Hustle

Years ago, before my beloved art friend moved to Hawaii (see Constant State), we took a trip to Hunterdon Art Museum in Clinton, NJ to see a fibers show. I vividly recall being impressed not only by the exhibition itself but also by the museum's historic building. Originally constructed as a mill in 1763, this structure played a crucial role in grinding wheat for General George Washington's revolutionary army during its encampment in Morristown. In 1953, the mill was transformed into an art museum, preserving its rich history while serving as a cultural hub in Hunterdon County.

The structure exudes a sense of history and comfort. Its galleries are intimate, saturated with abundant natural light streaming in through numerous windows. That fibers exhibition felt oddly familiar, like coming home. I resonated with the artists and their creative hustle. I sensed that this was a space where my work belonged too.

13 years and 2 kids later, that intuition has become a reality. After a lot of dedication to my practice and my own creative hustle, my artwork is part of the 2023 Juried Members Exhibition at Hunterdon Art Museum.

Shoutout to my niece, Margot, and my brother and sister-in-law for sharing a picture of the banner outside the museum on opening weekend. This image overwhelmed me with immense pride and cuteness overload, of course! The clip below is an explanation of the work included in the show and how it relates to my creative journey over the past two years.

If you are in the area, I highly recommend checking out the space and show between now and January 7, 2024.

100%

I am emerging from the wonders of summertime, packing away the sunscreen and towels, and prepping my classroom for my 21st year of teaching high school art and art history. This transition is always difficult for me (enter eye roll here if you don’t have a summer break).

While I am grateful to be able to work with young artists everyday, the demands of teaching often slow down my own creativity. Like all things, this is something that I’ve managed to accept and find balance in. Over the past several summers, I have settled into the rhythm of working intensely on my own practice, and giving myself some grace over the school year. It is so important for me to recognize that I can not give 100% to all of the things all of the time. I was in 100% Art Making Mode this summer and I had the opportunity to work on a very special commission.

My dear friends, Liisi and Walter Lascarro, built a beautiful home in our neighborhood several years ago. It is classic and cozy and tucked in the trees on a hill. I was so excited to gift them a work inspired by the Denville Farmer’s Market when they first moved in, honoring Liisi as the founder. Several years ago, I was delighted to add to their Engfer Pizza collection when I created a print of their home that sits in the nook over their piano.

Every time we sit around their large kitchen island at the many gatherings they host, Liisi tells me about how she needs to find something to hang on the blank wall in her dining room. For years, I’ve suggested a giant mirror and she always shoots me down and says it needs to be artwork. As someone who hangs pictures on a wall the day I move in, I can appreciate her patience in finding the right piece to fill the space.

When I was driving home from Vermont in June, flying high from a week of abundant creativity, it occurred to me that my passion for abstracting the landscape might be exactly what Liisi and Walter’s blank wall needs. I suggested using our lake landscape as inspiration for an artwork and they were immediately on board. We agreed to collaborate on the work and all came to the kitchen island with ideas and suggestions. From this, I drafted ideas and thumbnails.

I knew that Liisi and Walter had a collection of large coffee bean bags from the Denville Farmer’s Market. I suggested incorporating these into the work as a wink and a nod. When I started sorting and cutting up the bags I came across two magical words: 100% and Family. I was thrilled to discover this and incorporate it into the work.

Installation Day! Shout out to Pete Pizza for always fully supporting my endeavors.

100% Family Acrylic and Collage on Canvas 48” x 36” Diptych 2023

I am so grateful to have a community of people who encourage and motivate my work. Making art is often a difficult and vulnerable endeavor, but my heart drives me to do it anyway. It helps to know that my appreciation for the lake landscape can be shared with others. Thank you to Liisi and Walter for supporting a local artist.

If you are interested in collaborating on a house or landscape commission for you home, let’s chat!

Wishing Hoping Thinking

Coming back from Vermont with a dedication to my work is no small task. Artmaking is a little different when you’re not purely focused on it in the mountains of Vermont. I started my return to reality with a walk to our favorite dock for drawing with my daughter and dog. My intention is to translate what I practiced in the Vermont landscape to my home landscape

Growing up in a lake community in New Jersey was a magical experience. I was always awestruck by the lake landscape - deep blue and green waters, rolling mountains in the distance, with exciting skies that evolve in extraordinary ways throughout the day. As an adult, I planted roots in another lake community so my children could grow up in similar surroundings. Drawing together allowed me to explain how transformative my trip to Vermont was and how it encouraged me to see the landscape in a new way. By returning to the basics of contour and blind drawing, I am able to capture what the landscape feels like.

The past few weeks I have been able to carve out several hours of studio time a day. The summer is the most realistic time for me to do this, so I need to take advantage of it! I recently completed my first set of paintings since returning home - Wishing, Hoping, and Thinking.

Wishing 10” x 10” Encaustic and Collage on Wood 2023

Hoping 10” x 10” Encaustic and Collage on Wood 2023

Thinking 10” x 10” Encaustic and Collage on Wood 2023

These three paintings are meant to be shown together as one work, also known as a triptych. I often work this way. It allows me to tell a visual story, returning to my roots in bookmaking.

Wishing Hoping Thinking 31” x 10” Encaustic and Collage on Wood 2023

The NJ waters and mountains provide peace, solitude, and rejuvenation to their inhabitants. I am translating the landscape through edges and color with a focus on shapes and values. These three abstracted encaustic panels move the viewer with the water and through the trees and mountains. I hope you enjoy the journey.

Unforgettable Fire

Another year down and I am transformed. Breaking down the studio and packing up new work feels like an ending and a beginning. I have so much inspiration to process and take home to my studio. My biggest takeaway from this week is how important it is to return to the basics - in art and in everything else.

Shapes and community.

Color and farm fresh food.

Value and values.

Thank you to Lorraine Glessner and Kelly Milukas and to all the beautiful women who I worked (and laughed!) with this week. After a thoughtful showcase of our work, I said goodbye to Peter, the resident farm cat who attended all workshops this week. I stocked up on Vermont syrup, said farewell to many lovely ladies, and hit the road.

I didn’t buy THAT much syrup but was delighted by the image of a shopping cart full of it!

The entire ride home, I couldn’t help but see the landscape as shapes and shadows and can’t wait to use wax and fire to depict them.

Leap

This week, I was surrounded by supportive teachers, delightful classmates, and breathtaking nature. This trifecta environment allowed me to leap forward in my work and my confidence. I am so grateful to be supported in all aspects of my life so that I can find these small pockets of time to purely focus on art making.

We observed the river for quite a while today - its shapes and the way it moves.

We looked closely at the rocks and documented how the water moves around them. They are the constant and the water will always ebb and flow to get where it needs to. So many opportunities for metaphor here - in life and in work - and more specifically the commitment it takes to be an artist with a regular practice.

River Studies. The left side is an abstracted observation of the river itself. On the right side are patterns created to mimic the sounds of the river and nature.

We were given a lot of time this afternoon to work independently and dive deep into our practice. I can’t help but be prolific here. It’s easy for me to be in the zone with zero distractions and materials at my fingertips.

It’s the dedication to the work when I return to reality that matters now. I am ready to take on this challenge and leap into summer!

Crush Beauty

Today started with another rigorous morning of seeing and drawing exercises. This kind of study takes intense focus and isn’t fun. Understanding and practicing how to translate the world onto a surface is hard work. But this foundation sets the stage for the freedom to play later.

Yes - that is a giant pencil that we had to draw with - holding it like a toddler with our non-dominant hand.

I have always thought about light in my work in the sense of the lightest lights and darkest darks. I believe this is an important guideline and I teach it to my students too. But these past few days of getting back to the basics of value- especially value in terms of color- have completely shifted how I will approach light in the future.

The afternoon was time for another extremely important reminder… that you can make any color in the world with a set of THREE primary colors (Red, Blue, and Yellow). And from that phenomenon, you can then create an infinite amount of tints using white. As a new encaustic painter (about 15 months), it had never occurred to me to start with the primaries. Instead, I was mixing from colors that a manufacturer created. How boring! And yet, another reminder of why returning to the basics is so important!

This revelation allowed me to be much more confident and free when working with encaustic and I was a painting machine today. I worked up quite an appetite from all the rigor and play and was delighted to find word magnets at the restaurant while waiting for dinner. These will always make me think of college and also my favorite ninja poet, Maya Stein.

Why do I NOT own word magnets!? It was a good set too!

Crush Beauty by Erica Engfer Pizza

I’m the best kind of exhausted by crushing beauty today. I might swim badly tomorrow (stay tuned). And I definitely enjoyed these views walking out of the studio and up to my room.

Good night.

Back to Basics

Everything is so simple here. The meals are impossibly fresh and sourced from the farm on site. The rooms are uncomplicated and cozy. I wake up, eat breakfast, and make art. Eat lunch, make art. Eat dinner, make art. Sleep and repeat.

Today’s workshop was so simple yet challenging and rigorous. Our instructors brought us back to the foundations of artmaking and we practiced exercises I hadn’t done in 20 years. It was refreshing to strip everything back and start from the beginning again… to really make yourself see what’s in front of you. To find the line, the shape, and the value. To draw for the sake of drawing. To be open to possibilities and new visual languages.

Tomorrow our value studies will transform into upside-down color. I’m not exactly sure what that means but I am here for it and excited to find out!

Constant State

I planned to write about how thrilled I am to be back in Vermont because my memory does not disappoint… This place is truly magical! But when I opened my journal to start writing, a blank postcard fell out and it immediately made me think of my grad school art friend, Jamie R Allen.

I have several “art friends.” These are people who I value for being amazing humans in general but the bonus is that when they are in town, I know an art adventure is certain. One of these friends moved to Hawaii about 13 years ago and works there as a successful fine artist. We always plan an art adventure when she is home and over time, we also became ART pen pals.

Every few months, we connect through the mail. We send each other mini artworks, postcards from a good show we’ve seen, and other little surprises (stickers, articles, cool leaves, etc). The best days are when I check the mail and come across a gem from Hawaii. Artists are collectors and it’s a beautiful thing to share some of the things you come across.

Creativity is a constant state of being for me. I am always mentally and physically collecting visuals, materials, and ideas. If you see me staring off into the distance, I am probably thinking about how I can turn an idea into artwork OR… I’m thinking about what time I need to feed my kids dinner so they can make it to their activities on time!

Speaking of, my son asked me this morning why I need to go all the way to Vermont to make art. Valid question, kid. I explained that it is important for artists to have time to only focus on their art without other distractions. Mom guilt aside, I hope to be setting an example of what it means to follow your passion.

Here’s to an important week of transforming my collections into visual expressions (Jamie’s postcard included).

Imposter Syndrome

For me, making art is a necessity for survival, like drinking water or getting enough sleep. When I’m not creating or at least thinking about creating, I am lost. As a certified introvert, I best express myself through visual art. When I am in the middle of making a new work, I am in the zone during the pockets of time I am able to carve out for complete immersion into making. Please note “pockets of time.” As a mother of young kids, a high school art teacher, and a leader of my local, this takes planning and a lot of support and understanding from my husband.

For someone who makes creating and showing work a priority, it’s funny how little confidence I have in what I make and put out into the world. It’s a classic creative problem, right? Always feeling like an imposter - not as original or experienced as everyone else in the room.

Being accepted into the NJ Arts Annual this year was a big boost for me. 100 artists (out of 800) applicants were chosen for the exhibit this year. The theme Mother Nature vs Human Nature resonated with me and a concept for this work emerged quickly.

My work, Other Nature, examines the human inclination to settle in areas that Mother Nature never intended for human inhabitants. 130 monoprinted houses translate to cascading rain or a cyclone from a distance and will respond to human movement with gentle swaying and rotation. The stoneware vessel is literally made from earth and the cracked edge conjures the dichotomy of beauty and destruction.

Other Nature 2022 detail

Here’s to less doubt and more confidence in what I put out into the world.

Forever

In light of recent events, I’ve been coming back to this work again in my mind.

Forever 2022 Encaustic and Collage on Paper

When I returned from my Vermont Retreat this summer, I knew exactly how I was going to incorporate encaustic into my work. Forever was a part of the show Pages at Studio Montclair in Fall 2022. I was thrilled to be a part of this exhibit because I have great respect for the curator, Pam Cooper, and showing work with other bookmakers felt like coming home. I was first introduced to bookmaking during my undergraduate studies and immediately fell in love.

We were asked to create an audio file to supplement the work in the show. Below, I describe the work and subject matter in detail.

Visual Language

I am the best kind of exhausted. Over this week I have learned a brand new media, been completely uncomfortable trying something new, and spent time with only strangers (who I would now call artist friends). I opened my website and artwork up for critique to two artists who I highly respect and look forward to using their feedback to better myself and my visual presence. I am inspired and motivated to get home and get to business (after lots of family snuggles, of course). If only I could bring the inn cooks and view home with me!

The catalyst for this trip was to to reignite my spark for creating. I communicate through art and had lost my visual language. This week reminded me how to speak that language in old and new ways. Being able to monoprint with wax - painting on a surface and transferring the image onto paper - is bringing my past practice into a new practice. I pulled dozens of sheets over the past few days in preparation for my next work. Stay tuned..

Tomorrow morning is for finishing up our works, a group critique, and fond farewells. In a lot of ways, this week is the beginning of the next adventure.

Arranging and Playing

Today was for cutting out imagery and to arrange and play with collage. These collages will be embedded inside of encaustic - a molten wax that can be applied to the surface and fused together layer by layer.

Collaging is my jam. I love collecting and cutting and arranging. There is something so cathartic about the process and the fun of the final product- the surreal little stories you can tell while playing with scale and space. There is so much potential to combine this with encaustic. One problem though… I’ve never really used encaustic and have no idea what I’m doing.

If you know me (if you’re reading this, you probably do), you know that I can be, let’s say, particular. I hold high expectations for myself and the people around me. While I have worked for many years on letting go, trying something brand spanking new in art feels insane. How can I be amazing at something if I have no idea what I’m doing?

Thankfully, my instructors are fantastic at breaking down the technicality of encaustic while encouraging me to find ways to connect it to my artistic style. As a teacher, i value proper instruction and encouragement (see previous paragraph) and am so grateful to have these talented women guiding me. Lorraine and Leah’s guidance allowed me to let go and just play. I still don’t really know what I’m doing but I do know that I’m having fun doing it.

Below are some panels that I worked on today. I’m not sure if they are finished or works in progress. That’s the beauty of encaustic- You can layer until the cows come home (or pigs and chickens if we’re talking about this particular farm) and choose to hide/reveal whatever is beneath it.

I am embracing the fact that I am truly not sure yet. Now that I have a better understanding of this new medium, I am really excited to see what tomorrow brings.

Oh! You guys! I met a local celebrity! The granddog of Hercules from Sandlot. This is a BIG deal in my house. Say hello to the giant and gentle, Phoebe.

Prominent Place

Last night’s writing prompt was to write for 10 minutes straight about a prominent place in your life identifying all senses. The intention was to prepare for today’s photo shoot.

When asked to think of a prominent place, mine is not necessarily a specific location but a specific element - water. Primarily lakes but I am open to seas as well (they can do the trick in a pinch). But the thing about a lake is the calmness of the water, the beauty of its stillness - small ripples or sometimes “glass” - as my waterskiing friends like to call it.

The more I know myself, the more I know how the water calls to me and asks me to take notice. One of my favorite things to look at is when the sun casts sparkles on the lake outside my living room window. I take every chance I get to make the rest of my family appreciate it too. That’s usually an early morning phenomenon. Or how about when the sun sets over the lake and all of its deep greens and blues are brought to life?

How about its ability to bring relief to every part it touches - little by little - or all in one giant splash? Not to mention, the weightlessness of floating, gently rocking from side to side. The water making space and cradling you at the same time.

And that earthy smell- somewhere between mud and rain and trees and fish.

I have been a swimmer all my life and there is true accomplishment in the triumph of swimming across the lake. Maybe I’m not the fastest to cross but who cares? I did it! Again and again! So disappointed to miss that opportunity this year. But I’ll be back.

The first part of the shoot was to walk the grounds of the farm to collect imagery that we will later use and print for encaustic collage. I feel right at home photographing nature and hobbled through.

The second part was to photograph a female model in nature. She was lovely and had amazing costumes that we could dress her in and direct her how to pose. This is not my element. I wanted to feel inspired but I had a hard time wrapping my head around why I would take pictures of a girl who I don’t know and share no connection with. I sheepishly mentioned to another student that maybe I’d ask someone to take photos of me since, well, I know me and certainly share a connection with me. And instead of a costume, I could wear my Grandmother’s house coat that I currently use as a smock.

She said, “I’ll do it! Who gives a $#I#” - and we were off!

Road Cherries

Today I arrived in Vermont for an artist retreat. In preparation for an individual critique with my instructors, I knew I needed to dust off this site. That’s the whole purpose of this trip, actually.. to dust off my artwork. It’s pretty telling that my last blog post is from from 3/20/20. As an art teacher, the last two and a half years have taken a lot out of me. In doing everything I could to keep my students engaged and keep my own children on track in this new landscape, I lost my spark to create. My intention for this week is to dig deep and get it back.

On my solitary drive up here, I chuckled to a David Sedaris audiobook, rocked out to an entire DMB concert (who ever has time for THAT!?), and couldn’t resist stopping at a charming farmstand on the border of NY and VT. When I texted a friend who coined my snack “Road Cherries,” I knew I was heading in the right direction. Stay tuned…

We Consume, We Become

We Consume, We Become.

Collage and Colored Pencil on Paper

Time has slowed down these past few days.

I am more present with my children, my husband, and my surroundings. It’s funny how something so scary can, in a way, be a path towards peace.

For now.

Less news and more walks.

Slow Down for the Itsy Bitsy

When the magical Amy and Maya of The Creativity Caravan shared that they would have a dollhouse open for artist residencies, I immediately jumped at the chance. The experience of a dollhouse is something that resonates with my core. Something about handling and moving tiny delicate furniture and accessories is so satisfying. As a child who constantly moved the layout of the furniture in her room, a dollhouse provided a much easier way to achieve perfect feng shui!

I knew that the SCAD Art Educator Forum in Savannah would allow me the time and the headspace to find my inspiration for teeny tiny works of art. A full week immersed in an art school, sleeping in a dorm room and eating in a dining hall, allowed me to purely focus on creating and making. I must also mention the extreme heat and humidity in this lovely little city. With a heat index of 110 degrees every day, I had no choice but to move slowly and intentionally. This pace allowed me to take in everything that surrounded me and I was overwhelmed by Savannah’s natural and architectural beauty. The week revolved around absorbing, drawing, collecting, and drawing some more.

I documented my experiences through playing with pen, watercolor, and collage. Something about the work being itsy bitsy felt like I was capturing memories in a capsule that can now be intimately shared with others.

I truly can’t think of a more perfect place to share my tiny work than in my hometown of Denville, NJ. The Denville Farmers’ Market and The Denville Library are graciously hosting the dollhouse with my tiny work inside. I encourage everyone to take some time to SLOW DOWN this summer and take in what surrounds you. In our fast paced lives of so much doing and not enough BEING, my itsy-bitsy work celebrates slowing down, taking it all in, and finding beauty in the everyday.

Do What Ignites Your Soul

Calling all Mommas! Do what ignites your soul. Being creative and allowing my artistic voice to shine makes me a better mom. For a few minutes a day, the world revolves around me and my making.  My children have learned to respect this time (even if it's only ten minutes) and understand that it's a part of my day like doing laundry or making dinner.

Our worlds are so easily consumed by motherhood. We are baby making superwomen and are expected to excel in every aspect of our lives. We juggle and strive for “balance.” In our quest for getting it all done (rearing children, advancing career, doing laundry, making dinner, carpooling etc), we often drop the most important ball… the one that pertains to us.

We need to be bold and dare I say it… be selfish! We are entitled to do the things that we are passionate about. Go find your thing and get it, do it, make it! You owe it to your soul.

When in Doubt, Show Gratitude

After undergoing my second hip surgery in the last eighteen months, I was a little more prepared for recovery this time around. Knowing I’d be out of work (teaching high school art) and rehabbing for a month, I stocked up on good book, movie, and series recommendations (thank goodness for Netflix and Amazon Prime). I am not someone who does well with sitting still… just the IDEA of not being in motion makes me anxious. After 2 weeks, 4 books, countless magazines and infinite hours of TV, I began to go stir crazy.

Spiraling into boredom, loneliness, and generally feeling bad for myself, I needed to snap out of it! As I sat and stewed in pity and a little bit of loneliness, I found some space for gratitude. I started to think about all of the thank you cards I wanted to write. I was overwhelmed by the generosity of my family and friends post-surgery. Let’s start with my Mom and Mother-in-Law staying with me and tending to my needs that first week (it is very humbling when you can’t even put your own socks on) and helping out with my two young children. My husband deserves a Man-of-the-Year-Award for patiently enduring another recovery period while taking on mom duties. To the countless friends and family members who drove my kids around, made dinner, sent me cards, brought me beautiful flowers, and came to visit… I am so grateful for and humbled by your generosity.

A handmade card from my colleague with all of my students' notes inside.

While making a list of the people I wanted to write cards to, I realized what was missing from my life while being bound to my house… making and creating! Since my studio is in the basement and I only had access to scissors and my kids' glue, I started to cut up all of the magazines I finished reading.

I used these cutouts to collage little artworks for everyone who helped me out in some way.

What I learned is that gratitude is the best remedy for feeling stagnant and lonely.

The Rifle Series: Tinkering

I, along with the majority of the country, feel devastated and helpless about the recent slew of mass shootings. Sadness and fear swirl through my mind every day and my recent visual response is, ironically, to make a lot of guns. I want to turn something heavy and made of metal into something delicate and made of paper. But even when trying to disguise and transcend the object, its cause for discomfort and uncertainty shines through. 

First Curated Show: Waking in Winter

This show is a collaboration of artists who I respect and admire. We were all inspired by the same excerpt from Christophe Andre's Looking at Mindfulness:

"It’s now, right now. In a little while it will be something else-- the magpie will have flown away, the sun will be higher in the sky, the shadow of the hedge will have retreated. It won’t be better, or not as good, it will just be different. So now is the time to stop walking, feel the cold air fill our nostrils, listen to all the muffled sounds and admire the extraordinary light of the sun and snow. We must stay here as long as we can, not waiting for anything in particular-- quite the opposite! Just stay here, doing our best to perceive the countless riches of this moment: the clumps of snow that fall from the trees with a tiny, soft thud; the blue-white shadow of the hedge; the small movements of a magpie seeking a little warmth in the sun. Everything is perfect. Nothing more is needed for this moment to feel complete."

It's so incredible to see how 8 entirely different artists interpret one concept. I am so thankful to everyone who participated and thrilled with the success of the show, excellent feedback, and 5 works sold!! Thank you to all of the participating artists. I am humbled by your talent and grateful for your participation and support:

Rachel Therres
Eileen Foti
Rachael Krehel
Andriana Levytsky
Kerri Pero
Peter Pizza
Laura Rizzo