Wednesday

"From Fall To Winter", mixed media collage by Sharon Lynn Williams

"From Fall To Winter", 12 x 12" collage and acrylic paint
$475 framed, click here to purchase (this painting is currently in the Leighton Art Centre's Annual Members show -check it out!)

I am so far behind in posting my paintings, so am just picking and choosing what to post from my winter's production. While I love to paint in oil on location in the warm weather months, that is a relatively short period of time here in Calgary. I don't really enjoy paintng from photos in oil -it seems too easy to get caught up in all the 'stuff' that is in the photo, and for me it is hard to really connect with the place just from the photo. Now sometimes I can do that if I have taken the photo recently or if it holds a special meaning for me, but usually it is just 'nice stuff'.

 From November to May I spend time in my studio just painting whatever inspires me at the moment, and that is when I unleash my creativity. Perhaps that is one reason I look forward to the length of winter here every year! My winter passions go more to the abstract, and I really enjoy mixed media collage, accrylics and now encaustic.

I was having a crisis this morning, thinking that I should probably just do ONE thing, as this is the path so many of my artist friends have taken. But my darling husband reminded me that I am not everyone else, so why should my path look like everyone elses'? Plus he knows me -he knows I would get very bored only doing one thing, and it would make me miserable. I am in the blessed and enviable position that I don't need to rely on income from painting sales to eat. Which is VERY good!! This allows me the freedom to follow my muse, exploring everything about art making. It also helps me be a good teacher as I know how to use most mediums in most styles. I guess I should be happy being a 'jack of all trades', even if it means I am not a master in any. Que up the song "Don't worry, be happy".

I would love to hear your thoughts on the issue of focusing on one thing versus exploring the whole. I promise to respond to each comment.

Enjoy!
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Tuesday

"House of Dreams" encaustic mixed media by Sharon Lynn Williams


"House of Dreams", 16 x 20" encaustic and collage
$895 beautifully framed, click here to purchase

I had a lot of fun with this painting and I think it has opened up some new doors for me -producing more 'happy' and 'fun' paintings than the usual more serious stuff. And boy is that a door that needs to be opened for me!! The central piece is actually an encaustic monoprint that I made at Encausticamp last summer. I collaged it over the blue background and then began to play with the paint. Soon it took on an offkilter house feel, and that led to the next thing, and the next. This painting will be on display at the FCA show this Saturday.

Enjoy!
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Sunday

"When Life Gives You Lemons", oil painting by Sharon Lynn Williams

"When Life Gives You Lemons", 12 x 16" oil on panel
$695 framed -click here to purchase after May 3/14 if still available

I just found out that this painting has won 3rd prize in the upcoming FCA Calgary Show! I entered 5 paintings and they all were accepted with excellence. It is a VERY good day!


Enjoy!
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Friday

Pen & Ink & Watercolour Sketching Workshop by Sharon Lynn Williams



I have arranged to teach a pen & ink & watercolour quick sketching workshop at beautiful Lloyd Park (just outside Calgary) on Sunday June 8, 2014 from 10am to 4:30pm. These little sketches are done in 20-30 minutes, and are a great way to capture the form (by the pen) and the colour of the scene in front of you.
Please click HERE for more information about the workshop and to register.

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Saturday

"Blessings" encaustic painting by Sharon Lynn Williams

"Blessing", 12 x 24" encaustic on cradled panel
not for sale

As this weekend is Easter, I thought I would show you a painting I made for a dear friend. The backdrop is the second day of creation when God separated the water from the sky. The Hebrew text is from Numbers 6:24-26
-“The Lord bless you
    and keep you;
25 
the Lord make his face shine on you
    and be gracious to you;
26 
the Lord turn his face toward you
    and give you peace."

This is my Easter prayer for each of you. 

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Friday

"Surge", encaustic painting by Sharon Lynn Williams

"Surge", 12 x 12" encaustic on deep cradled panel, stained and varnished on edges
$475, click here to purchase

I have been back to playing in the wax, and am thoroughly enjoying the exploration. This painting was an exercise in controling the wax and in using metalic and irridescent pigments. The yellow part (sky) was fused using a flat tacking iron, which allows you to move the paint around, creating a layed effect. The violet section is irridescent violet pigment, which only shows violet when you look at it from a certain direction. The turquoise (water) was fused with a heat gun in multiple layers of colour and texture. It is too bad that encaustics don't photograph very well, and you can't see all the texture, both implied (by various combinations of colours) and actual (physical layers and holes in the surface). What looks brown in the photo is actually irredescent gold pigment, which shines as you look at the painting in different directions. Very cool -but I guess you'll have to take my word for it!!

Enjoy
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