Cleaning things up

how I eat is how I paint is how I believe~

I eat simply. I find myself  apologizing for it sometimes, and John and the boys 'making fun' of me for it occasionally :)
When I dump a can of black beans into a bowl, dice tomato and avocado atop and dig in, it's hard to resist a good jab, I know!
I paint simply. My work has evolved to a place of earthtone browns, black and white with little 'stuff' added at all.
The clean impact of burn, it's blush, and the white surface with subtle tint from PanPastel is all I need right now.

Looking at these two 'ways' of me while walking this morning gave me a bit of a revelation-

I also believe simply. Everything I do, every breath, step, stroke and work, is to the glory of God.
That's it.
That clean.

I read that if you are aligned with God, walking in his will, that this alignment 'guarantees' me assuredly of this simple conviction.

It's that simple.
It's that clean.

I've cleaned up my life~
Body (food), mind (work practice) and spirit (walk with God).
Cool huh?! :) (delicious giggling ensues <3)
in love. trish
shoot-golly, I've even cleaned up my blogging! This is my shortest diatribe to date!!!! :)

when does encaustic stop being encaustic?

Or, better yet,
     when does it start?!
Is it when one first plugs the hot palette in

     and begins to fill the room with melting beeswax fumes?
Is it as she dips the brush deliberately into this molten pot
    and deftly applies it to the prescribed rigid, absorbent support?
Or maybe is it when he blends pigment with medium on the hot palette
    to reveal a new blend of color on the aforementioned support?
Perhaps at the juncture of paper to wax, as artist reliquishes control
    and applies a delicate paper to the hot blend of paints on her hot box.
Or at the moment when painting receives hot wax
    to give it the final finish that creates the depth, translucency and beauty that only encaustic can achieve?
Or maybe, it is as delicate colors are applied to the iron
   and transferred to slick surfaces as he creates ethereal landscapes and botanical.

Musing these thoughts as 'pushing the envelope' is happening regularly in my own work~
of development
and experimentation
and 'acceptable'
in this field.
Not only in my own work am I growing this determination to push and test and experiment;
to find the furthest edge of compatibility to encaustic and techniques and products from far and near is becoming an impassioned goal.
But also in  that of my business and teaching as I strive to expose this dynamic and transmutable medium to not only artists, but crafts person's worldwide.
Encaustic means that to me; dynamic beauty; transcendent opportunity; limitless potential.

Why resist?
Why hold back?
Why limit?
Why constrain?
Why grip and strain and desperately hold fast to something that can belong to everyone-and grow richer, more full and rewarding as a result of this expansive acceptance?
If the potential is there, is it not wrong to leave it unexplored if the bettering of not only the individual, but ultimately the whole, is rewarded?

Is it too much of a stretch to see the potential this way?
Am I alone in my goosebump-filled enthusiasm at the thought of creative spirits everywhere, in every genre, make and model, embracing encaustic as a mode of self expression and creative investment?
Do I see too far down the road of 'what if' to connect the dots for those traveling similar paths?
Truly, is my vision so far-sighted as to seem blinded?
Truly?
I have to ask:
Do you not wake frequently to immediate thoughts of inspiration?
Of watching a face light up at the realization that they can do something creative?
That they may find a personal voice, no matter how 'right' or 'proper' or even 'beautiful' the world may think it, in this medium?
Awake to visions of the next workshop you will teach and feel the joyous expectation of potential to enliven and inspire even just one new heart and soul to this medium?

Do you short change yourself the absolute joy of this for the limited vision of the exclusivity of 'art'?

Is a Monet 'bastardized by paint by number?
A Renoir by coloring books?
A Cassatt by 'student grade'?
Is there not equal value in all
as one leads to a better understanding of and acceptance in the whole?

My opinion runs deep and wide.
I believe in what I think is a bigger picture.

But I am just me.
And in my questions here, is also my answer.

I ask them of you to expand the bubble.
To explore the edges once again.
To push the envelope.
I do not require your response; but hope that you will require one of yourself.
Answer if you will, encaustic artist, and stand up.
Creativity has a voice in every living thing.
God's design is at work in every cell of creation.
Hardly limiting;
expansive and embracing and wide reaching.
Let us all be so humbly inclusive.
blessings beyond words.
in love. trish

More thoughts on the subject:
http://kimradatz.blogspot.com/2011/09/do-you-call-yourself-artist.html

acceptance solitude

A beautiful youtube video and a wonderful EncaustiCampers post to share; then my own thoughts!

http://youtu.be/k7X7sZzSXYs

From beautiful blogger and EncaustiCamper Lee Spangler of www.Studiolightblue.com

The Benefits of Solitude

The best art is created in solitude, for good reason: it’s only when we are alone that we can reach into ourselves and find truth, beauty, soul. Some of the most famous philosophers took daily walks, and it was on these walks that they found their deepest thoughts.

My best writing, and in fact the best of anything I’ve done, was created in solitude.

Just a few of the benefits I’ve found from solitude:

• time for thought

• in being alone, we get to know ourselves

we face our demons, and deal with them
• space to create
• space to unwind, and find peace
• time to reflect on what we’ve done, and learn from it
• isolation from the influences of other helps us to find our own voice
• quiet helps us to appreciate the smaller things that get lost in the roar

I've been getting a lot of input relating to solitude lately. I hold a curious wonder at why this is all coming at me, seemingly, at once. I am due for some time in creative retreat mind you; the past 8 months, with a good 10 weeks more to go, of teaching and not being available to the studio for more than a three week block of time-paired with housekeeping and home keeping as well-has me aching for some devoted, distraction less studio time to get creative!
But solitude, I think-despite this pace, has been happening. As I teach far and near, I have moments of alone; in which I sit quietly and listen, walk and reflect, take breaks in between classes and explore-alone. This to me has been valuable, necessary solitude within the furious, sometimes harried days of connecting with like-minded souls across the states :)
I even get ample solitude on the homefront-on a daily basis. For those of you who know my habits, or watch my posts on facebook, twitter and blogging, duly note that I am an early riser!
These precious, before-the-sun, morning moments are blessed with utterly quiet, restful hours of reading and journaling before thoughts and actions that will become my days 'doing' begin to invade.

In the summer months these early hours are enhanced by the just going down minutes of communication with my youngest son as he signs off of his day and I begin my next; a little gift in these last years of children at home.
But the solitude that has been speaking to me in verse
and commentary
and blogging
is different than these captured, treasured moments in between the 'stuff' of my days.

The solitude speaking to me is one of investment, and planning and preparedness. It is one of intention and acceptance. I say acceptance because committing to solitude is difficult; and I don't believe this is true just for me.
It is hard to gift oneself time to oneself. To separate from the demands of job, or family, children or church, craft or commitments and just be in the alone that is required in proper solitude.

It is necessary to get to a place of personal commitment, and strength, courage and acceptance that will supplant the guilt, sense of self indulgence and doubt that is sure to invade the psyche upon determining a need for a block of solitude.

I mean really...if we are built for relationship, then how dare we step aside to take time in quite, absolute, exquisite!, solitary confinement right?!
But it is necessary, truly required I've found, in order to be properly 'all in' for the rest of ones' life: For this relationship-created life we've been called to.

The unfortunate element in this is that it is rare in youth that we discover this necessity.
Youthfulness is consumed by doing and finding, establishing and building.
There is rarely time and space to allow for rest and regrouping.
Often times this leads to the unfortunate breakdown of relationships, abilities-as we stretch ourselves too thin, and in some cases, when not checked in time,
ourselves.
Yet, perhaps it is in this learning that can only happen in the gathering of years on our calendar of life that we can truly breathe deep and relinquish ourselves to the necessity and unselfish side of taking time out to accumulate the nothingness of solitude.

And with that nothingness~
deep peace and wisdom to step back into the doing we've spent our years creating.
And embrace it with the same fervor and anticipation that came at its inception. Thereby, re birthing our youthful stamina and zeal, with this added balance of peace and acceptance.
Ah. That's the joy so spoken of.
Bring it on. I am ready. Unselfishly ready.
To solitude.
Check me on the other side of November :)
in love. trish.