You get two art reviews for the price of one (yeah, I know, they are all free) but still – I wanted to post Part Two of my Colorado Trip while it was still fresh in my mind, and I couldn’t wait to show you the video of yesterday’s Beeswax Collage workshop at my Studio (see the amazing video, below)!
Colorado Trip Part Two – Georgia O’Keeffe at the Colorado Springs Art Center
Horse’s Skull on Blue – Georgia O’Keeffe 1931; Oil on canvas
Georgia O’Keeffe and the Southwestern Still Life is not strictly a “Georgia O’Keeffe show”, (which I should have known had I done my homework before we visited the exhibit). And thank goodness it isn’t, because when her work is placed beside that of her contemporaries – including modernists like Stuart Davis and Marsden Hartley as well as more traditional painters who were also lured by the Taos light – O’Keefe’s cutting-edge brilliance shines.
One of her quotes that ran across a bright orange wall at the CSAC gallery read, “I had to create an equivalent for what I felt about what I was looking at – not copy it.” That, to me, was huge – and her work showed this journey into interpretation and abstraction through the loose structure of “still life.”.
I was so impressed by the juxtapositions and inclusions that I searched to see who had curated the exhibit. It was Charles C. Eldredge, former director of the Smithsonian American Art Museum, who placed O’Keeffe’s work in the context of other artists who were influenced by the Southwest at the same time she was. The exhibit raised thought-provoking questions such as “What is a still life, really?” and “How does an artist chose represent an observation?”
I loved the show – my favorite painting was this one (below) – and my friend Carol Mylar and I talked for a very long time about why it was included as a still life, and why its powerful simplicity is so mesmerizing. For a much more educated and detailed review of Georgia O’Keeffe and the Southwestern Still Life, read Gayle Cement’s enlightening, enjoyable discussion of the works.
Georgia O’Keeffe Black Patio Door 1955
And now . . . . .Fabulous Sunday Workshop – Wax and Layers and in Beeswax Collage
The smell of the beeswax, the roar of the crowd – what a workshop! Every single participant took the notion of wax enhancement on monochromatic collage and ran with it, creating evocative personal statements. I’ve recently added another hour to my workshop format, and three hours instead of two makes a huge difference. We have more time to critique and discuss – it obviously worked yesterday. Take a look at some of the inspired pieces the students created. Nice work, Y’all!
I love the pieces created in your wax workshop. Since I am not anywhere near you, would you consider this as an online workshop?
Thanks…..Anna
Anna, I think I am going to offer this as an online workshop this fall. It’s a unique approach to encaustic and I’d love to share it with more people. Right now, I’m teaching online workshops with Artful Gathering and I won’t be able to work on my own class until that is finished in September. But stay tuned. In a six-week online class, I could get into photo editing and other enhancements that make this process really work. Thank you so much for asking! I’d love to stay in touch with you and get your feedback as the outline develops.
Lyn
Unlike Anna, I am quite near you, and will sign up for this workshop in the near future (provided it is offered, of course…) You manage to get wonderful results from your students, Lyn. I love being guided by your insight and experience.
Wow, thanks, Margaret – I love having my students be amazed at their own talent and results~and I think I’ll offer another beeswax collage workshop in a month or two. My schedule is deliberately uncrowded from August to December just so I can add some classes that people would like to take. Another nice thing would be to use some videos from the in-person workshops as part of an online class – thanks so much for your encouraging words and interest!
Lyn
The pieces from your encaustic workshop this past weekend are a knockout! All so interesting and beautifully composed! Also enjoyed the articles about the exhibit of works by Georgia O’Keefe & other southwestern artists. I’m hoping to participate in an art retreat at O’Keefe’s Ghost Ranch this fall, so thanks for posting those links.
Delighted to hear you’re planning an on-line course for this encaustic process plus basic photo editing. The latter is something I’ve struggled with for year. So looking forward to your AG course starting in a few days with Michele Belto! Every contact with you, Lyn, direct or on-line is an inspiration!