What do you see when you are on the edge of dreams? Do you dream in color? Some nights when I close my eyes and am in the twilight zone between sleeping and waking my mind's eye plays like a wonderful borealis. I see the swirls, the patterns, the depth. They are all elements I have incorporated into my largest painting to date. Edge of Dreams is a 4 foot by 4 foot representation of a dream state.
It is a challenge to work on a piece this big, especially when using encaustic as the medium. It requires a big work space. It can't be worked vertically because of the flowing wax. You have to work around the painting because you can't reach from one side to the other. Applying the heat so the layers bond needs to be done section by section. Getting each section to bond with the next and blend at the same time is a challenge.
Once the piece is finished, moving it becomes the next focus. A piece this big represents a half sheet of plywood, edged with 1x2's, cross braces for stability, the added weight of the frame and the pounds of wax. I admit it, I'm not as young as I used to be. This is big, heavy and awkward. It really takes two people to move this piece.
Despite all these factors, I painted Edge of Dreams. Now I just have to find a place to display it. Once it's hung, all the challenges will be forgotten.
It is a challenge to work on a piece this big, especially when using encaustic as the medium. It requires a big work space. It can't be worked vertically because of the flowing wax. You have to work around the painting because you can't reach from one side to the other. Applying the heat so the layers bond needs to be done section by section. Getting each section to bond with the next and blend at the same time is a challenge.
Once the piece is finished, moving it becomes the next focus. A piece this big represents a half sheet of plywood, edged with 1x2's, cross braces for stability, the added weight of the frame and the pounds of wax. I admit it, I'm not as young as I used to be. This is big, heavy and awkward. It really takes two people to move this piece.
Despite all these factors, I painted Edge of Dreams. Now I just have to find a place to display it. Once it's hung, all the challenges will be forgotten.
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