Blue Stream, 11″x14″ encaustic on aluminum panel

I’m the type of mixed media painter who enjoys experimenting with different types of medium to see what it can do. Recently, aluminum panel caught my eye as I was scrolling through Instagram and saw an example of an oil painting using it as a base. The artist posted a quick video showing how light reflected off the metal background through the oils. The way the panel caught the light as the painting moved triggered all sorts of ideas in my head how I could use this kind of background in my contemporary landscape paintings.

I couldn’t wait to see what happened when I applied encaustic paint (a combination of beeswax, pigment and damar resin) to metal and quickly ordered panels online. I decided on a winter theme of a chilly rushing stream hoping that the reflective aluminum that peeked through the encaustic would emulate icy water. The panels arrived quickly (love Amazon Prime) nicely wrapped with protective film.

As I started setting up my materials, I thought for sure that the aluminum would hold heat causing the encaustic to stay molten longer.  I found out immediately that the opposite was true. When the panel was heated using a blowtorch or hotgun it held the heat for a shorter period of time making it difficult to manipulate the wax.  This required a lot of scraping as the wax wanted to cling to the panel as it cooled quickly. It was a dance of heating, scraping, and heating again to get a clean design.

Bonus tip for artists: You can elevate the panel using tuna fish cans on a hot plate to keep the panel warm. Placing the panel directly on the hot plate will make the paint very molten and difficult to manipulate.

The process was more tedious than I’m used to when using wood as my substrate, but I really liked the effect the aluminum created in the end.

Rushing Stream, 11″x14″ encaustic on aluminum panel

Here is my short YouTube video showing the reflective effect of using aluminum panel as a substrate with encaustic.

These paintings are on their way to the frame shop and will be posted in my online shop in the next couple of weeks. You can access the shop HERE.

Interested in giving aluminum panel a try for your next project? I found Amazon had the best price of $12.96 for a 11″x14″ panel. You can click the image for more information.

(I am a member of the affiliate program. I will receive a small commission if you choose to purchase through the link with no additional cost to you.)

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A few weeks ago I traveled through the beautiful hillside of Hillsboro, Virginia, on my way to meet with a local winery about an art exhibit. This scene came into view and I was immediately drawn to the geometric design of the haybales against the solid gold and blue background. Yeah! I found inspiration for my next painting in my winter landscape series.

I started with a 10″x10″ cradled wood panel unprimed. There really isn’t a need to prime the board unless you are using transparent pigmented paint. If you do prime, use encaustic primer for the best results.

Using painter’s tape, I chose the horizon placement and filled in the sky with several layers of light blue encaustic. (So I don’t have to keep repeating myself — after EVERY layer I fuse with a blow torch or hot gun.)

first layer of encaustic paint

For the sky, I paint on a layer of white encaustic which I will scrape back to achieve great visual texture in the following step. The treeline goes in with two different browns using a soft brushing technique to blend up into the sky.

Here’s the scraping I referred to earlier. Very gently, I scrape off the white where I don’t want clouds to be. Be sure the wax isn’t too hot or you’ll scrape down to the board. No worries if this happens. Just fill in with the paint you scraped off and fuse. After I’m happy with the placement of the clouds, I fuse to get a wispy look in the clouds.

I then scrape the treeline into a more realistic representation.

Time to pull off the tape and work on the bottom half of the painting. Just like the sky, I apply a several layers of yellow ochre encaustic, then brown, then scrape back the brown. Highlights of the grass is rendered using dry brush technique over scraped in crop lines.

Yeah, my favorite part is next — adding the cool geometric haybales! A stencil is definitely the way to go here. Dark brown paint is applied using the stencil and I hand paint the highlights taking a good amount of time to get the color just right.

You’ll see in my paintings that I’m big on texture. My favorite tool is a sculpting knife used to scrape away the tinyest bits of wax and create fun etchings of grass.

More time is spent on refining color, adding the snow in the field and more texture to the haybales. I went back and forth on whether to add the large trees behind the bales. Finally, I decided to concentrate on the geometric design of the bales and let the trees go. Do you think that was the right choice?

Final painting, “Winter Haybales”. Not a very creative name, but good for the SEO’s!

If you liked this tutorial, subscribe to my YouTube channel for video tutorials as well. I also offer encaustic and mixed media workshops in Purcellville, VA.

I love, love, love, my bullet journal. At first I wasn’t sure if this was just another time-wasting gimmick to sell more stationary supplies, but this hobby has boosted my productivity through greater organization of my personal and business life.

Before using a bullet journal, I had three separate notebooks and three apps on my phone to keep track of business and personal notes, goals, ideas and plans. Crazy, right!? The worst part was not being able to find information quickly because I’d forget which journal I had put it in. Now with everything noted in one journal, I can quickly reference the index and find important information in one place quickly. No more — Where is that piece of art hanging right now?

The journal also has become a creative outlet I use to wind down at the end of day. Some people color in coloring books, I draw a flower mood tracker or sketch out my latest inspiration for a painting. Call me “old school” but there is something very satisfying putting pen to paper and physically charting out your week just how you want it.

The beauty of the bullet journal system is the simple and indexed organization of information in a personal design. Your bullet journal will be completely different from anyone else’s since your needs are unique. As artists and creative people, our needs are unique as well. We have inventory to track, shows to schedule and the compulsive habit of drawing on anything close at hand. How nice it is to keep it all in one place!

I’ve been keeping a bullet journal for seven months and have learned what information is useful to log as a working artist. I’ve listed 10 ideas for artist collection pages to save you some time and help jump start your bullet journal love affair.

10 BULLET JOURNAL IDEAS FOR ARTISTS

1. Keep track of art show deadlines and event dates
2. Inventory for each show and gallery
3. Taxable income for filing state sales tax
4. Art show supplies checklist (See my complete list here.)
5. Art project ideas and sketches
6. Subscriptions, membership fees, app fees
7. Monthly expenses and revenue
8. Social media scheduling calendar
9. Hours spent in the studio
10. Class and student schedule

Need help starting your bullet journal?

Go to my “Favorite Things” page for all the supplies you need to get started. There are plenty of YouTube videos and Pinterest posts for tons of design ideas. Here’s my bullet journal Pinterest Board and a link to my Facebook group Bullet Journal Junkies if you’d like to see what we’re up to. The original bullet journal video by Ryder, the inventor of the bullet journal, explains the set up.

TIP: From one artist to another, there are different weights of paper used in different journals. If you’re going to use heavier mixed media like acrylics, go for the one with heavier paper. The original Leuchtturm1917 bullet journal has more pages but the paper is a lighter weight and a cream color so you might see some ghosting from the previous page. I’ve used both and don’t mind the ghosting. But, it’s a personal preference.

In the spirit of full disclosure and transparency, some of these items may contain links to vendor affiliate programs. This means that when you decide to purchase the item through the link that I’ve provided, I may receive a small commission with NO ADDITIONAL COST to you.

The first developmental stage of a new painting is the infancy stage where the artist is full of hopeful anticipation. When paint first touches canvas, creative spirit is high and the artist just knows that this will be the best painting ever!

Next, the toddler phase is when the artist attempts to apply all she knows about the medium to shape the painting into what was first imagined. Similar to the “terrible two’s”, there are challenges for sure —  cleaning up mistakes, applying artistic discipline and gently guiding the imagery towards the original vision. Much patience is needed, but nothing prepares the artist for the demands of the next phase . . .Adolescence!

“Who are you? What have you done with my sweet, endearing little one?” rage in my thoughts as I give my teenager daughter that “look” only a mom can deliver. So, meet my teenage painting. . . 

I’ve worked and worked but nothing went right with this piece. I must have scraped and repainted it a dozen times, but I still wasn’t satisfied.

Luckily, experience has taught me to recognize when it’s time to back off. The more I push, the more push-back I’ll receive. I’ve been known to check up on my teenage daughter one too many times after a heated “discussion” and the results were always disastrous. Sometime it’s best to stop the meddling, walk away and allow emotions to settle and friction to dissolve between mother and daughter — artist and painting. The temptation to quit hovers in the air like a dark cloud, but that won’t solve a thing. Anyway, it’s more fun to see what will develop over time with a lot of love and patience.

Back at it the next morning refreshed, I still don’t understand the creation before me but I’m able to see it from a different perspective. Try a little of this, take away a little of that — ideas flow and something new begins to evolve. I’m surprised to realize that this painting was never meant to be a landscape after all, It’s a koi pond!

“Koi Garden” 24″x24″, encaustic mixed media

“Of course! Why didn’t I see that before?” I say to myself. Now, the work flows. I follow the creative spirit and the painting matures into what it was meant to be. If you’ve hit ultimate frustration mode, perhaps you’re trying too hard. Despite all our efforts as artists, a painting can not be forced into something it isn’t. There are developmental stages it must go through.  And, the same goes for our beautiful children. I humbly admit there have been times when I’ve tried too hard to manipulate both.

Please leave a comment on your creative process in painting and/or parenthood.

I’m always a little sad in September. The turning of the leaves and crisp morning air means fall is coming to Virginia. My spirit longingly desires to be back at the Outerbanks, North Carolina where the smell of salt water permeates the air. Fall is a time when I try to recreate summer moments from favorite vacation photos or the images locked away in my mind.

“Descending Dusk” is just such a painting. However, I never made it to Mantel, North Carolina, where the photograph I used for inspiration was taken. My dear friend posted this image on Instagram and with her permission, I knew immediately I had to paint it.

This view from the bay just after sunset portrays that sleepy, cozy feeling you get at the beach when the day has ended and all creatures great and small are making their way back home after a lovely day in the sun. A warm blanket of dusk falls upon the landscape. You can imagine hearing the sounds of locust buzzing, seabirds calling, and a faint hum of a passing boat. Beachgoers slowly drag their beach gear up the dunes and back home with visions of a shrimp dinner in their heads.

“Descending Dusk” is a cold wax mixed media painting on 20″x20″x1.5″ gallery wrapped canvas. I like to make a textured underpainting of acrylic medium before applying the wax. You can see here how I used medium with a stencil to create the numbers and letters. Vintage french dictionary text and more number images are added to emphasize the theme of descending day and time.

Next, comes the cold wax application with a palette knife.

Since this painting was created using a palette knife exclusively, it is rich in texture and movement. You can see how the paint builds up on the canvas layer after layer and I’m able to scratch into it with a sharp tool for added visual texture.

The final piece beside the original photograph shows how cold wax medium can add great visual texture to landscape paintings.

This piece will be exhibited in a local art show this month. Contact me for more information if you are interested.

In this blog, I describe my process of finding inspiration on a five minute walk on the beach in Emerald Isle, North Carolina.

One of the complaints I hear from beginning artists is how it’s so difficult to find inspiration for their work. I understand how this can be a big stumbling block to starting a creative project. It seems there is either too much to choose from or your creative treasure box of ideas is completely empty.

So, what do you paint?

The answer lies just outside your door.

I’ll show you how a five minute walk on the beach (or wherever you may be) can supply you with enough creative inspiration to create one project or even a whole collection.

WHAT TO BRING

A cellular phone

One of the most useful tools for capturing inspiration is my iPhone. I use mine constantly to capture images that may one day become a painting.

SLR cameras work well too; however,  the iPhone allows me to not only see the image immediately, but zoom in and out to find that perfect crop. If I didn’t get the right shot, I’ll keep going until I get what works. Later, I can use my photo editing app to get the right composition.

A small notebook or the NOTES app 

It’s handy to keep a small notebook with you for jotting down painting ideas, the location where you took your photographs, and a list of materials you need to complete your project.

Again, I use my phone to keep all my notes in one place by using the NOTES app.

LOOK UP, DOWN AND ALL AROUND

As you begin your walk, remember to look from many perspectives.

Look up — is the sky particularly beautiful or interesting today? I love the blue sky dominating this image.

inspiration up above

Look down — could you focus on what’s under your feet for an unusual design? This will be a painting full of visual texture.

inspiration up close

Here’s an example of a painting inspired by the surf beneath my feet.

12″x12″x1.5″ encaustic on wood panel

Look around — train your eye to see what’s around you as a two-dimensional painting. For instance, when I look at an ocean scene of sky, surf and sand I see four bands of color — not sky, surf and sand.

Here’s an example of the scene right before me

inspiration in bands of color

and a painting I did showing three distinct bands of color for a more contemporary feel.

16″x16″x2″ encaustic on wood panel

LOOK FOR UNUSUAL DESIGNS

Okay, maybe the landscape is a bit boring. Can you find some unusual designs created by nature, man-made structures or shadows? Here’s an example of an interesting design made from a beach fence and shadow.

contemporary design inspiration

Take a look at these grasses I found on my walk. Notice how the composition is off center to add interest.

composition inspiration

LOOK FOR A “SLICE-OF-LIFE”

Sometimes paintings of ordinary people living ordinary lives touches something inside the viewer. The scene shows the beauty of living in the day.

Notice in this photo I chose to give the woman a smaller presence in the scene to create a feeling that she is a small part in a bigger scene. The viewer feels a sense of comfort and peace in this gentle scene.

slice-of-life inspiration

Well, five minutes is up and I have a whole selection of images to choose for my next painting. Stay tuned, I’ll post the finished product in an upcoming blog. To see more examples of using nature as an inspiration, visit my shop here. 

The next time you feel your creative reserves are low, pick up your phone and walk out your front door. The big, beautiful world is waiting to be expressed in your next project.

Do you have any other suggestions on using nature to inspire a creative project or have an example using these ideas? Please leave a comment below.

Have a great walk!

This blog is about the creative process I went through as an artist to create a mixed media collage memorial painting of my father. There is a lot of thought that goes into creating a mixed media memorial collage. If it’s your own family member or loved one, the journey can be heartwarming and emotionally turbulent at the same time. After the death of my father, Phillip, it took me six month to build up the courage to begin a painting representing how I wanted to remember him. But, I am so glad I took that leap of courage and began the process.

The Subject for the Painting

My dad was “a work of art” or “a piece of work” — depending on how you knew him.  An orphan found on a doorstep in Washington D.C. in 1922, he spent his childhood growing up on a farm as a foster kid/field hand. He fought for his country at age 18 in the “Battle of the Bulge’ in WWII. He loved his country. He loved his family. And, he loved God.  Family and friends alike knew if they were in trouble, Phil would be the first one to show up to lend a hand.

Dad – the subject of my painting

When his health failed him in his 80’s, I stepped in to care for this fiercely independent man for six years until he died in 2014 at age 92. Those were very tough years filled with many conflicting emotions and struggles. I watched him change and become someone I didn’t even recognize anymore. But, when I lost him to dementia all those struggles didn’t matter any more. I was empty. And I didn’t know what to do with all of these conflicting feelings bottled up inside me?

A vintage letter from WWII

Collecting the mixed media “pieces of life” 

Several month later, I came across in an antique store a vintage letter written by a mother to her son fighting in WWII. It struck me hard — celebrate the man. Celebrate his courage. Capture him in his prime. Work through these feelings of loss in the only way I knew how — paint. I went back to the letter and pulled a quote that spoke of the longing in a loved one’s heart. It read, “sight for sore eyes to see you”. That quote summed up how  this hollow empty place in my heart felt now that he was gone. But what else could I use in a collage?

Old photographs give personality

One of his favorite photos of himself was taken when he was on leave in Paris during The War. Perfect! I photocopied it and added water to smudge the ink, and a cool pink color came to the surface. Ripping the paper was a tangible way to represent the brokenness this man had endured throughout his life.  I drew the other half of his strong face with Indian ink — representing the young man I never knew personally. Then, finished the mixed media collage with a stamp of the Eiffel Tower, the face of one of his watches that I disassembled, and a clock image.

To me, it’s all about time — the time I didn’t know him in his youth, the years I had with him,and the months going by as I miss him. I assembled the “pieces of life” onto an 10″x 10″x 1.5″ cradled wood panel primed with a burnt umber base coat using Acrylic Soft Gel medium. I applied pieces of teal tissue to add a bit of color and antiqued the whole piece with a burnt umber glaze.

A Treasure Chest of Memories

Diving into the creative process of painting a mixed media painting of my father helped me come to terms with my feelings. The end product is a painting that holds so much emotion and memories personally — like a little treasure chest simply titled, “Dad”. My memories feel safe now — hidden in this little chest. When I summon up the courage, I gaze at this painting and recall his boisterous laugh, the mischievous twinkle in his eye and how he would give me the biggest bear hugs in the world — all treasures of a precious time with my dad.

“Dad”, 10″x10″x1.5″ cradled wood panel. www.annestinepainting.com

Dear Reader, I recommend creating a memorial painting of someone whom you hold dear or contact someone who can create one for you. It’s an heirloom piece that captures not only the person, but their spirit as well. You will value this painting as one of your most precious possessions. Feel free to contact me for more information about mixed media painting or inquire about a commission.

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What has been your experience with creating an artwork that captures an individual’s life? Please leave a comment below.