Vignettes of My Yard

The Midnight Sun

All this light makes me manic and an insomniac, when it's dark and cold I want to hibernate like a bear but when the days reach 65 degrees and the sun does not set until 11:15 pm, I cannot just go to bed and go to sleep, I am wide awake like an owl reading, watching a movie, looking at the lake and listening to the night sounds of the swans, loons and other denizens of Beverly Lake.

I am becoming obsessed with the light at midnight. So I grabbed my artist friend Sharen AK Harris http://sharenakharris.com/about.html we took a late night drive to the Matanuska River to sketch the scene and study the light. Isn't it beautiful? The scene is defused with blues and the light reflects from within just like a precious gem. It is quite otherworldly like some in between world. I want to paint this scene but need to capture the drama and special light of Alaska's Midnight Sun.

by: Robert Service

There are strange things done in the midnight sun
By the men who moil for gold;
The Arctic trails have their secret tales
That would make your blood run cold;
The Northern Lights have seen queer sights,
But the queerest they ever did see
Was that night on the marge of Lake Lebarge
I cremated Sam McGee.

The Beeswax Connection

My encaustic medium beeswax is always an adventure to get. The health food store carried beeswax for making beauty products and such but it is very expensive 15.00 per pound. A pound equals about one encaustic painting. Each painting is one-of-a-kind and made even more special because of the beeswax.

My connection for wax, "Joe" in Eagle River, Alaska was not returning my repeated calls, I don't know what's up with that. So I got with my friend Bob the roadside philosopher and Carin builder his Russian friends make candles so I asked him for their number and called; Alex, he couldn't have been nicer and offered to sell me 40 pounds for $280.00. Any other time I would love to get 40 pounds but alas the price was too steep. I asked him for one hundred dollars worth. Getting to his house about 60 miles away was a beautiful scenic drive we found him way out on Lazy Mountain and what a charming place his wife, son and old Russian Grandmother were working on the garden. Their family business is Holy Archangel Candles
http://www.holyarchangelcandles.com/ click on the pictures section to see some wonderful pictures of the area in which we live and some lovely photos of their family and homestead.

Long story short I made a great deal on about 20 pounds of wax at about $5.00 per pound and he gave me a beeswax candle.

Beeswax is not as easy to get as you think quite a bit of it comes from Canada but the shipping is very,very expensive as well as the lower 48 (thats what Alaskans call everywhere else in the continental U.S.). Raising bees in Alaska is also very expensive the bee keeper must buy new bees every year because they cannot survive the winter unless they are housed in heated trailers. It seems so sad they have to die off every winter.

Please don't get me started on the colony collapse disorder that is killing bees by the trillions. They leave to pollinate the flowers and gather nectar and mysteriously do not return to their hives. I think it's pesticides causing the problems and perhaps some more complicated issues. Bees are like the canary in the mine when they die - we die the cycle of life is broken.

Now I have my wax and am brewing up a batch of encaustic medium, (beeswax and rare damar resin) it smells delicious.

Rain Forest Home - Costa Rica

Rain Forest Home

Encaustic Wax

12" x 14"

NFS

(yet)

This is my impression of the rain forest. Pretty much my view from the Linda Vista by the Arenal Volcano. I booked the most remote location I could findon the Google map for the best view of the Volcano. But just like Denali in Alaska, it makes it's own clouds and we did not get to see any fire however we could hear and feel it rumbling, cool!

It's hard to get the perspective of the jungle there is just so much life in abundance and things going on everywhere. I could not focus on one thing, still I wanted to get the impression of thick lush jungle. I put one of their mysterious round ancient balls in the picture they are so perfectly round, they could only have been carved by people they are monolithic (my big work of the day) sculptures. They are dotted all over the country and if you ask a Tican where they came from they just do not know, or they simply say aliens.

This painting was started 2 years ago on my first trip to Costa Rica in colored pencil, I took it back this year and painted on top of the colored pencil with acrylics and the other day I decided to get experimental on the thing. Peter affixed it to a hard substrate so I could paint on it with encaustic wax.

Strictly speaking you are not supposed to mix wax and acrylics together but this is my experiment. I do however plan to send it to Jose at the Osa Gallery in Puerto Jimenez, they are going watch it and see how an encaustic painting acts in 80 to 90 degree heat with high humidity. It should be interesting.

BTW how do you like my new colors? Do you think I should go back to black?

Spring and Swans

Our friends the Swans have been building a nest across the lake from us, I had no idea how big their nest is, they even built a roof on it. When we get the boat in the water I will pay them a visit and get pictures. They meandered over to our dock for a little visit this morning. They want swan snack but I don't have anything yet except bread and that's not good for them.

Mother - Madonna

Blue Madonna

Oil Painting

Judy Vars

12 X 24 framed

priceless

When love is gone, when stars at night lose lustre, when the warm sun of spring fails to cheer the heart, when the kiss is cold and friends have gone forever, when youth has fled to follow nimbler feet, and old age points the way to life's darkening pathway, when strangers rushing by at breathless pace forget the courtesies they owe the world and push aside those frailer than the rest, when faith is waning and hope forlorn has seized thy heart, and charity shall pass the needy by, there wells a sweet and tender love within thy bosom, to tell thee that the world is good!

A voice shall softly whister within thy soul, "Mother."

Write Your MoM a letter today and tell you mom you love her.

FIRST FRIDAY AT VIRTU BEE THERE OR BEE SQUARE

WAX SQUARED
MAY 7 - 31
AN EXHIBITION OF THE ALASKA CHAPTER OF
INTERNATIONAL ENCAUSTIC ARTISTS (AKIEA)
OPENING RECEPTION FIRST FRIDAY
MAY 7, 6-9PM
LIVE MUSIC - IN THE BELFRY
FEATURED ARTISTS:
NANCYP. BURNHAM, RUTH CARTER,
JOYCE E COOLEGE, SUSAN DELGALVIS,
ERIN ADAIR FALLDORF, KRISTA FLECKENSTEIN,
CINNAMON O'FIHELLY, LESLEY HARRISON,
JANET C HICKOK, ASHLEY DOYLE KELLEY,
JANAAN KITCHEN, KOKO MIKEL, DARLA MEYERS,
LAURI PACKENBUSH, KATHY SMITH, STAN STECK,
THERESE STOKES, SHEARY CLOUTH SUITER,
YULIYAHELGESEN-THOMPSON, DOT TIDEMAN
JUDY A VARS, B WILLIAMS

400 W. 4TH AVE.
PHONE: 907.25VIRTU
VIRTU@VIRTUGALLERY.BIZ
FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT AKIEA CONTACT;
SHEARY CLOUGH SUITER - WWW.BACKDOOR DESIGNS.COM

WORKS OF FRONT "LOVE SCIENCE" BY YULIA HELGESEN-THOMPSON,"POINT OF NO RETURN" BU CINNAMON O'FIHELLY, "FORMULATED SURF" BY RUTH CARTER, "ELECTRIC KNIGHTS" BY SUSAN DELGALVIS, AND "HORSEHEAD NEBULA" BY KOKO MIKEL

Costa Rica 2010 / 99 Assorted Photos

So If you want to see pictures of our holiday in Costa Rica pull up a chair get some coffee or tea and I'll throw down some assorted pictures (stay or go) if you go, I will understand, I know how boring other peoples photographs can be. I am taking it easy today and trying not to do too much too soon after being sick. .This slide show took me most the day to do.
As you can see we had a wonderful time, met so many cool and interesting people, did some sightseeing, and plenty of sitting around gossiping, solving the worlds problems and drinking coffee.
I learned that "Pura Vida" means "pure life" and "tranquillo" means "chill out."

The Lovely Bones

This book The Lovely Bones and movie The Lovely "bones goes perfectly with my illness. Yesterday I read The Lovely Bones by Alice Seabold and today I watched it on Pay Per View. It was sad, haunting and beautiful story about the murder of a young girl. I had this book for years before I felt in the mood to read it. The screen play was naturally different timelines changed and there were not the layers and depth to the story but the acting was good and the visions of the inbetween world were well done, I recommend it.

It has been at least four weeks and I am still sick coughing myself silly and drinking my special concoction, Theraflu, lemon and honey tea, yummy! Today I finally went to see the doctor after coughing, chills, fever, and feeling generally horrible. The Doctor said I have bronchitis. Now I have the antibiotics and cough medicine I need I'm sure to feel better soon . Why am I so stubborn when it comes to visiting the Doctor? So after weeks of milking this thing getting sympathy and being waited on I'm getting sick of being sick.
Television is my companion and my guilty pleasure, from Dr. Who to Nurse Jackie, The United States of Tara, True Blood, The Office, Regis and Kelly, the Independent Film channel lots of movies and when Peter gets the remote its the History channel and how things are made. I have watched so much television it makes me embarrassed to admit it. I have an urge to throw it out the window. Well folks thanks for listening to me whine
I wish you all a long and happy life.

Blue Landscape

Encaustic

8" x 10"

85.00

This is my little creation it shines like a jewel and is in a wooden frame with silver accents.

Charles M. Russell and Me

When I was a little girl I got plenty of artistic encouragement, when I drew a good picture they would say she gets her talent from Charley. That's Charles M. Russell Americas most beloved cowboy and Western painters from yesteryear. He comes from my mothers side the Montana relatives. Russell greatly admired the American Indians, especially those of the Northern Plains. He spent the summer of 1888 visiting often with the Blood Indians in Alberta, Canada. This experience affected him for the rest of his life, and can be seen in the many detailed works he created of Plains Indians. As my latest acquisition showed he may have loved the Plains Indians a little too much. It most certainly explains the Indian in the woodpile we always laughed about as a family. My 1/8th Blackfoot Indian blood is explained in graphic detail. In Russells lifetime he painted more than 4,000 paintings. Charlie's works were popular because of their narrative subject matter, unique style, and dynamic action. In addition, he had the ability to accurately depict specific times or events in western history. Russell died on October 24, 1926 at his home in Great Falls, Montana

These two paintings are in a beautiful antique ornate frame with a suprise inside. The first one shows a cowboy waiting for the Indian maiden, unlock the frame and hidden under the painting is another painting. Oh my heavens look! they are getting busy on the blanket with the horses and the dog getting excited also. What a rare find! This comes with certificates of authenticity. An artist friend of mine found it at a yard sale and sold it to me for only fifty bucks.

na na na na na na naaa (Twilight Zone Theme)

The Twilight Zone

12" x 12" x 2"

Encaustic Wax

Judy Vars

"You're traveling through another dimension a dimension not only of sight and sound but of mind. A journey into a wondrous land who's boundaries are that of the imagination. That's the signpost up ahead next stop the Twilight Zone"

This is is my creation for the next First Friday in Anchorage where I will be a part of a group show for the Alaska Chapter of International Encaustic Artists (A.K.I.E.A.).
Friday May 7th @ Virtu Gallery, 400 West 4th Avenue, Anchorage, Alaska

Broken Wings

Broken Angels
For
Bobby Nichols
1976-2010

You came to life a little angel with the scent of heaven still on your head and stardust upon your sweet body. You still rememberied where you came from and what your mission is on Earth is.

Alas, the material world is tough with all its twists and turns, we get dirty, our wings get broken, people betray our faith, circumstance steals our hope. The good, the bad and the ugly all rolled into one ball, everyday life gives us more challenges that think we can handle. Still we love this existence and do not want to go or see our loved ones go.

Yes, it’s hard to remember and keep faith alive, but still life is dear to us, so everyday we do our best to offer a little peace and love - shining our little light into the darkest corners of our existence.

So with your wings broken and your garments dirty it’s off to the repair shop for you.
It’s time for an overhaul, to get your wings repaired, clothes replaced with new, and your spirit washed clean and your memories restored, then all your questions will be answered and things will become apparent.

What really hurts you know is the empty space you leave in our world.
We will remember the kind and loving boy with stardust upon his countenance and true love in his heart.

Bobby we will miss you for along time (HOPEFULLY).

Love
Aunt Judy

ART FOR SALE

Encaustics, Oils, Assemblages

Judy Vars

Firefly Gallery

419 L. Street

Anchorage, Alaska

First Friday - April 2, 2010

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

Romando's Story

The further adventures of Judy, Peter and Marty aka Pippa who knows the greatest people in Costa Rica. We took a boat ride across the gulf to a jungle paradise known as Dolphin Quest this is 600 acres of virgin rain forest only assesible by boat. On this tropical estate are horses, toucans, cranes, hummingbirds, butterflies, tapirs, iguanas, tempasquitlleys, howler monkeys, fruit trees and the ocean to provide food. This is Romando's place he has been there for about 24 years a true Renaissance man, he is the real deal! His oldest son was born in the ocean on a birthing raft built epically for Amy his former wifee, this whole birth was documented by a film company. When Raymar came out be was underwater for a full 14 minutes until the umbilical cord stopped and then he swam to the surface and into his mothers arms. Thats amazing! Because Ramondo has a personal connecction with the dolphins they visit him regularly and people who visit often get to swim with them also.
The cabina we slept in was nice with a bug net on the beds the noise of the jungle is so loud at night and early in the morning it's hard to sleep. Raymondo is a great cook we ate like kings afterword there was interesting conversations about life in the jungle, great stories.

My only problem is that I am too sweet and the bugs in Costa Rica had a feast of my flesh.

The Story of Cordovado Paradise (photos to follow)

Go to the end of the road by collectivo a cattle truck for humans last stop Carate a way station for refreshments and a short rest then proceed west on foot along the coast of the pacific for approximately 45 minutes to an hour. Next to the entrance of the Corcovado National Reserve one of the most ecologically diverse places on the planet is a fresh water lagoon which marks the boundaries of my friend Ricks piece of paradise. He said this is the only place on the pacific coast from Alaska to Chile where the rain forest meets the ocean.

When he found this property there lived a very old woman names Mahatma and another younger man named Alvero, their exact relationship is obscure but he was wild eyed and scared the local people because seemed crazed. Mahatma had run away from her abusive husband to this piece of land and lived there for the past 37 years. Local people called her a witch and told stories about her and her powers. She lived simply sometimes selling lemonade to the hikers passing on the beach. Otherwise she had little need for money just the provisions that money could buy, beans, rice, socks. Rick and Cynthis provided these things when they came by.

The land was owned by a sketchy German named Rudger Schultz described as a big man with huge hands and when he touched you it felt icky. From all apperances he was one of those guys into young boys and quite possibly a machosist. Romando their very old friend they met at a Rainbow gathering found this for Rick and his wife. They are old hippies from the bay area and like many had done very well in business. Rudger and Rick struck a price for this place 10 years ago (ridiculously cheep) and the process began. There are some very complicated things take place for Americans to own in Costa Rica.
Upon first sight of this place it was littered with glass and 37 wild starving dogs running the place.They were all shot and placed in a mass grave except for Peggy.

Later on Mahatama got sick and was taken to the hospital where it's noisey and indifferent and where old women die neglected and alone. The only person th hospital could find to call was Rutger the perverted German, he surprisingly came. Mahatma had one request, that she be returned to her home to die. He refused her dying wish. Mahatma placed a curse on him and at the same moment she died and as he was leaving he had a massive coronary and died on the spot. Alvero was lost without his mistress and wandered off into the hills to find gold.

Rick and Cynthia delt with Rutgers daughter who hated her father and just wanted to get his affairs out of the way. This place is one the most beautiful spots on the planet when I met Rick he had been there all alone going on 30 days. The wild life simple comes to his porch, every kind on animal on the OSA it's magical he shared the most amazing stories of monkeys, pumas, birds and frightening lightening storms. He eats mango's, pineapples, starfruit, lemons etc. all produced on the land. Oh to just sit quietly and let life come to your porch. I had a taste of paradise on earth for three days thanks to this generous old hippy.
Today we are going to Romandos to swim with the dolphins going to a butterfly farm and an orchid farm.
Austa luego
baby

Art In Puerto Imenez

Did I mention that my artwork has gone international. I showed my painting of Anita Polanca to Jose C. Fallas proprietor of the "Artes De OSA Gallery" in Puerto Jimenex, Costa Rica and he comissioned me to do several paintings of my impressions of Costa Rica. So if you're there ask to see Jude Vargas (that's my Costa Rica pen name)

This happened a week ago and I'm healing nicely more stories later

We are safe and secure in our little motel Cabinas Marcelinas in Puerto Jimenez it feels very comfortable and welcoming all the town folk seem to remember us and are happy to see us.
But I got a story to tell. On the way back from the Arenal Volcano we went to a hotel in San Jose a nice Clarion by the airport. We were going to dinner and the hotel had a ramp down to the lower level it was the same color as the floor and there were no railings. I was looking at the artwork and slipped and sprained my ankle, It hurt so bad I cried like a baby. The bell man ran over and got me some ice and then the manager came and said we should call an ambulance and take me to the hospital there the ambulance arrived and there was much cross talk all in Spanish over me finally they took me to the state hospital Mexico. This hospital wasthe huge old scary edifice I had seen on my way out of San Jose three days prior. I said OMG look at that building "how would you like to have to be in there" Me and Peter were the only Gringos there and a little tico girl helped translate taking passports and information. It was a waking nightmare really when I went into the trauma room with no shoes there were all sorts of infirmery old women in pain, some waiting on gurneys, a girl with a head wound, a man with a face wound, a woman heaving into a plastic bag and we with my ankle swolen up line a tennis ball. They took XRays on a 1960 machine the place was lets just say not sanitary and everything was very old OMG, the residents just sat around bullshiting and looking busy. I waited five hours after everyone else had been treated and I was finally getting indignant then they told me they lost my XRays and needed to shoot more. My husband complained loudly and they only said sorry and seemed slightly amused. Finally the orthopedic surgeon said no fractures, keep ice on it,take ibprophen stay off it and wrap it. Nothing was provided not even ice.
I wonder if they had a motive to teach the Gringo a lesson? Yes I learned my lesson on many levels: do not temp the fates and say things like OMG I'll never or desparige any other culture or their architecture.

Good news the Clarion paid for the hotel, ambulance ride, emergency room, taxi, and stay on the way back on the 13th, we went back the the hotel at 3:00am and I slept very soundly on demoral.

Blackbird singing in the dead of night

Yesterday we went to the hanging bridges and walked for miles in the rain forest canopy, OMG I am so afraid of heights it was espicially thrilling, later we swam under a waterfall 500 steep steps down and 1500 steps up,also looked at Arinal volcano and saw just clouds, in the evening we went to a hot springs resort and played in the hot mineral pools. We went down a very fast scarry water slide. Today It's been raining for about 24 hours straight everything is damp and the temperature is cool. Even though the Linda Vista is very remote I have the luxury of my little PC on my bed in my room with movies, music and books programed onto it just for rainey days like this one. Tomorrow it's back to San Jose for a night then we are flying to Puerto Imenez.

This is my view for the last few days it's just like the Garden of Eden except the snakes really do bite and the food is not free.