"Natures Force" - Encaustic painting #1

"Nature's Force"

16" x 12"  Encaustic painting on board

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This was my first attempt at encaustic painting. I took a 2 day FCA workship with Ken Bourassa instructing.

Beeswax is mixed with a hardener and melted together with slow heat. A thin clear mixture is applied to the board. It is very strange using a brush and having the mixture harden on the brush before you can get it on the board! It is then ironed into the board to melt the wax mixture into all spaces of the board. It hardens into a milky colour. Next the beeswax mixture is added to pigment in small tin foil dishes and you use brushes to paint it on your picture. Between each layer it has to be sealed with a heat gun (or blow torch!). I prefered using a heat gun and had fun with moving some of the layers with it.

This painting was inspired by the ariel photographs our son has taken while working in the Arctic as a pilot for Kenn Borek Air. The yellow is the sun's reflection on the snow caps with the blue iceberg peaking through and the darker ground below.

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This is a closer look at part of the painting to get an idea of some of the colours. It has beautiful bronze highlights with touches of gold.

Spanish Cycle

"Spanish Cycle"

Water colour 15" x 20 1/2" double matted to fit 23" x 31" frame
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This water colour painting is of an old bike/motorcycle (cycle) that we came across in Spain. I loved everything about it from the rusting paint, old seat and turned handlebars. This was a very peaceful painting and kept me thinking about our wonderful biking holiday in Spain.

This painting can be found for sale on my website: KarenOliversFineArt.com

Continents Unite

"Continents Unite"

Acrylic on canvas with glass beads

10" x 8"
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I painted this with very thick and thin acrylic paint. It is very textural, with a glass heart and four round glass beads. The different layers were allowed to dry and then a layer of expoxy was laid on top which added to the melted look. The 1/2" sides are also painted with the design continuing over the edge. The bottom right also has some thick paint lifting off the edge looking as if it is dripping off.

I was thrilled when my two kids saw the painting as continents coming together.  It would look great in a black floating frame. This painting was great fun and very freeing, getting away from an "object" to shapes and colour!

This painting can be found for sale on my website: KarenOliversFineArt.com

Wishing you a Happy New Year - 2013!

I painted this water colour painting and another with slightly different colours. The other one was the first painting I sold. I had it in the Sicamous Art and Craft summer sale fully expecting to bring it home. I hadn't even taken a photograph of it! This journey is all about learning!

Thank you to everyone who has looked at my blog, commented with encouragment or suggestions, and bought my paintings...all very much appreciated! The view count has been over 4200 and it has encouraged me to continue to post and share my art journey.

Wishing everyone a healthy, happy 2013 filled with laughter, fun, work and sharing. For my artist friends...a year of wet brushes!