Audacity of Hope

These are two small mixed medium paintings on paper. I actually made these last year, 2009. I have been thinking about working daily on paper, thinking how it was a beginning for me and is always a touch stone.

Planted to die

I am beginning another group of planted paintings. These will be specifically planted to die. The first experimental group was received while living. I was astonished and inspired by the response. Everyone was concerned that they(the paintings) would die, and that somehow it would be their responsibility to keep the paintings alive for ever. Also, it was clear that the belief was that the paintings were only beautiful in this delicate and fresh stage of life. Well, life is always changing and dying is part of life. Its that funny thing we have no control over, just as we have no control over being born.
I am inspired to create another larger group, that will be celebrating the beauty of the plants death; the fragile ghost print they leave, as well as the living impact in my memory from the day to day nurturing activity's. Here we go part #2.
Already, I am a little nervous.
These are planted with flowers, which are not so quick to sprout, they are aprox 7.5" x 9" encaustic, paper, oil, photo transfer, silver foil, and seeds...I will keep you posted:)

Growing

Last week, I held the painting to the window and I could see roots growing

This week the bean has sprouted!!!!

This week the bean was so strong it opened the top of the painting, and is growing out two openings.

This is the little lentil sprout:) Growing straight out of the painting!

Amazingly, the paintings have begun to grow!!! I made three, and two of them have sprouted. They both are totally different. One has huge bean sprouts, and the other has a minuscule lentil. (Both were pantry foods!)

This has been such an amazing project, witnessing the incredible growth of these tiny seeds. It is refreshing in these dark and cold days, when all seems still; to know that something is growing...

.

Breaking Wave

Breaking Wave
6" x 8"
Mono print, Mixed Medium, Encaustic

This is experimenting with layers, I have been really interested in whats behind and beneath the surface, which I have been exploring in the last couple paintings. The first photo is of the piece against a wall the second is in front of the window, because there's transparency to allow light to move. The other fun thing about this piece is it can change all the time because there is a moving part in the center.
And VERY exciting news is that this Friday I will be signing a lease on a new studio!!!!!!!!:) I will post the address and info after I have officially signed!!!Yippi!

Trees In Melting Snow Fog

This is an experimental process, again. But the image is an illustration of the beautiful trees against the melting snow, and billowing fog.


Trees in Melting Snow Fog
Encaustic, Mixed Media
16" x 20"

California Colors and Inspirations

Ok,
So here is some experimental work I've been up to all weekend. I honestly have been locked up in my studio doing 6hr straight x 2 days of experimenting...its been like a toxic science classroom!!! I am not satisfied yet, but I'm exhausted...and I'm realizing something about myself, which is that I'm constantly looking for a challenge, as soon as I've gotten good at something I abandon it for a new process. Honestly, that sums up most of my life experience, but as I'm maturing ( oh my god I'm almost 30!!!), I'm more aware of "patience" and "diligence".So, that being said, since ultimately its my goal to really continue improving my craft, I realize that while I'm in hot pursuit of the next process, I should still be working on the other stuff...so I will cool off a little for the rest of the week and go back to some practice of older techniques, which should be a welcome friend.

PS. Both of these landscapes, are memories inspired by trip last week, and as you can see, they are a very different color pallet for me.

1. California Sky
Mixed Media
20" x 24"

2. California Drive By
Mixed Media
12" x 48"

Landscape sketches..2/5-2/11

So, this week I explored some new mediums, and I also did some quicky-sketches of incredible landscapes I witnessed and had to jot down. Sometimes, I look around me and just laugh at the crazy abstraction of this landscape! The other day, when I saw the river frozen, it was like looking at miles of quartz crystals, and in the sky, god sent two neon orange clouds floating by the velvet blue ribbons of mountains...starkly scratched with ink black tree lines! I also, am loving the glaring metallic ice, that shimmers through the black trees....nature/life is amazing!
In addition to the tomato's, and these three sketches, I completed two "Portfolio" pieces,two large scale paintings. I will only be showing my "portfolio" pieces on my website, (www.dawnbreezepaintings.com) and I will only post sketch book, process and practice paintings on this blog. I like the idea of defining the two web locations and I will update all you subscribers when I post a new painting to my website. (Which I've just done!) I will be going on a little vacation to sunny southern California tomorrow, so i will not be posting for a week...but when i get back, I'm sure I'll be full of refreshed colors and creative energy!

1. Starry Sky 9" x 12" Mixed Medium on Canvas
2. Neon Clouds 15" x 16" Mixed Medium on Paper
3. Citrus Grass 15" x 16" Mixed Medium, Encaustic, on Paper
* All three of these have reflective metallic paint, that is not visible in these photos

Snow Cloud On The Mountain 1/10/07

Snow Cloud On The Mountain
11" x 17"
Encaustic-Mixed Media on Water Color Paper



* The white in the sky is glare from the wax...this painting is very tricky to photograph because its opalescence and translucent colors. I will attempt to take another photo tomorrow, that doesn't catch so much glare.

Hudson River View 1/9/07

Hudson River View
4.5" x 17"
Mixed Medium, Encaustic on Paper

SOLD

Ice Lake 1/4/07

Ice Lake 5.5"x5.5"x1.5" Mixed Media, Encaustic on Wood
$125
* Unfortunately this scan doesn't do justice to the luminosity and colors in the wax, this is really a gem, in its subtle facets of color.