Encaustic ART Exhibit...

I just dropped off a collection of Encaustic pieces at The Summer Island Studio & Gallery. I am the featured Artist for the month of April. This is a fun gallery with an interesting collection of Art, Jewelry and Sculptures.The owner Patti Baker is a talented Jeweler and has a great eye for curating her store.

This is a gallery worth checking out. The Gallery is located at 149 Maine St. (The Tontine Mall) Brunswick, Maine.

Encaustic Bird Paintings...

These are two of my newest Encaustic paintings. They will be featured in an ART Exhibit at Summer Island Studio Gallery in Brunswick, Maine. My work will be featured the month of April.
Royal Terns are common on the Florida Gulf coast shoreline.
I photograph them on the sandy shore, then study the photos in my Maine ARTstudio.
A Pair of Royal Terns, Encaustic, Graphite and Oil Pigments on Birchboard. 8x24 500.00.

Crows, observed in my Birch tree outside my studio window.
Crows in the Snow,  Encaustic & Pigments on Cradled Birchboard. 8x24 500.00

Encaustic Crows and Feathers...

I have been busy in the new studio. My "Encaustic Bay" work space is delightful to work in. Lately I have been working on a series of Flight feathers.

I am experimenting with Graphite dust, and how it melts and interacts with the Encaustic medium. The effect is smokey and surreal all at the same time.
I have been studying the flight feathers of Pelicans and a series of paintings has emerged.
One night there was an epic style storm, the sea was wild, these feathers washed up on the shoreline, from the Pelican nesting sites on many of the Mangrove Islands that dot the North Eastern most tip of the Everglades.

kdb-ART Laboratory & Studio

The new kdb-ART "Studio/Laboratory" has been an ongoing project for many months. How exciting to have different areas for Encaustic, Painting & Assemblage. The Studio will be ready for the exploration and creation of Encaustic, Paint and Assemblage Art very soon. YAY.

Note the use of old church doors as the balustrade for the stairwell.

This Birch Tree will provide the perfect place to keep my nests for further study.

The antique windows create a visual wall for the client area, yet allow the light to reach into the north side of the studio.

Mirrors allows the light to bounce around and make the space feel like an Aerie. The studio looks out from the third floor, through the treetops and out to the river in the distance. It feels like an Eagles Aerie.

The client area is located in the sunny south facing area of the studio. Great light and views. A big special thanks to Greg Simard our very creative builder and Neil Shankman, my partner and great supporter of the arts.

Topshelf Event...

This Seaweed shelf was created for an event at the Maine Discovery Museum in Bangor. "Topshelf", is a fundraising event featuring many Artistic interpretations of a pine shelf that the committee gave to each of us to "paint" as we see fit. I thought seaweed and shells would be appropriate for Maine, we have over 4000 miles of coastline and a whole lot of seaweed. I mounted Rice paper on the Pine surface and then used Acrylic paint for the Seaweed and background. It was fun to attach the gastropods on the edge of the shelf and give them a light coat paint creating a golden glow. Mmmm. I was tempted to keep this little beauty. If you would like to check out the Auction and see all of the other Artist's work, log onto the Maine Discovery Museum. You will not be disappointed.

Avian Box of Curiosities

As an Artist I like to use many mediums. Recently I gathered up a stack of antique and vintage wooden boxes, some embellishments a few scientific items, eggs and nests.
I am a longtime fan of Joseph Cornell who was an amazing Assemblage Artist in his time. He typically incorporated whimsey, science and natural materials to create his very cool masterpieces.

So with Joseph Cornell and a world of birds as my muse, I created this Avian Box of Curiosities. Some of the materials are natural, others are man-made. It is always fun thinking of how to fit various boxes into a cohesive whole and then the challenging but fun process of what to do with the negative space.

Most of the materials used for the box are antique and vintage. I attached all of the boxes and small drawers together and added a scroll and some trim pieces. Painting them all white unified the pieces making it seem like it was always a whole unit. Painting the box white was a nod to assemblage artist Louise Nevelson, a famous NYC Assemblage Artist who grew up in Maine.

It is always a joy to display eggs & nests in a creative manner.

The egg being held by an antique draftsman's caliper is one of my favorite moments in this piece.
I find a pattern emerging in my assemblage pieces, a large magnifying glass. This seems to be a signature that I regularly incorporate into my assemblage pieces.

I like the interactive quality that a magnifier brings to a small object and it allows the viewer to participate in the piece.

Look closely, notice a large Shell with a nest, 2 Eggs as drop finials at the top of the piece or the Araucana Egg used as a vase for a feather.

Fun, Scientific and somewhat entertaining, a Curious Birdie World!

Drawn From Nature Art Show...

I have been working very hard to create pieces for this very special show.  You will see some new kdb Encaustic paintings Assemblage, and Acrylic paintings.

The other artists in the show are Nancy Keenan Barron a painter and Allen Ponziani a sculptor. Chocolate Church Center for the Arts, Art Gallery is hosting this show. This show will be featured through October 30th.
The big opening is Friday, September 16th, 5-7pm.
I would welcome a visit, stop by if you have a moment.
If you miss the opening, the gallery hours

can be found at the Chocolate Church website.
If you would like to keep current on all of the shows and openings for kdb-art you can "like" on Facebook.

See you Friday.