Creative Image Transfer Giveaway!

So I have some exciting news that I have been anxious to reveal. A while ago I was asked to create an encaustic artwork that used Transfer Artist Paper or TAP. The work was included in a book by Lesley Riley called Creative Image Transfer and it's finally out!

 Lesley is doing a great giveaway that I'd like to share with you!

She is giving away a copy of the Creative Image Transfer book and TAP Transfer Artist Paper. 

That means you can create any number of the awesome projects in her new book. And I have to say that I am very excited to try out some of these projects myself! They are so incredibly creative, using image transfers in ways I had never even considered.

To enter just go to Lesley Riley's blog by clicking here. Promotion dates are August 6-10.

The work shown below is the one that I have included in the book. Using the TAP is really easy and there are step by step instructions for every project!

Have fun!

Be Careful Where You Tread
6x6
encaustic mixed media with TAP

Hello again!

Nostalgia 24x18 encaustic mixed media with pine bark

 I have so much new work to share! Obviously because I haven't updated in a very,very long time! I am still here and I'm still busy making lots of artwork. I have been considering the fact that the whole reason I started this blog was to hold myself accountable. I hadn't really produced my own work for years and this blog definitely served it's purpose. If someone would have told me that I would be exhibiting in galleries when I began this blog I never would have believed them.

This Way 12x12 encaustic mixed media with scrap wood and shells

 So while I do plan on posting here again I do believe it's time for a blog overhaul. New name, new look, new purpose! I just don't know when I'll be able to do it. I should have done it this past summer because now I'm looking at a new school year starting very soon. It will have to wait a little longer, but first, I think I need to just start posting more regularly again.

Pining 14x11 encaustic mixed media

Since my last post I have traveled a lot. I went back to Italy with students, visited family in Nashville, and vacationed with friends and family in Mexico. And if you can't tell, the color of the ocean is still influencing my work. But for now I am going to soak up as much of these fleeting summer days as I can. 

Venice Italy March 2014

Empyrean Sea

Empyrean Sea
14x11
encaustic mixed media, cheese cloth and puka beads

 Well I haven't posted two days in a row since I started this blog!

With the long weekend I've indulged in some extra time in the studio that I have missed so much recently. I finished another piece today and thought I'd post it along with photos of the plane ride that I was thinking of when I was making this. Instead of a helicopter tour we opted for a plane tour when we visited Kauai. Many people don't realize that the center of the island has a huge canyon with intensely red dirt complemented with lush green fauna. Aside from feeling totally nauseous by the end of the ride, it was well worth it for the gorgeous photos of the island.

Empyrean Sea detail

Coast of Kauai

Waimea Canyon

Fall

Hana
16x12
encaustic and pine bark

 Well the beginning of the school year is always a whirlwind! I finished the piece above a few weeks ago and as you can tell Hawaii is still a continuous influence. I finally made it back into the studio again today. I have been anxious to get back into the studio because ,I am happy to say, the piece from my last post sold at the show! In fact it had a red dot on it before the doors even opened because the owner of the gallery purchased it. I was extremely shocked but also totally flattered.

One of the reasons the beginning of the school year was so busy is because of the fundraiser I was working on for the art club. We did a color run and it was fantastic! If you ever get the chance to participate in one I highly recommend it. This is the photo of the color throw we did at the end of the event. So much fun and we  raised enough money to fund everything we wanted to do plus give a percentage to the local food pantry.

Hello Again!

Obviously a lot has happened since I posted last! So I thought I'd inundate you with photos of my most recent works. I finally made a website too so stop by and take a look.
http://lauralarue.weebly.com/

Polu Kai
encaustic mixed media
18x6

I finally entered an all encaustic show for the first time at a gallery in Chicago. For me this is a big deal! To finally feel confident enough and commit to something that is outside of the suburban area I live in. The piece above is the one that I submitted so we'll see what happens.

Torn Veil
encaustic mixed media
16x12

Torn Veil detail

I really wanted to experiment with the torn book pages as a 3D element instead of just using them flat on the surface. I will definitely have to come back to this again some time because I really want to do more with them. The possibilities for using the paper three dimensionally is very intriguing to me.

Thaw
encaustic mixed media
12x12

 The one above and below were inspired by the piece Autumn's End which was in my last post. Inspired by the seasons and the view out of my studio window, this is a theme I will be coming back to a lot I feel!

Solstice
encaustic mixed media
6x6

I also just got back from a trip to Hawaii! So I will leave you with this photo of an incredible hidden red sand beach that we went to in Maui! This view is from the cliff wall we had to climb down in order to reach it. You can bet that I will be using this as fuel for new work to come!

Encaustic Workshop with Jenny Learner

Autumn's End
encaustic mixed media
6x6

Last week my school hosted a 3 day long encaustic workshop led by Jenny Learner! Each day a different group of students from each of the three high schools in the district got to participate. It was really a wonderful experience with so much creative energy flowing. It was very inspiring to see and really made me want to get back into the studio more. The image above is what I made at the workshop. I learned so many new things from Jenny.

There she is teaching students how to monoprint with wax. She really is so creative and uninhibited with her artwork. She is also very kind and was so patient with the students. It was a lot of work teaching about 85 people all about encaustic for 3 days straight! You can check out her website here. She teaches workshops all the time too so if you are interested you should consider signing up for one.

 Here's a picture of a group working hard on their projects in my classroom. It will definitely take some time to scrape up all the wax drippings. But in a way I love to leave stuff like that around the room because it always will remind me of the wonderful time spent at the workshop.

 Lots of different mark making tools.

And below are some examples of student work. I was so impressed with their projects after only one intensive day of encaustic instruction.

Well that's it for now! I know I haven't been posting much but I haven't forgotten about you! I hope to be back before the holidays.

New Work

Rooted
encaustic
11x14

So this piece was a while in the making. I began this piece the day after my last post back in August. I will spare you another lengthy apology for abandoning you yet again for so long! This time of year always seems to be busy as we scurry to fit in things that we know we won't be able to do in the winter months. Not to mention school and all the after school activities, and dances, and homework, and I could go on and on.

But there is nothing like a deadline to light the fire! With the last 4th Friday of the year coming up soon I really wanted to be able to submit at least one new piece that wasn't part of my featured artist exhibit from August. 

I have been trying to make my textures more subtle and veiled. To try and work with the colors and the wax rather than trying to fill every last square inch with tactile features. The transfer on the top right kind of represents a moment of weakness, or self indulgence. I have seen these types of patterns everywhere recently and I must guiltily admit that I love them! So I succumbed to their popularity and cliche and used them in my artwork too! This is also a larger piece for me as well which I really enjoy. I know I shouldn't think this way but I feel like it's more legitimate when it's bigger. I will still work on small pieces but I feel more satisfaction completing work on a larger scale than on a smaller piece. I'm really not sure why that is though.