Orange-haired girl ~ 5 x 7 acrylic study



Have just looked back at a few "recent" posts, and noticed that I have posted only encaustics since October.  I am so enjoying doing encaustics, but, honestly, I haven't stopped doing acrylics or watercolors.  I teach both every week, and certainly paint for the classes!

So, in an effort to get my groove back, I intend to post a mix on a more regular basis again.

Here's a little one I am doing as a part of a "mini-series" of female figures, some dressed, some not, some from life drawing, some figures that couldn't be identified if you tried, from old magazines.  All I am doing is trying to get the gesture and dress them [or not] the way I want.  The hair, face, features, clothes, etc. are all from my imagination. 

I am doing a few of these, all with orange hair, because I love them.  Will post a few others soon.

Where does the time go?

Nobody told me how much work outside of making art it takes to be "legit."  I have been up to my ears in alligators planning for shows, classes and so forth.  I love it all, but I need an extra day of the week.  Don't you?

Tonight I will be finishing a couple of paintings, framing and wiring, and doing a price list.  Our little shared-space gallery is participating in the Anacortes First Friday Art Walk this Friday, and the three of us are hanging new work.  We are excited about this show because this month, it is a two-day event, and we will not only be entertaining those who drop by Friday, we will also be demo-ing on Saturday for a few hours.  The start of summer in Anacortes is a time of anticipation and excitement that good times are here!

And in July, I will be on The Skagit Artists Together Studio Tour, which is exciting as well.  I will be hosting in my brand new studio, which is in the lower level of my home.  It's walk-out, so no stairs!

And then, I will be starting a new series for the La Conner Arts Alive! Show at Maple Hall the first weekend in November.  Yikes!  All that, and I will continue to teach through the summer.
 
For the past couple of years, I have run my summer series of weekly classes for both acrylics and watercolors at the Burlington and Anacortes Senior Centers that I call "Art Camp for Adults," in which anything goes with any medium.  Always fun, and the students enjoy the "play time."

But, that's not all.  I have been loving working in my new studio, particularly with my encaustics ... that I don't have to put away after I use them.  They can stay up and be ready to use in an instant.  Now it is no longer a big effort to set up and clean up.  So, here is the result of my most recent effort with beeswax.

Encaustic Crows with pigmented beeswax, oil pastels and oil bars ~ 12" x 12" on 1/4 inch five ply

A quick update ~ Check out new web site too!

Have not been on Blogs or Facebook since I had some should surgery in November.  While the should has healed pretty well, just taking the time to get back in my life was a tad jarring.  Am doing much beter, and hope to be back to the blog over time.  I love this community and have missed it!

My older son came for a visit, and saw the mess [read lack of space] and "bought" me a studio!  That is, he had me call my fix-it guy to fit out an unfinished basement space and insert a window [!].  NOw I have more than double the space I had been working in.  Now, with my new space, I need t ojustify by producing some great work! 

Have continued teaching at Senior Centers, and recently taught an Encaustics Workshop that was well-received and fun to boot.  Would love to do more.

Have also put up a "legitimate" working website ... Dee Doyle Art  Pleaes check it out and let me know what you think!!

Here is one of my recent encaustics just to fill some space! 

Wading Heron 12 x 24 Encaustic

Encaustic Poppies

Encaustic poppies 20 x 20 on cradled wooden panel $175

These poppies were fun to do.  They are on a 20 x 20 inch cradled wooden panel.  The reds are so vibrant, and the poppies pop!  So many good things about working in molten beeswax!

Encaustic Heron

Encaustic Heron ~ 12 x 24 ~ $175.00

This morning I posted some trees I did with encaustics, and although, I really love them, they didn't photograph as well as I had hoped, so I am adding this one that I did at the same time.  This piainting was also shown at the First Friday Art Walk last night.  Art Walk was really pretty successful, as many friends and acquaintances came out to see our new work.  Several paintings were sold, two of mine, which made it an excetpionally lovely evening! [Artists included are Sharon Mecca, Nancy Vogel and myself at our small co-op gallery in the Champions Real Estae office at 8th and Commercial in Anacortes.]

I am so enjoying playing with hot beeswax, and ever exploring my new favorite phrase, "What if."

Encaustic Trees




Encaustic Trees 12" x 24" $175.00

After spending several weeks working on about a dozen of encaustic paintings, I finished the last of them [Trees shown here] this past week to hang for Ocotber First Friday Art Walk in Anacortes. Exhausted but exhilerated that I got them done and hung, I was finally able to check in with what happening in the art blogosphere. On Friday, I saw that Daily Paintworks Challenge for the week was Birches.

Birches, aspens, who knows? I know they are different, but now that I live in the Pacific Northwest, many folks speak of them as almost interchangeable. I have both birches and aspens in my yard, and they truly are different, but I see the similarities in terms of the light or white trunks and lacy leaves. I love the way the leaves on both trees dance in the wind. I enjoy the colors, both gold and bright. Whatever they are, wherever they are, they are two of my favorites!
 

Three Watercolor Batik Workshops Scheduled!

Samish Girl ~ Watercolor Batik ~ 18 x 24

After last year's Watercolor Batik Workshops I conducted, I had a number of requests for MORE.  More on how to do figures, more on how to do larger pieces.  So, I have scheduled two "Advanced" Batik workshops and another "Basic" one for those who have recently become aware of watercolor batik as a medium. 

As you might know, watercolor batik is an age-old art form of layering watercolor and wax, only the more contemporary way to do this is on rice paper.  Several years ago, after reading an article by artist Kathie George about her more contemporary methods of doing watercolor batik, I tried it, showed my work and began offering workshops in Skagit and Whatcom Counties.   Students loved the concept and now want more.

So, there will be a "Basic" workshop at the Burlington Senior Center on Wednesday, October 3rd, from 9:30 am to 3:30 pm, and an "Advanced" workshop at Dakota Art in Bellingham, on Saturday, November 10th, and another Advanced workshop at the Anacortes Senior Activity Center on Wednesday, November 14th from 9:30 am to 3:30 pm.  Please contact Dee at deecubed@aol.com  for further information about the workshops!