Category Archives: art

A new website – and it’s mine, all mine!

Posted on by
22
TAH-DAH!! New studio, new website - life is bueno!

TAH-DAH!! New studio, new website – life is bueno!

Whew! My new website is finished (or as finished as those things ever get – tweak tweak). Take a look!

coverweb

I built it myself so I could include things like links to my Etsy page and a “Your Page” place to show video tutorials for you guys. It also has a super easy link to the Behind the Veil encaustic collage ebook, which makes downloading a snap.

Creating a new site was hard, but worth it! And it works sooooo much better than the old website, which had been around since the dawn of the Internet.

SHARDS readers are the first to see this, and I would greatly appreciate any feedback or suggestions, positive or negative (sometimes negative is a very good thing).

Yeah, I know the studio workshops aren’t up yet, but they will be soon, and the check-out process should be simple and easy.

So here’s the link – thanks for checking it out!! And stay warm and dry this weekend – here in South Texas it’s gonna get nasty – brrrrrrrr.

Santa Fe Whirlwind

Posted on by
5

So I went to Santa Fe – yeah, I know, I didn’t call, I didn’t write – I definitely didn’t blog! It was a crazy experience – fun, intense, exciting, exhausting. 

The huge Buffalo Thunder Resort Hotel just outside Santa Fe was the venue for the giant Artisans Materials Expo where I taught two encaustic workshops as part of the Encaustic Art Institute (EAI) and International Encaustic Artists (IEA) conference and retreat. Internet reception was very spotty there (that’s my excuse for not keeping in touch).

However, they did have an astonishingly extensive collection of Native American art pieces throughout the huge hotel – some traditional , some contemporary. It was eye candy for the soul 🙂

Michelle Belto was a great teaching teammate and travel partner. She is also a riot to hang out with. She taught a solo workshop on Thursday, we co-taught on Friday, and I taught a solo workshop on Saturday. Here are some photos from our Friday “Wax and Bling” class. There was glitz everywhere – fun stuff.

Friday night was the opening of  the Making Your Mark juried exhibit at the EAI Gallery in the Santa Fe Railyard art district. Michelle and I both had pieces in the show. The juror, David Limrite, was at the opening and gave a gracious statement about the 57 pieces work he selected for a field of over 200 entries.

The exhibit is a showcase of the many ways in which artists work in wax.

Here is a video presentation I made for the Santa Fe conference. It introduces the finalists for 2016 La Vendéenne Awards which honor excellence in encaustic painting. The awards took place on Saturday night.

This introduction will give you an idea of the depth and breadth of expertise present in artists who practice the versatile and ancient art medium of encaustic.

This ends Part One of the Santa Fe Report – stay tuned for Part Two later in the week which will include a couple of interesting links for you to check out as well as more photos……..

Save

EARTHWORKS: September 9-10

Posted on by
3

She Cat – created by Linda Rael, owned and cherished by Lyn Belisle

I know of no other artist whose works resonate in my heart as much as those of dear friend Linda Rael. Everything she creates makes me think, “Dang, I wish I had done that.” She incorporates animal bones and porcupine quills and rust and earth and tattered linen and other stuff that myths and magic are made of. I purely love her art!

Linda Rael 2016

Linda Rael – Fiber, Rust, Found Objects –  2016

It’s been a dream of mine for several years to collaborate with Linda on a show, and recently, over a long lunch, we decided to go for it! We are calling this show “Earthworks” – it reflects a direction that we’ve both been exploring, going to ground, leaving behind bright color and adding elements one might find along a stream bed or sacred path.

earthworks copy

The works will be on exhibit at my Studio for just two days during the second weekend of September. 

Many of Linda’s new pieces are fiber-based and hand-rusted with the natural patterns adorned and enhanced with hand stitching. My own pieces will be mostly sculptural, much like my neo-santo series, but less refined, more weathered.

Want to see a few sneak preview photos? Please take a look, then mark your calendar now because the availability of these works is limited to September 9-10 only.  You won’t want to miss this event – it’s always fun to visit the Studio, and I am thrilled that Linda is joining me in this amazing two-day exhibit called Earthworks.

Linda Rael 2016

Linda Rael 2016

Linda Rael 2016

Linda Rael 2016

Linda Rael 2016

Linda Rael 2016

Lyn Belisle 2016

Lyn Belisle 2016

Lyn Belisle 2016

Lyn Belisle 2016

Save

Save

Save

Save

Thank you, Brother Cletus

Posted on by
8

cletus

Saying goodbye to this San Antonio icon and artist is so hard. Brother Cletus died yesterday. Cletus Behlmann, S.M., a Marianist Brother, taught for 19 years before arriving in San Antonio to become a full time artist. He settled in San Antonio in 1977 and began operating the St. Mary’s University Art Center.

He captured the heart of the city in his painting and in his personal life with his affable, self-effacing wit and generous spirit. Those of us who were lucky enough to know him were blessed, but his work speaks to everybody through joyous color and dancing line.

Thank you, Brother Cletus, for sharing your life and art with us – we will miss you so much, but we know where you live. 🙂

 

Save

Anatomy of an art purchase scam

Posted on by
9

karma

Here’s how it works – or doesn’t, in this case. You get an email from someone who is interested in your work:

Dear Lyn,
Hope this message finds you well. I saw these creative works on
your website and i will like you to get back with more details if they
are still available for purchase. I will appreciate an urgent reply.
Best Regards, Betty J

Sounds a little weird, but what’s the harm in following up, right? I mean, who purchases art online without knowing the size or price?? I was curious – and a bit  suspicious.

 Hi, Betty,
Thanks so much for your inquiry. Some of the pieces are available. They are on display now at a gallery in Kerrville As far as I know, 2/9 and 3/9 have not sold. I’ll be glad to call the gallery and make sure.  What else can I tell you about them that might be helpful? Sizes? Price? Thanks again,
 Lyn

Good old Betty writes back, her grammar slipping a bit in her excitement to purchase my “creative works.”

Hi Lyn,
  Thanks so much for your response to my query about those creative
  works. I will like to proceed with the purchase of both pieces . Can
  you pls confirm the actual size and  price  of the two pieces so I
  can know how best to proceed.  I will also like to know  what inspire you
  to make the pieces. I will look forward to hearing from you soon.
 
  Best Regards,
  Betty.

Obviously, there’s something fishy here – I’m getting more and more curious about how it will play out. I give Betty the info about the pieces and what “inspire” me – I’ll spare you that part. I tell her that both pieces together will be $900. She writes back.

 Hi Lyn,
 It is nice to hear back from you. I will like to proceed with the
 purchase of both pieces. I think they are lovely works and I hope to
 give them a good home. I am presently away on vacation but I should be
 back in few days.

 1481 NE 104th St
 Miami Shores, FL 33138

 Meanwhile, can you pls get back with your mailing address and phone
 number so I can inform my husband on where to forward the payment. I
 can have him send the payment asap. About shipping, you can handle it
 from your side to my mailing address above or I can forward your
 contact info to the local cartage company handling my shipment. They
 can arrange FedEx or UPS pick up of the artworks from your studio.

 I will look forward to hearing from you so I can know how best to
 proceed. Cheers.

 

Husband’s assistant? She implies that there’s money there. Obviously, I go online and check the address – there’s no such person at that address, but it’s in a very swanky neighborhood in Miami Shores, Florida. Still curious, I send ol’ Betty the mailing address at my studio and then kind of forget about it for a week or so.

Lo and behold, last Saturday, as I’m talking to a friend at the studio, the mailman drops of an urgent delivery envelope with a check for $2300 inside made out to Lyn Belisle Studio. The check and the bank appear to be quite legit. I have no idea where it came from until I get an email from Betty that evening – hmmm –

Hi Lyn,
Hope this message finds you well. I am very sorry I have not been able
to get in touch for the past couple of days. It has been a very busy
time for my family with my sister’s wedding and a big move so I have
been away from my computer.

Anyway, I will like to confirm that the payment was sent by my
husband’s assistant this week and he was advise it will arrives on
Saturday or Monday via USPS with tracking number (
9405501699320079030307 ) so kindly be on the look out for it.
Best Regards,
Betty.

I write back:

Hi, Betty,
I received the check on Saturday and I am thoroughly confused about the amount. It is far greater than the price of the work that you requested. Can you clarify? I am grateful, but want to make sure the transaction is fair and accurate for you.Thanks ever so much, Lyn

And then . . .KA – CHING! What could possibly be wrong with this picture?

Hi Lyn,
I got your email now. Thanks for the update. I am so excited you have
received the payment and can’t wait to have the artworks on my wall. I
hope to give them a very good home and enjoy the pieces for many
years. Regarding the check , my husband made a terrible mistake and overpaid
you because he didn’t have full details of the transaction since I was
too busy when he sent it. I am very sorry for the confusion but I will
like you to go ahead and deposit the check, deduct the cost of the
pieces plus shipping to my vacation address below . Then you can
forward the difference back to him.

Kindly acknowledge this email as soon as you can. Thanks.

Best Regards,
Betty.

That rascally husband – don’t ya hate it when they make terrible mistakes? I told Betty that I was returning the check. I’ve heard nothing from her since. Surprise!

This is apparently a common scam, often aimed at artists. There are examples of it all over the Internet, but I was surprised at a couple of things – one, how quickly she befriended and flattered  me and developed a story line about her family, complete with personal touches.

The second thing was that the impact of a real check being delivered through official mail has a lot of impact even though you know it’s not a legitimate transaction – who couldn’t use an extra $2300? And it was not an exorbitant over-payment, just tempting enough to be plausible. Unfortunately, there’s really no way to prove anything without actually depositing the check and agreeing to the sale.

Anything like this happen to any of you? For me, it was interesting and merely annoying, but I imagine it could be devastating for someone who fell for it and ended up having to pay a lot of money back. Here’s a good link for artists about such slimy scammy matters: www.artscams.com/

So, does anybody want to buy these two fine pieces of art? They’re available 🙂

Have a lovely day – and be careful out there.

 

 

What a weekend – high fives all around

Posted on by
4

I absolutely love showing off my students’ work, and this weekend I had two workshop opportunities to give a round of high fives!

Saturday, the talented Karen McCauley, artist and teacher at the Coppini Academy, brought her group over to the studio for three hours of encaustic  collage exploration. Here are some of the details of their work – notice the depth and texture that the beeswax layers produce. (Remember, if you can’t see the photo gallery, click on the top of this post to take you to the original site)

Lots of people ask me about the foil that produces those fine gold lines – encaustic artists call it “Book Foil.” I learned about it from Michelle Belto. You can order it under other names, including this one from Amazon. Just remember, it takes a few layers of wax to make it stick to the surface of your work.

foil

 

 

 

On Sunday, I taught an acrylic painting workshop inspired by some of the techniques I learned with Jane Davies at our Big Fat Art Weekend – line, shape, texture pattern, layering (thanks, Jane!).

This was not an easy workshop to grasp, particularly for beginning painters who had just three hours to practice the process. but they did it! The abstract acrylic studies they produced are beautifully symbolic and richly constructed over layers of marks and color history. Take a look!

I am convinced that there is some sort of magic synergy that takes place at the Studio when a group gathers for a three-hour workshop. The students never fail to amaze me – and themselves – with their insightful artwork. They help make Lyn Belisle Studio a true place of creative belonging, and, dang, am I grateful! Good work, everyone – what a winner of a weekend!

 

 

 

Jane Davies workshop, Day Three

Posted on by
2
Driving to Gloucester from Salem on Sunday morning

Driving to Gloucester from Salem on Sunday morning

Neither rain, nor sleet, nor snow could stop these two intrepid artists from heading off to the final day of Jane’s workshop. It really was something of a shock to be in the middle of a snowstorm in April!

Our assignment for the day was to incorporate the techniques we had learned into new layers on previous work and to begin a new piece (or two) from scratch.

It still amazes me that all of us were able to complete at least six or seven paintings during Jane’s workshop. Of course, the goal was not to produce finished works, but to explore the process-directed techniques. To quote Jane. “You can’t like it all the way through the piece,” and “You can’t plan more than one step ahead.” Sorta like driving through the snow and fog.

Here are some of the photos from our last day – you can see how pieces have changed and evolved. (By the way, if you are reading this as an email and can’t see the images, just click on the title of this post to take you to the blog site.)

Thanks beyond words to Jane Davies for a wonderful workshop – if you ever have the chance to work with her, do it. Thanks to my co-pilot, Gloria Hill, for her intrepid navigation along the Massachusetts roads.. We’ll be home soon to Texas!

Jane Davies workshop, Day One

Posted on by
5

Jane Davies

Gloria Hill and i are on an art adventure north of Boston taking a three day painting workshop with Jane Davies, whose work we both admire. She’s a fine teacher, sensible, inspiring, funny and approachable. She also works us like you wouldn’t believe!

The workshop studio is as big as a basketball court. There are fifteen of us from all over the place, including Ireland. It’s a great group. I’ll try to share some of the photos as we go along – we started with black and white line and “visual weight” studies this morning,  then moved on the color and layers in the afternoon. We did one-minute paintings that were a huge challenge, and experimented with shapes and process this afternoon as we added veils of color.  It’s back to the workshop early tomorrow – I’ll keep you posted!

If you’d like to know more about Jane’s work and her teaching, just Google Jane Davies and then take a look at her You Tube channel. Shes incredibly generous with her techniques and very encouraging to everyone in this weekend’s workshop. More tomorrow if my painting hand isn’t too tired to type – this is intense!

 

.

Hot Wax/Cold Wax opens this weekend in Kerrville

Posted on by
3

Undoubtedly, you’ve heard me talk a lot about “encaustic” lately and you might wonder why I’m so excited about this medium and its possibilities. This weekend, you’ll have a chance to see a showcase of those possibilities presented by some of the region’s best artists. The exhibition is called Hot Wax/Cold Wax and it’s hosted by the Kerr Arts & Cultural Center just north of San Antonio in Kerrville.

gt

It was nice of them to use an image of my work (above) on the announcement! I just received some photos of the installation from Lynn Luukinen – the space is spectacular – take a look. Debbie Minns, Director KACC, did an outstanding job of staging the show.

I’ll be home from Boston just in time to hit the road for Kerrville on Saturday to see this exhibit in person. The reception is from 2-4 on Saturday – hope to see you there, but if you can’t make it then, don’t miss the show. It’s on display during the month of March, and will be well worth a visit. Woohoo for wax!!

index

 

 

 

 

The week that was and the weekend that will be . . .

Posted on by
10

It takes a village to make a Studio – and that’s what it felt like this week – all kinds of creative people graced the place – yay!

On Monday, our 3M Writers Group met at the studio for the monthly pot luck. Poets and novelists are also great cooks! And the conversation is always inspired. Special congrats to Bryce Milligan (below, center) whose Wings Press just celebrated its 40th Anniversary – a huge accomplishment for this multicultural, environmentally-aware company. Wings is indeed The CorazĂłn of American Small Press Publishing.

3m2

From left: Anne Alexander, Mary Milligan, Harold Rodinsky, Mike Belisle, Bryce Milligan, Jimmy Adair

3m1

From left: Lou Taylor, Leslie Provence, Craig Donegan, Jay Brandon, Jasmina Wellinghoff

Next came a Wednesday Workshop – this time, it was Encaustic Exploration. We worked with wax and images in a larger format than usual.  The workshop critique was outstanding – thanks to all who waxed and shared!

I found some time on Thursday to play with a large painting called “Domino Theory.” Rosemary Uchniat sent me a heads-up about artist Nancy Reyner’s book on gold leaf and acrylic painting – lord knows, I have plenty of gold leaf around the Studio, This piece still needs glazing, but it’s fun to watch where it’s going. The process may turn into a new workshop – more soon.

domino theory
Today, I’ll be clearing the decks for Monika Astara’s trunk show that goes on from 11-3:30 tomorrow – don’t miss it!

Monikacard copy
Lisa Stamper Meyer‘s Silk Screen workshop is Sunday, and in between all this, I’m going to get over to the Fred Road Studio Tour. 

I hope your week was great, and that your weekend is fun-filled and art-filled and joy-filled – spring is definitely in the air!