Elise Wagner Studio News September 2024
Later this month, I will turn 58 and my energy is the best ever. I’ve really loved being in my 50s, they will go down in my life book as one of my very favorite decades. There is so much on the horizon for my new trip around the sun that I look forward to digging into. One in particular is a new series of large prints I’ve been meaning to get to over the last two years.
The wind down from Summer has now arrived and with it, a feeling of recharge and looking forward to cooler temps. I’m one of those oddballs who looks forward to stormy rainy days. Here in the Pacific Northwest, you can smell the rainy season coming into the air during September and October. There’s a certain motivation and set of rituals that the rainy season here brings. You can choose to be sad about the gray weather here or choose to see the beauty, colors, and comforts of home that beckon your inspiration. One of my favorite quotes that sits on my fridge is by Horace — “Rule your mind or it will rule you”. Everything in life and in creativity itself is a series of decisions and choices.
This summer in particular was packed with activity that I am still reeling from. Beginning with my June exhibition “Wonder Lands” at Imogen Gallery, followed by the Astoria Open Studios Tour, teaching workshops, producing instructional videos for Painting with Fire, preparing for the August Hoffman Center of the Arts show and talk and other PR-related activities and we threw in a garage sale for good measure in preparation for the studio build! See recap below.
All the activity of Summer, caused a certain late Summer limbo to set in so, I directed my energies to house projects choosing colors and preparing for some interior painting to further settle into our home. Decades of gallery exhibiting have provided me with the structure and motivation I need to stay on course with my creative drive and purpose.
Galleries provide a way to share the work and connect with the broader community. I was recently asked if I make my art to sell it. The answer to this for me is that when I am steeped in the making, selling the work is not in the forefront of my mind. Of course, sales definitely factor in, but the first priority is always to create substantive meaningful work that is relatable, comes from a genuine place, that emotes, makes the viewer think and is thoughtfully made with heart. If all those things check through and someone responds enough to buy the art, that is the icing on my art cake!
My birthday month always invites the energy to plan and gear up for the year ahead. I find that setting goals in my calendar keeps me on track. So, I scheduled another show with my gallery in Seattle, Frederick Holmes & Co. and it was game on once more! My next show will be in May 2025 along with my pal Marybeth Rothman.
Hoffman Center of the Arts Exhibition
The Interplay of Elements
Still recovering from my “Wonder Lands” exhibition in June at Imogen Gallery in Astoria, my August exhibition at the Hoffman Center of the Arts rounded out Summer in Manzanita, a quaint Oregon coastal destination just south of me.
"The Interplay of Elements” was my first ever ticketed talk and was well attended. I was so delighted to share in my process using examples of my materials and a powerpoint of work in the show as well as my newest work.
Something special happened at my talk. A collector of mine who had retired to the Oregon coast came bought this piece and also shared pictures of a few pieces of mine she purchased in 2007 on the walls of her coastal home. It was so fun to meet her and see my early work and where it gets to be.
Slideshow
My Final Appearance in the Painting with Fire Masterclass
Late last month, my studio manager, Ren and I completed filming “Wax Emboss: Using Fiber and Textiles with Encaustic” as part of 2024/2025 Painting with Fire Online Encaustic Masterclass organized by Essence of Mulranny in County Mayo, Ireland. In the video, I share my techniques for using fibers and fabrics to create textures and wax as a jumping-off point for composition.
This will be my final year participating in Painting with Fire, but the good news is you can subscribe to the Painting with Fire Masterclass anytime for $289. All the online encaustic painting lessons you’ll ever need from 27 instructors with lifetime access. If you plan to subscribe to the program, be sure to use my affiliate link through the button below.
Video excerpt from Painting with Fire Elise Wagner's Wax Emboss: Using Fiber and Textiles with Encaustic
Our House
One of the great things that happened during the Astoria Open Studios Tour was a visit from a board member of the Lower Columbia Preservation Society Sean Molloy. Sean took a special interest in our house, designated by the City of Astoria as a Historic Landmark. He followed up with an email that contained a tax assesor report along with links to fire insurance maps of our property here in Astoria. As I embark on submitting a variance from the city to build a studio onto the existing garage, the information he provided was invaluable in supporting the goal. Not only did the report indicate that our house was built in 1896 (not 1923) and is a Queen Anne Cottage but, that a separate dwelling existed where the garage currently sits!
Stay tuned for updates on my studio build project! You can help by considering becoming a Member on my website—for as little as $5/mo you’ll get FREE access to my ever-growing video library, and help support the creation of my new workspace.
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