I know what you are thinking….. How in the world can you mix watercolor and wax? That will never work. I know it seems unlikely, but in reality it’s really not so far fetched. I use watercolor all the time—actually in most of my paintings. So I want to share with you the two ways… Read More »Watercolor + Encaustic Painting
Why You Should Create an Artist Book. My friend and fellow encaustic artist, Kim Pogue, is also a master printer who creates Fine Art Books. I asked her to share some of her insights about why she thinks it’s important to create an artist book. +++++ We are a species that enjoys touch. So much… Read More »Fine Art Books
Don’t be a copycat. I teach a lot. And every once in a while someone will ask me, “Aren’t you afraid of copycats?” My answer to that is: no. No one has the same vision as me. I can teach people the same techniques, but it’s the vision and the voice that make the viewer… Read More »Nobody Likes a Copycat
Sometimes I call this portfolio ‘my lovelies’. It’s a name that my friend Kat coined for them a long time ago. Áine is my favorite of the series. She is named for my mother – Áine being the Gaelic version of Ann. Actually the entire series is about my mother and the images were shot… Read More »The Story Behind the Image
Fusing Revisited. Fusing is at the very core of encaustic painting, and essential for creating a long-lasting piece of art. Each layer needs to be gently heated in order to bond to the previous layer forming a single entity. The source of the heat isn’t nearly as important as the act of fusing. You can… Read More »Tips for Photo Encaustic Fusing
Have you ever been told to ‘go big or go home’? In the early days of my photo encaustic obsession, most of the pieces I created were on the small side. But my confidence grew, along with the size if my artworks, as I came to understand, and then master, the techniques of encaustics. I’m… Read More »Techniques for Large Scale Photo Encaustics
Can music help us create artistic content? Why do certain chords evoke specific emotions? Why do major chords make us feel ‘happy’ while minor chords can make us feel ‘sad’? To our creative brains, a sound is never a sound. These vibrations contain layers of meaning – questions, intentions, and purposes. Recently I’ve been wondering… Read More »The Effects Of Music On Your Art
Why we all need a Fail Club. I recently came across Imogen Parry’s Creative Morning seminar on why we all need a Fail Club. At first, I thought, ‘Now that’s an odd concept!’ But then I realized just how brilliant it actually is. The best thing we can give ourselves, especially as artists, is permission… Read More »Fail Club
Photo Encaustic Equine Workshop As artists, we’re constantly searching for new ways to expand our creative vision and create stunning, unique pieces of art. That’s why whenever I have the opportunity to take a photography workshop, or any creative workshop for that matter, I jump at it. I took my first workshop back in the… Read More »Join Me in Wyoming
February blues have set in and I’m trying to get back on track. It’s always a really hard time of year for me. I get really sluggish and done, oh so done, with Minnesota winters right about now. I’ll be honest I’m having a hard time finding the motivation to get into the studio. But… Read More »Rekindle your Mojo