A look into the hive…..

 

Meet Shannon Newby!!

Shannon started the BEE team just over a month ago, and has been actively trying to connect with other encaustic artists worldwide.  Her love for encaustics is contagious and she’s full of ideas.  :)

Tell us a bit about yourself:

How did you begin working in encaustic?            

I first heard about encaustics 2 years ago while I was working at a university.  There was an encaustics class offered, so I audited it and fell in love immediately.  I think up until then, I had struggled with making the paint do what I wanted it to do and to successfully incorporate collage materials.  Working with wax has proven to be a good challenge for me and I can’t get enough of it!

What do you find most rewarding about working with encaustic?     

I LOVE how fast the wax dries.  I used to enjoy doing oil painting only because of the rich, bold colors were more appealing to me than working with acrylics.  But I quickly gave up because I found I got restless waiting for the oil paint to dry.  So for me, one of the most rewarding things about working with encaustics is that I get instant results.  I enjoy working fast-paced and having to make quick decisions.

Where do you find your inspiration for your work?

As a Christian, I draw my inspiration from all of God’s creation.  Many times I will draw inspiration from the Bible itself or from snippets of conversations with friends and family.

Tell us about your process. Do you plan your pieces before you start?

Hmmm…this is a good question.  I think my process varies from piece to piece.  There are some weeks were I paint whatever comes to me when I sit down to begin painting.  Other times, I have labored, thought and prayed through something so much that it just sort of HAS to come out in my artwork.  My husband is also an artist, so many times I’ll talk through a concept before I begin a piece of series of works.  

Regarding your process….. On the piece pictured, tell us how you put the color on. Is that oil paint or do you paint on encaustic with the mediums you make?

I make all my own colors by taking encaustic medium, and pigmented it with oil paint.  For this piece, I painted with my colors, and as a final touch, added bold lines with a big black permanent marker.  Sometimes I like to “cheat” by adding ink lines or black marker onto the final layer of my pieces.  

What type of supports do you use? Have you tried other supports and/or substrates and if so, how did they work for you?

 Mostly, I use masonite or hardwood panels.  I have tried working with canvas some, and more recently have begun experimenting with encaustics on rice paper, mounted on plexiglass.  

 What is your favorite technique and why?

 I really love incising and embedding.  I love finding little treasures around the house or looking through some books from an antique store to find quirky things to add to my paintings.  I also really love working with a blowtorch because it gives the layers a smooth, silky surface.

 Regarding your favorite technique…..can you give a brief explanation of what incising or embedding involves?

 Incising means actually digging and scraping into the wax.  I often take a sharp utensil and carve out lines and shapes.  Then with more paint, or with an oil stick, I will rub pigment into the incised lines to “fill” the little crevices I created.  With embedding, I take images, text or various buttons or little trinkets and lay them on my piece and add a layer of beeswax around it.  Adding clear medium on top will permanently set anything into the piece.

 Tell us a bit about your studio and the atmosphere when you create. Do you have a ritual or something you do before you begin or while you are creating?

 I almost always paint outside.  I have been lucky to have a great patio / porch space to work with.  As for rituals, I like to pray before, during and after my work.

Do you have a favorite artist? If so, who and what do you like about them?

Oh man!  This is a tough question.  I am always finding more encaustic artists that I love.  A few of my all-time favorites… Judith Kindler because she’s got such a great style that I really resonate with, and Scott Reilly because I love how he allows the wax to be illuminated from behind in his light paintings.

Do you have any advice for an artist that is just starting to use encaustic medium? 

Experiment, experiment, experiment!  No one can tell you how to truly work with this medium.  You’ll discover other techniques and additions as you go, and that’s the beauty of working with the wax.  It’s so diverse and it’s hard to get bored with it!

 Can you tell us a bit more about the tutorial for sale in your shop?

 The tutorial is an 18-page PDF document that lets people in on the process and a few techniques of encaustic painting.  I also share a list of where to get resources (like beeswax, panels, oil sticks, etc).  It’s a quick but thorough read for anyone interested in getting started.  But by far the best part is the last section where I interview 6 other encaustic artists.  Consequently, they are part of the BEE team and have been a great inspiration to me: Kbean, Charmfoundry, Tangledskystudio, Mimidoodles, Michelemaule, Lvhdesigns.  

How did you dream up the fantastic BEE team?

I’ve had some great discussions through convos on etsy with several of the BEE members and been so inspired by everyone on the site in general.  I thought creating a team would allow a better (and more organized) way for us to network and learn from each other.  Long live the BEE team!  :)

 

Shannon’s Etsy Store

Shannon’s Art Blog