art

Encaustic Classes – I love teaching.

ravensnest3 Comments

I love teaching, I think I was born to be a teacher. Nothing gives me a greater thrill than to share my knowledge. I typically use the analogy of the lightbulb for why I love teaching. It is thrilling to watch my students’ minds go while they are figuring out what’s going on and to see that “lightbulb” go on over their head when they finally get it.

Teaching can sometimes be difficult because there are so many different ways people learn. We, as teachers must learn to adjust our approach to be able to help those around us learn and understand in the easiest and best possible way for them. Staying calm and figuring out different approaches is how I work through all my teaching situations. It’s part of why I love teaching so much, it’s the puzzle and the challenge that helps keep me engaged. Also, teaching art is a BLAST!!!!

I have taught a variety of classes and techniques over the years and I never get tired of the inspiration that I consistently receive from my students. I love seeing others be creative and make art. Especially when they don’t think they can or have never tried a certain technique before. I was not supported for my artistic talents while I was growing up so being able to be supportive and watch people grow and develop is something that really means so much to me. It’s a very important part of life; learning new artistic techniques, growing your arsenal of abilities and changing your way of thinking about art can positively effect other areas of one’s life. Below are pictures of my students over the years and their amazing creations, I want to thank them for the joy they have brought me over the years.

Bees are Life

ravensnestLeave a comment

It’s been nagging at me, the fact that there are so many bees dying. I am sure that it is all the pesticides that are being sprayed for the produce and other food we eat. I understand that it’s a much bigger picture than just that but it’s been weighing heavy the last few weeks. I decided to create a piece of art to commemorate how much bees are needed for the survival of the human race. I started with a test bee on the counter of my tables where I work and then graduated to my art journal, finally landing on a small 18×20 canvas.

This isn’t the end of this conversation for sure but at least it’s a start.

This is my practice bee…

Here are pictures from my art journal….

This is my final canvas painting

Selling ART at a Holiday Bazaar

ravensnestLeave a comment

I will be participating in a Holiday Bazaar. I’d love it if you would come by and say HI, buy some of my art and see what new things I’ve been up to. There will be a lot of other local artists selling their art there as well. Remember, how awesome it is to support local artists, and local stores. I know from experience that people love getting handmade local art for the holidays! I will have Encaustic Paintings and Monoprints as well as handmade journals and notecards for sale.

Saturday, December 3, 2016

7:00 am – 3:00 pm

Panama Bay Coffee Company

289 Mare Island Way, Vallejo

HERE IS A SNEAK PEAK AT WHAT I’LL BE BRINGING!

fullsizerender-2 fullsizerender-3 fullsizerender-4 fullsizerender-5 fullsizerender img_6484-1 img_6513 img_6898 img_6961 img_6963 img_7176 img_7177

30th Annual Juried Emeryville Celebration of the Arts Show

ravensnestLeave a comment

Do you love a good art show? With a lot of amazing talented artists? Well, you’re in LUCK!!

One of my Encaustic & Dry Pigment Mono-Prints was selected hang in the 30th Annual Emeryville Art Exhibition. I will also have 5 encaustic & dry pigment mono-prints in the print bins.

This show will have over 125 artist works and is sponsored and produced by the non-profit Emeryville Celebration of the Arts, Inc.

The Opening night benefits the Emeryville Youth Art Program. It is being held Friday, October 7th from 6:00 – 9:00 pm at  1550 Park Avenue, Emeryville (SW entrance).

Please see the invite below, and come if you’re able! There will be dancers, poets, performance art and lots and lots of amazing art!

30TH_INVITATION_outside.ai

Encaustic Mono-Prints

ravensnestLeave a comment

Encaustic painting is an art form that I came to years after finishing art school. It’s something that has always intrigued me so finally I decided I would learn how. Fast forward 10 years and I have been experimenting with mono-printing with wax and dry pigment. It’s been such a blast! I love the whole process, to figuring out what type of colors to use, which dry pigment goes with the paint and then crossing my fingers the whole things turns out. I would say probably 65% of the prints turn out the way I had envisioned and another 10% turned out even though it wasn’t what I expected and about 25% end up in the trash. It’s such a fun, exciting and quick process, what’s not to like?

IMG_4835
full print
IMG_4834
detail shot of the print

I like monochromatic images as well as bright colors. The metallic aspect is really cool too!

IMG_4841IMG_4840

These are just a few examples of the work I have been doing lately. Silver, Gold & Copper. There is a large full image of the prints as well as a close-up detailed version.

IMG_4847IMG_4846

What defines Sucess?

ravensnestLeave a comment

I participated in an art show this past Thursday and only sold one painting but received a commission for another painting. At first I was feeling a bit blue that I only sold 1 painting but I had to step back and think, what defines success for me? I was successful in selling a painting, I was successful in getting a commission for another painting. I was successful in meeting some really great people that evening and I was successful in meeting people who live in Marin and know gallery owners. I really want to get my art into galleries in the north bay. Marin, San Rafael, Healdsburg, Sausalito and places like that. I think I accomplished that. I have to remember that every time I get myself out there and people see my art it is SUCCESS.

I believe in my art, I believe that my art is really good and that I can make a success in my field. I just have to keep getting out there and meeting people and having little success stories and selling my art.

Here are some of the images from my show.

My next show will be on the 18th of July. It will be at the community center in Point Richmond California from 5-8:00pm.

20130622-182038.jpg

20130622-182054.jpg

20130622-182103.jpg

20130622-182110.jpg

20130622-182119.jpg

20130622-182132.jpg

20130622-182201.jpg

20130622-182209.jpg

20130622-182222.jpg

20130622-182230.jpg

20130622-182239.jpg

20130622-182300.jpg

Arts of Point Richmond “the art of spring”

ravensnestLeave a comment

Hi All – I won’t be able to show my paintings this year at the spring event in Point Richmond but wanted you to take advantage of this wonderful event….I will be in  Minneapolis. Here is the information and what a great deal for $20…..

Arts of Point Richmond

Call To Artists

The Art of Spring Faire

SATURDAY, MAY 4, 2013

11:00 A.M. TO 5:00 P.M.

Pt. Richmond Community Center

139 Washington Ave.  Point Richmond

LOCAL ARTISTS WILL BE EXHIBITING

AND SELLING THEIR ORIGINAL WORKS

Original paintings, Note cards, Fabric art, Book making, Water, acrylic and Encaustic paintings, Prints, Small sculptural & metal art, Garden items, Framed photographs Books by local authors

JOIN US AND FIND YOUR SPECIAL

MOTHER’S DAY GIFT!

$20 FEE WILL COVER THE RENTAL AND INSURANCE PAID TO THE CITY OF RICHMOND.

E-MAIL OR CALL LINDA DRAKE FOR DETAILS. THERE ARE 12 PLOTS AVAILABLE INSIDE.  WEATHER PERMITTING, ARTISTS MAY SET-UP THEIR OWN CANOPIES/TABLES IN THE COMMUNITY CENTER PERIMETER. ARTISTS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR OWN SET-UP AND BREAKDOWN.

ARTISTS MUST HAVE  2013 DUES PAID

EXHIBIT & SELL ARTISTS’ ORIGINAL WORKS/PRINTS ONLY

I am returning to AOPR to kick off the 2013 season by coordinating artists and events.
Blessings to all of you!
Linda Lee Calvan Drake
510.672.0793

I am FAMOUS!

ravensnest2 Comments

Well, semi- famous, I got mentioned in the SF Chronical’s SF Gate. I had a show 2 weeks ago with support of Urban Solutions, San Francisco Arts Commision and 2 Blocks of Art. It was fantastic show, I sold 3 paintings, did 2 interviews, got invited to a friend’s Open Studio in December and made some dough. I couldn’t have asked for more.

I am working on 4 new paintings right now and will be showing them along with some of my past work at the Open Studio, December 15th and 16th and my friends Studio/Gallery. It is called The Clay Underground. Here is the link to my   friends place. http://www.theclayunderground.com/

Here’s the link to the article in the SF Gate: http://www.sfgate.com/default/article/The-stroll-that-became-a-headlong-run-3972369.php

Here is the link to my etsy shop: http://www.etsy.com/shop/RavensNestArt

 

 

New Encaustic Techniques

ravensnest5 Comments

I am trying out some new encaustic techniques this week and I have been having a blast. I have been given over the years pan pastels and regular pastels and I wanted to see what would happen if I used them with hot wax. This is not something the “teachers” ever recommend so I TOTALLY had to try it.

For my first technique was to lay some wax down on a clay board. After the wax cooled, I applied the pan pastels with a foam brush and a triangle of foam that is the same as a make-up applicator that you can purchase at any drug store for cheap. After laying down a bunch of pastel on top of the wax I laid down another layer of wax on top and when I was fusing the wax I got the coolest texture. Check it out!

I then painted my raven on top of the fused wax and this is the finished painting. I used extra damar in my black and indigo wax to get a high gloss as well as a thicker wax and was able to get really good height on my bird.

I did this a couple of times just so I could see what the different colors of pan pastels would look like with the wax. The 2 paintings shown above that are the completed paintings after I used technique I spoke about.

I then decided that I would like to try using pastels directly on the board under the first layers of hot wax. This is the image of the pre-wax pastels.

For this board, I decided to use some inexpensive pastel sticks that I had laying around that are super hard and crushed them up in my mortar & pestle and then applied them with the foam triangle as well my gloved hands. Below are the samples of pastels and the mortar & pestle.

It looked cool but it just looked like color pigment under wax so I needed to push it further. I added more pastel on top of what I had already done. I put white pastel on top of the yellow moon and different colors of blue around the moon and then put another layer of wax on top of that. And this is how it turned out. I will be painting some images over this base layer but was really excited about this new technique that I wanted to share it with you.