A friend asked what I learned and enjoyed about this challenge. I learned some new techniques in encaustic, and in painting and collage. I enjoyed having an excuse to go to the studio every day, with a specific purpose. The most valuable lesson learned was to let go and allow the materials and the process to take me in an unplanned direction. The process was similar to writing at that moment when the muse takes over and the writer becomes a conduit for a shared universal concept. And, as a photographer, it was good to loosen up a bit.

I'm ready to move on. I want to return to photography and begin to explore some of the issues that came up through the processes of the past thirty days, with greater deliberateness and a looser process. Thanks for visiting!

This is a simple little landscape. I was practicing layering the wax, mixing color and creating texture by varying the temperature of the wax across the piece. The composition is borrowed from a demo I watched on line; I added the sunset colors. I used some oil paints to deepen the color. The streaks are caused by my impatience; not allowing the oils to dry completely before adding the final layer of wax medium. I think it looks okay, and even adds some movement to the piece, but in the interest of full disclosure - there it is.

I enjoyed experimenting with the oils and wax. This technique opened up a more flexible way of working with color than using the pigmented wax alone. I'm looking forward to practicing and refining the the use of these materials over time. Thanks for visiting!