I appreciate everyone who attended the art talk/reception I had for Fan-Girl on Tuesday evening at the Fayetteville Free Library. Thank you! The exhibition continues until July 31, 2025.
It’s supposed to rain tomorrow – a perfect day to spend lounging on Stickley furniture in this beautiful library!
It’s always fun to drop in to visit the Cazenovia Artisans gallery. I was there on Monday.
Linda Bigness has a new exhibit at Cazenovia Artisans. They are floral encaustics infused with gold and silver leaf.
Cazenovia Artisans is an artist co-op.
Join them Friday, July 12,2024 from 6:00 – 8:00 PM for an artists reception for Bob Ripley (watercolors) and Dave Eichorn (woodworking). Their show is called Human Nature.
These encaustic paintings are 4″ x 4″ mounted on 6″ x 6″ chalkboard. They each have their own little stand and are meant to be displayed on a desk or table.
I’m obsessed with them. I just love the process of making art.
During the summer, I added two dozen paintings to the series called Sensu, fan paintings I’d created in 2019. They are encaustic & collage.
Last week, I bought new frames for the Sensu paintings and re-worked some of them, and I spent the past few days adding collage items to the new pieces and placing them all in frames.
Next up is to give them titles and upload the individual images here. And figure out where I can exhibit them all. There are thirty-six paintings, all 8″ x 8″.
In my head I heard “make sixty of them” – which would require me to buy twenty-four more canvases and twenty-four more frames, pull out the encaustic supplies and find the time to do it (Chrtistmas break?) – postpone exhibiting them until next summer or whenever.
Do I need to make more though? When I feel like I have to do something rather than wanting to do it, it is not fun.
What is fun though – creation. So fun.
My art studio is a mess right now.
I’m creating two different series of encaustic and collage paintings. I am so excited about these new ideas. Encaustic is a combination of beeswax and oil paint. The action required is deliberate and fast-paced. As soon as you remove the brush from the paint tin (which is resting on a heated pancake griddle), you must plunk it down quickly or it will solidify. It requires incredible focus coupled with an intuitive spark.
So grateful for the rainy day today. I worked in the studio from 9:00 am until about 5:30 pm.
The next step is adding the collage materials. That part is a bit like when a stylist accessorizes a fashion show. I have an idea of what devices I will use, materials that will make sense with the story I am telling visually. Each painting is unique but they must also be cohesive as a group.
I’m in the process of setting up a Patreon page for my social media with the idea that I can have exclusive articles and videos to share with the patrons. And information regarding art exhibitions. Right now it’s a bit overwhelming because my focus is currently on the execution of the artwork. Once that is all settled, I can share the link and reveal what I’ve been doing. Stay tuned.
It’s never a good idea to reveal in progress work unless you really want a critique. My thought is I want to cherish it, keep it to myself and enjoy the process. For now.
Today I said to myself – This is the best day of my life! Creating art is such a gift. Thank you, universe! <3
My encaustic paintings are currently on display at Kasai Ramen! They are part of a group show curated by Jamie Santos.
The group show is titled Natsu.
There will be an artist reception on Thursday, June 13, 2019 from 6 – 10 pm. Hope to see you there! Here is the link to the Facebook invite – facebook.com/events/66304848748843
These twelve paintings are from my Sensu series of encaustics, created last month ($250 each). They are 8″ x 8″ encaustic & collage pieces. On the back of each painting, I have instructions on how to care for these paintings. <3
Care Instructions for Encaustic Pieces –
Over time, dust and other particles in the air will collect on the surface of the painting and make a film that will look dull. Regular buffing in the first three months will help to keep the surface shiny and will bring out translucency in layers that are not currently visible. After three months, the surface of the encaustic painting will stabilize and won’t attract dust as readily. Any time the painting starts to look dull, it can be buffed with a very soft rag to increase the transparency and shine of the surface. Light dusting of the piece is all that is needed in the form of maintenance.
To make sure your piece lasts a long time, it should not be hung where it will experience below freezing temperatures or in direct sunlight coming through a window. Be aware of placing your piece near a powerful light bulb or any kind of lighting that produces a lot of heat (Christmas lights). Don’t leave your piece in a car on a hot day or near a fireplace. As long as your piece is kept in your house at a comfortable temperature, it should stay in perfect condition.
Because the wax is soft, it could be damaged if dropped or if a sharp or hard object is scraped over the surface. Fingerprints will also damage the surface over time, as the acid on our hands will etch itself into the wax. A quick wipe of the surface after everyone touches it will prevent this from happening.
If you ever need to pack or move, or ship your encaustic painting, make sure you wrap it in a piece of paper with a smooth surface before wrapping it in bubble wrap or anything that has a texture that could damage the surface.
Encaustic painting is very archival, resistant to moisture, fading from light exposure or yellowing from acid. In fact, encaustic painting is the most archival form of known painting. Your painting has the potential to last for hundreds of years if well cared for. I trust you will enjoy it!
Thirteen paintings from my angel series “Futura” are currently on display at the Half Moon Bakery & Bistro in Jamesville, New York! Bobbi Petrocci and I pulled the switch-a-roo – she took down the CBA Hope for the Bereaved exhibit and installed my show by lining up these encaustics to look like ethereal soldiers hovering from above to love and protect the foodie patrons at this wonderful café.
The paintings are $111 each. If you want one, just let proprietor Debbe Titus know. She can contact me and I will meet you there. You will get to take one (or more) home for Christmas! They really do work best in multiples! They are small: 8″ x 10″ paintings on masonite mounted on 11″ x 14″ chalkboard.
It is always such a thrill to exhibit here. I have a fondness for a captive audience – people who do not ordinarily go to art shows, so we bring the art to them. Making the invisible visible is what it’s about. The show will be up during the month of December 2017.
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.
Last month I created these baseball paintings. I finally got around to mounting them onto the chalkboard painted masonite today.
They are very experimental. I did not set out to do a baseball theme – in fact, I bought the hardboards with the intent to do more horseshoes paintings. So, these just happened. They kind of came out of nowhere.
I love the texture of encaustic. The smooth areas juxtaposed with thick globby drips, the creamy wax and the gorgeous smell… It is an intoxicating medium. I added paper money to these, both real and imaginary. I also had this wonderful feather-infused rice paper that I loved incorporating. So cool!
No plans yet regarding what to do with them. I guess find a place to store them until an opportunity presents itself. The serendipitous approach.
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!
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.
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
