patterns and cycles
patterns and cycles
encaustic and mixed media
14×14 inches
-sold-
Life has been busy lately, but I’m still painting away. It just takes me a little longer now to document my paintings and then post. When I was in the middle of working on this painting I received an email from a reader in the U.K. who is so kind to periodically email me. In this email she asked me a couple of questions about the nature element in my work. She brought up some of my earlier paintings about the moon and its cycles. I drew upon moon imagery throughout my “Expecting” series where I was delving into my pregnancy and expecting my son.
After I read the email, I went back to my painting, brushed on payne’s gray at the top and carved in rough moon shapes. Thanks for inspiration H.! I could have left well enough alone, but right now I am really all about exploring symbols, my personal markings. Actually I am starting to feel like if I don’t leave a little symbol in my painting, then it’s naked.
Last night was my last handbuilding class at Lillstreet Art Center with Marjorie Woodruff. Oh, I just love her! Her work is inspiring and she is such a warm person. She gave me a big hug when I said goodbye last night and I hope we will keep in touch.
I am not sure I will be able to continue with my idea of combining clay with encaustics as the fine and gross motor skills needed to handbuild is messing with my joints. We’ll see. I can’t just let my arthritis dictate what I can and cannot do in my life. It is frustrating.
But I am so glad I took this class. Clay is a such a magical medium, to me. From the earth. Transformed. Especially with handbuilding, it’s all about surface. I found that my tinkerings in the ceramics studio affected my encaustic work. For me, encaustics can be such a great medium to play with surface.
Last night we got to listen to a slideshow of resident artist Momoko Usami. The link is not her web site, but a blog of someone talking about her work. Her ceramic work is really intricate and fascinating. She not only takes into account form and meaning, but how it interacts with light, shadow, water, reflections. What I really enjoyed was how she shared her thought process with us. She had a photo of a marbled piece of steak. And said the marbled fat reminded her of lightening….and then she incorporated that into one of her pieces. Or she had a picture she took at the beach of a bunch of different colored pebbles. And then next to that was a photo of an urban scene where the colors and patterns of the people rushing by matched the pebbles. And then how she incorporated that into another piece. So interesting.
I love this. I am a nature lover and live in a house in the woods on a piece of property that borders a park. I love the warm and dreamy quality of your work.
V-Grrrl at Compost Studios
Beautiful Painting/encaustic. Peaceful.
I am also very intrigued with exploring personal symbols in my artwork. It is great to see how this has been unfolding for you.
another wonderful piece Bridgette - personal symbols are so important in our work, I think - my little squares and rectangles are back and my twirly circles are appearing again - it's a personal visual language and I respect it :)
Hi Bridgette -
Magical piece. I left a message for you through Flickr.
:-)
Shelly
Grounded, peaceful, interesting. I want to breathe deeply when I see your work.
This is wonderful!!
I am one of your fans, for sure. You are a skilled encaustic artist and your work always inspires me.
I'm loving this series, Bridgette. So gorgeous! Particularly loving the moon cycles in this one.
Your work is inspiring. I plugged you on my blog, with links and credits. I hope you don't mind that I integrated a few of your images with my own words. Thanks!
http://brandondedicant.livejournal.com/168143.html
Beautiful work.
ohhh just once again thankyou for blogging and being you and producing such beautiful artwork. you are so talented.
i just ADORE these moon paintings. i really love them, and i love that exact shade of "moon" colour you use on nearly all your paintings. that yellowy-grey colour and the texture of the moon is so exact! i would love to know more about how you do it Bridgette!!!!??? xx
Bridgette,
I love when we become re-inspired with a piece and add to it. I love those moon shapes carved out of the wax at the top of this piece. They feel so primal and so essential.
Courtney
There is that moment when an idea presents itself in your mind, and you either go for it, perhaps risking what you already have, or you don't, thus losing something akin to those spontaneous personal marks.
I'm glad you went for it. I agree with Jeane: the personal symbols add an indelible spark.
*Love* your work! I'm glad my blog was of some inspirational help- I'm posting an ongoing series of technical posts there. I just bookmarked your blog, and am looking forward to reading all of your posts, and enjoying your inspiring work.
Oh my! Now this, this is gorgeous! Love the dreamyness of it all!
That tree holds promise, a personal message for me at this time in my venture, in life. Thank you.