Encaustic Experimentation

I took a class in Encaustics at Mystic Paper, a scrapbooking store in Mesa, and here is my finished project. We started with bare wood (a cheap 99 cent unfinished wood board from Walmart), put a light coating of encaustic (which in this case was plain melted beeswax) over the board with a paint brush and then added a transparency of the lady on the left. We then put on another layer of wax before adding the harlequin style stamping. the Paris and the crown are also transparencies that we put on as additional layers with the wax covering the images. On the lower right, you can see a heavier layer of the wax put on through punchinella (also known as sequin waste). Another relayer of the melted wax and then Pearl-Ex in a gold color has been brushed on the surface. Pearl Ex is the final topcoat and then once the piece has dried, you can buff with pantyhose to bring out the sheen.

www.mysticpaper.com

Grand Canyon Revisited

Another weekend at the Canyon. Beautiful Fall weather for photography and for walking the trails. What could be more peaceful or inspiring? First, lunch at El Tovar, the gourmet dining room, and next standing out in the air and admiring the strength and the stability of the ageless rocky formations... simply breathtaking.


Recovering from my heart event, I wasn't able to do the stairs to the top of the 70' structure called the Desert View Watchtower, but I did get hubby to go up and take a photo for me as I rested on a nearby picnic table. This photo from the upper ceilng inside was amazing. It's located on the South Rim. I'll need to go back and see it myself. I'm a fool for petroglyph-style decorations. Meanwhile, I'll have to do a small quilt about it and share it with all of you. It begs for quilting and with spoonflower.com, I can use this actual photo.

Meteor Crater Trip

We took a weekend excursion to see Meteor Crater, the site of the meteor crash near Flagstaff, AZ. Can you imagine that 20 football games can take place at the same time on the floor of the crater? Did you know that NASA has used this site as a training ground for their Apollo program? Meteor Crate is the first proven and best preserved impact site on Earth and has been designated a Natural Landmark by the Department of the Interior. It's like standing on the edge of the world peering at history. A worthwhile trip, I must say.  www.meteorcrater.com

Mixed Media Birthday Gift

Today is my birthday and I was presented with this stunning imagery piece created by my very creative friend, Ingrid.

Musical Instrument Museum

The Musical Instrument Museum provides an opportunity to learn about the music and musical instruments of many different cultures across the world. One of the brightest spots is The Experience Gallery, where visitors of all ages get to play many of the types of instruments on display elsewhere in the museum. The Artist Gallery is also a visual treat where photographs and memorabilia from world-renowned musicians are available for viewing. Also of note is the Cafe with it's own chef and staff who offer extraordinary global culinary delights and international and child-friendly options. The gift shop offers a wide variety of musical opportunities. A thumb piano similar to this board piano went home with me for met granddaughter, Zoe. It was wonderful to be surrounded by music in its many forms for the afternoon. I highly recommend  spending time at the Musical Instrument Museum in Scottsdale.  www.theMIM.org