Fuse: Art in Motion

I spent some time with artist Sara Mast back in June of 2009 when we were included in the New Talent Show at Rosenfeld Gallery in Philadelphia. It was an instant lightening strike of friendship and artistic partnership.

I use the word lightening for a reason. There is a crackle, a synergy in which ideas become reality when we are together. When she came east again in January of 2010 for our shows at Rosenfeld, we were shopping for wine when we came across a wine called FUSE.

"FUSE explodes with the aromas and flavors of a much more expensive Napa Valley wine. The name derives from the inclusion of a significant portion of Syrah, adding an exotic, spicy twist to the blend...igniting the senses! It also refers to the friendship of the partners, whose fusion of passion and experience inspired this wine......"

I showed the bottle to Sara and of course, we bought two! We decided on the spot to call our workshop FUSE. The fusing of artists, mediums and the actual fusing when you use encaustic.

Turn the calender to June 2010 when she is back east to attend the 5th International Encaustic Conference in Provinceton MA. Before we left for the conference I took Sara to a Niyolates@ Class. Niyolates@, created by Rolin San Juan, is an expressive fitness and awareness movement program. It combines the dynamic poses of yoga, the explosive power of the martial arts, the grace & spontaneity of modern and ethnic dances and the stillness & concentration of Tai-Chi. When we were done she looked at me and said, “Now I understand where your paintings come from…” It was true, but not just my paintings. Movement and connectivity with the body can free up energy and stress to allow anyone’s creativity to flow in new and dynamic ways. So that is the story of how Fuse: Art, Body, Motion was born.
 
Both Sara and I have taught drawing and paintings for many years (see bios below). This small, team-taught workshop will be an individualized experience for each participant. We will cover all basics of encaustic as well as move beyond technique to explore the expressive potential of wax and a mixed media approach. Our goal is to guide each participant in finding his/her personal vision.

The Studio in Montana

The workshop will be held in Sara's studio just east of Bozeman, nestled in the foothills of the Bridger Mountains. This valley was named the Valley of the Flowers by the Native Americans who gathered here before the European settlers arrived. It represents a peaceful meeting place where indigenous tribes worked together to share their dreams and visions, nurtured by the natural world that surrounded them. The beauty and serenity of this special place will inspire your work and delight your senses.

 An example of what a day might include: 
  
8:30 Pick up in van for commute to Trail Creek Road studio
9-12:30 Demos/worktime
12:30-1:30 Lunch (provided)
1:30-4 Demos/work time
4-5 Niyolates@ Movement & release after an intense work day
5-6 Relax in the beautiful surroundings of the Gallatin Valley or take a hike or horseback ride...
6 pm Van to the hotel – dinner on your own in downtown Bozeman

Each day of the workshop will be guided by the interactions of the group and by the instructors' response to the needs and desires of each participant. Possible areas to be covered include: encaustic and mixed media demos; use of pigment sticks, printmaking, and experimental drawing; art career advice on how to expand your creative research, get the work out, write an artist statement, apply for grants and residencies…and more.

Here are videos of Sara and myself talking about our work at the Rosenfeld opening.
 
BIOS 

Sara Mast is a widely exhibited artist whose paintings are included in over 30 public and private collections in the United States and abroad. Her work is included in Joanne Mattera’s book Encaustic Painting: Contemporary Expression in the Ancient Medium of Pigmented Wax. Exhibitions in 2011 include As Above, So Below, a solo exhibition at Rosenfeld Gallery in Philadelphia, PA; Repertoire, a group exhibition at Zolla/Lieberman Gallery in Chicago, IL; and Night Visions IV, a juried exhibition at Coconino Center for the Arts in Flagstaff, AZ. Sara lives and works in Bozeman, Montana, and is a co-chair of the Drawing/Painting department at Montana State University.

 
Lisa Pressman’s paintings incorporate oils, collage, wax and other mixed media to create works that allude to a personalized time and space. The work is the physical embodiment of the slow and gradual process of realization and transformation.Recent and Upcoming exhibitions include: Kindred Spirits, Schiltkamp Gallery at Clark University, Wooster Mass and Confluence: Medium Meets Message at the Morean Arts Center, St. Petersburg, FL in 2012.Pressman’s work was exhibited in Making the Mark at Susan Eley Fine Art and at the Affordable Art Fair with Anelle Gandelman Fine Art, both in New York City. Her paintings were also featured in The Balancing Act, a solo show at Rosenfeld Gallery in Philadelphia. She is currently an adjunct at the Art Institute of New York and teaches painting privately and around the country. You can find her teaching schedule here  Lisa Pressman lives and works in West Orange, NJ.