I am clapping my hands together in pure excitement and admiration as I introduce our next Tap-In guest ~ the talented, innovative encaustic artist Patricia Baldwin Seggebruch (Trish), author of the books Encaustic Mixed Media and Encaustic Workshop, and the DVDs Encaustic Collage Workshop and Encaustic Techniques. She is the developer of EncaustiKits and EncaustiCamp. Enjoy!…What do you do to tap into and fully connect with your creative spirit?
I am inexplicitly drawn to creativity. I even include in this the ‘creation’ of my four children! — one was just not enough. I look at my art, my books, EncaustiCamp and EncaustiKits, my blog posts, new baking creations, even (in an unpossessive way) the students who’ve let me be their instructor for a time, as wonderful creations gifted to me for a point in time — to birth, develop or hopefully make better, and then let go into the world.
I always have a hard time committing to one creative influence or artist whom I admire. For awhile I condemned myself for being so uncommitted and indecisive. But now I see it is not like that; I am fluid and ever-changing! I am evolving as an artist, woman, and human and so are my thoughts, desires, likes and inspirations. So, my ‘likes’ always change and it is okay!
Cy Twombly wins my biggest nod though; just yum!
I have never studied art. I have never tried to be creative. I can still, after almost two decades of dipping my big toe into this pond, look at myself and with a quizzical brow-furrow ask, ‘wow! How did you get HERE?!’ Life is so beautiful when you can take time to look back and reflect on how far you’ve come. It reminds me to be grateful in the moment I am living, because I know it will become one of the moments I look back on with tender-hearted gratitude.
What would a perfect day look like?
A perfect day never looks the same. But I can say I’ve gotten to live a few, so I will tell you what they’ve looked like, and anticipate adding to this list as I get to live more!
Perfect day one: Sharing a day of lazy abandon and doing-of-nothing with my husband on our honeymoon at Cave B in a private lodge overlooking the Royal Gorge.
Perfect day two: Closing out an overwhelmingly blessed three day workshop in Ashville, NC with students packing up, well wishing, generally filling the room with good vibes and not leaving once completed, but sitting back down to just soak it up. I finally rang the release bell, otherwise we might all still be there!:)
Perfect day three: Beginning a walk on the Brisbane river in the early morning dusk with days worth of provisions. The trek brought me to the PowerStation Arts Center where I indulged in the refurbished beauty of the building, only to languish on the lawn with bread and cheese overlooking the ferries on the river before trekking back to my lodging. In total, it was an 8 hour day with nearly 12 miles traveled on foot. So good.
Perfect day four: July 17, 1990, Conner Kelly Seggebruch is born.
January 29, 1992, Daniel Robert Seggebruch is born.
October 13, 1993, Brian Michael Seggebruch is born.
March 9, 1996, Patrick Thomas Seggebruch is born.
View more of Patricia’s gorgeous encaustic art at her website.
Read about the mission of and philosophy behind Tap-In.
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