Series or Cereal? That is the Question (pardon me, Mr. Shakespeare)

Artists create their work in many different ways. I prefer to work in a series format, while others like to be more random in their subjects, styles, and content, like many cereals.

What is a "series?" you may wonder. A series is a group of like-minded, like-themed, on-topic works that explore a central idea. To work in a series format allows you to spend time with an idea, to develop it or to abandon it for something else. For me, creating in that fashion allows the process of making art to unfold in a personal and meaningful way.

How do I decide what idea to explore? First and foremost, the idea has to have some personal resonance for me; it has to substantially relate to my world. When something speaks louder than the rest or when Sera (short for serendipity, or the Holy Spirit, if you will), keeps reminding you again and again, that topic has  significance for you. For example, many years ago my husband and I thought about a taking a trip to Santa Fe. As never before, the city came up in conversations, in print, and on television...others were mentioning Santa Fe before we had a chance to say that we might go there!

Zola on the Couch ©1992 Kathryn Dettwiller, Oil on Canvas, 18 x 24"

From 1992-1995, I painted my dog, Zola, a brown standard poodle. The Zola Series was a time for learning about myself and channeling those various facets into a surrogate form, Zola. She appeared in almost 50 paintings, ranging from serious representation to downright wacky portrayals.

Portrait of Zola, Frontal  ©1992  Kathryn Dettwiller, Mixed Media on Paper, 28 x 21"

   

I Don't Think We're in Kansas Anymore  ©1992   Kathryn Dettwiller, Oil on Canvas, 36 x 36"

Hot Wax, Cool Wax

Following the conference I took a workshop with Miles Conrad on Encaustic in Three Dimensions. What fun!! We dipped all sorts of objects, like wire, a paper towel, muslin, corrugated cardboard, foam strips, and seed pods into a container of hot wax. Our objective was to fashion orbs out of those unlikely materials. These are (clockwise) baling wire, monofilament with cable ties, and a strip of corrugated cardboard.

The entire class curated this grouping.

Our final assignment was to choose more than 2 of our "creations," combine and attach them to our substrate panel, and pour hot wax onto the panel, which had been taped to provide a containing "fence."

Here's my "creation":

Seed pods, twine, and jute combine with the monofilament line and corrugated cardboard strip on a field of wax.

And our final exhibition.

That's Miles!

Heart Ache

On Saturday May 22, our oldest poodle, Zinca, died at home. I knew that it was coming. I stayed with her until she finally breathed her last. She would have been 13 next month.

I miss her terribly.

Losing a pet is so hard. We invest so much of ourselves in them, and they in us, that when the time comes to say goodbye, it is wrenching to the core.

In 1997 our first standard poodle, Zola, died. Some time afterwards, I painted this painting.After I finished it and looked critically at it, I realized that I had painted my feelings about losing Zola.

And now it is heartfelt again.

Heart Ache      Encaustic on Panel     24 x 24"    1997