My Alphabet Superset: The A to Z of Encaustic Monoprinting

As promised in my last post I want to give you the details on my next project.

Between now and the beginning of April, I will be following along with the Alphabet Superset project by artist Campbell Walker a.k.a Struthless. If you have yet to hear of this guy check him out. His YouTube channel is full of content about the mental game around productivity and creativity. I find him incredibly smart, entertaining, and inspiring. Also, he just happens to be an artist, YouTuber, author, podcaster, and a new dad. (Seriously, how does he do it?)

The Alphabet Superset is a structured creative challenge for any creator in any medium designed to "set your creativity on fire!" as Struthless says. The Aim of the project outwardly is to create a cohesive body of work. Inwardly the aim is to push past mental limits that stop one from reaching their potential. 

The challenge is to make something every week for 26 weeks (with 4 break weeks), around 26 topics of your choice, each starting with a different letter of the alphabet. While the topic changes weekly, everything else stays the same. Your medium, style, output size, and theme are fixed. Your topics, A to Z, are free.

“The more constraints one imposes, the more one frees one’s self.”

— Igor Stravinsky

Technically the project was announced and started a few weeks ago. However, due to time constraints, I was not able to start at that time. So for the next few weeks, I'll be playing catch-up. Then I will try to stay on pace with the project while attempting to find balance with all of my other business goals and parenting duties.

For my Alphabet Superset starting next week, I will explore the A to Z of encaustic monoprinting with mixed media. I'll work small (8 x 10) and aim to share at least one print for each letter of the alphabet on my Instagram account. (So if you want to follow along you have to jump over there to check it out!)

The goal of this project is the exploration through PLAY! I'll be experimenting and playing with mixed media through encaustic monoprinting. I'm interested in exploring what is possible (and the limitations) of this medium. 

So each week as I explore different topics and media there will be...

FAILURE!

😱

Yeah, like most artists, (hell, most people) I find that is a big scary word. But something we tend to forget as we get older is that failure comes hand-in-hand with learning. 

FAIL = First Attempt In Learning

So as I work through my ABCs of mixed media in monoprinting not everything I create will be gallery-worthy. Or as the kids these days say "Instaworthy". But my goal is to share the work, what I learn, and perhaps a bit of the process anyway. So don't judge my FAILs too harshly, another pretty post is just a scroll away. 😜

In a blink of an eye, 10 years

Holey Moley, it's been a minute!

Or 10 years to be exact! 😳

Yup, I've started my return to my work as an artist after a very long hiatus. 

As you may or may not know, I had stepped away from my career as an artist to spend my time being a stay-at-home mom. While I was at home focusing on my family I continued to practice my creative skills by exploring painting, printmaking, and taking art classes in my spare time. I have recently returned to my art career with interest in mixed media art, encaustic painting and monoprinting, and cyanotypes.

In fact, one of my first steps back to work was to participate in a local art exhibition. Last month I was one of over 100 local visual, literary, and performing artists to participate in the Momentum Festival presented by The Arts Commission in downtown Toledo.

For my exhibition at the Momentum Festival, I prepared and framed 26 pieces. Go big or go home, am I right? 😅

Half of my exhibition was encaustic monotypes, and the other half were cyanotypes. Here are a couple of my favorites.

Enchanted Winter Wreath 8x10 Cyanotype by Janelle Lorenzen

The Refuge 8x10 Encaustic Monotype by Janelle Lorenzen

So what's next?

Obviously, I'm working to revive my blog. I decided to keep the history of my blog from my work as a portrait and fine art photographer. It's part of my journey and got me to where I am. However, you will see that my interests and work have shifted and evolved. 

I'll be working on getting a website together and a shop open to sell my work online. 

I'm also starting on an exciting new body of work exploring encaustic mono-printing. Check back for my next post with details on that.

Artomatic 419!

This Saturday is the last day of Artomatic 419!

Artomatic 419! is one of the region's largest multimedia arts event. This year, Artomatic 419! will feature more than 500 visual, literary, and performing artists in a 50,000 square foot former warehouse space. Featuring two floors of stunning visual arts, a former CYO church filled with sculpture and installations, three stages of entertainment, and much, much more, Artomatic 419! is one of Toledo's most highly anticipated arts events of the year. The 2013 installment of Artomatic 419! will take place at 911 N. Summit Street in the former Metropolitan Distributing Building on April 13th, 20th & 27th from 11am to 11pm each Saturday. More than 500 visual, performing, and literary artists will participate, with more than 10,000 guests attending over the three weekends. Artomatic 419! is curated and presented by The Arts Commission.

This event will be the fourth Artomatic that I have participated in. In the past I have always shown fine art photography. However, this year I am showing a new exhibit of seven encaustic paintings. Encaustic is a new medium for me. I've been only just begun really learning about it in the last year. It's a exciting medium that is diverse and offers endless possibilities. The seven paintings that I am exhibiting this year are a collection of explorations of the medium.  Please join me in the "Orange Room" on Saturday to view my new work and learn more about encaustic painting.

Inked by Janelle Lorenzen - (12" x 12" Encaustic, India Ink, and Oil on Board)

Salon des Refuses Exhibit

Great news! This Friday is the opening reception for an exhibit that includes my first finished encaustic painting!

12" x 12" Encaustic Painting, Gnarled Tree by Janelle Lorenzen

The Salon des Refuses Show, a well loved Toledo tradition, is an exhibit for art denied by the Toledo Area Artists Exhibition, an annual show exhibited at the Toledo Museum of Art.

This year, I will have an encaustic painting on display at the Salon des Refuses Show at the Parkwood Gallery. Please come out and see my first painting in a medium that is all new to me! There will be food and drinks, and prizes given by the judges to exhibiting artists at the opening reception this Friday.





The Opening Reception is Friday, Aug. 26th 6-10 pm. The exhibit will be on display from August 29th thru September 23rd. Gallery hours: Monday thru Friday 8:30-4:30 pm. The Parkwood Gallery is located at 1838 Parkwood Ave. Toledo, Ohio.

Busy Bee!

A lot has been going on creatively for me. I've been a busy busy bee!




I have decided to reopen my portrait business after a long hiatus. In addition, I have updated my photography website, LorenzenStudios.com and the Lorenzen Studios Photography Blog. I have updated the look and added new work to the galleries in hopes of attracting new portrait clients.







I've also been working away on setting up my art studio in our spare bedroom. It's so wonderful to have my own space dedicated to my creative ventures. Once I have it all done I'll post photos of my new work space.




I have finished my very first encaustic painting! I'm very happy how it has turned out and it was a huge learning experience for me.







Also, I've been playing a lot in my art journal. Below is just one of my sketches from my current art journal.




I'll have more work to share soon!




Cheers!


~ Janelle ~

Update!

I know it has been a long time since I have posted here. I have had a lot of changes in my life since the last time I posted, so an update is long past due.

Last November I lost my day job. Since I became joyfully jobless I have had a lot of things going on in my personal life and as a result my portrait business was put on the back burner. After the holiday rush was over wedding planning started to take up a lot of my free time. With that came more life changes such as moving into our first home. Then, right in the midst of wedding planning, I experienced a great loss. My father passed away on March 23 2011, six weeks before our wedding. His unexpected death came to a great shock to our family and it was all we could do to get through the last weeks of wedding planning.
On May 7 2011, Aaron and I were married at Nazareth Hall in Grand Rapids, OH. The wedding was beautiful and we were lucky to have some good weather as the ceremony was outside.

Check out the beautiful photography by JP Photography.

(Photo by JP Photography)

Click here to check out the awesome wedding video trailer by Fairytale Productions.

Right after the wedding was over, Aaron and I headed to the Bahamas for our honeymoon. We lived like king and queen for a week while we relaxed at the beautiful Sandals resort at Emerald Bay. (Photos to come soon!)

Since getting back from the honeymoon I have been settling into married life. While still mourning my loss, I am slowly healing.

As for photography, I am officially open for business. I am accepting new clients and hoping to build up my portrait clientele. I have updated my website, LorenzenStudios.com. You will notice new portrait examples in the galleries. However, I have kept my low pricing in hopes to gain some business in this struggling economy.

In addition to working on my portrait photography I have been exploring encaustic painting and mixed media art. If you are interested in seeing this new art work check out my art blog, A Life In Progress.

Now that the site is updated and I'm open for business you can expect to see a lot more posts here. Check back often for new work!

~ Janelle ~