field notes on home

For a few years now I have been using plaster gauze as the substrate for different artist books that are then combined with encautic. This year I started teaching these book structures and using wax with them in workshops. So I have a lot of started plaster pages, some finished ones, as well as some that were already bound as books laying around in various drawers in my studio. I really cannot stand to have things laying around in my studio. I see them as missed opportunities to create something more, something new, just something else. So I decided to do something with them and I’ve been working on these small 6×6 inch paintings these past two months in a series called “Field Notes on Home”.

Field Notes on Home are meditations on my new surroundings and environment. We have been doing a lot of hiking and exploring and on these walks I pick up things here and there. And always taking photos. I ended up making nine 6×6 inch paintings for a show called “Off the Grid” up in New Hampshire coming up in December. I will post the details to that soon.

Towards Order
encaustic mixed media, including wasp nest
6×6 inches

This is an actual wasp nest that I spied off of a rock wall in Harper’s Ferry, WV when I was teaching at the Red Thread Retreat. I spied it, but was scared to collect it off the wall even though it was obvious that it was an empty and abandoned nest. Luckily I was with Lesley Riley who easily and handily plucked it off the wall for me. This was the first painting I started in the series and it makes me happy whenever I see it.

detail

I looked up wasp symbolism and read a few myths and folktales concerning the wasp. I found that among the symbolism of the wasp is the idea of order and creation and progress.

A few weeks after I finished the nest painting above I decided to do a wasp panel. I keep going back and forth on the title for this one. It’s originally titled “Awakening”, but just now I’m deciding to change it to “Seeking Clarity”. I read this explanation of wasp symbolism and I’m thinking I like the new title much better.

Seeking Clarity
encaustic mixed media
6×6 inches

Well, I have seven more of these paintings to post, but I will leave it to these first two for now. Hopefully I will be able to post again soon. My blog writing is always relegated to the evenings and lately I have been too tired. I’m blaming the time change.