In The Sleepy Country

Here is In The Sleepy Country, a very mixed media piece of paper, wax, oil pastel, crayon, ink, fabric, plastic, canvas. It is 12" x 24", and is the experimental piece to embed in resin. I hope it works. Ah, what fun!

A question for you

I've just completed a piece that is encaustic (molten wax) and mixed media (plastic, oil pastel, paper, fabric, pen, etc.), and I'm wondering if any of you know about encasing encaustic in resin? I'll post the piece next time...drumroll in anticipation...before I ruin it by experimentation. Resin, while it cures, becomes very hot and that could lead to some pretty undesirable melting effects with wax! Maybe I could put a thin skin on it first which wouldn't heat up the piece too much, and then the work would be protected for the next pouring of resin. Just thoughts...any advice?
It feels good to get back in harness again in the studio. Life is good! I'm reading a really interesting book called The Happiness Project, by Gretchen Rubin. She dedicated a year to figuring out how to be happier; it's a wonderful and instructive read guaranteed to make you thoughtful, in a happy way, about your own life.
A little chuckle for you: my sister recalls seeing a garbage truck many years ago driving through the little town of The Plains, VA that stated on its side, "Satisfaction guaranteed or double your garbage back". Have fun today!

I'm back

Hello, everyone, I'm back from a long time out. I had a month long show at the Byrne Gallery in Middleburg, VA and then another month's show at the Lombardi Cancer Center in Washington, DC.

I was asked to provide awards for the winning team of a 20 goal polo match, also in VA, so four large prints, with unique hand drawn illustrations at the bottom, were given to the victors.

I am switching everything over to my new website, so if you are on littlehouseart.com, please go to louisemellon.com and see the new pieces that have ben added. Very soon, the switch will take place completely. This blog is available on both sites.

I have been busy taking encaustic workshops working in molten wax and producing pieces in that medium. Several mixed media pieces were sold before I could get them on the website. I was so exhausted from the three shows, one here in Aiken, one in VA and one in DC, that I had to take a break. But, I'm back at work in the studio again and producing fun pieces very suitable for Christmas presents.

Margueritaville is once again pumping out on my stereo, and I've got renewed energy to "get on with it"!

Wax Spin

What an experiment! This is an encaustic piece, painted in wax and oil pastel on board. I hope to finish it tomorrow. It is a challenge painting on such a rough, textured surface, but I need to keep challenging and pushing myself to grow as an artist.

Handy

This piece is a 20"x20" oil pastel on wood board. Hopefully it will be finished tomorrow. I have several pieces "resting" and waiting for the paint to set a bit before finishing.

Mare Mumblings

This is an oil pastel on wood board, almost finished, and about 20" x 20". The title is: "Mare Mumblings: Oh, Good Grief...Would You Just Look Down?"

Tanglewood

This is one of the candidates for the program cover of the Tanglewood Steeplechase.