Have you ever been told to ‘go big or go home’? In the early days of my photo encaustic journey, almost everything I made was small. Tiny panels felt safe. Manageable. Predictable. But as my confidence grew—and I began understanding the deeper nuances of the encaustic process—my artwork started to grow right along with me.… Read More »Working Large in Photo Encaustics
Can music help us create artistic content? Why do certain musical chords instantly shift our emotions?Why do major chords feel “bright” and minor chords feel “heavy”? To a creative mind, a sound is never just a sound. Every vibration carries intention, mood, and meaning. And increasingly, I’ve been wondering how the music we listen to… Read More »Music, Emotion, and Artistic Expression
Why we all need a Fail Club. I recently watched Imogen Parry’s Creative Mornings seminar on why we all need a Fail Club—and at first, I thought, Well, that’s an odd idea. But the more I sat with it, the more brilliant it became. As artists, one of the greatest gifts we can offer ourselves… Read More »Embrace Failure to Grow Creatively
Shake off those Winter Blues. February always hits me hard. The winter blues settle in, the Minnesota cold feels endless, and motivation becomes almost impossible to find. I’m sluggish, uninspired, and honestly struggling to get into the studio. As artists, we’re told creativity should flow naturally—an unstoppable passion. But the truth is, sometimes it doesn’t.… Read More »Finding Inspiration When You Feel Stuck
I’m exhausted by the steady stream of negativity in what feels like a topsy-turvy world. Maybe you are too. Every time something new and unbelievable pops up in the news, I find myself thinking the same thing—it’s time to challenge myself to make more art. Right here, right now, there isn’t a better place to… Read More »Finding Creativity in Difficult Times
Tips for Printing + Mounting an Image for Photo Encaustic. There are three ways to incorporate photography with encaustic medium, one of the most common is to mount your image to a hard substrate and layer the encaustic on top of the image. Paper Selection The first thing you have to think about for this… Read More »Tips for Printing and Mounting Photos for Encaustic
Ritual to finish the year with a Bang. I love this time of year—not just because of the holidays, but because it marks a season of new beginnings. It gives us a moment to pause, reflect on what the past year brought, and decide what we want the New Year to look and feel like.… Read More »Finish the Year Strong: A Creative Ritual
The Shipping Question……. Shipping comes up time and time again. How do you ship an encaustic piece? There is a fragility to what it is that we make. So for good reason we should be concerned. The work can be vulnerable to cracking, chipping, or flaking. Heat and cold play a role. I’m sure we… Read More »Packing and Shipping Encaustic Artwork
Meet Frank. My brother owns this photograph and keeps it at his cabin in Northern Wisconsin. During a visit this past summer, I turned a corner and saw it hanging in a new spot—and instantly, I was transported back to Ireland and the days when I first fell in love with photography. I spent years… Read More »Meet Frank: An Irish Story Through My Lens
It’s Done! Now How Do I Photograph It? If you’ve ever tried to photograph your finished encaustic artwork, you know how tricky it can be. The surface, the shine, the texture—getting it all right in a photo feels like chasing light itself. Let me walk you through my process. When I finish a piece, I… Read More »Photographing Encaustic Art: Tips for Capturing Texture, Color, and Shine