beeswax

New Explorations...winter break 2011

2012-01-01T18:01:00.000-08:00

BEE THE CHANGE SHIRTS!!

2011-04-27T17:23:00.001-07:00

BEE THE CHANGE SHIRTS!

http://beethechangeshirts.blogspot.com/

resconstructing the hive II

2011-02-08T17:14:00.000-08:00

this piece is 6 5x7 inch cradled canvases, 3 turned backwards.

Vertin Reception

2011-02-05T06:09:00.000-08:00

installation view of "transmutations" show at the Vertin Gallery--on display until March 3rd!

reconstructing the hive

2011-01-16T13:15:00.000-08:00

frames by John :)

2011-01-16T13:07:00.000-08:00

on display in the church basement gallery, plank rd. greenland, MI :)

CURE FOR LEMMINKAINEN

2010-12-31T15:22:00.000-08:00

CURE FOR LEMMINKAINEN

for the Kalevala show...

Tiny bee, thou honey-birdling, Lord of all the forest flowers,Fly away and gather honey, bring to me the forest-sweetness,Found in Metsola's rich gardens, and in Tapio's fragrant meadows,From the petals of the flowers, from the blooming herbs and grasses,Thus to heal my hero's anguish, thus to heal his wounds of evil." ...Thereupon the bee arising, from the earth flies swiftly upward,Hastens on with graceful motion, by his tiny wings borne heavenward,In the paths of golden moonbeams, touches on the Moon's bright borders,Fans the brow of Kootamoinen, rests upon Otava's shoulders,Hastens to the seven starletsm to the heads of Hetewanè,Flies to the Creator's castle, to the home of generous Ukko,Finds the remedy preparing, finds the balm of life distilling,In the silver-tinted caldrons, in the purest golden kettles;On one side, heart-easing honey, on a second, balm of joyance,On the third, life-giving balsam.Here the magic bee, selecting, culls the sweet, life-giving balsam,Gathers too, heart-easing honey, heavy-laden hastens homeward.Lemminkainen's mother quickly takes them on her, tongue and tests them,Finds a balsam all-sufficient, then the mother spake as follows:"I have found the long-sought balsam, found the remedy of Ukko,Where-with God anoints his people, gives them life, and faith, and wisdom,Heals their wounds and stills their anguish, makes them strong against temptation,Guards them from the evil-doers."

many layers covered up with pink...

2010-12-30T15:40:00.000-08:00

more explorations in texture

2010-12-28T16:35:00.000-08:00

honeycomb. i am in love :)

hanging circles and block prints

2010-12-28T16:27:00.000-08:00

this is an experiment of hanging the block prints, monoprints and paper rolls in a scroll-like fashion. Some lucky afternoon sun came in the windows of the church basement to illuminate them.

transmutations....

2010-12-19T14:08:00.000-08:00

these new 3 are much more organic...working with cloth rather than plastic...looks kind of nautical to me...keep or trash?? Don't know!!

experiments with order, disorder, entropy, and etc.

upcoming shows in the new year....

2010-12-08T02:45:00.000-08:00

Anxious to get back into the studio to continue work for these 3 events in February:

Transmutations: duo show with Kerri Corser at the Vertin Gallery

Faculty show at the Finnish American Heritage Center

Somnium: Michigan Tech Rozsa Center Gallery

http://www.radzmedia.com/the-after-days

check back in December and January for updates!

Queen of the Sun Clip

2010-07-04T06:54:00.000-07:00

Queen of The Sun Teaser Clip from Taggart Siegel on Vimeo.

Marquette Arts and Culture Center, July 1st reception

2010-07-02T19:51:00.000-07:00

sculptures, installation view

2010-06-12T04:09:00.000-07:00

each of these started out representing an element: earth, air, fire, water. now they are kind of mixed. the one with the stick skirt will have dirt on her silver plate...the candle one has ashes, the air one has the gurgle a phone (sound piece) and the water one has a water bowl....the one that feels least resolved to me is the water one....i wanted somehow to get the "light on water" effect, but sure the gallery doesn't have directional lighting...SO, we will go with what we have...suggestions welcome. they will go in the middle of the gallery with wall art around. the tops are my body cast in tape and plastic wrap...life size. the other "human forms" i have in the show are the beeswax masks...would like to think about how there are casts of faces and torsos that are from my body..but not "figurative" work in the sense that a whole person is depicted...rather shells or casings....thoughts?

installation view of large pieces

2010-06-09T16:33:00.000-07:00

this is my first attempt at something this large...I need them to read from far away in the installation and be strong compositionally, but also the have interest up close with the imagery, textures, and treatment of materials. this large space has allowed me to step back and look at the pieces from far away.

wall of hexes

2010-06-08T16:02:00.000-07:00

this will be an installation of 40 small hex shaped pieces between 6 inches and 2.5 inches...varying thicknesses. it will be interesting to install--many possibilities.

more images: earth air fire water

2010-05-23T13:42:00.000-07:00

need your help...I am in the last month of finalizing pieces for my July show...need to choose an image or images for a card and etc. Which image do you feel encapsulates the thoughts of the show (statement in last post?) Also, I need some feedback on the 3 x 36x36 inch pieces....are they done/overdone/what can I do to make them cohesive, etc.?? Need your help...no feedback or art group at this time!! Thanks for your help!!

to see how the masks originated, go to http://melissa-hronkin.blogspot.com/2009/06/beeswax-mask-collaboration.html

maybe this would be a good image for the card!?

Earth, Air, Fire, Water: Lessons from the Hive

2010-05-16T14:39:00.001-07:00

Earth, Air, Fire, Water: Lessons from the Hive
2D and 3D explorations in mixed media and encaustics
Melissa Hronkin
Marquette Arts and Culture Center, Marquette, MI
July 1st-30th, 2010
“Our most important pollinator, the ultimate synergist, an architect, spatial genius, winged apothecary, and the transmuter of the finest substance of nectar into honey”, is the description that Rose-Lynn Fisher gives to the honeybee in the forward to her photographic book called “Bee”. “The honeybee symbolizes and embodies a congruency of form and function, vision and action, spirit and matter, all being of the same essence.” I have always been fascinated with alchemy and thinking of the artist as alchemist, and the honeybee also does this. They spin gold.
As an artist, teacher, and beekeeper, I go about my days open to the lessons my life’s work has to teach me. A fascination with bees led me to experiment and explore the art of encaustic painting, and how this relates to the content of my artwork.
This current body of work is an accumulation of 3 years of artistic exploration. It began with “Icarus Rising”, which was my symbolic return to art making after a long break from the studio, due to public school teaching. That sparked another body of work: “Wintering: Into the Hive” which was a winter show. It was an exploration of hibernation, repose, survival, and hope. Elements of each of these series appear in the current show “Earth, Air, Fire, Water.” I have taken a lot of leaps artistically and in my life. My husband and I started a honey/hive product business, we bought a historical church to operate our business out of, and this also allowed me a bigger studio space where I could try to regain my wings, and work a lot larger and installation minded.
It is always a dialogue in the studio: sometimes I lead the work, sometimes objects and elements lead me to the next sculpture or artwork. This intuitive process and being open to “chance” is where the alchemy occurs. I collect, read, and surround myself with information that seems important. Then I have to put the time in and be open to the lessons that are all around us.
I offer this work in hope, respect, and gratitude for all that I have learned from “the hive”….whether a hive of bees or students, the stings and sweat are just part of the journey. The interconnectedness of humans and nature has emerged as an important theme in this body of work. I started out trying to represent individual elements with certain pieces, but the artwork taught me that everything is connected: water is dependent upon air, earth on water, fire on earth, and so on.
“The beehive is one of the most successful ways in which the purpose of life has ever been organized….you can almost detect the purpose of life as you stand in the honey-drift downwind…if I just stand there long enough watching the bees…perhaps I’ll understand the purpose of life too”. --Verlyn Klingenborg

2010-05-02T13:05:00.000-07:00

worked on another figure today...put shellac on them...and also started on my large 36" panel...great to be back working again!

new sculptures

2010-04-25T17:07:00.000-07:00

in the studio..working on earth, air, fire, and water...life and larger than life size sculptures...made from scotch tape wraps and various other items.

good friday experiments

2010-04-02T13:25:00.000-07:00

fun with shellac and wax...and a new "be not afraid" piece...debating what to take to Babycakes!

previews of projects and fun with shellac and wax. The history of an old gramophone album or Oriental rug dye begins with a tiny insect, Laccifera lacca. Hundreds of these critters hatch out of eggs and scatter over a juicy plant or tree. Immediately, they attach their mouth to a leaf or stem to suck food and water from the host plant for the rest of their lives.
As these "scale" bugs develop from pupa to adults, they gradually excrete a sticky or waxy liquid that encases them in a cocoon. Since they'd be easy targets for predators, these scales detach from their skin and harden to protect them from pecking birds or hungry spiders. In India and Thailand, cultivators allow thousands of these insects to establish themselves on trees like the kusum, palas, and raintree.
This unusual "crop" is maintained for a season, until the time when males leave their scales and females lay new eggs. To harvest the crop, all the bits of stems and bodies and shells of insects are washed off branches to form crude lac. After much washing, filtering, and processing, this becomes seed lac and then refined shellac.
Raw shellac gets its yellow or orange tint from a dye inside the female insect's ovaries. Some woodworkers prefer an amber varnish, while other products bleach the shellac to make a clear sealant. In the past, shellac was used in tanning leather, forming records (before vinyl displaced it), and polishing wood floors. As far back as the 3rd century, people used shellac to dye fabric. Starting in the 16th century, they developed a way to paint it onto wood as a sealer.
Today, shellac covers time-release pills for oral medication, makes yellow and orange food coloring, and seals letters with wax. Since it's non-toxic and edible, other synthetic substances haven't replaced shellac. Even carpenters still value its ability to protect wood from damaging ultraviolet rays. Though it has a strong odor, varnish made from shellac dries quickly and isn't hazardous once cured. It can be used around pets and babies, finishing doors and toy chests, without fear of toxicity.

Dear Honey » THXTHXTHX

2010-03-31T03:37:00.000-07:00

Dear Honey » THXTHXTHX

new studio...

2010-03-26T16:50:00.000-07:00

(John noticed that this was the closest grave to the church! this man lived a long life for the time~)

wow...what a crazy week it has been. here are some pics of my temporary art studio in the sacristy of the church...our church. until we can get the basement floor done and the space heated I will use the sacristy for working on some larger pieces. I can use the space heater to warm the area...MPR comes in on the old radio...and all is well....the neighbors are loving the company!! This is where I plan to spend the days of my spring break!!

our new honeyhouse/art studio

2010-03-07T12:18:00.000-08:00

610 Plank Rd. in Greenland, MI, about 4 mi from our home. It needs a little TLC, but John has the time~we will be glad to have her heated and occupied again..vacant for at least 15 years...SO, now the bees and the souls can meet again....the church and honeybees have a long history together...for the wax, and many accounts of bees representing the soul...

upcoming workshops!!

2010-03-07T12:15:00.000-08:00

I will be conducting 2 Sculptural Encaustic workshops at the CCCAC in Hancock MI. First one is Monday, March 8th, and the next will be Saturday, April 10th.

Also, John and I will be attending ANR week at MSU. There I will do a slidetalk/demo on encaustics and beeswax collage!

finding home

2010-02-06T16:32:00.000-08:00

this series came out of our search for more space for our honey business, art studio, and room to grow. after looking at several old buildings in the area, I began to feel that buildings have souls....
So, as much as she straightened her proud self up, threw rainbows across the floor for us, showed us all of her unique quirks, and neglected nuances, the gravity of the situation scared us away. Even her new windows and furnaces....and lots of room to tranform and explore...it would be too much for us to take on. And so we kept looking....

each of these pieces is on 8x8"lumber...encaustics and beeswax collage.

series: December through July

2010-01-24T09:49:00.000-08:00

Each of these pieces is on an 8x8" piece of lumber. the face drawings are contour/blind contour line drawings I made from self portraits. The line drawings were carved into the wax surface of each piece, and oil paint was used to make the lines visible. Various collage/transfer, and painting techniques were used to unify the series and to complete each composition. Dec. Jan. and Feb. were done last winter, and I thought recently about adding to the series. Some of these look more muddy than I had first imagined..and sinister. Feedback is welcome. As usual, they probably work better together than individually. I was thinking about using them for my April showing at Babycakes in Marquette...she can hang 8 pieces there. thoughts? thanks!

2010-01-19T14:27:00.001-08:00

blue bee

frozen charlie

2010-01-09T14:55:00.000-08:00

so glad there are many re-do's in encaustics! 18x18" cradled canvas board...this is a recycled piece including photo collage, xerox transfer, and embedded botanicals.

The story about Frozen Charlotte was told in a poem or song. A frozen Charlotte doll was found in one of the carpenter’s toolboxes, wrapped in a woolen sock. The doll had no clothes on, except for a bonnet and mittens, because the children would make the clothes for the doll. This is the story of Frozen Charlotte:
It was New Years Eve and it was very cold outside. Charlotte was waiting in her new dress for her boyfriend, Charles, to take her to the village inn for a New Year’s Eve party. Finally, Charles’ sleigh came. Her mother asked her to put a blanket around her so she wouldn’t be too cold. But Charlotte did not want to crinkle her dress, so she did not take the blanket. The village inn was 15 miles away. They had gone five miles when Charlotte said she was cold. Charles made the horses run faster. Five more miles they rode when Charlotte said she was getting warmer. Finally, the village inn was in sight. Charles jumped out and called her many times. Charlotte did not move or say a word because she was frozen. Then he came over to her and felt her hands. They were very cold. He now knew that Charlotte had frozen to death. He rode Charlotte back to her cottage. Her parents were very sad. Charles was very upset, too. He died of a broken heart.

bird diptych

2010-01-09T14:15:00.000-08:00

just a collage of things that have been given to me and other things living in my studio--each is a 12x12 inch cradled canvas board

winter diptych

2009-12-27T11:01:00.001-08:00

each piece is on a 12x12 inch cradled board...this is about as minimal as my art gets...feedback?

a letter to the queen from her colony

2009-12-27T10:52:00.000-08:00

this is a re-do of an old piece....on 18x18 inch cradle board...

alice series

2009-12-26T14:14:00.000-08:00

this triptych is created on 3 pieces of 2x4"ends about 8 inches in length....

New work 12/26/09

2009-12-26T14:09:00.000-08:00

I've had some time to create new pieces during my break from teaching. These pieces will be part of my show in July, 2010, Marquette MI.

Cross Pollination Show

2009-10-30T12:33:00.000-07:00

chicago encaustic show at womanmade gallery

be not afraid

2009-09-03T20:26:00.001-07:00

this piece is created on 4-12x12x3 inch cradled boards. I have been working on it off and on for about a month now. I call it "be not afraid". The quote was used on a necklace by an artist I found and she said that the quote is paraphrased from Joan of Arc. I am not sure it is done, but decided to photograph it as is. Comments welcome!

july 30th honeybee

2009-07-30T11:20:00.000-07:00

this is created on 8"x16"x2" lumber. it was started at "art in the garden" and finished this week. it is a combination of beeswax collage, botanicals, xerox transfer, and encaustics.

july 30th dragonfly

2009-07-30T11:11:00.000-07:00

this is created on 8"x16"x2" lumber. it was started at "art in the garden" and finished this week. it is a combination of beeswax collage, botanicals, xerox transfer, and encaustics.

july 30th

2009-07-30T11:03:00.000-07:00

this is created on 8"x16"x2" lumber. it was started at "art in the garden" and finished this week. it is a combination of beeswax collage, botanicals, xerox transfer, and encaustics.

Bees Knees

2009-07-23T15:30:00.000-07:00

Bees Knees

Honey Spinner - Grace Pundyk - Books - ABC Shop

2009-07-23T14:44:00.000-07:00

Honey Spinner - Grace Pundyk - Books - ABC Shop: "This engaging narrative non-fiction tale follows Grace Pundyk's journey from the wild Yemeni deserts to the jungles of Borneo, and from Russia to Tasmania's leatherwood forests, with many other honey-producing destinations in between. Grace follows the sticky trail of this ancient food, and the people who make their living from it, to uncover the truth behind this 'food of the gods'."

art in the garden then workshops

2009-07-23T14:33:00.000-07:00

thank you for staying with me through this piece a day adventure! sunday is "art in the garden" which i've coordinated and will be an artist. after that there are meetings then 2 artist workshops....SO, I am signing off from the "piece a day" adventure. Will check back in after the first week in August to update things. yours truly...Melissa

july 24-26th

2009-07-23T14:25:00.000-07:00

journey: 8x8x2" lumber mixed media....

4x4"

The Aztec Winter Solstice was celebrated with ceremony honouring the Earth Goddess, Tonantzin. She later shape shifted to become the Virgin of Guadalupe. Interestingly, the way she portrays herself (emblazoned on the milpa robe of Juan Diego) resembles a cocoon of a honey bee. Or a yoni symbol. One of the mirthful Bee Priestesses immersed herself into the world of the hive ........The image of her emergence from the cave/hive and the image of Tonantzin (aka Virgin de Guadalupe) are similar. Although the Bee Priestess looks ready to take action and reclaim the Earth for the Goddesses, while Guadalupe stands steady in traditional meditative posture of prayer.

fortune, l'amore. 8x8x2" lumber

last of the one a day.....23rd

2009-07-23T14:14:00.000-07:00

"what remains".....i found the note on my morning run...and then just gathered items to make the picture complete. 8x8x2" lumber.

july 22nd, perfect flight #2

2009-07-21T16:14:00.000-07:00

perfect flight #2...his is on 8x8x2" lumber...wax, encaustics, image transfer

july 20-21

2009-07-20T15:03:00.000-07:00

this piece is on a 4x8x2" piece of lumber. I used the iron and embedded 3 locust tree bean pods into the wax.....magical beans! Seems these trees are good for the bees, the flowers, anyway...

this piece is created on a 8x8x2" piece of lumber. i took the photograph and printed in with my ink jet printer. Encaustics, beeswax collage, and xerox transfer were used to finish the piece. "grace brings contentment" is the message embedded in the wax.

il sole (soul)

2009-07-17T06:42:00.000-07:00

I tried the embossing with a clay cookie stamper I had...for the sun....I wanted to show the side view with the metallic and relief on the wax...8x8x2"

canis minor

2009-07-17T06:38:00.000-07:00

8x8x2 inches....

july 17, 18, 19

2009-07-17T06:33:00.000-07:00

a new, bright journey....on 8x16x2" lumber--complete with glow in the dark stars!!

piece a day, working in series

2009-07-14T07:52:00.001-07:00

this is just a comment/reflection on working in a series...and the piece a day concept...I just post for 2 or three days at a time...because I tend to think in series....so, does anyone else have thoughts on this? I tend to work on all pieces at the same time for more continuity...

july 14-16, "three dog night"

2009-07-14T07:41:00.000-07:00

This new series is part of the “piece a day” project, but is called “the dog days of summer”. There is a layered meaning to this project. Firstly, it comes from the passing of my dog, Ziggy. A friend told me that she heard about the origin of “the dog days of summer”…and the dog star, etc. This led me to investigate the origin of the term which I’ve included in this description. The name
The term "Dog Days" was used by the Greeks as well as the ancient Romans (who called these days caniculares dies (days of the dogs)) after Sirius (the "Dog Star", in Latin Canicula), the brightest star in the heavens besides the Sun. The dog days of summer are also called canicular days.
The Dog Days originally were the days when Sirius, the Dog Star, rose just before or at the same time as sunrise (heliacal rising), which is no longer true, owing to precession of the equinoxes. The ancients sacrificed a brown dog at the beginning of the Dog Days to appease the rage of Sirius, believing that the star was the cause of the hot, sultry weather.
In Ancient Rome, the Dog Days extended from July 24 through August 24 (or, alternatively July 23-August 23). In many European cultures (German, French, Italian) this is still the period to be the time of the Dog Days.
The Old Farmer's Almanac lists the traditional timing of the Dog Days as the 40 days beginning July 3 and ending August 11, coinciding with the ancient heliacal (at sunrise) rising of the Dog Star, Sirius. These are the days of the year when rainfall is at its lowest levels.

posts for july 11, 12, 13

2009-07-11T13:28:00.000-07:00

greetings. I am going to visit some family tomorrow until monday, so I thought I would post this piece all at once...process and together. I am not sure where the idea came from...found images including hands...then the hex...then some kind of motif to add interest..I thought it would be natural to use the mehndi: Mendhi (also Mehandi, Mehendi, etc.) is the application of Henna as a temporary form of skin decoration in South Asia, Southwest Asia, North Africa and the Horn of Africa, as well as by expatriate communities from these areas. Mehendi decorations became fashionable in the West in the late 1990s, where they are sometimes called henna tattoos. Henna is typically applied during special occasions like weddings and festivals. It is usually drawn on the palms and feet, where the color will be darkest because the skin contains higher levels of keratin which binds temporarily to lawsone, the colorant of henna. Henna was originally used as a form of decoration mainly for brides.

I am pretty excited about working on and posting my next series: dog days of summer (the dog star series). After that, I will be doing 2 workshops and "art in the garden"...event....SO, I think I will shift gears before the 24th...and then after my week at WMU, start on some Bigger pieces for entry shows. I HOPE TO SELL SOME ART SOON!!:)

july 10th: birdie, sing from your heart

2009-07-10T05:45:00.000-07:00

Portrait of an artist as a beekeeper: multitasking

2009-07-09T07:46:00.000-07:00

Portrait of an artist as a beekeeper: multitasking Today’s entry is less of an encaustic piece, and more of a glimpse into my process: multitasking. I am not recommending this method for anyone else, as sometimes one ends up becoming overwhelmed and makes silly mistakes. Take today, for instance, when I “tested the electric fence” with my HAND by accident. I forgot to shut it off and was trying to shove the lawn mower under it to get to the beeyard…Youch! Wake-up! No harm done, just a reminder to slow down and concentrate. I have had a strange urge to try it out, but could never work up the courage…until today I did it blindly! Also, the studio is messy. The images depict my 2 work surfaces, and then the lumber waiting for its turn with the alchemist…waiting to be turned into “piece of the day”….oh yes, the beeswax masks. While I have been working the past 10 days, the bees have been working on decorating these masks with honeycomb. Sometimes multitasking is not bad when you have help!

july 8th

2009-07-08T07:37:00.001-07:00

love junkyard....didn't really come together...created intuitively--so be it.

july 7th

2009-07-07T05:52:00.000-07:00

this piece is done on 8x16x2 inch lumber. I drew the raven images on a piece of board last year...and it has been sitting in my hallway. I decided to photograph the drawing and print it out on the ink jet printer....it came out too dark the first time, so I had 2 copies. I embedded the images into wax and collaged in some historical newspaper clippings. The encaustic colors were a chocolate brown and black. the inky richness of this piece felt comforting during the cold, rainy weather we were having. The birds are a sign..mostly good, but represent the passing of souls. This piece also corresponds with the passing of one of our beloved pet dogs.

july 6th

2009-07-06T05:31:00.000-07:00

this piece is created on a 4x8x2 inch piece of wood. Vintage woman is collaged on to the surface with other found elements. This is kind of a change in format because it is long and lean and elegant. Simplicity.

july 5th

2009-07-05T05:23:00.001-07:00

playing with textures...scraffito and oil paint to stain the gouges....8x8x2 inches...lumber

July 4th

2009-07-04T11:12:00.001-07:00

detail

full piece

just a nice little collage piece...8x8x2 inches....kinda looks like fireworks, no? Nice to see some red!

july 3rd

2009-07-03T06:24:00.001-07:00

we can all this one "colony collapse". it is created on an 8x8x2inch piece of lumber. there is broken egg shell collaged into the wax surface. the eggshell is from a Ukrainian egg painting class I took this spring...after working on the lovely bee themed egg for about 1.5 hours, I dropped it into a dye jar, and a fracture occurred.....so, I thought I would continue to work on the raw egg, and at one point it just "exploded" into my lap. I thought the shell could be used in some type of project...I think you can still see the bee theme in the dye....fast forward to the encaustic conference. I met another artist that had a piece with egg shells embedded into the wax surface..and she said that it was an ancient Japanese technique. So, who knew? Because the bee is broken, fractured, and embedded into the surface, I think it could represent "colony collapse disorder"..that the honeybees are facing...

july 2nd

2009-07-02T09:59:00.000-07:00

encaustics are so hard to photograph! this piece is on 8x8x2" lumber again....the vintage picture of a woman is behind a glass microscope slide.the rest is collage and encaustics...

july 1st

2009-07-01T10:12:00.000-07:00

this is created on a 6x6x2" piece of lumber. there were lots of layers of blue, pink, pearlescent white and copper encaustic paint. The Buddha and lotus pictures presented themselves and they fit in perfectly with the underlying paint. I have been having fun with my Yogi Tea teabags...they have a message on the tag...and you will see them in the next couple of pieces used as a collage element!

june 30th

2009-06-30T12:46:00.000-07:00

the third piece of the triptych. the image collaged in the middle piece was sent to me by Caterina Martinico of Santa Rosa, CA. This fun card of 4 women fit perfectly with the two "wing" pieces. I love the way that this middle piece with the portraits grounds the piece and gives it life beyond decoration! Thank you so much to the Beeswaxteam for coordinating this "object challenge"!

Each piece is created on a 8x8x2" piece of lumber.

Piece a day June 29th

2009-06-29T13:08:00.000-07:00

Some friends and I are doing "piece a day" for at least 2 weeks...I think I will try a month at least....to create, photograph, and post a piece of new artwork a day...hopefully created on or near that day! this is a challenge for me, as I usually work in diptych or triptych form...here is my attempt for the day. This is encaustics and encaustic medium over a recycled paper bag. The bag already had this fantastic black print on it....tune in tomorrow to see the suprise which is going in the middle! Although I really loved this flowy composition, it seemed too decorative, and needed a focal point...

beeswax mask collaboration

2009-06-18T12:46:00.000-07:00

After reading "Plan bee" by Susan Brackney, http://www.planbeebook.com/ I decided to make some beeswax death masks of my face. I ordered some algenate from the artmolds company http://www.artmolds.com/

John helped me make some molds of my face that I filled with beeswax. The masks were placed into a beehive the second week in June...things are progressing nicely!

MAEA : Michigan Art Education Association : Summer Professional Development Institute

2009-05-24T16:15:00.000-07:00

MAEA : Michigan Art Education Association : Summer Professional Development Institute

Folk School Workshops

2009-05-24T16:12:00.000-07:00

Folk School Workshops: "Time: Friday, July 24 from 5:00 to 9:00 p.m.
Cost: $35 plus $10 for materials
Minimum of 5 students
Come and discover the sweetness and luminosity of working with the ancient and contemporary art of encaustics (pigmented beeswax) and beeswax collage! Participants will learn about the history of the medium and the honeybees that help create it. We will create several small-scale works in experimental encaustics, Xerox transfer, and mixed media collage. No experience required, just a sense of adventure! Check out the blog www.melissa-hronkin.blogspot.com for Melissa's work and links to encaustic"

http://www.montserratencausticconference.blogspot.com/

2009-05-24T16:09:00.000-07:00

upcoming workshops

2009-05-24T15:59:00.000-07:00

The summer is ahead and I invite you to any or all of the following events that I am involved in:

June 5-7th in Beverly MA: Third Encaustic Conference

June 30th: Apiary Visit at our beeyard: Algomah Acres Honey Farm 9:30-11:30 am

July 24th: 5-9 pm: Porkies Folk School.

August 2-7th: Western MI Univ.

Love to all!

2009-05-10T12:38:00.000-07:00

from my studio mess....this quote is from Ralph Waldo Emerson. My next solo show is a year away, but I must get busy...collaborate with the bees this summer.

bee film

2009-03-02T18:44:00.001-08:00

Bee Film 8mm from LEVLHED on Vimeo.

vintage bee film

2009-03-02T18:35:00.000-08:00

http://www.vimeo.com/3430805

For the Love of the Bee events

2009-01-29T01:53:00.000-08:00

Take a look at my "skillshare" at http://beeswaxteam.com/december-skill-share-encaustics-and-photographs/

It is about processing your cappings wax to use in the studio. Also, They've recorded a podcast interview with me--should be up Feb. 2nd...at the site:http://beeswaxteam.com/

Wintering Into the Hive Installation

2009-01-11T17:03:00.000-08:00

Thank you to everyone who helped to make this installation happen! It will be up until Feb. 4th. Go to http://www.vertingallery.com/ for more information...I am doing another workshop at the Hancock Comm. Arts Center on Wed. Jan. 28th. Call the Community Arts Center for more information: 906-482-2333 for more info and to register.

Wintering Installation

2009-01-11T16:50:00.000-08:00

Greetings. This installation will be at the vertin gallery in Calumet MI until February 4th. I hope you get a chance to experience it. http://www.vertingallery.com/

The exhibition will be on display January 9th-February 4th, 2009. A public reception for the artist will be held the evening of January 9th, 7-9 pm. R

2009-01-04T11:52:00.001-08:00

The exhibition will be on display January 9th-February 4th, 2009. A public reception for the artist will be held the evening of January 9th, 7-9 pm. R

2009-01-04T11:50:00.000-08:00

VERTIN GALLERY EXHIBITION

Calumet, Mi. - The Vertin Gallery is pleased to present, “Wintering – Into the Hive”, Encaustic and Beeswax installation by artist Melissa Hronkin and her Bees.
“Wintering Into the Hive” represents the time in winter we go inward, a time of repose and solitude, and for Hronkin , her most productive art-making time. The 2 and 3 dimensional encaustic and beeswax collage installation also represents Hronkin’s hope that this project will bring awareness to the recent plight of the honeybee and it’s surrounding industry.
Ms. Hronkin holds an MA in Art Education, MFA in Visual Studies, BFA in Photography and Drawing and an Art Education Endorsement K-12, in Michigan. She is currently the Art Educator for the Ontonagon Area School District.
The exhibition will be on display January 9th-February 4th, 2009. A public reception for the artist will be held the evening of January 9th, 7-9 pm. Refreshments will be served.

december, january, february

2008-12-21T11:07:00.000-08:00

blind contours of myself--carved into the wax, etc....I like the change of imagery and getting back to drawing a bit. February is on the way!

season of long shadows

2008-12-21T11:03:00.000-08:00

these are both images I took of our field on Saturday AM...0 degrees. I printed them on paper and attached them to 8x8"boards.....one is with bleached beeswax and the other is with amber.

beeswax team gift exchange

2008-12-13T08:34:00.000-08:00

I received my wonderful parcel from Beth Billups several days ago. Beautiful, Inspiring, and Amazing! This 6 inch cradle board is framed with black painted wood. The back of the piece is covered with brown paper for a very neat presentation.

“creativity, inspiration, community” are the three words collaged onto the incised jar images. Beth incised the lines and colored them black with oil stick. The lower half of the piece is an image of honeybees! (my favorite!). I am truly honored to have an image of Beth’s. She is a very detail oriented artist who knows about great presentation. Beth’s website is super. http://tangledskystudio.blogspot.com

We found out we have similar taste in music and we are both (originally) from Michigan! Yes, that is snow to the right of me in the vertical picture—we have about 30 inches on the ground as of today and the temp was about 15 degrees today.
The gift exchange was a super idea. I hope the person I sent work to doesn’t feel shafted (sorry Pam if my work is strange!). All in all, this group started by Shannon has been a wonderful new community of artists that I am very thankful to be a part of. Happy New Year Everyone!

apples in the snow

2008-11-27T07:26:00.000-08:00

each of these is on a 12x12" canvas board. the picture was taken last weekend on the edge of our property.

birds of sorrow

2008-11-23T11:50:00.000-08:00

again, this diptych is 2x 16x16" canvas boards together. image transfer, encaustics and player piano music were used.

the player piano music will appear in my january installation to represent the flight path of the honeybee.

drop this ticket

2008-11-23T11:41:00.000-08:00

this is a larger collage of canvas board, but I couldn't get a good photo..wanted to show the use of player piano music.

postcard ideas

2008-11-20T18:41:00.001-08:00

let me know what you think...also, I can take away the flare glowing dot!

light box updates

2008-11-15T10:29:00.000-08:00

this is the angel statue with a honeybee on her head. I was going to use her as a mold for the guardians of the hives, but it didn't work out. She appears in the installation in this form instead.

door painting behind and clovers/daisies in front.

pictograph box and close-up

new views. I added photos on transparency to the front and back of each light box. The photographs were taken while boxes were sitting on a windowsill. I plan to put flourescent or LED lights on the back for the gallery.

perfect flight

2008-11-02T12:59:00.000-08:00

12x12 " made from an old worn out pillow case that Bonnie got me and various other things.!

music box....

2008-11-02T12:44:00.001-08:00

bought this roll from a player piano at the antique store....I think it is going to find itself into the installation somehow..."music box"...I have the perfect box to house it in and maybe string into the air??? Not sure...not sure why...the hive...

shoe bee

2008-11-02T12:41:00.000-08:00

i am having my high school students do the "shoe into sculpture" project. Here is my example. I am making 2 so I can show one with their work in January and one with my show in January at the Vertin! Still in progress......

light boxes and scrolls

2008-11-02T12:37:00.001-08:00

I made these 10 years ago in Minneapolis and never used them in my installation, but now may be the time...maybe possibly perhaps...

struggling with the light boxes...suggestions????

in progress: majorly! light boxes are from hive boxes: 19"x16", and the big scrolls are 3x3'

running man blue and red, grieve

2008-11-02T12:33:00.000-08:00

running man 1 is 4x4", running man 2 and mary grieve are on 6x6". The vials will hang down the wall when the pieces are hung.

celebration and marriage

2008-11-02T12:29:00.000-08:00

marriage

the first 2 are 8x8" and the marriage one is 16x16". the images from the first 2 were found at my grandpa's house...not sure who they are yet!

more buttons

2008-11-02T12:27:00.000-08:00

these 2 are 4x4" and on deep cradle board.

buttons

2008-11-02T12:19:00.000-08:00

why buttons? Not sure, but here you go. I experimented with layering oil paints and wax, and then hitting with the heat gun. the following are all 6x6" deep canvas board.

Machado Triptych

2008-11-02T12:12:00.000-08:00

The Antonio Machado poem: Last Night As I Was Sleeping inspired these pieces:

the adapted poem is as follows:

Last night I dreamt that I had a beehive here inside my heart

and the golden bees were making white combs and sweet honey from my old failures.

Last night I dreamt that a fiery sun was giving light inside my heart.

sun because it gave light and brought tears to my eyes.

The true poem is longer, but these were the parts that I chose to depict in the triptych.

wintering: into the hive

2008-11-02T12:08:00.000-08:00

winter is for women momento bottle and honey bottles will be part of the installation.

It has been a long time coming! Today I tried to document some of my recent works for this show. It is going to be more installation oriented, as the space lends itself to that. Here is the where the title comes from and some of the ideas for the pieces. Feedback is appreciated!

Wintering
Sylvia Plath
This is the easy time, there is nothing doing.
I have whirled the midwife's extractor,
I have my honey,
Six jars of it,
Six cat's eyes in the wine cellar,

Wintering in a dark without window
At the heart of the house
Next to the last tenant's rancid jam
and the bottles of empty glitters ----
Sir So-and-so's gin.

This is the room I have never been in
This is the room I could never breathe in.
The black bunched in there like a bat,
No light
But the torch and its faint

Chinese yellow on appalling objects ----
Black asininity. Decay.
Possession.
It is they who own me.
Neither cruel nor indifferent,

Only ignorant.
This is the time of hanging on for the bees--the bees
So slow I hardly know them,
Filing like soldiers
To the syrup tin

To make up for the honey I've taken.
Tate and Lyle keeps them going,
The refined snow.
It is Tate and Lyle they live on, instead of flowers.
They take it. The cold sets in.

Now they ball in a mass,
Black
Mind against all that white.
The smile of the snow is white.
It spreads itself out, a mile-long body of Meissen,

Into which, on warm days,
They can only carry their dead.
The bees are all women,
Maids and the long royal lady.
They have got rid of the men,

The blunt, clumsy stumblers, the boors.
Winter is for women ----
The woman, still at her knitting,
At the cradle of Spanish walnut,
Her body a bulb in the cold and too dumb to think.

Will the hive survive, will the gladiolas
Succeed in banking their fires
To enter another year?
What will they taste of, the Christmas roses?
The bees are flying. They taste the spring.

new developments

2008-10-05T09:03:00.000-07:00

small vial with words hanging off of her "skirt"

tape/cellophane and shellac figure with LED light at the base!

bottling the honey!

2008-09-14T09:03:00.000-07:00

here are some attempts at creative bottling of the

Raw and Unprocessed UP Honey!

complete with bee and sacred heart milagros

These are 4 and 8 oz bottles.

ATC's about the bees

2008-09-14T08:57:00.000-07:00

I had my students do artist trading cards as a warm-up to the year, so I did some too!... the size or trading cards...

window still life

2008-08-30T09:28:00.000-07:00

This is a cast-tape sculpture that I created over a 12" dress maker's form. Then, I covered it with Shellac. These may appear illuminated in my show in January as "guardians of the hive".