultural capital of Southern Europe in its own right – now home to an impressive 30 museums!

Artists take destination workshops for many reasons, The birthplace of Picasso and home to the Picasso but we usually find a common thread: they need a Museum, Málaga has recently seen several major change from their current art routine and space; they museums open: the waterfront Centre Pompidou, a are looking for creative inspiration; they need to make new branch of the St. Petersburg Russian Museum and space for being alone in a group setting to reflect and the Thyssen Museum. The CAC, Malaga’s Museum of get perspective on their work; and they need to feel Modern Art, rounds up the art museum experience challenged and moved. And above all they want to with top-notch avant-garde offerings. explore and find that different beauty out It can be a brave there to create work. Ultimately, we find Málaga has a rich ancient history as well and endeavor deciding that creative inspiration within ourselves: logistically it’s very easy to visit. There are to take a trip the destination, the skills we learn and the very few Mediterranean cities where you can group of artists we interact with serve as abroad to a place actually walk from the historical pedestrian catalysts to continue creating when we get we don’t know downtown and in just 10 minutes be soaking back home to our families, our lives and our much about, with a up the sun on its beautiful beaches -- that is, creative practice. group of artists we if you don’t stop along the way at the fish

may have never

Ellen Koment has been working with met. encaustic, exhibiting it, and teaching encaustic workshops in Santa Fe, NM for twenty years, in itself, a destination for many artists. Belén Millán has been painting mixed media and encaustics and showing both in Spain and the US for the last ten years. Belén and Ellen met in New Mexico… that’s where the plan to do a workshop in Spain was hatched, combining each of their areas of expertise: Ellen’s teaching experience, both of their love of and proficiency in encaustic painting, and Belen’s passion for Málaga, Spain. Choosing Málaga as our inspirational destination was an easy pick. Belén lives there part of the year and

market or the many tempting coffee shops and tapas bars. If you add to the superb cultural offering its vibrant food and music and the beautiful small white villages up in the mountains the choice is clear… It’s Málaga… por supuesto!

But what makes an art destination an unforgettable adventure? Our experience is drawn from mixed groups of international artists from several countries… each one with his/her own expectations. We find that when these mixed groups get together a synergy and energy builds up. The following points have been key for a successful group experience in our Málaga Encaustic Workshops:

FLEXIBILITY in the hands of the artists: Our encaustic classes are set up in the mornings with the afternoons available for cultural activities OR more studio time. Using Belén’s encaustic studio, and having two instructors, allows us this flexibility and students appreciate it. GROUP INSTRUCTION but PERSONAL TIME for oneon-one reviews: Group demos and personal feedback. Students are given the option to spend time with us individually for oneon-one portfolio reviews. Above: Students with Ellen in Bélen’s Malaga studio. Below: Wine tasting at a local mountain village. Previous page: A view of the beautiful city of Malaga, Spain © 2016 Koment/Millán

EXPLORING THE REAL LOCAL CULTURE with off-thebeaten-path experiences: Learning about local wine by actually visiting the slopes in the mountains where the grapes are grown, savoring a paella cooked over a wood fire on the beach, or learning about the olive oil industry by visiting the oldest working cold press oil mill in Spain are some of the activities that help us gain real insight into Spanish culture. URBAN and RURAL EXPERIENCES we visit the top museums and urban cultural sites in town, but we also spend time up in the mountains wandering around, sketching to bring back ideas to the studio and also tasting the local wine and Andalusian cuisine far away from the usual tourist trails.

Maria Damiry Meza (Venezuela): “I learnt a great deal about the technical aspects of handling wax and pigments. However, of even more importance was what I was taught about artistic form, design and composition. I was uncertain if I had the necessary skill and creativity to be a professional artist. After the course I feel confident of myself and my ability to embark on the challenge of producing really highclass work. Attending the course was a fantastic experience for me and I would recommend it wholehardheartedly to anyone who has a serious interest in encaustic art.” Above: Lunch in one of the quaint ‘Pueblos Blancos’ or White Villages in the surrounding mountains. © 2016 Koment/Millán

Teaching these workshops has been a tremendously rewarding experience for both of us -- so much to learn from the talented artists who have had the courage and empathy to open up and join us in our voyage. This is some of the feedback they shared with us: Donna Hamil (Massachusetts): “I was ready to start my next series but unhappily unclear about exactly where to go. Now I know and have experimented with techniques that will help me achieve what I want. I appreciated your enormous energy and organization, ever-present support in the studio, and your desire for us to be exposed to the totality of your country. I learned a lot about your food, and the trip ended up also being a gourmet treat…the workshop was just perfect for me.” Dianna Shomaker (New Mexico): “There are many reasons people go to workshops. Artists are not just taking the time to learn how to be better artists (that's always the hope, of course). But for me it is also the social interaction, the sparks of new ideas, the creativity and the energy of everyone working to create in an inspiring environment. This workshop was not only all of that but it was a great cultural immersion into life in Málaga and Spain. I LOVED it.”

Ellen Koment has been painting, and teaching painting for 30 years, twenty of those with encaustic, and within the structure of Encaustic Workshops. She is the recipient of the prestigious IEA LaVendéene award for excellence in Encaustic Education. She has a BFA from the Cooper Union Art School, and an MA in Painting from UC Berkeley. Along with workshops she has twenty-five years of experience teaching painting, drawing, color theory and design at the college level. She has exhibited her encaustic painting widely, and is represented in three books in the last few years, including the recently released “Encaustic in the 21st century”, by Ashley Rooney. You can see her work at http://www.ellenkoment.com, and details about Santa Fe workshops at http://www.nmencausticworkshops.com

We are both passionate about and proud of the previous Encaustic workshops we have done in Málaga. We feel honored to work with artists who are ready to travel from different continents to do artwork with us. We find these international artists are a special crowd: highly motivated people with a voracious eagerness to learn and explore. We are both looking forward to our next two workshops together, one scheduled for August 2016 in Santa Fe, and the other in Málaga in the Spring of 2017. Find details at www.encausticspain.blogspot.com We hope you’ll join us for either workshop, or both - Nos vemos en Nuevo México o España!

Belén Millán is an Andalusian-American artist with a long professional trajectory in the New York advertising industry. A graduate of Mount Holyoke College with a BA and Columbia University with a MIA, she pursued graduate art studies at Hunter College, Art Students League and the Woodstock School of Art in New York. Belen has been working with wax and mixed media for over 10 years, exhibiting in the US and Europe. She is recently featured in “Encaustic in the 21st Century,” by Ashley Rooney. She regularly teaches Encaustic workshops in her studio in Málaga and offers individual training both in Málaga and in New York. She is an R&F certified Encaustic Instructor. For more information please visit http://www.belenmillan.com

Collage and Encaustic Workshop with Shawna Moore and Hollie Heller I

met Hollie Heller in Tamarindo on my first visit to Costa

Rica in 2015. The sign read “Tamarindo Art Retreat,” and that was enough to get my attention. She had long envisioned group and private workshops in her ocean side studio. Hollie and her husband Ralph had created the perfect setting for an art retreat, now all we needed were some students. Fortunately, I had some experience hosting retreats in exotic locations. I had previously hosted two workshops on the Hawaiian island of Molokai’. In these retreats I try to combine a gentle yoga practice, art for all levels, a great setting and of course good food. Just the arrival to a beautiful and warm location can create an opening to possibility and new things. The goal is to create a group of creative friends that are supportive and connected for the week and beyond.

The morning yoga practice lays the foundation for the calmness required to settle into the depths of the imagination. Each day after yoga and breakfast we would embark on a new project. Hollie began the week with introductions to ink and dying paper. Her methods involve the creation of custom paper which are collage and transferred to develop one of a kind imagery. Using sponges, sprayers, stamps and stencils we experimented with color and a variety of paper. We also explored Shibori with dyes and rice paper. With the current focus on textile technique and encaustic, this was a particularly interesting combination.

On the last day, it was a mad dash to finish projects. Students had the option of working in acrylic collage or encaustic collage as they refined their individual vision and expression using these materials. The variety of work was amazing. Part of this is attributed to Hollie’s free-form start, where papers were playfully decorated and involvement was stressed more than outcome. Working each day, students built a collection of color and designs unlike anyone else’s so each piece was completely unique.

Hollie’s technique involves using acrylic medium (unlike encaustic) so we began to experiment with the clear and shiny as we combined our art papers. Midweek, I took over and demonstrated basic techniques for collaging.

We discussed the difference in

outcomes between the acrylic work and the encaustic work, so that students could get an idea of what worked best for their artistic vision.

Most of the

papers could be used with both techniques, although Above: Pam Barberis surrounded by ocean colors in the Costa Rica

as you know, the acrylic coated pieces cannot be

combined with encaustic. 15

I am always surprised by the amazing students that attend my workshops. Hollie and I hosted talented women from Australia, North Carolina, Boston, Montana, and California with three mother/daughter teams! I was lucky to have my own daughter Pixie join us for several mornings. It’s the energy of the participants that make the workshops so lively and fun. The final dinner may have been the highlight, with fresh Ahi Tuna and local dishes served at a farm table after beachfront sunset drinks and appetizers.

The

local phrase in Costa Rica is Pura Vida, which translates as Pure Life!

After a week of beach

walking, garden fresh food and colorful art, we felt more alive than ever! Hollie and I plan to return to her intimate studio in January of 2017. Please consider joining us for this invigorating and relaxing retreat. Let us know if you would like to attend, space is limited to six students and we have lodging to offer right next door. Above: Lunch is served! Fresh papaya, mango and pineapple, plus Ahi tuna, keeps the artist’s stomachs inspired too! © 2016 Shawna Moore

Shawna Moore is an established, professional painter and encaustic artist living in Whitefish, Montana. She exhibits her work nationally in galleries and regional museums. Anchored by the use of color and the immediacy of art making, Moore has spent the past 20 years developing and refining her artistic process and intention.

Her art

integrates elements of painting and drawing, and reflects both her education in architecture and fine art, and her inventive and experimental nature. To view Shawna’s work: http://www.shawnamoore.com

by gail steinberg Â

arte studio ginestrelle

assisi italy

why apply for an art residency? Identity

theory says we each have a myriad of emotional parts

Arte Studio Ginestrelle lies in the hills of Mount Subasio, 12 miles from the historic town of Assisi, which is famous for its frescoes by Giotto and Cimabue. Six artists are chosen for residency at a time. While I was there my new best friends came from India, Russia, New York, Sweden, and North Carolina. The opportunity to work in a fantastic natural environment alongside gifted artists from different backgrounds and to participate in the International exhibition, Assisi UNESCO Heritage Site was a fabulous bonus.

that influence how we make decisions, even the snap decisions that can shape our art and daily lives. Sometimes I’m aware of it when my greedy parts, rejection-sensitive parts, strategic thinking parts, risk taking parts, etc. take over as they did when I first considered applying for an art residency. YES! my greedy part squealed, how can you go wrong? Time to hang out in a beautiful place at low cost and just paint? Of course, you have to apply. Though the part of me that always expects rejection didn’t want to risk not being accepted, my strategic voice observed that it would be a good career move and my risk taking part said, hey, it’s only an application, it’s not life or death. If you don’t get in, you’ve still moved forward because you applied. Uncertain, I continued to debate with myself, not sure if it was worth all the effort applying would take, but it was my opportunistic part that wouldn’t leave me alone until I applied. Imagine, a period of time just to paint in some glorious place either free or at low cost. Time! The time had come to make time for me.

On the first morning and every morning I was there, I woke up before five a.m., beyond excited—ready to start working. My project (defining a project was a The opportunity to work requirement of the application) was a series of in a fantastic paintings of people laughing uncontrollably, natural environment, demanding attention. Why uncontrollably? alongside gifted artists Because I equated tears rolling down my face, from different my body collapsed in hard laughter with being backgrounds, and to all in, with those rare moments of maskless participate in the transparency, no hiding possible. At this time International Exhibition in my life, touching in with what is most real holds the highest value was a fabulous bonus.

Time is still my greatest luxury, never having enough to do all the things I want. I know we all are given exactly the same amount of time and we make our own choices, but for me, other people’s priorities, my responsibilities, unplanned things that pop up and just can’t wait, too often take priority over the things that bring on my deepest pleasure; painting, swimming, lying in the sun, sigh..…

I had thought a lot about my project. Jewish me was trying to connect to St. Francis, the patron saint of Assisi because I was on his turf and even though I knew it was simplistic, somehow it felt right. I knew that Francis had been connected to nature, animals and himself more than most. He seemed a genuine good guy. The catch was that I was working in watercolor for the first time, a medium I knew nothing about. This was because though I had been accepted for my work in encaustics, a few weeks before I was due to arrive, the art studio realized they didn’t have enough electricity to support melting wax and asked me to please change mediums. I picked watercolor thinking I would have to bring fewer supplies along. I also decided to work on yupo paper because I had seen a video about it, which looked interesting.

Exploring the options, (I even made a database of all the residency opportunities I thought I could qualify for which I’m happy to share with you at your request), I finally decided to apply to Arte Studio Ginestrelle, a one-month residency in Assisi, Italy. A big reason for my choice was Italy, which I love. Another reason is that they allow you to bring your partner with you and my Matteo loves Italy even more than I do. The dates were right for us and it was inexpensive. 18

Yupo turned out to be sheets of thin plastic, which meant that paint stayed on the surface and could not absorb— a strange material for a study of human authenticity but one that appealed to my delight in luminescence. I had to discover ways I could manage the medium and the learning curve was high. What a challenge!

And the takeaway? Being at Arte Studio Ginestrelle taught me to trust myself in a way I had never imagined was possible. I flowed up and down the stairs to the studio on rollerskate-brain; so many different things were happening at once. I couldn’t work fast enough. And I lost track of myself.

It was an experience completely without self, without any thought about results or approval—without any words. Though I had no idea of what I was doing, I couldn’t stop doing it. And I never had to stop to think. I just kept painting from morning to night. In the fever of that creative time I realized that I could trust the universe to always deliver a next step for me to take. Experiencing this was worth everything. Seeing myself moving forward without hesitation and without overthinking created a new confidence in my intuition. That’s what painting is for me, intuition made graphic, a way of capturing the things I cannot express any other way. If you get the chance, please apply for a residency. Yes, getting accepted is competitive but if you choose an established, but not terrifically sought after program, you have as good a chance as I did to win a spot. Other artists at Assisi while I was there told about moving from residency to residency as a way of life. Even that is possible and undoubtedly powerful. You can do it. Spread the word...

Gail Steinberg sits on the IEA board as Secretary. She is an artist, author, dancer, teaching-artist, grant writer, adoption specialist, and activist. She is the National Coordinator for Advocacy Leadership for Positive Aging (ALPA) and a grant writer for O+, support for emerging artists. Other accomplishments are: Founder and past CEO of Jasmine & Bread, an organization supporting craftsmakers in Afghanistan; Co-Founder and Director Emeritus for Pact, An Adoption Alliance, supporting children of color and their adoptive and birth families; CoFounder and Past President, IEA. To see more of Gail’s work visit: http://www.gailsteinbergart.com/

“The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.” -Marcel Proust Although

I travel for experiences beyond

those typical of most American tourists, like many romantics, I had dreams of someday living and working in a foreign country. An artist residency experience was also on my bucket list, so when I read a Facebook post by Olive Stack Gallery http://www.olivestack.com/ announcing a one-month residency opportunity in Ireland that included painting and giving workshops in a small-town gallery/studio, I applied first, and then asked my partner, fellow-artist Nard Claar, if he'd like to join me. Of course, I already knew the answer, and within the week, we were making airline reservations to Shannon, Ireland. The residency arrangement was a win-win. Olive Stack Gallery is located in a refurbished 18th century, four-story stone building, right at Listowel's crossroads. The gallery features Olive's paintings, and resident artists are welcome to display and sell their own artwork, as well. Nard and I ran the gallery Monday through Thursday which gave Olive four days of much-wanted painting time each week. Then Olive ran the gallery Fridays and Saturdays, giving us a three day weekend to explore brilliant County Kerry and County Cork….which hold some of the most treasured landscapes in all of Ireland.

-lery include an art studio large enough to teach workshops, two bedrooms, two baths, kitchen, living room, and a utility room including washer/dryer. Although Olive accepts either one or two artists per residency, two artists sharing the month is ideal. One artist can be out and about exploring the town, or up one level in the studio working on their art, while the other artist runs the gallery.

The town is completely walkable in either direction in 10 minutes or less. On the north edge of town lies the “Big Bridge” crossing over the River Feale, which meanders adjacent to Listowel. Nard and I enjoyed the community gardens and river walk each morning before opening the gallery at 10:30a. And when 6p closing time came around, we'd take the few minutes' walk to our favorite bench overlooking the river and watch the sun go down, sipping a little Irish whiskey to stay warm in the cool evening air.

Included in the residency is a lovely apartment! The three floors above the gal-

A residency is an amazing way to experience another country and to expand an artist's vision. Everyday errands become lessons. Where to shop? In a small Irish town, it takes some exploration and networking to find supplies commonplace at home. How to shop? Learning what coins are worth what requires focus and left-brain engagement. What words to use? Yes, Ireland is an English speaking country, but don't for one minute assume that means you'll comprehend the speaker’s meanings or understand her accent.

How to drive? Not only on the “wrong” side of the road, but on roads with blind corners and stone walls containing narrow pavement barely wide enough for one car, and Irish drivers who travel three speeds: fast, faster, and fastest. There were innumerable opportunities to connect with the community, one of my main objectives for living in another country. I got a library card, attended weekly music and theatre performances at Listowel's art centre, immersed myself in Irish history at museums and during casual conversations with shopkeepers and gallery visitors, shopped for bargains at the “charity” shops, and enjoyed Guinness and traditional music "sessions" at the local pubs. But the best experiences were the people I interacted with both in the town of Listowel, as well as during our travels on our “off” time.

Olive enjoys a following of art students who were thrilled for the chance to discover what the American artists had to share. Olive also offers artists the opportunity to mount a gallery exhibition of the work created during the residency. Before we arrived, I thought long and hard about how I could best utilize the experience to create a new body of work reflecting the distinctive qualities of Ireland. After we arrived, it became clear to me that I needed to simply take my time experiencing the the people and places of my new home, before I'd know what I needed to paint. So I devoted the first half of the residency month to offering workshops, meeting people, and to exploring the Listowel environs.

Offering workshops during the residency was a way to both earn some spending money and connect more fully with locals.

Above: The bird’s eye view of picturesque Listowel, from our apartment window. Left: Sheary in the Olive Stack Gallery Art Studio, sharing her passion for painting with encaustic. © 2016 Sheary Clough Suitor

Spending time taking in the landscape and the culture resulted in a natural evolution toward the work I created during the last two weeks of our residency. I allowed myself freedom to paint the Irish landscape in both abstract and figurative styles.

Ireland is a fascinating country and the town of Listowel is quaint, kind, cheerful, and fun! All the differences are challenging, while simultaneously delightful, surprising, and exhilarating! Excellent fodder for stimulating creative thoughts and new ideas. As an artist, I received untold benefits and an explosive creativity boost, all generated by the immersion into a new studio setting, meeting new art collectors and students, as well as enjoying the beauty and brilliance of the Irish land and seascapes. The landscapes were new, and now, so are my eyes!

For more info on this residency experience, check out http://www.olivestack.com/artistsreside.htm as well as the Artist-in-Residence Blog: https://exciraanddelira.wordpress.com For more info on the impact the residency had on my artistic practice now that I'm back in my Colorado studio: https://untetheredartists.wordpress.com/2016/05/07/brilliantproject-day-1/

Born and raised in Oregon, Sheary Clough Suiter lived in Alaska for 35 years before her recent transition to Colorado. When she's not on the back-roads of America traveling and painting, Suiter works and teaches from her studio in Colorado Springs. Online at http://www.backdoordesigns.com/

2015 PROJECT GRANT RECIPIENT, ROBIN VAN HOOZER, REPORTS BACK TO IEA

am so very honored to have received the 2015 IEA

Project Grant Award. The grant facilitated the completion of paintings for my solo exhibition Common Ground at the Kansas City Artists Coalition Underground Gallery. After thirty-one years as both art teacher and artist, I retired from teaching in June of 2013 to make my artistic work my full time career. Being on a retired teacherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s income I was concerned about completing my work on a limited budget. The IEA Project Grant Award allowed me to focus on my painting. The exhibition opened on December 11th, 2015 and ran through January 14th, 2016. The exhibition included 34 works of waxy goodness and 22 of those were new. My project titled Common Ground developed with the simple idea of putting together concepts that are opposites and depicting the drawing of boundary lines, how they widen gulfs between people and cultures. I have seen stronger and more extreme ideological beliefs and geographical borders hardening the beliefs that separate 124

communities. My goal for the exhibition was to portray the result of boundaries, both natural and manmade, upon society. Working with encaustic wax, the paint is molten and the space where the colors collide is fluid and variable. I was navigating the back and forth between competing voices seeking Common Ground as painter, diplomat, and negotiator. Concentrating on the visual dialogue between the paintings I explored these issues within the context of landforms, devoid of text and realism, abstract, stripped down from talk. Where the boundary lines meet I refer to as Common Ground. It is with much gratitude that I wish to thank IEA for the funding that made possible the resources needed to create the exhibition that I envisioned. The funds helped to support my exhibition through the acquisition of panels, encaustic paint, and materials. This directly made it possible for me to fully develop the visual language for Common Ground. In my artist statement on the following pages I detail what my vision is and why it is important.

Just a few random thoughts about painting and diplomacy, two things not normally associated with each other. Whether it is geographical borders of land and water or societal boundaries of culture and status I seek to find Common Ground. Boundary lines are being drawn more frequently and ardently with vastly bigger gulfs between people. Where these contrasting forces meet consensus is vital. Engaging ideas so disparate that they required me to negotiate my way through my painting as a diplomat would amongst two warring parties. Dialogue between the polarizing concepts reveals that by virtue of placement they are one, occupying the same surface. It is only when backed into this corner that motivations occur to reach Common Ground.

The centerpiece of my exhibition was a group of three large panels titled Polarization Sequence. Inspiration often begins for me by writing lists of titles for possible artwork. Polarization Sequence was on my “possible artworks” list for over a year and a half before I began the work. I also choose color schemes that will become the work. The original intent was to depict the widening separations in society today, not to reference a specific event, time, or place. In Polarization Sequence the essence is the distance between two fringes increasingly pulling further apart. The boundary line becomes a gap, a rift, and then a gulf. In the fall of 2015 I felt the work was an important culmination, bringing the show together.

At the heart of Common Ground lies the boundary line separating the divergent lands and concepts. As I paint with encaustic wax my painted boundaries are fluid, moving, and constantly changing. Diplomacy then took the form of painterly negotiations. Lively colors and dramatic diagonals form the abstract language between the paintings. Not surprisingly, coaxing the fluid layers of vivid color to coexist gave rise to clashes and scrimmages along the way. Like any no man’s land between conflicting parties there is tension, strength, and energy. Striving for a visual resolution I find myself as much diplomat as painter discovering Common Ground.

Then in November the heartbreaking terror attacks in Paris occurred. Suddenly the meme of the French flag was everywhere, on Facebook and in the news. I was taken aback by how much everyone’s meme of the flag mirrored my paintings and I had doubts about displaying the pieces. A friend and mentor stepped in and advised me to write an additional statement on the work and display the paintings. The context of the work had changed in ways I never imagined. My wish is that Polarization Sequence will add a new dialogue and interpretation becoming a bridge between people, cultures, and beliefs.

The outcomes from my exhibition resulted in more exposure for my work and raising my profile as an artist. I am very appreciative to have connected with new people through this opportunity. It also resulted in the sale of a new commission and of two pieces of work two months later. My art practice was able to grow in exposure and introduce myself to new viewers. Additionally I have expanded my audience with increased interest in my work. By achieving my goal for this exhibition of depicting the effect of boundaries, both natural and manmade, upon society I found new confidence in myself as an artist through the opportunity provided by IEA and the Kansas City Artists Coalition.

Robin VanHoozer received her MA in Studio Art/Painting from the University of Missouri in Kansas City. She is a 2013 Kansas City Artist INC Live Alum. Robin has exhibited locally throughout Missouri and Kansas as well as nationally in Massachusetts, New Mexico, and Washington, DC. Her work was selected for the 2014 Fourth Annual Juried Encaustic/Wax Exhibition at the Encaustic Art Institute in Cerrillos, New Mexico. Robin’s artwork has also been on display in the office of Senator Claire McCaskill in Washington, D.C. and featured on the ABC television show Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. Recently Robin’s Common Ground series was the subject of her solo exhibition at the Kansas City Artists Coalition Underground Gallery. Through ArtsKC, Robin is a participating artist in the Now Showing program that connects artists with business to display work in local Kansas City companies. Robin’s work can be seen and purchased at Leawood Fine Art in Leawood KS and Sager Braudis Gallery in Columbia, MO. Also you can connect with Robin through her website www.RobinVanHoozerArt.com or at http://www.facebook.com/robinvanhoozerart/

Taking on the Challenge: Developing an IEA Chapter We all know that an IEA membership is worth every cent in dues.

that great things could be accomplished in a manner where everyone gained.

I am happy to say that it has recently become even more valuable with the addition of two Emerging Artist and two Project Grant awards a year and the availability of liability insurance for IEA chapters.

For those of you that already belong to a chapter and are searching for ideas and ways to grow your membership there are several effective approaches:

As IEA’s Chapter Development Director I would like to encourage all members that do not currently belong to a chapter to strongly consider joining or forming a chapter in your area. The payoff is tremendous. I truly feel that belonging to my chapter has made my IEA membership much more worthwhile.

• The first step is community awareness – not only awareness of what encaustic is, but local awareness of your chapter’s existence and the activities and events your chapter creates. • Social media sites are a great way to contact potential new members. IEA encourages the use of social network sites such as Facebook, Ning, Linkedin or Meetup.

I have been a charter member of AlaskaWax, the Alaska chapter of IEA, since its inception in February of 2009. I served as the president-elect, under the founding president Sheary Clough Suiter, then served as president the following Belonging to two years. my chapter

has made my

• Hold events, exhibits and meetings that appeal to those that potentially might have an interest in becoming a member of your group. • Display IEA brochures whenever there is an event, meeting or

Our AlaskaWax meets once a month at various IEA membership exhibit. locations. We have a very loose, informal gathering much more • See if your local art supply business is interested in hanging (meaning no Robert’s Rules of Order). The meeting will worthwhile . flyers, posters or carrying brochures. Perhaps they’d even allow include current chapter business such as the what, demonstrations about encaustic painting. when and where of current, or the next group, exhibit; encaustic conversation; sharing of members’ artwork; refreshments • Your Chapter’s enthusiasm and ability to educate and create interest in and fun! In between meetings we use email, plus our AlaskaWax the medium only means more members, a greater circle of artists with common goals and interests, and an ever increasing knowledge and Facebook page, to post photos of our work, announce upcoming appreciation by the general public of what encaustic is all about. shows, share pertinent information for future meetings and exhibitions, and for staying in touch.

• Most important, share your enjoyment and captivation of this enthralling, mesmerizing and alluring medium by joining together with other local artists that have the same passion.

Our chapter usually has, at the minimum, two group shows each year, although some years a third and a fourth, including a traveling exhibit, may occur. In 2012 we arranged for IEA artist Karen Frey to venture north for two 2-day workshops. The results of the workshop culminated in a group show March 2013. In the summer of 2014 Lisa Pressman came to Alaska and conducted two, 4-day workshops featuring both hot and cold wax mediums. None of this could have happened without the financial aid and support of IEA and AlaskaWax, or without dedication and determination of a like-minded group of artists lending a hand so

If you would like to form a chapter in your area, the process is quite simple. All it takes is a minimum of two IEA members and the desire to belong to a group and form an IEA Chapter. If you are not sure whether there is a chapter in your area you can contact me, Janet Hickok, at membershipchapters@international-encaustic-artists.org and I can put you in touch with the right people.

By Janet C Hickok, IEA Chapter & Membership Director 27

Connecting The Dots: My Curatorial Process Have

and unrestrained laugh. I wrote it down – it was such a funny and specific word. Sometime later a friend suggested that we do a show at a local theatre in her town – and I had the perfect title. In 2013 I joined the Board of IEA as Exhibitions Director and have created many shows since then.

you had the experience of inadvertently discovering a

talent? That’s how I started curating; I kind of fell into it. One night at a meeting I timidly raised my hand to volunteer, and it has turned into a passion and an important part of my artistic process. In spring 2012 I was a member of Atlantic Works Gallery in East Boston, a member-run space in a run-down neighborhood with a spectacular view of the city. There was a gap in the show schedule – 6 weeks away. We were in a panic about what to do as it takes months to organize a show. I had been thinking about what it meant to be part of a creative couple, and given an urgent need, I suggested that we (the group) do a show called “Creative Couples”. I suggested “we”, not “me”. No one else wanted to do it, so with some encouragement, I agreed to take it on.

I call my process connecting-the-dots, or following the breadcrumbs; it’s quirky. I read a lot of poetry and literature, and always read with a pen in hand to circle phrases that catch my attention. I have a whole notebook of ideas. For example, my partner Glenn and I are currently reading Moby Dick aloud to each other. The imagery is amazing and has given me many possible show title/concepts. An example is “colorless, all-color of atheism” from the chapter entitled “The White Whale”. That phrase reminded me of an all-white show I saw in Santa Fe some years ago. So perhaps I will work up Curating is that idea for a future show.

Within the membership there were already several artist couples, and I asked that everyone send me the an important names of other Boston-area artists couples who part of my There is a synchronicity between the ideas I might be interested. Within a few days I had about artistic generate and the people I meet. All of which comes 15 couples. And so I set to work on publicity. I process. together into the desire to curate on behalf of IEA. I contacted our local NPR station, WGBH. They had an find it much easier to promote the work of others open slot, and I found myself on the air! A local than my own. I am tongue-tied about my own work, but am theater producer heard the radio show, contacted me, and offered expansive and very bold on behalf of others. to have a performance at our gallery reception. I can’t remember the name of the show, but it had to do with couples. It was Recently, IEA member Flo Bartell was eager to curate as well. hilarious and great fun. I got roasted in front of all the guests: it Now, Flo and I have teamed up with ideas for another show in was a huge success! New England and in Atlanta, as well as an exhibition that will coincide with the encaustic retreat in Santa Fe this fall. That led to being invited to co-curate a pop-up show in Cambridge at a small local gallery. The show was called ’50 -100 150’: 50 artists, $100 for each piece of work, and 3 pieces per artist = 150 pieces of work in the show. We set up and took down the show in the same evening. We sold a lot of work, and I was hooked!

Coming up with show ideas, finding a venue, writing the call, identifying a juror and bringing the show to fruition is a lot of work. It’s always a team effort. I have learned a lot over the last few years, especially these key points: people have skills and will help if asked; someone always knows someone; the sum is always the greater than it’s parts; and, most importantly, try to keep it fun and dynamic!

I was invited to join the Board of MassWax for Exhibitions in 2012. One of my favorite shows was called “Boffo”. A friend had sent me an email and included the word “boffo”. I had to look it up – it means a very successful theatrical production or movie, or a deep

By Lola Baltzell, IEA Exhibitions

The La Vendéenne Awards: A Short History The La Vendéenne Awards are aptly named in honor of a fourth century female encaustic artist, Laia, whose buried remains were found in the La Vendée region of France alongside the tools of her work. As the oldest and largest professional membership organization for encaustic painting, The International Encaustic Artists established the awards in 2011 to support their mission of “raising the level of excellence in fine art encaustic work.” The brainchild of IEA member, Harriette Tsosie, these awards have become the gold

panel of jurors representing museums, art schools and prestigious galleries who made the final decisions. The resulting list of nominees were narrowed by the jurors to two or three candidates in each category. The award was announced at the first EncaustiCon© in the fall of 2012 in San Antonio, Texas at an Academy Award style ceremony during the conference banquet. Each winner received both a monetary award along with a physical award designed by James Meyer.

standard of excellence for artists, educators, authors and innovators working in the medium. Harriette Tsosie and Lorna Kemp cochaired the first La Vendéenne Awards committee. The committee established the award categories, created the nomination and selection process, established time lines, and solicited sponsorship. Under their leadership, with Board support, the La Vendéenne Awards were designed to reach beyond the sponsoring organization in its solicitation of nominees to include anyone working in encaustic. One does not have to be a member of IEA to nominate or be nominated. This early decision was important because it insured that the highest criteria for winning an award is excellence, and not organizational affiliation.

The La Vendéenne Award, designed by James Meyer

In the ensuing years other committees have tweaked the process to streamline the workload and to include technological advances of online nomination and acceptance. Finalists are now announced on the IEA website along with a video introduction to their achievements. IEA provides the monetary award in their budget so that the cash award is consistent and does not need to rely on sponsorship. Essentially, though, the La Vendéenne Awards and the nominating process is, in essence, the same as it was designed in 2011. It continues to be the result of the hard work of dedicated IEA members who chair the working committee and the excellence of the international encaustic community of artists whose work is celebrated by all of us.

A roster of past winners, award criteria and online submission and acceptance forms are located on the IEA website under the tab Awards and Grants (http://international-encausticartists.org/La-Vendeenne). The nomination process is now open for 2016.

The first call for nominations went out in the spring of 2012. In that first process, candidates for each award were nominated by their peers through a written essay and the sub-mission of extensive supporting material. This packet was then sent to a

By Michelle Belto, IEA Member, La Vendéenne Awards Committee Co-Chair

IEAevents&dates THURSDAY, SEPT 29TH thru SUNDAY, OCTOBER 2ND, 2016: IEA / EAI COLLABORATIVE ENCAUSTIC RETREAT at ARTISAN’S MATERIALS EXPO IN SANTA FE: REGISTRATION NOW OPEN: http://www.international-encaustic-artists.org/Workshops-Events THE FOLLOWING EVENTS ARE INCLUDED IN THE RETREAT: • Friday, September 30th: Opening reception for ‘Making Your Mark’ with Juror, David Limrite Refreshments and fun! 5:00 – 8:00pm • Saturday, October 1st: The ‘La Vendéene’ Award banquet at Gabriels, Santa Fe: 6:00 – 8:00pm With Keynote Speaker: FRANCISCO BENITEZ • PLUS: Talks, presentations, demos, vendor floor, gift bags and more at the Encaustic Retreat! THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 29TH thru SUNDAY, OCTOBER 2ND, 2016 WORKSHOPS AT ARTISAN’S MATERIALS EXPO, BUFFALO THUNDER RESORT, SANTA FE WORKSHOP REGISTRATION NOW OPEN: https://expoartisan.com/ NOMINATIONS FOR THE La Vendéene AWARD NOW BEING ACCEPTED Deadline: JULY 30th: http://www.international-encaustic-artists.org/La-Vendeenne ‘MAKING YOUR MARK’ AT THE ENCAUSTIC ART INSTITUTE, SANTA FE SUBMISSIONS NOW BEING ACCEPTED: http://www.international-encaustic-artists.org/CallforEntry SEPTEMBER 21ST – OCTOBER 9TH, 2016: ‘MAKING YOUR MARK’ AT EAI, IN SANTA FE’S RAILYARD ART DISTRICT JULY 11TH, 2016: DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS AUGUST 1ST, 2016: NOTIFICATION OF ACCEPTANCE FRIDAY, SEPT. 30TH, 5 – 8PM: OPENING RECEPTION WITH JUROR, DAVID LIMRITE

www.international-encaustic-artists.org

Founded in 2005, IEA is encaustic artâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s oldest and largest professional non-profit 501(c)3 organization.