A Tale of Two Kittys...

Endangered Encaustics

We've got some meow-velous news that we'd like to share with you!

We've added Kitty Miller to our lineup of Virginia Beach Art & Soul instructors, and she'll be teaching 3 classes at our upcoming retreat! Kitty Miller is a mixed media artist that specializes in vivid portraits of animals, people and birds. She uses layers and layers of dreamy fluid acrylic paints almost like water colors and then uses them as boldly as palette paint. She's been making art since childhood, so she's had years of practice! People loved what she did so much that teaching was just a natural progression for her. We are delighted to have her in Virgina this fall. Here's what she has in store for you...

In Endangered Encaustics you'll collage, paint, and layer with tons of supplies and techniques and encaustic wax. You'll create 2 stunning pieces that are both beautiful and educational.

You'll get skills that will carry over into everything you paint in Kitty's Birds of a Feather workshop. Use book pages, papers, paint, stencils, stamps, tissue paper and more to create your base and learn the techniques to paint a realistic bird over top of your mixed media masterpiece.

One Fish, Two Fish, An Ode To Whimsey

In One Fish Two Fish, you'll experience cheerful creativity with Kitty's nod to whimsy as you jump into the underwater world of fun. Using her favorite collage and painting techniques, you'll get to create a vibrant and beautiful background and paint some fun fish and friends to inhabit it.

So be sure and check out these fun, inspirational, creative classes Kitty Miller has to offer, and peruse our entire lineup of workshops for Art & Soul Virginia Beach 2016. It's a little over 6 weeks away!!

Agnes

So that takes care of one Kitty... but what's the rest of this tale about? Well, you know how we have friends that do wonderful things because they have such big hearts. And you know how sometimes, you see what they are doing and you just wish you could help out even just a little bit, but you're not always sure how you can help or what you can do to make a difference. Then, dang-it, something happens and you know exactly how you can help and what you can do, but it wasn't something you were planning on?

Louie

Well, that's how Agnes and Louie walked right into my heart. Yup... these two adorable-beyond-belief Persians were rescued from a cat hoarder and found their forever home with yours truly. Agnes is very sweet-natured and Louie is quite the adventurous explorer (hence the name, after Lewis from Lewis & Clark). Both are a welcome addition to my house and my life. We shall see in the coming months who rescued who!

And that's how the story goes. We got Kitty and I got kitties. So I'll be seein' ya... in Virginia Beach, or at the pet store loading up on bags of food...in case you'd forgotten about my other rescues...

Wilson on the left and Victoria at the wheel

Who let the dogs out? Who, who, who, who, who? Wilson, the poodle is a craigslist rescue. A long, not so happy story that I will spare you the details of. But he is goofy and sweet and I'm thrilled to have him.  Victoria, was a rescue from a breeder. She is a national champion, but did not give them puppies - and therefore does not make them money. Lucky for me as she is a dear companion.

Enjoy the rest of the summer kids!

Cryptic Encaustics with Linda Lenart McNulty: Encaustic Jewelry Making DeMystified

In just a few weeks, Linda Lenart McNulty will be teaching some amazing encaustic workshops at Art & Soul Portland.  One of which is Wearable Encaustic Shrines where she will show you how to create beautiful, wearable works of art like these...

I mean... seriously... are these gorgeous or what? And just to get you excited about what she has to offer, Linda has graciously allowed us to share a bit of her encaustic techniques right here on our blog! So... take it away, Linda....

Greetings fellow artists!

I’m Linda Lenart McNulty, the artist/owner of Luminous Encaustics (luminousencaustics.com), and I want to share an technique I created called “Cryptic Encaustics”.

Encaustic art involves the painting and pouring of warm, pigmented beeswax and tree sap, which is then layered and scraped, revealing its naturally luminous and transparent nature. Encaustic Painting is transformed into a wearable form in my work and classes. If you’re not familiar with encaustic art or with encaustic jewelry, take a look at this Step-Out below.

P.S. I’ll be teaching at Art & Soul in Portland in a couple weeks so come take a workshop or come introduce yourself to me at the Luminous Encaustics Table on Vendor’s Night for more encaustic surprises (I’ll have encaustic jewelry kits too!)! See you there!

~Linda

Luminous Encaustics Cryptic Encaustics Jewelry Kit      

Cryptic Encaustics…Opening the Kit       

Cryptic Encaustics…Lots of Goodies…       

Melt one of the Luminous Encaustic Wax Blox. I like to choose the lightest color to start.

Warm one of the Bezels.         

Pour the warm encaustic wax into the warm bezel, up to the top but not overflowing.

Pour off the extra wax to save it. Aluminum or Silicone are good choices.

Melt your next Wax Blox right on the griddle.         

Warm your brush on the griddle and begin coating your first layer with your next color.

Fuse the two encaustic layers together. Fuse with a micro torch, embossing heat gun, or large heat gun. When the wax looks transparent it is fused so move along.

Wipe your griddle to remove any excess color. I left a little to mix into my new color.

Melt your third color choice right on the griddle. I use the two mid-range colors for my middle layers, saving the darkest color for last.

Paint as much as you like onto your piece and fuse.       

Lightly warm your stamp on the griddle after wiping it clean.   

Rub a little olive oil on the stamp (the side with the grooves).  

Press firmly into the wax.           

You really want to dig the stamp into the wax. I like to make the wax displace itself off to the sides. This adds for interest and mystique later.

Lift off the stamp.        

Use other mark making objects around the house. Metal and wood work the best…

Warm them on the griddle!         

Oil the tool and press deeply to displace the wax.          

Oil and press…..       

Oil and press…..       

Oil and press……      

Melt your darkest color Wax Blox on the griddle.       

Load your brush with color and really get it into the crevices.        

After a while, switch colors for interest….        

Continue loading and painting into the crevices.         

Fuse this lumpy mess!        

Now to cool the wax so you can scrape. Let it rest at room temperature a while, then try dunking it into a cold glass of water or the fridge (if you are impatient like me!)

Scraping is the most fun, Now you get to see what you’ve made! Leave dark areas for mystique but scrape a few areas down to that first pale color.

Warm your tools and wipe with a paper towel to clean them.    

For a little more intrigue, rub some oil on the surface of the finished piece, then rub oil paint onto select areas. If you change your mind, it will rub right off because of the oil. I mixed veridian and ultramarine with black. Fuse lightly to lock the oil paint in place.

I added a little ribbon and wire on jump rings (go to the Wearable Shrine Directions for instructions). Cryptic Encaustics!

Cryptic Encaustics – by Luminous Encaustics (and now by you!!) 

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Well... thanks so much Linda, for sharing this comprehensive and delightfully creative step-by-step tutorial! We're so excited to have you at our Portland Art & Soul event this year... 

Linda Lenart McNulty 

Portland Art & Soul 

Wearable Encaustic Shrines - Thursday, April 10, 2014 

Encaustic Daguerreotype Paintings - Friday, April 11, 2014 

Luminous Layering in Encaustic Painting - Saturday, April 12, 2014 

So check out her classes and the entire Portland event on our website ArtAndSoulRetreat.com! 

Welcoming Encaustic Artist Linda Lenart McNulty to Portland 2014!

We are so very pleased and excited to announce the addition of Linda Lenart McNulty to our Portland 2014 lineup! Linda is an Encaustic and Figurative Artist that teaches Encaustic Painting, Encaustic Jewelry and Encaustic Casting, along with workshops in Polymer Sculpting, Casting and Assemblage of Santos. She received her A.A. in Fine Art and her B.F.A. in Modern Dance/Teaching at Columbia College, Chicago. Linda is pioneering a new field in Encaustic Jewelry and has created a series of Encaustic Jewelry Kits and Luminous Encaustic Wax Blox™ to give artists the support they need as they venture into this new land of Encaustic Art! 

With a background in dance, it was her love of movement that led Linda to follow a passion for sculpting the human form. And it was the sculpting that led her to carve in wax, which led her to Encaustic Painting and visual mixed media art.

And, yes... in case you were wondering if Linda Lenart McNulty was related to one of our longtime, favorite mixed media jewelry teachers — Susan Lenart Kazmer — you are absolutely correct. They're sisters!

Linda will be teaching 3 classes with us in Portland next year. Here's a look at the gorgeous mixed media creations she has in store for you. Check out the links to read more about these intriguing workshops... 
 

Wearable Encaustic Shrine - Thursday,  April 10   

Encaustic Daguerreotype Paintings - Friday, April 11 

Luminous Layering in Encaustic Painting - Saturday, April 12 

Want to learn more about this talented artist? Visit Linda's website, luminousencaustics.com or check out her blog about the creative process. She loves talking with students of art and life, for that’s what we all are! 

For more information on our Portland Art & Soul retreat, check out our website and sign up today!

Home Sweet Home...in Virginia!

Someone once said that "Home is Where the Art As"... oh wait... that was me! But we mixed media artists seem to adore the imagery that comes to mind when we think of home. Nesting, comfort, family, a soft place to fall. And so it seems to turn up in the things we create. And speaking of creating... I was perusing through our workshops for the Virginia 2013 Art & Soul and noticed what a diverse array of classes we had with a home theme. There's still spots open, so check out our awesome offerings...

Take this mini Birdhouse Pendant class by Jen Crossley for example (no, really... I mean take the class!) where you'll learn how to make this unique mini etched bird house using the technique of metal etching in a very simple way as you create a mini bird house pendant with a hinged door! Adorbs.

Check out this Enamel Book Pendant workshop taught by Jean VanBrederode and Lynne Supprock! The sweetest little home-sweet-home-turned-pendant you've ever seen! You'll create your very own brightly colored enamel book, amply stacked with plenty of pages. You'll learn how to use templates on copper, then saw, punch, sand, and add some rich colored enamel inside and out! Your necklace will be the talk of the town(house)!

Come and spend a day with Stephanie Rubiano creating your own dimensional “homebody” made from fabric panels and encaustic wax medium on a cradled hardboard. You will learn some new techniques in creating your own fabrics and ways to use photographs in your encaustic work. Also covered will be some basic principles in working in wax, including layering, fusing, carving, and back-filling to name a few.

...or you can take Stephanie's innovative Encaustic Light Houses workshop where you'll oversee the marriage of textiles and encaustic wax medium. Learn how to create fabric with your favorite images and form stiff wall panels, ready to be adorned with stitch work and your best bits and baubles to create a wonderful little house to set on a shelf or mantelpiece. The best part is placing an electric votive inside the house …sit back and watch the light glow and flicker through the waxed walls!

What a lovely, homey selection of workshops if I may say so. I hope you enjoyed our little "house tour" and have been inspired by the classes we have to offer. There are so many to choose from in such different categories... we hope it's not too difficult to make your selections. March just can't get here soon enough!

For more information and to register for our Virginia Beach Art & Soul event... visit our website at artandsoulretreat.com