Not only were the temperatures high this weekend but it seemed like everything I was doing was just reminding me of how hot it was.
First, I did go to yoga class but for some reason on Saturday the room just seemed a bit warmer than usual. Not bad but given that the Saturday class is a bit more intense I really felt like I got more of a workout this time. Of course I thought I’ll treat myself to a stop at Frugal Media afterwards.
Well, I guess their AC isn’t the best because I couldn’t stay at the store too long. It was so warm there. I did find a copy of Eva Trout by Elizabeth Bowen. I know I heard about this book from one of my blog friends. It sounds like a wonderful story so I’m happy to add it to my collection.
The highlight of the weekend of course was going to my encaustic painting class. I loved it. We learned the basics on beeswax, resin, and pigments. Our instructor gave us two small wood boards so we could try our hand at encaustic painting. She had tons of found objects we could embed into the painting, tools to “scratch” away at the wax, and she showed us various techniques for layering paint. It was a blast.
Here are the two boards I played with. As I’ve said before, I’m not a painter but I do love to collage and play with paints.
The studio where I took the class didn’t have AC either, just a lot of fans blowing, so you can imagine how warm it got what with the skillets and hot air guns going on. Anyway, I don’t know if I’ll do encaustics again but it was fun and it’s definitely something I can revisit later either with the instructor or with this book she recommended.
Finally to wind down the weekend I picked up a new book, The Silver Pigs by Lindsey Davis, and oh my goodness, it takes place in the summer and the first few pages are all about the heat. What can I say, I think I’m just ready for our vacation which is coming up in a couple of weeks. For now, I guess I’ll just go have some dulce de leche ice cream and pretend I’m someplace cool.
It’s actually cooler than normal here in Dallas. I can relate to the no ac, because my Dad refused to run it. Now I can’t live without it. I need to get back to yoga. As for painting, I have no talent for that. LOL. Have a great week!
Sometimes you just can’t get away from it! In Indiana, we had a cold front come through. The high yesterday was 71 degrees!!! A nice change from the Florida swelter!
I was just going to say you need to get cooled off with some ice cream….and then I read about your dulce de leche.
I hate to tell you how unseasonably cool it is in Connecticut, but it has been super great. Seeing how the humidity is normally enough to curl uncooked spaghetti, I am grateful!
How about Winter in July books for the next couple of weeks. LOL
Actually, I’m kinda sick of our hot weather here since it’s summer all year round! LOL. I’d love to experience winter though… the closest I could get is Mt. Cook (in New Zealand) and though I’d the opportunity to play with snow, however it’s not snowing!! 😛
It was hot here this weekend, too! I love Elizabeth Bowen, but haven’t read that book–looking forward to hearing what you think 🙂
Kristy – I don’t think it actually got that hot today but I guess all of it has worn me out! I hear Dallas is supposed to get some rain soon – hope it’s nice rain and no freaky North Texas weather you know! And speaking of yoga, have you ever tried Move Studio? It’s in Richardson and so awesome. A bit pricey but the classes are great.
Sandy – Oh 71, that sounds lovely! I shouldn’t complain though, we’ll be in Germany soon and I don’t think they are having a very warm summer at all so it’ll be a nice reprieve!
Wisteria – hee,hee… I finished it all! Connecticut is one place I’d love to go to. And, yes, I think I should start reading some scandinavian crime fiction 🙂
Melody – I can imagine! Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mind Texas weather in the winter as our winters are pretty mild and with lots of sun. I just wish we didn’t see 100s too often! And, you have humidity too right?
Gentle Reader – Can you believe I have like 3 or 4 of her books and still haven’t tried one. They all sound fabulous though so I couldn’t help myself 🙂
That’s right, Iliana! Our weather here is hot and humid.
The ice cream sounds like a perfect choice!
It’s been 112-115 degrees F. here in Phoenix for several days. For some strange reason, I’ve been sitting in the pool in the shade by the waterfall reading lots of books in the afternoons!
I love Dulce de leche ice cream 😀 And dulce de leche itself too, of course. I do hate heat, though….I hope it cools off soon!
I like the boards you made in class. Would you be able to use encaustic painting to make book covers? Your heat sounds sounds terrible. We’ve had an unusually cool summer here. On Saturday we barely made it up into the the 60s!
Here in the Pacific Northwest, we begin to complain when it is 85 degrees but having grown up in Arizona, I have had enough of the 100+ weather to last a lifetime. I did get a lot more reading done in those days when you had to stay inside 🙂
Have you ever tried a Hot Yoga class? It is really misesrable to be so hot and sweaty in a room with a bunch of people you don’t really know.
Melody – Oh that must make it so hot! Get some ice cream – it helps 🙂
jenclair – It was. I ate lots 🙂
Cathy – Ok, I’m not going to complain anymore when we were just at 103 or so! Yikes. I think I’d live in the pool 🙂
Nymeth – I know, isn’t it yummy? I don’t eat ice cream very often but that is one yummy flavor. I hope it cools soon too!
Stefanie – That’s exactly why I took the class 🙂 I was hoping to incorporate that into book boards. I think I could but the only problem is that I wonder how they’d hold up as notebooks you could carry around with you all the time. It seems like it’d be easy to get nicks and gouges into them granted they are fixable but still. I guess I’ll have to re-think my idea! oh and send me some of your cool weather will ya 🙂
Juliann – I haven’t done hot yoga and actually one of my yoga teachers really cautions against it. She said it’s easier to go into deeper poses with hot yoga however your body may not actually be ready for that so you could risk an injury. I guess if I was a very experienced yogini I wouldn’t mind trying it out but for now I’m sticking with my regular hatha practice 🙂
Love the painting on the left!
Nice painting! I love Dulce De Leche icecream too 🙂
Neat paintings. I’d love to take a class like that some time.
Encaustic painting looks so cool! I love doing stuff like that, but I actually had no idea there was a proper name for it! LOL I need you taking these classes so I learn proper terms here. 😀
I’ve never heard of encaustic painting, but yours are lovely 🙂
It’s been such a beautiful summer here in Michigan – low humidity and temps about 80. Perfect every day. (sorry!)
I love that ice cream! Enjoy, and stay cool! ps. you are an amazing artist!
Now it is a small world. I take classes at Move Studio! Well, when I actually take classes. It’s in my area. I took my private Pilates classes there and a few series. I really need to get back at it. Pilates/Yoga are something that I need to be motivated to do. It tried to rain here today, but didn’t. Maybe tomorrow they say.
Tiffany – Thanks, that’s my favorite too. I think the other one looks ok in person but not so great in a picture. I sprinkled some gravel on the bottom and it looks kind of cool but you can’t tell on the pic.
bookworm – I ate it all and now I want some more! ha,ha.. My other favorite is rum raisin!
Anna – It’s so much fun. I really recommend it. It seems like encaustics are becoming very popular so maybe you can find a workshop to try it out.
Andi – Haha… I promise to continue taking classes and reporting on them 🙂
ravenous reader – I bet you’ve seen them! Our teacher showed us pictures of encaustics that were done centuries ago. I am wondering how the heck they got the paint & beeswax to melt!
Tara – Aw, thank you! 🙂
Kristy – OMG, that is too funny! Maybe we ran into each other one time! I used to take classes with Mimi and a few other teachers. Granted, that was about 4 years ago so I don’t know if they are still there. We actually got a few sprinkles this evening and our temps went all the way down to 90! woo-hoo 😉
Nice paintings, I do like the left the best. A few of my friends have tried the encaustic technique. I like the feel of wax. I am not sure if that would be for me though. Worth a try though. Now ice cream is the technique that I love to use in any kind of weather to warm up my soul!!!!
Roxane Stoner – Thank you! Yea, I’m still not sure if I would try it again. It is quite a commitment as the material can get expensive but maybe I’ll try it again if my teacher offers another class. She did say we could call her anytime and see if she has studio hours open. So I could do that. Now the ice cream technique is a good one isn’t it? 🙂
Those look great, I especially like the one with the little girl’s picture in it. Glad you had a good time and you should definitely do some more stuff like this.
Thankfully it has not been hot here at all of late. Its been heavenly and very unlike July!
Antoher suggestion to cool you off is a new book about the cold weather in Alaska. I thought about you as I opened my newspaper this morning (Sports and comics B section, that is where the crosswords, the cryptoquote and the sudoku are,…my waking up ritual) and saw “In the middle of hot summer comes a book called “Cold”. The author is Bill Streever a scientist working in Barrow, AK You might want to have a try and see if it does the trick.
Carl V. – I really like that one best too. I can’t believe that one was my first attempt. It was kind of hard too because I couldn’t get the picture to stay but finally with a bit of help from my teacher I learned what to do!
Roxane Stoner – Oh that’s too funny and we must have been in sync because get this… We went to the video store and got a documentary video about Antarctica. We watched some parts yesterday and that actually did work a bit! Brrr. I shouldn’t complain though because our vacation is coming up and we’re going to Germany so cool temps await us soon! 🙂
It is rainy here, not at all Hot 🙂
We actually have warm morning ~~ nice right.. in the middle of the rains! and then lots of rains and ten cold nights! 🙂
I have NO idea about paintings. But your clooage [ painting] looks lovely. Thank You for sharing. I used to do Yoga daily 6 months back. stopped it now 🙂 need to start that again.
Hope your like you books… and waiting for the review!