Louise Bourgeois

From the NY Times: Louise Bourgeois, the French-born American artist who gained fame only late in a long career, when her psychologically charged abstract sculptures, drawings and prints had a galvanizing effect on the work of younger artists, particularly women, died on Monday in Manhattan, where she lived. She was 98. read more.

Art Materials (Hard at Work with Encaustic)

Hi visitor,

I have been hard at work adding photos to my Encaustic Resource Pages- so needless to say I have not had much time to write on Art Materials. BUT, I have added a few brands to my list- so in the meantime, look at those links and I hope to write about them soon.

Thanks fur readin'
Jonathan Parks

Art Materials (Encaustic)

Hello Reader,

This week I am making this post extremely short because I am hard at work taking photos of tools and techniques for the Encaustic Resource. If you work with encaustic, are starting out, or are simply curious-stay tuned. I am also doing my best to update and share on social networking sites such as Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/parksartworks) twitter (https://twitter.com/#!/ParksArtworks) so check that out too.

Thanks for Reading and Following
Jonathan Parks

Sharpe's Longclaw

Hello Reader,

I would like to take a moment and share a link in support of a worthy cause.  Visit 10,000 Birds to read about the efforts to save Sharpe's Longclaw. I particularly like supporting that which supports one of my favorite subjects (birds); and even though I can not at present financially support such an effort- just simply sharing this info goes a long way.

As alway thank you for reading

Jonathan Parks

Jasper Johns Encaustic Flag Painting

Sold for 28.6 million dollars, nice to see encaustic get so much attention, and of course it doesn't hurt to be a painting by Jasper Johns.

Americorps week

The Encaustic is Coming!

The Encaustic is Coming! The Encaustic is Coming! The Encaustic is Coming!.......Ok, it came.

Hey encaustic painters- or interested parties,

It has been a little while since I've been able to paint (encaustic of course), with moving around and all that crud; but now its here (insert diabolical voice). So, what does this mean? Well first off I will finally be getting around to adding those much needed photos to my Encaustic Resource Pages AND I am thinking about some video tutorials (we'll see) BUT most of all- painting.

Tune in and thanks for visiting,

Jonathan Parks

Art Materials (Encaustic Safety Precautions)

Hi Visitors,

I made an extensive update to my encaustic Tools and Techniques page concerning safety. Check it on on my Encaustic Resource Pages or follow this link: http://parksartworkstoolstechnique.blogspot.com/2009/04/safety-precautions.html

Thanks for reading
Joanthan Parks

Art Materials (Manfrotto)

Hello All,

I want to take a moment and talk about support, tripods and monopods to be more specific, and it is Manfrotto's turn in my list art materials.  It is important to have a sturdy support for many reasons; from photographing wildlife to shooting slides. I have continued to use their products for the past ten years; a tripod setup for shooting slides of my artwork and a monopod for when I go on a hike.  Yes there are other brands of camera supports (Gitzo for one) that will do the job, but for price and quality, Manfrotto is hard not to pick.

How much should you plan to spend on a setup? Well a tripod will cost you about $175 - $225, and the head to go with it could cost anywhere from $30 - $200. Prices can go higher or lower depending on where and what you buy, but you get what you pay for. To give you an idea- the grip action ball head I use for my monopod cost around $80 on sale (runs about $100).

Thanks for reading, and remember if you have any questions don't hesitate to ask.
Jonathan Parks
http://www.manfrotto.com/
http://www.manfrotto.us/
http://www.gitzo.com/

Art Materials (Recycle) "Encaustic Compatible and Noted"

Encaustic Compatible and Noted

Hi Everyone,

Recyling isn't always about throwing things in the bin. Recycling often takes on the definition for reuse; glass bottles are a good example. The double-well bottle (my favorite) is the perfect container for watercolor; clean water in one, and dirty in the other.

Before you decide its time to throw something in that bin, think about what you might be able to do with it.  Recycling isn't a perfect science anyways. Some things reycle easily while others take more effort. Thinking about it another way might just be better for everyone and the environment.

Here are a few ideas for recycling:  Of course, buy bulk whenever possible. Look at how something is packaged; can you reuse the packaging. Don't dump paint and chemicals down the drain; there are ways to properly dispose of waste; check with your local recycling facilities. And if you reduce and reuse- you may not need to recycle much, or anything at all.

Those of you working in encaustic: scrape up the paint that drips all around your painting; waste not, want not (Even if the colors are all mixed up, melting it down will usually give you a funny grayish purple; and you can at least use it for a base coat when building layers). If you reuse items for palette cups (or the palette) make sure that they are stainless steel or at least lead and iron free.

Thanks for reading
Jonathan Parks