Category Archives: art

animals in art, art, Arts & Crafts, Karen Tashkovski

Art & Golf Balls

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I am preparing an art activity, which involves golf balls, for my pretend grandchildren.

I have been hiking in an area that is rife with wayward golf balls.  I was gifted as many as two dozen of them recently by the weed-whacking groundskeeper and the rest I found on the other side of the street relatively far from the actual golf course.

The children are my friend Elaine’s actual grandchildren and they will be visiting me next month.  They all live in Florida and are looking forward to experiencing a New York autumn.  I think it will be the first time for the littles.

I’m painting the golf balls now and they will help me finesse them into ladybugs, jack-o-lanterns, spiders and bumblebees for starters.

Then we plan to go for hikes and hide them in the woods for other children to find and enjoy.  I am certain they will love this. They will be like little Banksys – artsy stealths.  So fun!

The balls need several coats of this special acrylic paint meant for outdoor items so the prep work is…a lot.  Currently, my kitchen is a mini disaster area and I am okay with that because my prototypes are better than I thought they would be.  I need to hop over to the craft store tomorrow to pick up a few supplies.  I mean – who has a stockpile of black pipe cleaners handy?

art, clothing, collage, color, encaustic, encaustic & collage, fashion, Karen Tashkovski, mixed media, robes, Tashionista

The Robes (Part 2)

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I just finished the second set of thirty-six (three dozen) robes!  They are 12″ x 12″ hardboard mounted on cradled hardboard.  I am so delighted with them.  I feel like making more but I will, instead, clean up the art studio, put away all the unused ribbon and store the paintings in acetate sleeves until I find the perfect place to exhibit them all together.

art, art exhibition, art for sale, art gallery, encaustic

Fire & Form

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I am honored to have been selected for this group exhibition at the Rochester Contemporary Art Center (137 East Ave., Rochester, New York 14604).  Fire & Form – Encaustic Work From Across New York State is a juried exhibition!  My painting is titled “Mustang Dance”.  A man I chatted with said it looked like something you would find in an ancient Roman villa.

The reception started at 6:00 PM.  Penny and I were the first to arrive.  I managed to take these pictures before it got super crowded in there.

I am really impressed with the variations in technique, color, texture and style.  It’s a magnificent show!

***From the web-site

ABOUT THE JUROR

Regina B Quinn is an encaustic artist residing in the Northern Catskill Mountains of New York. Regina serves as President of International Encaustic Artists and Director of Grant Initiatives. Her art career encompasses painting, photography, ceramics, printmaking, and theatrical set design; she now focuses on creating works in encaustic mixed-media. She teaches encaustics online and in-person at the Woodstock School of Art and Mulranny Arts in Ireland. Regina is represented by the Carrie Haddad Gallery in Hudson, ny. @ginabq

August 28, 2026 – September 19, 2026

In-Person Drop off: July 31 and August 1, 12–5pm at RoCo
Exhibition Dates: August 26 – September 19, 2026
Opening Reception: August 28, 6-9pm
Panel Discussion – Encaustic Art Today: Aug. 28, 7pm
Book Launch – Working-Class Girls Don’t Become Artists by Janet Zandy: September 10, 6pm
Closing Party: September 19, 6–9pm
Artwork Pick-up: September 20 & 21, 12–5pm

Fire and Form is a juried exhibition celebrating the depth, diversity, and innovation of encaustic and wax-based artists working across New York State. Hosted in Rochester, a city with a strong tradition of experimental modernism and material exploration, this exhibition highlights the luminous, layered, and enduring qualities of wax as a contemporary medium.

New York State is home to a thriving encaustic community shaped by established art schools and historic craft traditions. From the Great Lakes to the Finger Lakes region, the Adirondacks to the Hudson River Valley and New York City, NY artists create visual and sculptural art using wax-based mediums in ways that bridge abstraction, landscape, and conceptual practice. Rochester especially has played an outsized role in the recent re-invigoration of this medium. Organized by Rochester’s Working With Wax group, Fire and Form will bring together these artists not only to showcase their work, but to establish a gathering point for encaustic practice in the region.

Encaustic, as a medium, is both durable and radiant. It aligns powerfully with both contemporary abstraction and New York’s longstanding landscape traditions. This exhibition aims to demonstrate that vitality and mark the beginning of a defining platform for encaustic artists across New York State.

AWARDS

Three awards have been selected by the juror for excellence in wax media.
Rochester Art Supply (2 awards): Gift Certificates worth $200 each
The R+F Award (1 award): Opaque Color Set and Translucent Color Set with Ampersand boards, valued at $200

Take down is scheduled for September 19, 2026.   Paintings can be purchased then collected at the end of the show.

Hours of Operation:  Wednesday – Sunday, 12 – 5pm / Friday, 12 – 9pm.

ARTISTS

Kristen Adamczyk (Brooklyn, NY) @kristen_adamczyk (10), Sarita Kennedy Arden (Pittsford, NY), Gülnar Babayeva (Hudson Valley, NY) @caspianmuse (2), Gwen Bardon (Rhinebeck, NY) @gwenbardon, Bob Barnett (Woodside, NY) @bobbarnettpaint, Mary-Ellen Bertram (Rochester, NY) @maryellenart, Linda Bigness (Camillus, NY) @lbigness, Domenica Brockman (Ithaca, NY) @minimalistabstraction, Phyllis Bryce Ely (Ontario, NY) @pbryceely, Victoria Brzustowicz (Penfield, NY) @creativevictoriab, Ann Marie Buchau (Pulaski, NY) @annbuchauartist, Heather Caufield (Olivebridge, NY), Maureen Church (Rochester, NY) @moutlaw4 (14), Carey Corea (Rochester, NY) @careycoreaart, Pat DeLuca (Rochester, NY) @patdeluca.art, Jackie Doyle (Lakewood, NY) @jackied.art, Marie Dungan (Cooperstown, NY), Connie Ehindero (Rochester, NY) @ehinderoconnie, Alaina Enslen (Cornwall-On-Hudson, NY) (1), Victoria Falco (Rochester, NY) @victoriafalco, Hallie Galligan (Woodstock, NY) (6), Hilary Hart (Cold Spring, NY) (3), Richard Harvey (Rochester, NY) @rcharv, Emily Hill (Lima, NY) @emilyhill.waxwerk (12), Christine Knoblauch (Rochester, NY), Rachel Kouwe (Webster, NY), Mark Lavatelli (Buffalo, NY) @marklava, Rebecca LeFevre (Batavia, NY) @rebeccalefevre.art, Beth Lisk (Watkins Glen, NY) (11), Patrice Maloney (Webster, NY) (4), Melanie Rinn Martinek (Victor, NY), Constance Mauro (Rochester, NY) @constancemauro, Anne B McCune (Hilton, NY) @anne.b.mccune, Tarie Minchak (Rochester, NY) @tarieminchak, Makenzie Morrow (Rush, NY) @makadelic_art (9), Lori Mugnolo (Honeoye Falls, NY), Claire Nigro (Greenport, NY) @clairenigro, Carol O’Brien (Naples, NY) @selkieob, Kseniya Ostrovska (Saratoga Springs, NY) @kseniya_ostrovska_art (5), Andrea Parada (Rochester, NY) @apnderparadaparada_ceramica, Itter Randazzo (Schenectady, NY) @itterrandazzo (13), Lida Riedlinger (Rochester, NY) @lida_riedlinger, Sidonie Merkel Roepke (Rochester, NY) (7), Charles Schweigert (Irondequoit, NY) @schweigertstudio, Julie Jurgens Shea (Rochester, NY) @juliesheaart, Kathleen Speck (Moravia, NY), Kathy Steblen (Fairport, NY), Carolyn Steinkirchner (Rochester, NY), Jacqueline Swaby (Castile, NY) (8), Karen Tashkovski (East Syracuse, NY) @karen_tashkovski,Sherry Tulloch (Churchville, NY), Dana Murray Tyrrell (Niagara Falls, NY) @snackmustard, Deanna Varble (Pittsford, NY) @hensinwellies, Nickolas Viele (Rochester, NY) @nickolas_viele_fine_arts, Sally Wood Winslow (Rochester, NY), Birgitt Wolf Peterson (Prattsburgh, NY) @birgitt_wolf_peterson, Leslie Yolen (Berne, NY) @_leslieyolen, Jessica Young (Hamlin, NY) @jessy.claire.art, Janet Zandy (Rochester, NY)

 

art, art exhibition, art for sale, art in libraries, collage, encaustic, encaustic & collage, flowers, Karen Tashkovski, painting

The Lotus Series @ CPL

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I am so in love with the way my new exhibition (The Lotus Series) looks on the walls and tables in the Lawson Room at the Canastota Public Library.  So grateful for having been welcomed back – and this time for two months (and one week!).

Thank you, Bill!

The library director purchased this amazing hardware that made my new installation at the Canastota Public Library so much better than my previous show.

Six dozen paintings (minus one that I left on a table easel in my living room) are now on display in the Lawson Room.  These are encaustic, mixed media & collage paintings of flowers.  They started off as lotus flowers but then I sort of branched out via the titles (Lily, Thistle, etc.).  I created all the paintings this year.  All are 8″ x 10″ on cradled hardboard and framed.

All paintings are available for sale.  Contact information is listed in the literature.

The artwork will be featured at the library through October 2026.  The Lawson Room is located in the basement of this Andrew Carnegie built library and can be accessed during library hours.  There are many clubs and activities scheduled for this room in the coming months.  They sound like a lot of fun – exercise classes, a writer’s group, bridge, a knitting and crochet club and lots more.

LIBRARY HOURS

Monday: 9am – 8pm
Tuesday: 9am – 8pm
Wednesday: 9am – 8pm
Thursday: 9am – 8pm
Friday: 9am – 5pm
Saturday: 9am – 12pm
Sunday: Closed

Canastota Public Library
102 W. Center St.
Canastota, NY  13032
 
Phone:  (315) 697-7030
Fax:  (315) 697-8653
Email: canastota@midyork.org
 Bill Loveland, Director

art, art exhibition, in progress art, in progress artwork

Working on the Robes

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Still working on this second set of thirty-six 12″ x 12″ encaustic, mixed media & collage Robes.  Getting closer to finishing – my goal is to have them done by the end of the month.

I also revised three paintings from the first series.  Eventually, I will rephotograph them and upload these new versions here.  I need to sit with them for a bit to make sure I am happy with them.

Meanwhile, I’m installing another Canastota Public Library show on Monday.  And the group encaustic show at Rochester Contemporary Art Center begins on Friday.  “Mustang Dance” is there.

Oh, and my exhibition at Hazard Branch Library continues through August 31st.

art, art exhibition, art for sale, art in libraries, Karen Tashkovski, oil & collage, oil painting

The Greatest Hazard

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Hazard Branch Public Library is the latest location to host my artwork.

The library is located at 1620 W. Genesee Street, Syracuse, New York 13204.  They open at 9:00 AM every day except for Sunday.  It is the perfect place to showcase large paintings.

I brought these nine 36″ x 36″ target pieces out of the archives.  I made a dozen of them – sold one and kept two at home, as they are hanging on walls in my house.  I created them all in 1997 during a stint as a Master Teacher for the NYS Summer School of the Arts, which was housed at Cazenovia College that year.  These oil & collage paintings are framed in maple ($ 1,600).

In addition, you can find eighteen paintings from my series called Talisman.  These are also targets and are oil, chalkboard & collage, 18″ x 24″ – not framed ($ 400).

The show concludes on August 31, 2026.

art, art exhibition, art for sale, art gallery, art in libraries

Immersion

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Thirty-six more paintings!  I started them today.  Created twelve new stencils.  Added the wax to the hardboards.  Traced the stencils onto the boards.

I will be taking down my art exhibition at the Fayetteville Free Library on Thursday and travelling to Rochester to deliver a painting to the Rochester Contemporary Art Gallery on Friday.

Karen Tashkovski, MUSTANG DANCE, 2012, encaustic & collage, 12” x 48”

The following week I will be installing a show at the Hazard Branch library then it’s back to the Canastota Public Library during September and October, and then back to the Hazard Branch during November!

Karen Tashkovski, Simplify, 36″ x 36″, 1997, oil & collage, $800

Can’t wait to get immersed in the process of making the new robes!  Stay tuned….

Karen Tashkovski, Lotus, 2025, encaustic & collage

 

 

abstract, art, art exhibition, art for sale, crowns, encaustic, encaustic & collage, Karen Tashkovski

Encaustic Crowns @ FFL

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I just returned from installing my latest art exhibition.  This one is at the Fayetteville Free Library, 300 Orchard Street, Fayetteville, NY 13066.  The artwork will be on display through the month of July 2026.

There are six dozen 8″ x 8″ encaustic & collage paintings in this series.  They are part of my bigger arch – creating a multi-cultural kingdom where everyone is welcome and everyone gets to choose their place in the dream, selecting their level of participation.  In this world, there is only happiness and joy – no complaints, no violence, no illness, no misery.

I’ve incorporated international coins and stamps, origami and mulberry papers, embroidery floss, tartan ribbons, gold enamel and game pieces.  The vintage elements create a feeling of nostalgia, as well as a sense of deja-vu.

Last year it took me six hours to work out the site plan, move the apparatus around and install a similar amount and sized series.  This time I clocked it at four and a half hours.  Thank you, Laurie Heyboer, for ordering more hooks.  It was so much easier to mount the show!  I appreciate you!!!

 

 

animals in art, art, art for sale, art gallery, group art exhibition, juried exhibition, Karen Tashkovski

Horse Power!(!!!)

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I am honored to be a part of the latest exhibition at Main Street Arts, 20 W. Main Street, Clifton Springs, New York 14432.   Titled Horse Power!, it will be on display until July 15, 2026.

My painting is called Mustang Dance (see above).

The horse theme was inspired by the Chinese New Year celebrating the year of the Fire Horse in 2026.  And – OMG – there are so many wonderful pieces of art representing horses (and donkeys, zebras and even unicorns).  People and their horses, am I right???

Paintings, drawings, sculptures, fiber art, mixed media – so much to see and enjoy.

The show is the brainchild of Executive Director Heather Olson (*) who is a total shining star.  Her positivity is infectious and the atmosphere during the art reception today was truly heart warming.

It is a fabulous exhibit.  The artwork occupies two floors in this gorgeous little gallery.  YOU HAVE TO GO TO THERE – to experience this amazing energy and also to buy something.  There is an adorable gift shop in addition to all the art that is for sale.  And donations for this non-profit organization are welcome, as well.

Hours of Operation:

Tuesday: 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Wednesday: 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Thursday: 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Friday: 11 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Saturday : 11 a.m. – 6 p.m.

  • Heather Olson

    Executive Director and Gallery Curator

    Heather Olson joined Main Street Arts as Executive Director and Gallery Curator in January of 2025. An equestrian and lover of places, ecosystems, and the plants and animals which define them, her painting and photography work explores storytelling, erasure, movement, freedom, memory, and amends. Inspired by her summer-long artist residency at Chautauqua Institution and studies in Florence, Italy she weaves historically-driven narratives anchored in place. After living across regions of the US and Canada, Olson has a broad professional lens-bringing programming, planning, grant-work, business-ownership, teaching, and design experiences to Main Street Arts. She has public and private K-12 and college-level teaching experience. Heather earned a Bachelor of Arts in Studio Art (honors), a Masters in Landscape Architecture, a Masters in Art Education, and has hours towards an MFA. Heather is building upon the exceptional programs and events developed by our prior director. She curates and hangs gallery exhibitions and works directly with artists, instructors, and our community for programs and events.

art, art exhibition, art in libraries, encaustic

What the What…Is Happening?!!!!!

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Yes, I am currently working on a new series of thirty-six encaustic & collage paintings that I will share in the coming weeks, and yes, my  art exhibition of forty-eight paintings of Encaustic Trees and Encaustic Hearts remains on display at the East Syracuse Free Library until June 30th, 2026.  And, yes, I still have plenty of new artwork available for sale that will have their moment later in the year (some will be at the Fayetteville Free Library during July 2026).  And, yes, yes, YES, I just returned from the Canastota Public Library where I installed an exhibition of seventy paintings (from three different encaustic & collage series) on the walls and tables in the Lawson community room!!!

Canastota Public Library
102 W. Center St.
Canastota, NY  13032

  1.  Heraldry (Encaustic  Heraldic Shields 2026):   I completed these encaustic & collage paintings about two weeks ago.  They are 6″ x 8″ hardboard mounted onto 8″ x 10″ cradled chalkboard and framed.

2.  Arcadia 2 (Encaustic Targets 2025):  I recently framed these encaustic & collage paintings.  I originally planned to sell them along with table easel stands, but I like them better this way.  They are 5″ x 7″ hardboard mounted on 8″ x 10″  chalkboard and framed.

3.  Arcadia 1 (Encaustic Targets 2024):  These encaustic & collage target paintings are 6″ x 8″ mounted on 9 x 12 1/2″ chalkboards and sold with the table easel stands.

This exhibition will be on view during library hours through June 30th, 2026.  If you are interested in making a purchase, my  contact information is listed in three locations in the room.

The Lawson community room is in the basement of the facility.  It contains a full kitchen and I believe it is available for small events, like club meetings.  They have regularly scheduled exercise and knitting club events there, for example.

LIBRARY HOURS

Monday: 9am – 8pm
Tuesday: 9am – 8pm
Wednesday: 9am – 8pm
Thursday: 9am – 8pm
Friday: 9am – 5pm
Saturday: 9am – 12pm
Sunday: Closed

So, this is what’s happening.  And P.S. – my painting Mustang Dance is currently on display at Main Street Arts.  The art reception is Saturday, June 6th, 2026 from 3:00 to 6:00 PM.