Follow the Sun

Encaustic painting offers the perfect opportunity for control freaks like myself to let go.

Follow the Sun - Encaustic on cradled board - 11x14

As I learn more about ways to control the medium, I also find myself working out ways to to let the paint do what it wants to do to take advantage of its special qualities.  If I want a painting with perfect control, I can use my acrylics or oils.  I want something different from my encaustic paintings.

Beautiful Body Butter

This is my own special recipe for a really delightful body butter.

The ingredients can be varied according to your personal tastes and skin care requirements.  Just stick to the amount of beeswax called for and the same proportions of solids and liquids.  Add your own special blend of pure essential oils for natural fragrance and special skin care properties.

Body Butter Ingredients  (this recipe makes about 31/2 - 4 cups):

225 gm solid fats (cocoa butter, shea nut butter, mango butter, etc.)
50 gm pure natural beeswax
250 gm liquid oils (olive oil, jojoba oil, sweet almond oil, avocado oil - there are so many to choose from)
5 ml Vitamin E oil
Optional:  5-10 ml pure essential oils (depends on how strong you like your fragrance)

Melt your beeswax and fats (except the vit E oil and pure essential oils) together in a double boiler.  When they are melted, add the Vit E oil and pure essential oils.

Pour your melted fats into a bowl and let cool until the mix starts to solidify.  If your room is very warm, you can put the mix into the fridge.  Don't let it get too solid or you'll end up with small lumps of solid fat in your body butter.  You can always remelt and start over.

I recommend setting the bowl in a large box or plastic bin to whip so you don't get fat everywhere.  When the mix holds it's shape but the peaks aren't too stiff, spoon into containers.  Tap the container on the counter lightly to settle out air pockets.  Cover with a lid, store in a cool place, and enjoy!

Paired together with a lip balm, this makes a luxurious gift for someone special!

Sun Worshiper (Encaustic)

Once again, the road in my journey was twisting and winding so I got a bit lost but then found myself somewhere I liked better than my originally planned destination.

Sun Worshiper - Mixed Media Encaustic -12x12 on cradled board

 This is a mixed media piece using both encaustic and oil stick.  It was a challenge to both let go and keep control.  I think in my next painting I'm going to drop the control part and see what happens.

Our New Artisan Centre

We have moved to our new location!

Lakes Artisan Centre, 586 Highway 16, Burns Lake, BC

On June 1st, a group of Lakes District artists and artisans joined together in a spirit of cooperation to open an artisan centre on main street.  After a 3 month trial period, and encouraged by local community support, we are taking the next step and forming a cooperative.  This beautiful building is our new home.

I am very excited to be a part of this group and look forward to the year ahead. For more pictures,  information and updates on what's happening at the centre, please become a fan of our Facebook page.

Melange Team on You Tube

Melange Team member Indira, from Dharma Karma Arts, puts together a monthly You Tube video of members' work.  Lots of diversity in this little group!

Altered Art Upcycled Glass Jar by Whyte

If you have a spare minute, we'd be thrilled if you would check it out and leave a comment.

Trying Out Photo Transfers with Encaustic

This was another new technique for me with encaustic.  Actually I tried out a couple of new techniques in these two pieces.

Yawn of Fire - 6x8" Encaustic on cradled board

I had copies made of my poppy photos on a colour copier at the local stationery store.  The transfer is done by burnishing the photo, right side down, on to the warm wax.   After carefully removing the paper by gently rubbing with my fingertips and water and letting it dry, I heat fused the transfer to the layer of wax below.  This part is tricky because if you over do it, the toner dissolves away in the wax.

Papaver - 6x8" Encaustic on cradled board

Another technique I used in these two pieces was leaf printing.  After painting on a couple of layers of encaustic paint and fusing them to the layer below, I used poppy leaves to make impressions into the warm wax.  After painting over the leaves with another colour of encaustic paint and then fusing that layer, I removed the leaves from the still warm wax and then carefully fused the leaf prints.  Both pieces are embellished with poppy centres that I had pressed and dried in the spring.

Melange Team Monthly Challenge (Rain)

This month's challenge prompt on the Melange Team blog is "Rain."  My ideas for this one were as dried up as our forests right now but while creating a different piece yesterday, this one evolved.

MacArthur Park - Encaustic Mixed Media - 8x8 cradled board

This is my favourite encaustic painting so far.  I want to sing MacArthur Park every time I look at it but hopefully I get that out of my system before I show it anywhere!