Memorial Day & Wax

Happy Memorial Day. Well it isn't happy for all the soldiers that fought for no reason. That lost their lives. I look out my window and I see a giant American Flag. That nautical thing, I like a flag by the water.

Balls of Wax, from Joanne Mattera's Studio

Well today is also the day before the Pre-Conference workshops begin, then the 6th International Encaustic Conference follows that and then 5 days of Post Conference Workshops - taking place at Castle Hill. Joanne Mattera, the founder and the director has be running the conference for the past 6 years, but 2 years ago, she and I joined forces and now Truro Center for the Arts at Castle Hill produces it with her. She plots out demos, speaker and talks, and we do all the logistics. Registration, graphic design, ads, staffing, advertising - it is a good team. We are all ready planning next year, with lots of great surprises. We are tired. In a good way!

Things begin tomorrow with a 3 day workshop with Paula Roland. She is teaching a Monopront Encaustic Workshop. Then things pick up with following day with Binnie Birstein doing a Demystifying Transfers / Beginning Encaustic class, and Nancy Natale doing a Bricolage Workshop.

Joanne's blue section

Brushes of Color

Also, Sherrie Pasternak and Elena De La Ville are teaching a photo & encaustic and an image transfer class. The barn will smell deliciously like beeswax and work will be created and made.

Then Friday June 1, 250 people are coming to Provincetown to learn, see art, connect, see old friends, network, play, see a whale or two, eat some good food, maybe have a flipper, and rally around a diverse, interesting, versatile medium called encaustic.

So, if you don't already know what Encaustic is: Here is a lovely definition.


[Encaustic painting, also known as hot wax painting, involves using heated beeswax to which colored pigments are added. The liquid/paste is then applied to a surface—usually prepared wood, though canvas and other materials are often used. The simplest encaustic mixture can be made from adding pigments to beeswax, but there are several other recipes that can be used — some containing other types of waxes, damar resin, linseed oil, or other ingredients. Pure, powdered pigments can be used, though some mixtures use oil paints or other forms of pigment.] This is from Wikipedia.

This conference takes it to the next level, professional artists doing demos in sculptures with wax, plaster, casting in alginate,  incorporating photographs, printing with encaustic using the monoprint method as well as doing encautic with silkscreen and making transfer paintings. As I said diverse. There are always new ways to make work. There are new discussions happening around the medium. Around being an artist, who just so happened to love working in wax. To be immersed from gallery shows, to being in the oldest artist colony!

I'm looking forward to the energy. I remember the solidarity of the people who are sharing and learning. This year there are over 125 artists showing in Provincetown & Truro Galleries! That is 5 times more than last year!

This is my piece that was selected for the Encaustic Works '12 Book, curated by Joanne Mattera

Francine from Kobalt has juried the Encaustic Conference show. Anyone (attending the conference) could have applied and there was no fee to enter. She chose 35 artists. The opening will be on Friday night June 1st, 7 - 10 pm.  Also opening that night is the Schoolhouse Gallery doing a show that feature all of the presenters, who are presenting at the conference! At ArtCurrent, Gregory Wright has curated a POLLINATION SHOW, which I'm happy to say I'm invited to be in. Along with many other great artists. Laura Moriarty has curated a show at Gallery Ehva, called Good Vibrations and she is doing a book signing on Sunday at 6:00 pm! A new book called Encaustic Works '12, is making it's debut! Laura Moriarty, director of the R&F Gallery in Kingston, New York, has selected these artist who submitted work to Encaustic Works '12, exemplifying the idea that while one juror might select one group of artists for publication, another juror or curator might select an equally worthy group for exhibition.

Oh and at Castle Hill, I curated a show called MERGE: A Contemporary Print Invitational, featuring the show of David A Clark, Lisa Pressman, Paula Roland, Marybeth Rothman, Toby Sisson.

Toby Sisson, & one Lisa Pressman

Lisa Pressman

Marybeth Rothman

Paula Roland and David A Clark

Then across the parking lot in Gallery 10, Supria Karmakar, has curated a WAX BOOK SHOW, that will feature 13 artists! They created a beautiful catalog for the show. Opening for both shows is this Thursday May 31st, 4 - 6 pm! This is free & open to the public!

Check here to see all the galleries and shows. Hang around the blog and you will see the depth of this event! Joanne does the blog!!

THEN AFTER ALL OF THIS, wild excitement, we have 5 days of Post Conference Workshops (I think 21 classes!) Something in every room. And did I say we are 90% sold out on most classes!

If you are around for the next 2 weeks in Provincetown and or Truro,  and you see someone with a black lanyard around their neck that says, the 6th International Encaustic Conference, stop them and say hello, or ask them what they do, have a dialog...this is community.

Come by and take a look!
Come visit Castle Hill!
Come see the shows in the galleries!
Come to the Hotel Fair!
Come and buy Art!
Come by a Postcard!
Come buy Paint, did I mention the Vendor room? 7 paint companies, panel maker, handmade paper supplier!

Thanks to R & F Paint, Enkosticos & Hylla Evans for donating paint. Thanks to PTV for lending us camera's and an LCD projector, Thanks to the many restaurants and guest houses for offering discounts to conferees! Thanks to the town of Provincetown and the Visitors Service Board and the Provincetown Cultural Council for a grant to provide scholarships to local artists to participate.

I post throughout the conference it I can!