My sister owns two businesses: Syracuse Yoga (6181 Thompson Road, Suite 803, Syracuse, New York 13206) and Soflea, a small store operating in the basement of Wildflowers (217 S. Salina Street, Syracuse, New York 13203).
Sophia Tashkovski is part of the McCarthy Mercantile. Her collection of flea-market finds and antiques includes her signature horseshoes, brass trays, statuettes and wicker baskets, as well as furniture and rugs.
Items are one-of-a-kind gems and so, there are always new finds to covet, which always makes the shopping experience a fun adventure.
Hours of operation: 11:00 am – 7:00 pm Tuesday through Sunday. It’s open today!!! (you’re welcome <3) Enter Wildflowers then head to the basement where the collective of shoppes is housed.
C by Bloomingdales cashmere cardigan, Warner Bros. Hogwarts T-shirt, BCBGMaxAzria skirt, Marc Jacobs boots
Where am I? I am back at work at Chittenango Middle School, teaching 8th grade Studio in Art, Art-8, and helping fifty kids a day with homework in two study halls. My outfit of the day (#ootd) pictures have been hit or miss. Not sure whether or not to resume taking them. Katy C. and I have been so busy prepping lessons and organizing stuff – I only have a few pictures to share (even though we’ve been back at it for two weeks now).
Meanwhile, my artwork is going places. I am exhibiting encaustic baseball paintings and horseshoe paintings during the month of September 2019 at Half Moon Bakery & Bistro (6500 East Seneca Turnpike, Jamesville, NY 13078).
And last night I delivered six encaustic angel paintings from the Futura series to a new restaurant called 317 (317 Montgomery Street, Syracuse, New York) before heading to the Italian Festival, which is taking place in front of City Hall this weekend. These paintings will be up in a group pairing along with other artists’ work (indefinitely, as of now). 317 provides an incredibly intimate dining experience right in the heart of downtown Syracuse adjacent to the Onondaga Historical Association.
Finally, my twelve Japanese-inspired fan encaustic paintings are still available for sale at Kasai Ramen (218 Walton Street, Syracuse, NY 13202) until September 16, 2019.
P.S. I started designing bracelets! I’ll be ready to launch that experience very soon – stay tuned! The jewelry thing is my current passion and focus artistically. The universe has been doing a great job of taking care of everything else. Thank you, universe! Life is good! <3
Aqua Cashmere cardigan, BCBGMaxAzria T-shirt, Rag & Bone patent leather skirt, Marc Jacobs booties
Futura, my exhibit of twenty-four encaustic angel paintings, is on exhibit in the gallery space at Eye Studio, 712-14 West Manlius Street, East Syracuse, New York (13057). They are open Monday through Saturday 11:00 am – 7:00 pm. There will be a closing reception on Friday, October 27, 2017 from 6:00 – 8:00 pm with free food and drink (wine!) Musical guest will be Jerry Cali.
Please come if you can. The goal is to sell all of the angels by the end of the party. Patrons can leave with their purchase, which is why I like the idea of a closing reception rather than an opening. They are priced at $111.
FUTURA angel encaustic paintings by Karen Tashkovski
Futura is the brainchild of my inner being, a series of twenty-four 8” x 10” encaustic angel paintings. They depict the pure, positive energy of the present moment while reflecting on the past and looking forward to the future.
They are meant to be whimsical creatures supporting me and those who view them with love, kindness and appreciation. Encaustic is heated beeswax infused with oil paint. Each brushstroke is a deliberate creation, a quick and conscious decision on my part to honor a distinct moment in time.
I am fasciated by a found object’s abundant meaning, and so I use keys, horseshoes, sea glass and ribbons to add dimension to these paintings – another source of love and luck that is a talisman to me as the artist that will, hopefully, resonate with the viewer and subsequent owner of the piece.
I had the title of the exhibition in mind for several years before embarking on this collection. It was as if these images revealed themselves when they were ready to do so, and I was just the facilitator of the experience, like a fixed point in the future that I could not see until it became evident that I was finally ready and then that future became the now. I am delighted to finally share this new series of paintings with you – an audience of art aficionados, family, friends, artists and art students of all ages.
Friend, 2017, encaustic on masonite, 8″ x 10″ (mounted on 11″ x 14″ chalkboard), $111
Message, 2017, encaustic on masonite, 8″ x 10″ (mounted on 11″ x 14″ chalkboard), $111 (sold)
Sunny Side Up, 2017, encaustic on masonite, 8″ x 10″ (mounted on 11″ x 14″ chalkboard), $111
Master, 2017, encaustic on masonite, 8″ x 10″ (mounted on 11″ x 14″ chalkboard, $111
I tweaked and re-worked/finessed/finished twelve more angel paintings. It is such an incredible feeling to complete this project. It is Futura, the painting series I have been talking about making for many years. Now I must manifest the perfect venue to display all twenty-four of them. They are encaustic and mixed media on masonite mounted on chalkboard (the chalkboard was edited out in these pics). They are 8″ x 10″ mounted on 11″ x 14″ board. Priced at $111. <3
Crystal Clear, 2017, encaustic on masonite, 8″ x 10″ (mounted on 11″ x 14″ chalkboard) $111
Manifest, 2017, encaustic on masonite, 8″ x 10″ (mounted on 11″ x 14″ chalkboard), $111
Blushing Bride, 2017, encaustic on masonite, 8″ x 10″ (mounted on 11″ x 14″ chalkboard), $111
Starlight, 2017, encaustic on masonite, 8″ x 10″ (mounted on 11″ x 14″ chalkboard, $111
Keys, 2017, encaustic on masonite, 8″ x 10″ (mounted on 11″ x 14″ chalkboard), $111
Confidante, 2017, encaustic on masonite, 8″ x 10″ (mounted on 11″ x 14″ chalkboard), $111
Twilight, 2017, encaustic on masonite, 8″ x 10″ (mounted on 11″ x 14″ chalkboard) $111 (sold)
Worthy, 2017, encaustic on masonite, 8″ x 10″ (mounted on 11″ x 14″ chalkboard) $111
Karen Tashkovski, Love, 2017, encaustic, 5″ x 7″ on masonite mounted on chalkboard, $48
Karen Tashkovski, Go, 2017, encaustic, 5″ x 7″ on masonite mounted on 9″ x 12″ chalkboard, $48
Karen Tashkovski, Yoga, 2017, encaustic, 5″ x 7″ on masonite mounted on chalkboard, $48
Here are the rest of the encaustic horseshoe paintings. These are all the 5″ x 7″ ones. They are mounted on 9″ x 12″ chalkboard painted masonite. I will be installing them at Syracuse Yoga sometime next week!
Karen Tashkovski, Cuse, 2017, encaustic, 5″ x 7″ on masonite mounted on 9″ x 12″ chalkboard, $48
Karen Tashkovski, Maha, 2017, encaustic, 5″ x 7″ on masonite mounted on 9″ x 12″ chalkboard, $48
Karen Tashkovski, Be, 2017, encaustic, 5″ x 7″ on masonite mounted on 9″ x 12″ chalkboard, $48
They were a lot of fun to make! It is a series of twelve. They were created on a product called Ampersand hardwood, which is available in a lot of different sizes. Since I prefer working in dozens, I will need to order them – Commercial Art Supply in town cannot keep them in stock. I had to drive to Rochester, New York to get enough to do the series.
Karen Tashkovski, Shreem, 2017, encaustic, 5″ x 7″ on masonite mounted on chalkboard, $48
Karen Tashkovski, Do It, 2017, encaustic, 5″ x 7″ on masonite mounted on 9″ x 12″ chalkboard, $48
I did not use the Monopoly money this time. Instead I experimented with text, adding a variety of letters including old typewriter keys and Scrabble pieces. The O in love is the top hat from the Monopoly set. It has now been completely harvested for its parts. I love a good game piece! <3
Karen Tashkovski, Aum, 2017, encaustic, 5″ x 7″ on masonite mounted on 9″ x 12″ chalkboard, $48
Karen Tashkovski, Syracuse, 2017, encaustic, 5″ x 7″ on masonite mounted on 9″ x 12″ chalkboard, $48
Karen Tashkovski, Life, 2017, encaustic, 5″ x 7″ on masonite mounted on 9″ x 12″ chalkboard, $48
Karen Tashkovski, Yes, 2017, encaustic, 5″ x 7″ on masonite mounted on 9″ x 12″ chalkboard, $48
So, here’s something crazy weird and great – I will be exhibiting artwork in three locations during the month of April 2017. Showing watercolors – the ones with the baseball themed titles – at the Half Moon Bakery and Bistro in Jamesville, New York. No date as of yet for the reception, but I am hoping they will do a baseball cake or cupcakes for it. That will be fun for spring, right?
I’m installing an exhibit at Dolce Vita World Bistro in Syracuse, New York on April 2, 2017. It would be nice to keep them up longer than a month, but no deets on this yet. I would love to have a gathering one evening, maybe fill the dining room with friends and have music too, but I haven’t planned that far ahead. Art shows are a great excuse for a party! I will either exhibit the encaustic crown series from 2012 or something more retro – oil & collage paintings from 1998. I don’t remember what I called this series. I made them in the 2nd bedroom of my apartment on Woodbine Ave. during winter break that year. Does anyone remember anything pre-new millennium?
Crowning Glory, 18″ x 15″, 2012, encaustic, $125
Karen Tashkovski, Life. Liberty. Happiness., 1997, oil & collage, $675
And finally, my 1997 oil & collage series of paintings Messages (From the Other Voice) isup in the Chittenango Middle School library, Chittenango, New York, for the next two months!
So happy to be able to share my artwork in public spaces (you know, to captive audiences). New work is actually coming soon. My sister is opening a yoga studio around the corner from my house. I will be making encaustic paintings to exhibit and sell there. I’m going to be turning my kitchen into an art studio during spring break next month to get those (horseshoe paintings and maybe hearts too) ready for Syracuse Yoga’s opening in May 2017.
It’s almost time for my annual art exhibition at the Sullivan Library in Chittenango, NY. Actually, they said I could install any day now but the show is technically scheduled for the month of July. It is located at 101 Falls Blvd. My art will be in their Community Room. This room is available for parties and club meetings as well as local events. In November, it acts as a polling place for elections. The decor is all things Oz, complete with various cookie jars and 1st edition books as well as plywood statues of the main characters. The last time I was there, Dorothy and company were disguised with mustaches, which I deduced to be their Halloween costumes.
The library is the old State Bank of Chittenango. They converted the bank vault into a cool reading room for children. You have to go through a Munchkin door to get to it. It’s just really cute. I’m assuming that you know Chittenango is the birthplace of L. Frank Baum, author of The Wizard of Oz, but if you don’t, well, you’re welcome.
What started out as a simple logo for my sister has become a mild obsession. I love when I get immersed in a project and this one has potential to lead to a series of paintings. Whether encaustic or oil and collage, or graphics for greeting cards (or all of the above!) I’m not sure, but I’m enjoying the process right now.
I began with motifs that represent Sophie but certainly, my own motifs crept through my subconscious and found themselves entwined. The thing about horseshoes though, they seem the right device for me as well, as a transition from the encaustic horse paintings. Horses have become a major concept at work, too. I spent two years teaching students how to draw them so I’ve been all about the horse. But in terms of most of my artwork, symbolism is the main attraction. The art is meant to be both personal and universal so that when it leaves the nest, it can become something else for someone else.
Horseshoes are lucky, which lends another positive element to my work. I created the template then added Sharpie marker and some metallic to colored pencil for these samples. The real logo will be different – a combination of parts and colors, and hopefully, exactly what she wants.
