nature
A New Normal
Because of COVID 19, artists have had to find ways to adjust to the way we exhibit, teach, and even reconnect with the creative process. It’s been a challenge, to say the least. For me, after a few weeks of disbelief and confusion about what was happening in the world, I was able to tap…
Read MoreKnowing Place
I have been working with soft pastels lately, and revisiting a favorite subject… wildflowers in nature. This new series of paintings is inspired by summer visits to Baroda, Michigan. I first created a small mixed media painting using photo transfer techniques, encaustic medium, and oil pastels. I focused on dimension and textures plus I became…
Read MoreDowntime and the New Year
2019 is coming to an end and I can not believe how quickly the time is passing! I survived my first participation in the One of a Kind Holiday Show and with much success will look forward to returning next December. The attendance was incredible, I loved that the show was four days long, and…
Read MoreReboot & Reload
I can’t believe it’s already been a month since my last summer festival participation. There was little time to recover and shift right into teaching mode! Fall, Winter, and Spring sessions I offer mixed media encaustic classes at the Evanston Art Center and North Shore Art League. My one remaining exhibition scheduled for 2019 is…
Read MoreSurvival…
Survival of the fittest! It is always a physical and mental challenge when I participate in summer outdoor festivals, from the packing and loading of work to exhibit, the loading of tent and panels required in order to hang and display work, to the unpacking and setup at the actual festival, and then the re-packing…
Read MoreSummer’s Arrival
It rained and rained and it was cold, damp, and dreary… and I woke up July 1 and finally summer is here! Despite the horrendous weather of May and June, art festival season is upon us. Two festival exhibitions are behind me now with four more to go. My next exhibition will be filled with…
Read MoreIt’s almost show time, Folks!
It’s hard to believe that a month from today I’ll be exhibiting at the Wells Street Art Festival in Old Town, Chicago. The weather has felt more like Winter than Spring, it’s one of the biggest factors that contribute to the success or failure of a show. My newest work is focused on organic patterns…
Read MoreRevival; before and after
Springtime is when I have to start planning my exhibition space for the upcoming summer festival season. It forces me to review art inventory, and re-assess what paintings are “show worthy”, and those that need to be re-worked. Ever since I started incorporating alcohol inks into encaustic medium, I have found a new way to…
Read MoreNew-Old Direction & Holiday Shows
This past weekend, I taught an encaustic “sampler” workshop at the Evanston Art Center. We used various mixed media materials that combine effortlessly with wax. In the demo painting below, mulberry paper creates a translucent linear wave pattern, I then added white shellac and oil pastel to highlight the setting sun over the ocean waves.…
Read MoreSummer Inspiration
I recently visited the Chicago Botanic Gardens knowing I would find visual inspiration. The colors of gorgeous velvety red roses in the Rose Garden, to the perfectly manicured bonsai and pine trees in the Japanese Garden, were a gift. In the English Walled Garden, I watched as wedding vows were exchanged, the scene felt like…
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