Pushing into 3-D

Just got home from a 3 day advanced encaustic workshop with Larry Calkins thru the La Conner Art Workshops in Mt Vernon. First of all, I love Mt Vernon - wish I lived there and if I wasn't heading to Tucson in the fall, I'd move there.

Anyways, took this workshop with my friends Binky Bergsman and Judith Jackson and also met some new friends. I find I don't work well in a workshop environment but if I focus and get into my zone, I can make stuff happen. I'm used to working alone, especially when creating art, so the distraction of others, although often inspiring, oh yeah - you should see some of the stuff that was created there - anyways, the distractions can pull me out of the zone from time to time but it is worth it to learn the new skills and be inspired by the other art being created all around me.

So I had moved a bit toward the 3-d with my window pieces but in the workshop I was introduced to boxes. Larry supplied wood and saws and all sorts of tools and this allowed me to create "out of the box" pun intended, over what I would normally create in my studio. I see now I will have to venture out and purchase a few more tools, including a band saw. Below are the 2 boxes I finished and I have another in process - the third with a window to look in but of course, I haven't figured out what is going to go inside yet. I'll keep you posted of the 3-d developments and my new "box series".

Thanks a bunch to Larry for turning me on to new techniques and to Robyn for hosting the workshop.


Tranquility Box #1 Tranquility Box #2 Tranquility Box #2 detail

PS - box names and I found myself asking for tranquility on the first day as I was a bit stressed and needed something to focus on.