Busy as a Bee Spending Time with my NEW Love: Encaustic Monotypes!

For the last month I have been PLAYING in the studio with a new technique: encaustic monotype! I cannot stop! It's immediate (gratification), spontaneous, NOT labor intensive and requires only one heated griddle...

And I LOVE working on paper. I have not had the pleasure of working on paper since my pastel landscape days. I am printing on ANYTHING I can get my hands on (and already have in the studio): BK Rives, rice paper, mulberry paper, inkjet printable cotton and some "unknowns".

I am usually able to complete several prints in less than an hour. I love that hey relate to each other because of the ghost prints (pulling a second print while there is still a trace of the encaustic paint left on the heated plate). I am working with R & F bars of encaustic paint, Enkaustikos Hot Sticks and Wax Snaps. And in true JonesMoore style, I am throwing a little mixed media onto the prints: graphite, oil pastels, charcoal and several brands of water soluble sticks, such as Derwent and Stabilo. I AM IN HEAVEN! STAY TUNED FOR MORE ON THIS FABULOUS ADVENTURE...I THINK I MAY JUST BE TEACHING THIS IN THE SPRING!

"DOORS" exhibition at Fraker/Scott Gallery opens in Seattle this week...

"Sacred Door", one of my  mixed media pieces with collage, acrylic and assemblage, will be showing in downtown Seattle at Fraker/Scott Gallery during the month of August. This group exhibition, featuring intriguing door-inspired artwork, will include some innovative, new assemblage works as well. Don't miss it! Come on down to First Thursday Art Walk this Thursday, August 4 (5-8 p.m.), and find out from the artists–in person–what inspires them!

Fraker/Scott Gallery is located at 121 Prefontaine Place So., in the historical neighborhood of Pioneer Square in Seattle, Washington. For more information about hours and events, please visit:

http://www.frakerscottgallery.com

See you at Art Walk!

New Work!

New work...12x12 encaustic with mixed media, sand, metallic pigments, ink, photographs. It is called "Aloe Quietly Breathing", inspired by a haiku that I wrote:

Filtered sun through glass
Aloe quietly breathing–
Winter waits outside.

See this work in person at Fraker/Scott Gallery's "12x12" group show, opening TODAY, November 4 (First Thursday Art Walk is 5-8 p.m.) and running through December 31 in downtown Seattle! (see my sidebar)

My Beeswax Collage Workshop still has space!

You won't regret taking the PLUNGE into collage with warm beeswax! Here are the details of this wonderful workshop that will take place in Edmonds, Washington, on October 9. You MUST sign up by Friday, October 1, in order insure that the class takes place:

ArtsNow C420: Beeswax Collage: Celebrate Fall!

Do you love the scent and look of natural beeswax? In this one-day workshop, you will learn how to create a collage with warm beeswax using found papers, various fabrics, and items from nature. You will also learn how to use scribing tools, oil pastels, powder pigment rubs, and texture with the beeswax. The possibilities are infinite! You will complete the class with the knowledge of how to do this in your own home, and where to find the necessary supplies. Saturday, October 9, 10-5, $ 119. Register by calling ArtsNow by 10/1 at 425-640-1243, or go online for more information: http://www.edcc.edu/artsnow/registration/

The show starts September 14!

Design of poster by Kathleen Johnson.

A "sneek" peek at the Ladies...

"Ladies of the Lake, encaustic with mixed media, Copyright 2010 JonesMoore

This is one of the new pieces I will be showing at ArtSplash, opening July 15, in downtown Edmonds, Washington. You have GOT to see this one in person, the photo doesn't quite do it justice! This is based on an old drawing from college that I did many years ago, and I have carved the figures into encaustic wax. I've added ink, graphite, sand and glass micro-beads. See the sidebar to the right for more information on this fabulous upcoming show...

NEW in my Etsy shop!

Encaustic Milagros, or "Miracles in Wax", 5x5x1-1/2", encaustic wax with mixed media. Visit my Etsy shop to learn more!

There's still time to register for "The Painted Page" collage book workshop!!

THE PAINTED PAGE: CELEBRATE MAY!

REGISTRATION WILL EXTEND UNTIL CLASS BEGINS, 4/24!!

 Join me for an artful afternoon of painting and collaging free–form folded books. We will explore themes of the month of May, Spring, mothers, angels and saints–using images, fabric, paper, words and paint. This process–oriented class will open your eyes to many creative possibilities! Most class materials are supplied, and all levels of experience welcome. These small books make wonderful gifts, especially for MOTHERS DAY!

Saturday 4/24, 1:30-5:30, University of Washington campus
$57. (discount for UW students)
Course #10.0332, Register: call 206-68-LEARN, or visit:  http://exco.org

I can even do ON THE SPOT registration for those of you who could not register in time with ASUW Experimental College. Just send me an email to let me know you are coming, and I can give you the location and supply list via email:    jomoma58@yahoo.com

Beeswax Collage: Celebrate Spring! Art Workshop April 10

"Body Urgent", COPYRIGHT 2007 JonesMoore, beeswax collage

ArtsNow C420: Beeswax Collage: Celebrate Spring!

Do you love the scent and look of natural beeswax? Are you excited about the coming of spring, and the beauty of nature? In this one-day workshop, you will learn how to create a collage with beeswax using found papers, various fabrics, and items from nature. You will also learn how to use scribing tools, oil pastels, powder pigment rubs, and texture with the beeswax. The possibilities are infinite! You will complete the class with the knowledge of how to do this in your own home, and where to find the necessary supplies. Join me on:

Saturday, April 10, 10-5 p.m., Edmonds, Washington
Register: call ArtsNow at: (425) 640-1243, or visit: http://edcc.edu/artsnow/registration/

Another beeswax milagro in the works...

This is the third piece in my "Milagro" (Miracle) series. It has been such a pleasure to scribe lines in to slightly warm beeswax! The poem underneath the heart image is called "El Amor" and was written in 1935 by Luz Maria Durand.

Please take the time to visit my Etsy shop, where I have more of these 'little miracles' for sale!

Up to our knees in beeswax: it was a successful collage class!

Well, we were up to our "knees" in warm beeswax and collage items last Saturday, during my "Beeswax Valentines" class in Everett, Washington. Here are some photos of some of the students at work. (Great stuff, right?)

I'll be teaching another beeswax collage class on April 10, in Edmonds, Wa. Stay tuned!

My ASUW Collage and Assemblage classes now open for registration!

Fabulous student work from my 2009 class, "Candy Tin Assemblage"

O.K., I know your fingers are just itching to try something new in 2010! I'm offering two classes at the ASUW Experimental College (Seattle campus, Washington) in January and February, that I think you would enjoy! The first one is called "Candy Tin Shadow Box" on January 30, and the second one is "The Painted Page: Springtime" on February 27 (click here to see pics!). Please visit www.exco.org for the full descriptions. They are listed under the category "Arts and Crafts".

You may register online, or by calling 206-68-LEARN. I'll see you in class! (PSSST! These make great gifts, too! Send that 'special someone' to art class!).

Point and Shoot Journaling with LK Ludwig

Rotting apples...COPYRIGHT 2009 JonesMoore

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Tree roots in Sayulita...COPYRIGHT 2009 JonesMoore

I've been participating in an online journaling class called Point and Shoot Journaling, put on by LK Ludwig. It's been a wonderful experience, and has kept me "creative" at times when I didn't feel like being creative! We are working with our own photos, as well as song lyrics, metaphor and other writing assignments. LK starts a new class each month, and it's fabulous!. To see more of my journal pages, please visit my Flickr site!

New items for sale in my Etsy shop, check it out!

"Encaustic Sunflower", Copyright 2009 JonesMoore

I have just put some new items in my Etsy shop, which is a fabulous place to shop online for all items handmade: art, photography, home decor, jewelry, clothing and just about everything 'creative'. Stop in and take a look!

www.jonesmoore.etsy.com

Stop! And smell the beeswax...join me for beeswax collage this weekend.

Imagine the scent of warm beeswax (all day!), while the rain rages just outside. Imagine spending a few hours with some fellow creative types from all walks of life–playing with paper, fabric and found objects. Sounds delicious, doesn't it?

Join me this Saturday, November 7, for my workshop Beeswax Collage. There is one day left to register, and plenty of room!

http://www.edcc.edu/artsnow/

Dia de los Muertos, oh my!

"Manos y Ojos", COPYRIGHT 2009 JonesMoore

I am just bursting with excitement! Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) is happening in less than one month! This is a major holiday in Mexico, during which families celebrate their ancestors and departed loved ones. The collage shown above was based on images and my feelings about Dia de los Muertos. "Manos y Ojos" (the handwritten text in the background) means hands and eyes...with the Virgin of Guadalupe floating above.

Dia le los Muertos is one of the most profound and beautiful cultural holidays I have ever experienced. So much love and sharing happens during the festivities. The streets, homes businesses and cemeteries of Mexico are just alive with music and pageantry. Check out my photos taken during this amazing holiday in Oaxaca, Mexico in 2007!

www.flickr.com/photos/jonesmoore

and more photos here

AND here!!

Doodads and rusty stuff for my kid...

My Favorite Things, originally uploaded by jomoma58.

My daughter, who is attending her first year of art school in Vancouver B.C., called me the other day requesting some interesting things. Rusty stuff and found objects...ahhh, I have trained her well. I guess they don't have much of that stuff in downtown Vancouver. She is in great need of these items for her first science (really!?) project. The assignment? Create a "Cabinet of Curiosity" (in box form) of natural objects–basically, an assemblage piece. Joseph Cornell was one of the first artists to actually do this in box form. Check it out–they are fabulous!

http://www.josephcornellbox.com/

I am feeling fairly excited to put together a "care" package of rusty things for my daughter, and so glad her love of using mixed media and found objects has stayed with her. I can't wait to see the finished product!

It's been a long–but productive–week! And, the power of re-packaging...

"Those Purple Trees", pastel, copyright L. JonesMoore

I've spent the week preparing for the upcoming Edmonds Art studio Tour, which is happening September 19 and 20. It's amazing how much work (and how easily one can move from point A to point B to Point C) when there is no child in the house. And yet, I do miss him. He's off to start the Great Middle School Experience that everyone remembers (NOT!). So far so good. He still seems excited about it all by Friday afternoon. We'll see how he feels about it in a few Fridays.

Anyway, back to preparations. As I'm pulling out older work, and discarding some of their tattered wrappers, and re-packaging them, I've been doing a LOT of thinking about the Beatles. If you read the newspapers, or read the home page of Yahoo, etc., you know that the Beatles have released TWO new re-packed versions of their incredible body of work. In video game and music form. I'm very excited about this. Re-packaging past works is not a new idea. Look at the work of the Impressionists! It's all been re-hashed, re-packaged and re-printed numerous times. But, people just can't get enough of the stuff!!

Which has me reflecting on the value of my past work, and how important it is to keep 'putting it out there', in one form or another (if it is , indeed, quality work). In my 'past life' as a visual artist, I did vibrant pastel landscape and still life paintings, and was a Signature member of the Northwest Pastel Society. I did some very good work.

My conclusion: embrace all past endeavors! Why not? I encourage all of you 'creatives' out there to do the same. Some of my pastel works will be exhibited during my Open Studio, along with my other, more recent experimental works. I do hope you can make it...

Hands busy at work during "The Painted Page" Workshop

I LOVE to photograph hands at work...my students were just awesome!

My work, "Autumn Diptych", is in the Arts Council Juried Art Show

If you are in the Everett, Washington area this Thursday, July 9, please stop by for the opening reception for the Arts Council of Snohomish County's 17th Juried Art Show (5–8 p.m at the Monte Christo Hotel lobby on Wall Street). This exhibition features artwork of the highest quality and innovation (in my opinion!). I have one piece featured in the show, called "Autumn Diptych", and is a somewhat abstract piece using encaustic combined with inkjet print on fabric, wire, bones, bleach and oil pastels. I described the process I used to make this piece in a June '09 post titled "Autumn Diptych". The Arts Council Show runs through August 20.