Dressed to kill

Each of the girls these 5 dollies were being made for had requests to be met - favorite colors and hair styles and so on...

Now, the dollies for Vermont are completed and in the hands of 5 sweet and beloved girls. Here's their head shot.

Dew Drop Dollies

There's something wonderful about a doll made just for your little girl.  These dollies will be traveling north to Vermont once they are dressed.  Come back again to see them dressed and ready to travel.

 

Two more paintings

Here are the remainder of this week's encaustic paintings. They were shown in the underpainting phase on May 17, 2013. They're now posted in my shop at www.etsy.com/shop/composegrace

Snow Farm 2013

Winter Silos 2013

Put your passion on your purse

As I have been working on the grisaille wristlet, I thought I would show you the other 3 styles of handpainted, coated canvas purses I create,  The artwork on this line of purses features flora and insectia from the endangered species list. The canvas panels are joined with traditional leather lacing which is durable as well as beautiful.
  

These are available as a special order. Contact me at www.etsy.com/shop/composegrace   

Promises kept...

Here are three of the paintings I showed as underpaintings earlier this week.  I will be posting them to the etsy shop, if you see one and decide you can't live without it. 

The lighting was tricky today.  An overcast day with light from the north is ideal, but today was bright and sunny. I promised photos so I decided it would be better to get photos posted now, and retake them on a day with just the right lighting.  As always, your comments and feedback are coveted.  

Here's a link to the etsy shop.  Come and visit...www.etsy.com/shop/composegrace

Transformations

Here they are - my encaustic painting palettes.  Because the paint must be molten to work with it, I have discovered that buffet warming trays from the 1970's are the ideal work surface.  It took a little bit of experimentation with stainless steel cups and a thermometer to map out the various hot spots, and determine what the tempuratures were for the different settings on each model.  These are my two favorites because their heating elements are very reliable and consistent. 

Non-stick mini muffin pans work great to hold the paint and encaustic medium.  When I make the encaustic medium I dip it into clean tins, pop them in the freeze for an hour or so, and they come out in perfect little pastilles for use when I make more paint, or to melt in the working palette.  I keep the palette with the paints 'pure' and move color onto my working palette (the one with the brushes on it) to mix and work from.  This keeps the pigments pure, and allows me to start clean for each new painting.  I just wipe all the mixed colors off the working palette and begin anew. 

I had a good day of painting (as well as an awesome bike ride along the river...) and have nearly decided the work on the 5 I have been working on are at a good point to stop.  I will decide tomorrow if they're ready for signatures.  If so, by tomorrow evening they will be photographed and posted here and featured at my etsy shop.  Come back and see the transformation from underpainting to encaustic.

Portraits of road side trees

This is the palette I started with today for these 2 underpaintings. It's silly, but I think of these  2 seasonal studies as portraits of the tall thin trees along the roadsides of Pennsylvania.  I have the studio set up to begin the encaustic painting of the 5 underpaintings I have posted over this past week.  I'll take pictures of my studio set up, and the encaustic palette (it is unusual, and will surprise you!) when I start working tomorrow. 

I have reached the end of my energy and ability to think clearly, so it's time to bid you a good night.  I'll be back tomorrow and hope you will be, too.