Crystal Neubauer, Artist

Monday, April 07, 2014

Redemption Stories Series with Guest Artist Patricia Baldwin Seggebruch

There is so much I could say by way of introducing Patricia Baldwin Seggebruch (or Trish as she is known to go by). I owned her book on encaustics and admired her work and her words from afar by way of reading her blog and keeping up with her on Facebook. Eventually our paths crossed, one thing led to another and there she was, sitting in my workshop in Portland, Oregon learning about Wax & Wire as if she were just another student, as if she hadn't written a book on encaustics herself. I now have the privilege of being an instructor at EncaustiCamp, the brainchild born of Trish's journey of "getting to" and "what's the next?", but even more than that, I have the honor of calling her my friend. And I could go on and on about that honor, but right now I'd like nothing more than to share her story and work with you. Enjoy!

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"All I Was Doing Was Breathing" by Patricia Baldwin Seggebruch

I am still working on it, this series I’ve extracted from my heart and put out for all to see. It may never be complete; and it may not ever become

more than this.

Patricia Baldwin Seggebruch Gallery View

The show went up 7 February, 38+ pieces of all shapes and sizes adorning walls and plinths.

Wax and Words.

The intersection of passions.

The intersection of passion and Passion.

Crystal asked for redemption stories in this blog share.

I can’t seem to compose ‘my’ redemption story.

The difficulty is up there with trying to explain what I am doing in this life.

"The Mysteries We Ache After" by Patricia Baldwin Seggebruch

It is not difficult because I do not have a redemption story,

or heaven forbid, I feel I’ve not been redeemed,

but rather,

as is the case with this ‘doing’ I am in,

I am in it.

It lives, breathes, grows, changes, takes on new form every year.

Every day.

Every hour.

"Between The Lines" by Patricia Baldwin Seggebruch

How does one tell the story of their

redemption

when the redeeming happens over and over,

continuously in miracles and wonder

each and every day?

There is nothing to tell.

Only life to live.

And let it speak.

"Peel Your Image Off The Mirror" by Patricia Baldwin Seggebruch

Wax and Words

Where passions collide

Solo exhibit

Bundaberg Regional Art Gallery, Bundaberg, Queensland, Australia

"Book Bits" by Patricia Baldwin Seggebruch

Patricia Baldwin Seggebruch is an encaustic artist, author and instructor.

To hear her tell she is the lucky girl who gets to be the one to create and host the fabulous EncaustiCamp each year in Seattle, Washington.

To hear her tell she is the lucky girl who gets to be the one to travel Australia and New Zealand for two years simply on the desire to reach more, teach more and inspire more to encaustic.

To hear her tell she is the lucky girl who gets to follow her passion and see it live.

I say not luck; you earned it girl; through bold trust, simple faith and crazy risk-born of pure hope.

"set yourself on fire with passion, the whole world will come watch you burn." ~Wesley

BE.convicted.
www.pbsartist.com

encaustic retreats worldwide~

Wednesday, April 02, 2014

Studio Spotlight with Guest Artist Laura Lein Svencner

Over the course of ten Wednesday's join me in welcoming 10 guest artists as they share a glimpse into the spaces that foster their creative process. One of our ten guest bloggers referred to the artist's studio as "Sacred Space", and indeed it is just that for me. Working in the silence of my own studio is the place I am most easily able to connect to my Creator. As our guest artists share images of their own sacred spaces, they tell a bit of their creative process through the answers to four simple questions. Read about the artist in their bio and then explore the links each one will provide to get to know them a little more.

Laura Lein Svencner is another artist whose work I loved and whom I followed on her blog for some time before I realized she lived in the Chicago area too. I was super thrilled to meet her when I joined the mid-west collage society and was doubly thrilled to find her to be one of the most down-to-earth and generously kind artists I know. I have had the privilege of visiting Laura's studio first hand and so it was a no-brainer to invite her to join the series when it began. I know you will enjoy this visit to her studio and I encourage you to head over to her website and blog after to see her amazing collage work.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Laura Lein-Svencner's Studio

What is your favorite time of day to create and why?

This is a question I don’t have one answer for, being mom of four and an artist from a young age I had to learn to grab the creative time when I could. Sometimes it was forced as this is it this week so best get to the studio now…and other times I would grab the time early in the morning while the house was still a sleep and quietly work in my studio with a sense of great peace. I’ve recently experience a purged studio and room to do yoga in there and then I gently work for about an hour or so afterwards which is so wonderful to do but not always easy. What has settled lately as a favorite time is the afternoons leading into the dinner hour? All the computer stuff and homestead chores are out of the way and I settle in to a quiet afternoon in the studio.

What do you love most about your studio?

Living with a house full of 6 including myself space is hard to come by, The husband has had his garage space for some time and I took over the master bedroom of our home that we’ve been under construction for some time and converted into my studio space. I love to look out and see my backyard, and neighborhood. With my studio on the second level I’m allowed to bare witness to the tree top canopy. Watching and listening to the birds brings great joy. So I guess I would have to say the part that I love most is it’s a space of my own and being able to create and observe nature out the windows all at the same time. Best of both worlds.

What can always be found in your work space?

Paper, paints, brushes, family photos that mean a lot to me hanging on the wall, cat and dog hair, lots of books on the shelves, projects in process, large tables being I work standing up and flat most of the time. You might see collectable things hanging or resting on a window ledge, a kite hanging from the ceiling, always a kid at heart. There are many things in my studio some that have sentimental value and other things that I just like, and then there are those things that I can see being something else. I’ve become more selectable as it’s so easy to over have. When asked if I would like something from some I have to think about where my art is going and if this could be part of the directions, then I say yes but lately I’ve been turning things down like I said and being more selective.

Laura Lein-Svencner's Studio

What dream supply would you purchase if money were no issue?

Wow, this is a great questions…but there isn’t one thing that comes to mind right now…I think for a collage, mixed media, assemblage artist the surprise of the find is more exciting than a purchased supply. I know there are many new products coming out left and right which is great but I seem to want to explore with the materials I have and push them as far as I can before jumping into any other supply. Not sure if this makes sense.

What medium would you want to learn if time were no issue?

I think I would like to go back into printing not so much for the final piece but for the process, I’ve dabble in many printing techniques but carving a linoleum plate from a drawing really excites me…

Laura Lein-Svencner

About The Artist

Laura Lein-Svencner was raised in Downers Grove IL not far from her grandfather's farm and resides now Darien Illinois for the past 29 years. She's continued with her personal studies in drawing, printmaking, sculpture/assemblage, papermaking and collage. Seeking inspiration from one artist to another, Laura has pursued her love of paper; this steady pace of exploration has led her to become a member of many local and international collage groups. She also co-founded the Midwest Collage Society which exhibits throughout the Midwest region. Her works has won many awards and most recently the 27th Annual Juried Exhibit with the National Collage Society. Her work has been published in Watercolor Artist Magazine 2009, Creating Collage in all Dimensions 2010, Flavors for Mixed Media 2011, Painting in Mixed Media 2012. This Fall 2013, Laura's work can be seen in Incite, Dreams Realized and Mixed Media Artist, from North Light Books. Gallery presentation The Flying Pig in Algoma WI. Currently Laura teaches her techniques of collage at Naperville Art League and at Mayslake Peabody Estate. During the summer months you will find her creating in her studio, gardening and walking in the woods with her dogs but when she's not doing that you will see her exhibiting at local art fairs and teaching collage workshops throughout the Midwest.

Website: http://www.lauralein-svencner.com

Blog: http://www.lonecrowart.blogspot.com

Monday, March 31, 2014

Redemption Stories Series with Guest Artist Kelly Williams

Redemption Stories Monday: For the next ten Monday's join me in welcoming 10 guest artists as they share a story of redemption from their own life or work. These stories may be a broad overview or observation, or they may be very specific, deep and personal. The post may be very short or very lengthy. I have left the specifics up to each of the ten. View images of their work as you read their words, and bios. Be sure to check out the links each one will provide to learn even more about them.

Kelly Williams is such an inspiration to me.Not only can I identify with the emotions of much of her healing journey, but with the desire she has to pay that healing forward through the arts.I had the privilege of talking with Kelly several years back and being able to view some of the "Recovery Panes" created by her students. Her Crossroads project has helped countless homeless youth process & grieve their experiences, affirm their worth and empower them toward a healthy future. Her life and her work as an artist is truly a redemptive story and I'm honored to introduce her to you.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Below The Fault Line" by Kelly Williams

I am a survivor. That can mean a lot of things to a lot of different people. Many, if not most of us are survivors of one form or another. The details of my own journey no longer seem terribly important to me as they did at one time. It is the journey that matters to me now.

My childhood was one that required survival. I did. I thought. But it didn’t end when I entered “adulthood.” It wasn’t over by a long shot.

I was lost in a personal hell that kept the memories more real than the people and activities happening right in front of me. I often didn’t know my own children when they spoke to me. When I looked down at my hands, they belonged to another body. I was confused when I saw the reflection of someone else in the mirror. I would hear myself speaking across the room and not know that it was my voice. Standing in my home, I would not know where I was or when it was. I was haunted by my past, overwhelmed by the shame and constant pain. I was exhausted and just wanted it to end.

"Redslash" by Kelly Williams

It didn’t. For a long time.

Until I found a voice: A voice that captured my past and my present in a way that resonated my truth.

I found my voice in art. I had never painted a day in my life until someone handed me a paintbrush. Suddenly, the paintings poured out of me. The ability to articulate without words the paradoxes and layers of my experience, both past and present, was foundational to my journey out of the darkness.

I kept painting and painting and painting. What began as nightmarish images that overwhelmed me transformed into a language that finally allowed me to express the deep and complicated layers of my shattered mind and stolen sanity. I discovered I had developed a powerful visual expression that finally allowed me to tell my truth without words. It was the lifeline I clung to and painstakingly climbed until each breath I took was no longer only a reminder of the pain to be endured. Painting was hope.

I found to my surprise my artwork resonated with others. People could see meaning in my images, saw their own reflection in these wordless spaces. Those that once believed their voice would forever remain silent now saw in this process a way to honor and heal their past and move forward.

"Notes On Peace and Acceptance" by Kelly Williams

My professional and educational background in psychology and development converged and I found new ways of expressing my experience on a broader scale, to help others through social artistry. I started providing opportunities for individuals to do similar work in a safe and supportive environment. That grew into creating community projects that targeted disenfranchised individuals that needed an opportunity to voice their experience, as a way to help them move forward in their own lives.

Artist Kelly Williams

My current project, Crossroads, opens on April 3 and will show over 150 pieces of art created by homeless and transitional youth. Through the use of encaustic painting methods of layered wax and fire, they have embedded their personal tragedies and hopes within the layers of the wax. They were able to burn away or bury the words they have never said aloud for a symbolic release and honoring of their story. Many of these kids have never felt safe enough to express the foundational experiences that have put them on the road they now travel. Respectfully acknowledging their journeys is the first step in their making choices to change their lives, their stories, for the better.

As I discovered, there is great power in knowing that someone has gone before you in difficult circumstances and has emerged transformed at the other end. There is profound healing that comes in speaking your truth and knowing you are understood, accepted and encouraged to move forward. There is deep affirmation in believing you are worthy of the time, effort and resources of another human being interested in your personal journey. The foundation of healing is about relationship and communication, a willingness to hold space for another exactly where they are and with deep respect, stand with them until they can stand on their own. This is what I now do.

Artist Kelly Williams

Bio/Statement

My work is a symbolic narrative process. It is a progression of disentanglement, a developing of a story, layer by layer. It is only upon coming closer and becoming intimate does one experience the intricate textures, subtle imagery, hidden text and imperfections that make up the whole. Secrets are hidden within the layers, embedded truths expressed and hidden again for a visceral journey through the soul. The written word is often used as a form of layered texture to engage my deeper self and invite the viewer to do the same.

The use of encaustic painting allows for the metaphorical layering, burning, burying and exposing that are all relevant to the deeper meaning of my work. This ancient medium being used in contemporary visual expression further supports the timeless messages and questions I am driven to explore

My work has appeared in multiple galleries, businesses and publications both locally and nationally. I have a busy studio practice in Portland Oregon, teaching in my West Burnside Studio. I help those who wish to explore their inner landscape or work through specific issues, using encaustic painting as a cathartic medium in both private and small group sessions. I have developed several healing arts projects that bring this art form and method to disenfranchised populations and speak to audiences about how to use art as a powerful social advocacy tool in our communities.

WEBSITE: http://kellywilliamsart.com/

Crossroads Opening on April 3rd:

http://pearmentor.org/events/crossroads-the-encaustic-work-of-kelly-williams-and-pear-youth/

Facebook event to Crossroads Project

https://www.facebook.com/events/1419058238345477/?ref_dashboard_filter=upcoming

Review on UNSPEAKABLE at White Space Gallery

http://www.whitespacepdx.net/kelly-williams-december-2013.html

Friday, March 28, 2014

Found Object Friday with Guest Artist Kariann Blank

Found Object Fridays: We artists love our collections don't we? Even as a child I remember foraging through flea markets and looking for special trinkets that caught my eye. Going for walks, to this day I find myself scanning the ground looking for interesting bits of metal or unique rocks to add to my collections. Long before I knew what I would be doing with them, I collected objects that pulled on something inside of me. As an artist I was thrilled to find there are others who love and collect little oddities and curiosities too.

Over the course of ten Fridays I am honored to introduce ten different guest artists who will share some of the objects they love. You may recognize some of these names, while others may be new to you, each one is somebody whose style I admire. Check out the photos of their found object-and in a virtual show and tell, read about how it caught their attention and what they plan to do with it. Then check out their bios and links to learn more about each artist. . .

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kariann is the author of a very popular blog called Daily Poetics in which she showcases things that catch her attention on the internet. It is a dreamy ethereal blog that you just can't help falling in love with. Indeed it is like a dose of visual poetry. I was facebook friends with Kariann for quite some time before I connected her with her blog. She is humble and soft spoken and a wildly talented artist with an eye for composition and beauty. 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

Kariann Blank's Found Object

In high school,  psychology class, we were taken on a fantasy journey. Eyes closed and we entered the woods ... deep into the woodland we walked and eventually on our journey, came upon a cup which we were to describe ... Well, this tiny porcelain crackled cup I found at a garage sale, and years later it was that very cup I envisioned in class (the cup represented ourselves) ... I fell in love with it's symbolism and metaphor as who I am and what I long for.  Imperfect, capable, and devoted  with aching heart to everything flawed and honest.

 I planned to wear it on a frail chain around my neck and then it broke - the handle. I love it all the same.  I love the cracks, the flaws, the dirt and grit. I love ... this ... and know it wants to be loved. Like all of us do. 

The lead seal was simply interesting to be / snipped it off of some plumbing in my home. Feels like a seal of official earnestness  and un-deniability. It's all about flaws, vulnerability and the beauty or grace in that. 

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Studio Spotlight with Guest Artist Patricia Oblack

Over the course of ten Wednesday's join me in welcoming 10 guest artists as they share a glimpse into the spaces that foster their creative process. One of our ten guest bloggers referred to the artist's studio as "Sacred Space", and indeed it is just that for me. Working in the silence of my own studio is the place I am most easily able to connect to my Creator. As our guest artists share images of their own sacred spaces, they tell a bit of their creative process through the answers to four simple questions. Read about the artist in their bio and then explore the links each one will provide to get to know them a little more.

I have a deep admiration for artists who do abstract painting well, and Patricia Oblack is one of those artists who does abstract very well! Her color palette, the use of the knife to apply the paint, the layering and depth she achieves, all work together to pull me in and speak to my senses. If ever I am able to fulfill my dream of collecting art for my own home, Patricia's paintings are on my short list. I am thrilled that she was eager to share a glimpse into her studio with us!