In January, I took an encaustic painting class at the Torpedo Factory with Bev Ryan. The color doesn't really come out of the brushes, so Bev keeps a rainbow of them. The waxy buildup and embedded pigment turn the brushes into sculptural forms themselves, surely the inspiration for Jasper John's wonderful painted bronze Savarin.

Two stand-out pieces. Above (top) was created by the woman in the white shirt, below. (I didn't get her name.) Directly above is by my friend Nancy Hacskaylo. In both pieces, I love the striking color palettes, the simple composition and the rich texture. This looks easy, right? It isn't.

Bev gives a demonstration of different techniques. Thanks for a great class, Bev!

Leave it to my uber connected friend Beth Schlenoff to know the whereabouts of the AAUP 2010 Book, Jacket and Journal Show. Tucked in the administrative offices of National Gallery of Art's East Building, this little collective illustrates that printing presses are still rolling, and book designers are still viable. AAUP = Association of American University Presses (not to be confused with the duplicate acronymed Association of American University Professors).

We fell in love with Lance Letscher Collage, a gorgeous volume of Lance's amazing body of work. Discovering a new collage artist is just one of the reasons I love books.