Making a Self Portrait

Let me make this clear this painting is not finished! It is very definitely a work in progress. The painting you see took just a few hours but the completed portrait may take awhile. All great artists have painted themselves Van Gough, Rembrandt, Frida Kahlo, etc. In my case I wanted to paint a beautiful witch for Halloween. I did not have a georgeous, sexy, real live model to work with. So I decided to use myself, the idea was to light my face from underneath which is not a very flattering light, although it is dramatic and witchy,

I wanted my face to look like it was bathed in candle light. The original idea was to have her wearing a witches hat and costume and standing in a graveyard, haunted mansion, or with runes on the wall, something spooky and intriguing. Since I was using myself as the model I was less willing to depict me as to witchy, weird or wicked. This marks the first time I have ever painted myself. What stopped me was telling myself things like I’m not beautiful enough, too old, or it's self centered and narcissistic. Of course at my age I could use a mini facelift but painting me and accepting me  and the way I am today; wrinkles, eye bags, grey hair, lumps etc. is a great way to practice compassion, acceptance and love for the person I am most critical of (me). Painting a self portrait is also a great meditation for really looking at oneself  objectively. Noticing all my flaws and assets and acknowledging exactly where I am in time. It all fits together like a puzzle, gray hair, frown lines, happy lines, green eyes, bags and bumps, separate and alone under my scrutiny my flaws are obvious, but as part of the whole my portrait is complete and perfect and still a work in progress. Here is my favorite affirmation...

I am at peace with my age for me it is always now.
I came to this planet to experience every age.
I am at peace with where I am at in time.
My future is Glorious.

Witches In Willow Wytchwood on Mile Marker 85.5 Parks Hwy. Alaska

     Here is the classy new Wytch Wood sign. I painted the sexy witch to resemble Rhonda.
It was sooo much fun to do I even had some interesting dreams about it.

     Where is Wytch Wood? As the Raven flies North along the Parks Highway looking for tasty road kill, Wytchwood is at mile-marker 85.5. Just off the highway is a quaint historical cabin which houses Wytch Wood a unique Herbal Shoppe and Art Emporium. This is the real deal! This little Shoppe reminds me of Salem but it is here in Alaska. So if you are a fradiy cat or have strong black and white views, are closed minded, or have an irrational fear of witches then just drive on past. On the other hand if you are open minded, adventurous, curious and in need of some love potion then definitely stop in for a visit.

   See art by local artisans, herbal remedies, incense, stock up on your altar items and much much more......... Get to know Rhonda the original Witch of Willow she is straight foreward and makes no excuses for her beliefs or her purple hair! Rhonda Gruber is an educated herbalist she carries the best quality herbs, tinctures, and remedies in the whole area and of course she now carries the art of Judy Vars. Here is the link to her web site for your adult needs opps I mean altar needs. http://www.wytchwoodak.com/

          I ignored the urge to go to Wytchwood for quite awhile but finally quit procrastinating and got a job out of the deal. I took her some of my darker art pieces which goes in her Art Emporium/Herbal Shoppe perfectly. I brought her Ghosty Girl, Babba Yagga, Witchy Woman, Pandora's Box, Silver Moon and a jewel box I made from cut glass in Costa Rica.
I am feeling a little witchey myself and Halloween is still 2 months away! It's a good excuse to dress slutty. LOL

Judy Vars and Rhonda Gruber

Halloween Carnival, Art, Burning Woman and Witches

 It's one more Halloween indulgence before I hang up my witches/gypsy costume for another year.


Yesterday was an exciting day I was the fortune teller at my grandsons Halloween Carnival the Midnight Sun there were kids lined up to hear their fortune told.



Afterward I went to Teresa Ascones Studio  http://www.alaskaberryfairies.com/  for the 2nd Annual Burning Woman Festival. Teresa invited me to show some of my encaustic pieces and talk about encaustic wax. The Burning Woman was conceived last year as an answer to many of us who have always wanted to see the Burning Man http://www.burningman.com/ but may not be able to attend and also to honor women who have died from breast cancer or survived breast cancer. It was very flattering to be asked and talk about my art. I met new women and some I already knew. We had a celebration in which called out names of women we know who had died of breast cancer and lit a huge Japanese lantern that should have flown straight up but instead went sideways and alarmingly too close to the trees . We all laughed and made jokes; "No officer we do not know what that was" as the headlines in the Frontiersman  reads Witches Coven uncovered in Meadow Lakes.

Into the Burning Woman effigy which was almost 12’ tall we added names, affirmations and sparklers to the lady and them lit her on fire. Sadly because of her heavy seaweed head she toppled over before it was totally engulfed in flames.

Later in the kitchen Teresa, Jana  http://www.articrosegallery.com/ Beth and me  talked, drank, ate and laughed, as I was among the last people to go to bed and then only because it was rude to keep the others up.
I wanted to add to the Salem Witch slide show I found on Facebook and again honor those souls who were hung as witches! Tomorrow I’ll lighten up, promise. Christmas is coming!!!!Then Costa Rica!!!!!

For Halloween Please Enjoy My Slideshow of the Salem Witch Memorial

October my thoughts turn spookey; thoughts of witches, gholls, ghosts, and all things macabe and scary
While I was as the Encaustic Conference I played hooky from one of the presentations and took the train from Beverly, Mass to Salem, Mass. While I was sorry that I missed it., I could not miss going to Salem! I visited the Peabody Museum http://www.pem.org/, a great place to visit, I also visited the Witch Museum watched a play and saw the dungeon where they kept over 300 people accused of witchcraft some cells only large enough to stand in, the water table is high so these cells would become flooded so disease rats came, the cruelty and ignorance of the Puritans is quite astounding http://www.salemwitchmuseum.com/.  I woonder if we can compare it to anything that goes on in our time 2010? still it is a strange page in our shared American history: Wikeppedia:  "The episode is one the most famous cases of mass hysteria, and has been used in political rhetoric and popular literature as a vivid cautionary tale about the dangers of isolationism, religious extremism, false accusations, lapses in due process, and governmental intrusion on individual liberties."
Salem, Mass. has a strong Witches community, some O the shops it a little Kitchey but fun! I did not have enough time to really get into the Salem scene but it looks like they have a ball (a witches ball).

This is my slide show of the Memorial next to the cemetary in Salem of the  19 Souls falsely accused of being witches and hung with the exception of  Giles Cory who refused to give into pressure and say he was a witch was pressed to death. Giles Corey endured the torture for two days. On the third day, Corey cursed the Sheriff and Salem, then promptly died. But he never entered a plea. He was eighty years old. Corey Giles was buried in an unmarked grave in Salem on Gallows Hill as ordered by the Judge.

The dog they hung is also not in this memorial the poor creature was accused of turning from a witch into a dog.

"If it be possible no more innocent blood be shed...I am clear of this sin" Mary Easty, hanged Sept. 22, 1692

Fourth annual Encaustic Painting Conference at Montserrat College of Art

Jasper Johns: Detail of Target with Four Faces, photographed in the exhibition, "Focus: Jasper Johns," at the Museum of Modern Art, New York City, 2008-2009
This is my first Encaustic conference and I am excited to be attending. Encaustic Wax enjoys an almost cult like following so I will be meeting the other wax followers in Boston! Since I have not traveled to the Northeast it's even more exciting. Beverly Mass is right next to Salem, Mass. you know where the witches live, old houses, ships and fishermen. I plan to see The House of the Seven Gables, a cemetery, museums, galleries, ships, mast heads - everything.

Besides presentations and lectures for three days I will also attend some more intensive post workshops; Miles Conrad an exhibiting artist and a gallery owner, he well understands what artists need to do to get their work into the world, information he shared in his talk, "Critical Feedback," to 10 artists who are serious about moving their work forward to the next level. THATS ME!
Another passion of mine is portrait painting in encaustic: Homage to Fayum with Francisco Benitez of Montreal is my other post workshop .

The conference is literally 84% full as of today but there is still time to attend if you hurry.
Last year I snoozed and didn't get in this year I'm getting all psyched up to go network, learn, play, yay!
Last night I got the best deal on airfare 501.00 RT Anchorage to Boston do I know how to get a good deal or what. I know I will suffer when flying coach, waiting for connections etc. but today I feel happy. Here's the link: http://montserratencausticconference.blogspot.com/2009/11/were-up-and-running.html

Happy Halloween!

Double, double toil and trouble;
Fire burn, and caldron bubble.
Oil Painting
16X20
320.00
Song of the Witches
by William Shakespeare

Double, double toil and trouble;
Fire burn and caldron bubble.
Fillet of a fenny snake,
In the caldron boil and bake;
Eye of newt and toe of frog,
Wool of bat and tongue of dog,
Adder's fork and blind-worm's sting,
Lizard's leg and howlet's wing,
For a charm of powerful trouble,
Like a hell-broth boil and bubble.

Double, double toil and trouble;
Fire burn and caldron bubble.
Cool it with a baboon's blood,
Then the charm is firm and good.

It's October! so it's Ravens, Witches and Poe all month long

Amorous Raven

Encaustic

6" X 6"

60.00

Witches - Baba Yaga

TITLE:Baba Yaga
ARTIST:Judy Vars
MEDIUM: Oil
PRICE: 195.00
SIZE: 20" X 16"
Framed With Old Barnwood
Baba Yaga
She is a Slavic ogress who voyages across the skies with Death, her companion. Sometimes she travels in a flying cauldron, sometimes in a mortar, with a pestle as a rudder, steering through the clouds, In her wake boil tempests, hurricanes, tornadoes. She steals children, and if they are particularly unlucky, she eats them.

Her home is a hut perched atop a giant chicken claw that hops continually; causing her house to twirl in the air, the picker fence around this curious dwelling is crowned with the skulls of children.

Parents warn their unruly progeny that she will come to take them if they don’t behave. She is thus a kind of Slavic bogey-person, but is also rumored that she controls inspiration and creativity-not unlike the White Goddess.

Witches by Erica Jong