Another overdue post (*sigh*). Sunday before last I had the pleasure of hanging out with a fellow Chicago transplant and artist, Bridgette Guerzon Mills. I met her at The Bleeding Heart Bakery, which serves Metropolis Coffee – my all time favorite brew. This is the second time that I’ve met an artist in person who I’d initially met online. I have to say, I really enjoy this experience. Getting to know someone online first makes the “real life” meeting just a formality. I think I understand now why so many people turn to online dating. You can really get to know someone remotely. I felt like Bridgette & I were already old friends just catching up on the past 20 or so years. Bridgette probably put it better when she said “It’s like we were separated at birth!”.
Snapshot of The Bleeding Heart Bakery. Digital Photograph. © Haley Nagy.
After enjoying the delights of the Bleeding Heart we walked over to her home studio, which is a treasure trove of her small but sublime encaustic, mixed-media paintings and artists books. The whole morning was one inspiration after another.
Afterwards, I headed home to prep for a small encaustic demonstration I’d planned on giving to one of my best friends. Watching someone experience encaustic for the first time is a very rewarding and motivating experience. Almost akin to that look of wonder you see in the twinkling eyes of a kid during the first time they pick up a really engrossing book. Wax is entirely seductive.
Below are samples from the encaustic demo. Mine is very “a-la-Bridgette”. Though I was tempted, I managed to restrain myself from incorporating birds, trees and window elements in the spirit of Mrs. Guerzon Mills.
Sketch. 5 x 7. Encaustic & Mixed Media. © 2009 Haley Nagy.
Sketch. 5 x 7. Encaustic & Mixed Media. © 2009 Devin Schuyler
I hope that this summer will hold more of these inspiration filled days… preferably wax-filled too. What inspires you?
 by Haley Nagy.jpg "Illuminations (detail shot) by Haley Nagy")
