I love my job. I’ve just returned from a week teaching my photo encaustic equine workshop outside of Sheridan Wyoming. Nine of us gathered in this amazing location at the foot of the Big Horn Mountains and spent the week photographing horses and working in the studio. It’s the first time I’ve done a workshop… Read More »Doing What I Love
What Images Work Best for Printing on Tissue Paper? This is one of the concepts my students struggle with most—and it’s no surprise. When we photograph, we rarely shoot against clean white backgrounds unless we’re working in a controlled studio environment. But when it comes to printing on tissue paper, your background matters more than… Read More »How to Choose Images for Tissue Paper Prints
Somewhere between Painting and Photography. The Artistic Image online class kicked off again this week, which means it was time for one of my favorite assignments. I ask students to go online and gather examples of photo encaustic work they wish they had created. Then I have them look closely at what draws them in.… Read More »How Encaustic Transforms Ordinary Photographs
I’ve never been one to live on the edge. But this past week was defined by them. I’ve just returned from ten remarkable days in Oregon—opening the National Photo Encaustic Exhibition and teaching two back-to-back workshops. Before I even arrived, my imagination was already fixed on the Oregon Coast. I couldn’t stop thinking about edges.… Read More »Finding the Edge: Art, Photography, and the Oregon Coast
Bee Inspired. A couple of months ago, the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum reached out and invited me to be part of the opening exhibition for their new Bee and Pollinator Center. My answer was an immediate—absolutely, yes. Of course, once I said yes, the next question was: What work should I show? My horse images weren’t… Read More »How Bees Inspired My Latest Encaustic Artwork
The Story Behind Time Slips Away. Art has this beautiful way of carrying us somewhere else. A single image—sometimes even the smallest detail—can pull us back into a place, a season, or a memory we thought we’d left behind. It becomes a thread connecting who we were, who we are, and who we’re becoming. And… Read More »The Story Behind Time Slips Away
Meet Lee Anne White. It’s funny how we can hear something repeated so often that we simply accept it as truth. Early in my photo encaustic journey, I was told—again and again—that black or very dark photographs should never be used with encaustic. The wax would supposedly cloud the shadows, dull the richness, and ruin… Read More »Student Highlight: Lee Anne White
I’m glad to be out of touch with mainstream camera culture. Here’s the truth….I love photography—but I am completely out of touch with mainstream camera culture. Ask any friend I’ve traveled or photographed with. I’m not up on the latest cameras, newest lenses, hottest apps, or whatever Photoshop trick is trending this week. Honestly? I’m… Read More »Out of Touch with Mainstream Camera Culture
I’ve known photographer Doug Beasley for years. I’ve taken his workshops, stayed at his cabin, walked countless laps around Como Lake with him, and shared many meals and conversations about creativity, art, and life. He is not only an extraordinary photographer and educator, but also one of the most thoughtful souls I know. This particular… Read More »The Power of Creative Vulnerability
Photo copyright isn’t the most thrilling topic in the art world—but it’s one of the most important. As a photographer, my creative process begins with my own images. The wax, pigments, and techniques transform the photograph, but the foundation is uniquely mine. That’s why I refuse to work with images I didn’t personally take—even if… Read More »Understanding Photo Copyright as Artists