painting & drawing : Encaustic

My encaustic work focuses on abstract landscapes and nature studies with collaged natural elements. The encaustic painting process uses layers of colored wax melted together with heat, creating a velvety, luminous surface. I love the medium because it pushes me to create emotional work centered on color, gesture and form.

River to Sea

Beginning with the freshwater marshes that inspired Cascadia Winter, River to Sea follows the water through brackish estuaries, out to the open ocean, and back again over tidal shallows up to a sandy coastline. River to Sea is the first in a planned series of "progression" pieces, exploring transition environments and natural cycles of change.
River to Sea: Marsh II
River to Sea: Marsh II
River to Sea: Marsh I
River to Sea: Marsh I
River to Sea: Estuary II
River to Sea: Estuary II
River to Sea: Estuary I
River to Sea: Estuary I
River to Sea: Deep I
River to Sea: Deep I
River to Sea: Deep II
River to Sea: Deep II
River to Sea: Shallows II
River to Sea: Shallows II
River to Sea: Shallows I
River to Sea: Shallows I
River to Sea: Coastline II
River to Sea: Coastline II
River to Sea: Coastline I
River to Sea: Coastline I

cascadia winter

In December 2016 I participated in a nine-day artist residency in Vancouver, Washington, where I created a series of larger format encaustic paintings directly inspired by the Pacific Northwest winter landscape, incorporating locally found objects.

The paintings were completed in the studio immediately after hours spent exploring local creeks and marshes in rain, snow and sun, collecting details and debris.

Some of the paintings express a specific moment, others are an accumulated memory of the landscape.
Winter Sky I
Winter Sky I
Winter Sky II
Winter Sky II
Winter Sky III
Winter Sky III
Salmon Creek
Salmon Creek
Tall Grass
Tall Grass
Wind Seeds I
Wind Seeds I
Wind Seeds II
Wind Seeds II
Rain over Marshlands
Rain over Marshlands
Promise of Rain I
Promise of Rain I
Promise of Rain II
Promise of Rain II
Storm Light
Storm Light
Clearing Storm
Clearing Storm
Wetlands, Afternoon
Wetlands, Afternoon
Marsh Dusk
Marsh Dusk
Evergreen
Evergreen
Copse
Copse
Still Waters
Still Waters
Color Study II - Green Seeds
Color Study II - Green Seeds
Winter Movement
Winter Movement
Underfoot I
Underfoot I
Cascade
Cascade
Underfoot III
Underfoot III
River's Edge, Winter (triptych)
River's Edge, Winter (triptych)
Underfoot IV
Underfoot IV

ocean

deep ii
deep ii
sunshine shallows
sunshine shallows
tideline i
tideline i
deep i
deep i
kelp shallows
kelp shallows
tideline ii
tideline ii
Living Waters I
Living Waters I
Living Waters II
Living Waters II
Under the Break
Under the Break

autumn

autumn jewel
autumn jewel
autumn rain
autumn rain
current
current
untitled
untitled
untitled
untitled
born in fire iii
born in fire iii
born in fire iv
born in fire iv
sunny creek
sunny creek
bark tones
bark tones
born in fire i
born in fire i
born in fire ii
born in fire ii

winter

winter mood i
winter mood i
winter mood ii
winter mood ii
winter mood iii
winter mood iii
winter stream i
winter stream i
winter stream ii
winter stream ii
black ice
black ice
cracked ice
cracked ice
dawn frost
dawn frost
dusk frost
dusk frost
winter trees
winter trees

cosmos

creation
creation
untitled
untitled
color waves
color waves
journey
journey
i am
i am
nebula
nebula

garden

dusky rose
dusky rose
Spring Forest
Spring Forest
bloom
bloom
silver veil
silver veil