Don’t be a copycat. I teach quite a bit. And every now and then, a student will ask, “Aren’t you afraid of copycats?”My answer is simple: No. No one else has my vision.I can teach the same techniques, but it’s your voice and vision that make your artwork uniquely yours. Recently, I completed Robin Rice’s… Read More »Why I’m Not Afraid of Copycats
Sometimes I call this portfolio ‘my lovelies’. It’s a name my friend Kat gave them years ago, and it still fits perfectly. Áine is my favorite in the entire series. She’s named for my mother—Áine being the Gaelic version of Ann—and the whole body of work is really about her. I created these images after… Read More »The Story Behind “My Lovelies”
Fusing Revisited. Fusing sits at the heart of encaustic painting. It’s the moment when each new layer of wax and pigment bonds to the one beneath it, forming a single, unified surface. Whether you’re working with traditional encaustic techniques or exploring the beautiful world of photo encaustics, fusing is what gives your artwork strength and… Read More »Essential Fusing Techniques for Encaustic Artists
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