FusedChicago: East Coast: Encaustic Conference

In June several of us attended the Fourth Annual Encaustic Conference at Montserrat College of Art. The three-day weekend schedule was packed with workshops and talks of our own choosing, in most cases (remember, it pays to register early!), as well as panel discussions and talks for the entire group, and schmoozing time in between . This year a few of our members stayed for the post-conference all-day workshops. Since espressos and lattes are available only in town, we do pull ourselves out of the conference for quick caffeine runs; except for those excursions, we are immersed in wax talk for 3 days. There is plenty for everyone, and it seemed as if the enthusiasm level among the 246 artists was off the charts this year.

The Flow and Control exhibit (301 Gallery) was a small show in a large space. Joseph Carroll chose work that was colorful, for the most part, and, while the artists' efforts were undeniably serious, their pieces also had a "sense of play."

Robin vanHoozer, By Day II
(encaustic with silver leaf):

Laura Tyler, Old-Fashioned Red Rocketry,
Castle, Rainforestry
(encaustic and ink):

Kelly Steinke, Umbrae
(encaustic on panel)

David A. Clark, Flow Series: Red Arrow #8
(cast and poured wax on panel):

Jill Skupin Burkholder, Fryman
(encaustic on canvas):

Nancy Lowe
Distrust
(encaustic and metal tubes [sic]):

Ken Gold
Cactus Man on pedestal (and wall behind,
showing spacious arrangement of exhibit)
and Shark Man:

Michele Thrane
Hot Glyphs
(encaustic on paper; I lifted this from her website www.michelethranesart.com, since her pieces were under glass in the show):

Shelley Gilchrist - Juror's Award (selected by Joseph Carroll)
Cascade Range; Copper Falls
(encaustic on shaped panel):

Ruth Hiller - Curator's Award (selected by Leonie Bradbury)
Specimen 87; Specimen 116
(encaustic on panel):

The artists who participated in Flow and Control were interviewed by Lynette Haggard for her ongoing series of blog posts about artists and their practices. Links to specific interviews are: Michele Thrane, Ken Gold and Shelley Gilchrist, and Lynette's art blog http://www.lynettehaggard.blogspot.com/ is worth bookmarking!.

For the first time, everyone was invited to participate in Best Foot Forward, a 12" x 12" self-juried exhibit in the main hallway of the classroom building. Since this is near the vendors' rooms and several classrooms, it's a gathering place for the artists, and with the exhibit extended through the entire hallway, there was a lot to see and discuss. The show displayed a veritable banquet of techniques; here are just a few:

Karen Freedman - Director's Award (selected by Joanne Mattera)
Cold Laughter at Twilight
(encaustic, cold wax):

Elena de la Ville, The Pope's Secret
(encaustic and steel):

Kenneth Eason, ave
(encaustic, mixed media):

Lynette Haggard,
(encaustic):

Margaret Berry, Pop Shop Line-up
(encaustic and candy):

Marilyn Banner, Zen Cow
(encaustic):

Pamela Blum, Cluster
(encaustic, mixed media):

Jane Allen Nodine, Trace 055
(encaustic, iron oxidation):

Jane Guthridge, Dancing Light
(encaustic, inkjet on mulberry):

Karen Nelson-Fried, A Little Elegy
(encaustic and oil):

Lynda Ray, Jelled Swell
(encaustic):

Lisa Frank, Chairs I
(encaustic, paper, TTV, photo):

Toby Sisson, untitled (from Element series)
(encaustic, ink, paper):

Chris Kyle, Comfort Zone
(encaustic on ceramic):

Amy Stoner, The Forest Floor
(encaustic, paper, gouache, watercolor, oil):

Pat Kilburg, Journey
(encaustic):

Kellie Weeks, Wasteland
(encaustic, graphite, sand, shellac, pigment, gold leaf):

Gregory Wright, Inside the Little Blue Box
(encaustic, pigment, shellac):

Brenda Mallory, Constrain to Vertical #7
(cloth, wax, nuts, bolts):

Here are just a few images from Wax Libris II, the book art exhibit curated by Joanne Mattera that was held, of course, in the college library. Haley Nagy had work in this show. Images of these pieces on the conference blog are better than any I took, and they are each briefly amplified by Joanne's notes. (see Wax Libris II)

Nancy Natale: