tree series: mother root encaustic/collage/photocopy transfer
This tree I saw and photographed last spring in California - and its shape was astonishing. The root was a gift, and it fit with this wind-blown tree. The roots divide around a rusted piece of metal, anchoring the tree.
tree series: it happend so fast (meltdown island) encaustic/collage/photocopy transfer
For the first time, a piece melted last summer when I left it in the car. So, I re-worked it, with the ‘island’ emerging from the ruined piece, as an oasis. There is a lot of gouging down to the original work, which had a very rich and colourful palette.
love, burn, give, fall encaustic/collage/photo transfer
These four words pulled from an old spelling text book struck me as poetry – such beauty! The grid here is softer and more subtle, gradating from colour to pastels, “falling” away to the edges as the words suggest
bent into shape encaustic/collage
Here I went back to an image that has inspired me in the past... a tree that is so bent by wind. Is it bent into shape? Out of shape? Regardless, that is now its shape. There is something for me to learn from this tree.
with wings outstretched (dance #1) encaustic/collage/photo transfer/charcoal
The first in a new series that involves dancing on the natural beeswax with charcoal on my feet. The process begins with the art flat on the floor, pristine... then I dip my feet repeatedly in the charcoal (taken from our Equinox fire in September) and dance. The imagery, shapes and flow of the piece emerge from the energy of the dance below. The song I danced to was 'There is XXXX within my heart' by You Say Party We Say Die. The title was taken from a line in the song, and is truly such a departure for me, that I feel I am flying, 'with wings outstretched' into very new territory. I had such a joyful time making this piece, and am learning about really letting go with this series.
...where she's been Encaustic/collage/photo transfer
This piece touches on so many series it’s impossible to list them all… and is really a love song to the grid! I treated each square as an individual painting, and then pulled them together as a whole. The title comes from a black and white photo I collaged down of a woman walking – it grew into a horizontal story about … where she’s been. You can find it near the bottom middle-left area of the piece.
opening up encaustic/nest/photo transfer/rust/metal/leaves
Here, another in the Empty Nest series, this small nest seemed to be on the move – towards the opening in the outer circle. I wanted to explore the idea of taking ‘home’ with us when we move in the larger world.
I am a mixed media encaustic artist, living with my family in Ontario, a few hours outside of Toronto in Canada. The beauty of this landscape inspires my work. To learn more about me view my artistic statement and c.v.
I am often asked, “what is encaustic?” In recent decades, this wonderfully luscious medium is experiencing a resurgence, as more and more artists discover its versatility. It is an ancient technique, which literally means “to burn or heat”. Appropriate, as each stage of encaustic painting involves heat. The wax is melted, mixed with pigment, and then each layer is fused with heat. The fusing can be done with a blow torch, heat gun, iron, or light bulb, depending on the effect desired. Being a collage artist for many years, it was a natural fit for me to include found objects and collage of all sorts in the wax (encaustic medium).
Enjoy your time browsing this site, and please feel free to contact me with questions or comments about my encaustic art, shows & exhibits, encaustic workshops, encaustic art supplies and/or dancing through cancer.
