beyond measure
encaustic/collage
This tree caught my eye when I was in California last year, with its’ intricate lines. In the depths of the dark area below the tree are words that describe my feelings that were ‘beyond measure’... a time of intense feeling. Two feathers create partial circles that arc over and under the tree.
connecting
encaustic/photocopy transfer of original photo/collage
These trees were so close together that the branches had grown into the neighbouring tree - making it hard to tell where one began and the other ended. There is a flow to this kind of connection that I find inspiring.- faith, faith, she had lost count of time
encaustic/collage/photo transfer
Part of an on-going series about faith, this piece is delves into the longing to lose oneself, and the faith required to return from the lost place. There are watch workings imbedded in the wax, as well as organic material from the forest... a great place to 'lose count of time'. - faith, faith, she was silent
encaustic/collage
Faith is a theme that I continue to be intrigued by; it's connection to our inner life, and silence. The words imbedded in the wax here are pointing to that inner silence that emerges from faith. - faith, faith, this was the moment
encaustic/collage
Continuing with the 'faith' series, this piece includes the writing..."this was the moment for which she had longed and yet feared." What a great sentence, holding such passion! The ground is made up of layers of pine needles, earth, and seeds, buried under many layers of wax. - faith, faith, growing up
encaustic/collage
An on-going exploration of faith, and how it manifests in my life, and the lives of those around me... in my experience, it is so closely connected to courage and spirituality, which is a deep-seated resonance with something greater than ourselves. The words of the title are imbedded in the wax. - faith, faith, a quiet voice
encaustic/collage
An on-going exploration of faith, and how it manifests in my life, and the lives of those around me... in my experience, it is so closely connected to courage and spirituality, which is a deep-seated resonance with something greater than ourselves. The words of the title are imbedded in the wax. - faith, faith, sit beside me
encaustic/collage
An on-going exploration of faith, and how it manifests in my life, and the lives of those around me... in my experience, it is so closely connected to courage and spirituality, which is a deep-seated resonance with something greater than ourselves. The words of the title are imbedded in the wax. - growing up
encaustic/collage
Another California tree, this one was blowing horizontally in the original photograph, but I liked the idea of it growing vertically from a cliff face... it has the tenacity to continue to grow under adverse conditions, to find its’ own way. There is no choice but to ‘grow up’. The pink door appeared in the piece, as a calling ... a portal to a new way of being perhaps? - honouring those
encaustic/collage
One of my very first encaustics, I started this in 2001, and recently re-worked it. Under the layers is an image of a mother & child - layering the landscape over them was a way to define them by place and time. - i don't know
encaustic/collage
Under many layers of pure unbleached beeswax are the words "I don’t know what I’m doing" - which is how it felt that day in the studio. Scratching my fingernails through the layers of white to reveal the dark gray below was a new way to create spontaneous lines. - prize winning roses
encaustic/photocopy transfer/collage
Preparing the ground for this piece involved scratching, ironing in plant materials and then removing them (or not), trying things out and then leaving the tracing - focusing on texture and surface. The photo transfer is of roses that my Grandmother grew in the 1950's - her pride and joy. - shadows on snow
encaustic/collage
Preparing the ground for this piece involved scratching, ironing in plant materials and then removing them (or not), trying things out and then leaving the tracing - focusing on texture and surface. The squares are built up with many layers of wax, so that they sit above the ground. - skiing at dusk
encaustic/collage
A companion piece to Connecting, the same trees are duplicated and I play around with the time of day. An old rusted piece of found metal fencing divides the surface, escaping the edge - a strong connection
encaustic/collage
Buried deep in the wax is a picture of my Nanna and her Mother, taken in a forest... their connection was strong enough to bridge generations, leaving me with a strong sense of that love. - surrendering
encaustic/collage/barbed wire
This piece was the first in the year, and the beginning of a new way to approach my work. It’s all about the surface texture... and a surrendering of control. There are many layers of wax below that are revealed through much gouging. I dragged my fingernails through the wax, creating four lines on either side of the fabric remnant. Barbed wire was used to ‘draw’ in the wax, forming a loose grid. Organic materials are ironed in, and then in some cases removed, leaving their shadow. - the empty chair
encaustic/collage
With our eldest son leaving home last year, there was an ‘empty chair’ at our table. The circle around it echoes the environmental sculpture that my husband Daniel carved from the snow last winter. This huge circle went around our home, and as I walked it, I picked up various organic elements to use in the wax. That is how the four areas are marked, by ironing in and pulling out the hydrangeas, lilac branches, pine needles, etc. that I found. This is also about sitting in the empty chair, as the world keeps spinning around us... taking time to breath and restore. - the long way home
encaustic/collage
Last winter I spent several weeks experimenting with wax on unusual surfaces... this came from that time. The ground is a board that my husband, Daniel, covered with a mixture of leaves and earth from years ago, an experiment of his! I found it and decided to see what would happen with wax - it was a delight to use the found objects of the rusted, lichen-covered metal and the scrap of old painting shirt, as well as the rusted circle to keep the tree line company. - torn asunder
encaustic/collage/roots
Again, using the trees that so perfectly flowed together, here I’m experimenting with what it is like to have them torn apart. The roots seem to be pushing them back together, heightening the tension between the two. - the light
encaustic/collage
Reminiscent of a piece done years ago when my Mom died, (Coming into the Light, 2001) is about moving from darkness to light and back again. The trees were immersed in water due to spring rain and snow melting. The reflective quality of the sky and water captivated me, with the light being central. - circle nest
encaustic/collage
Preparing the ground for this piece involved scratching, ironing in plant materials and then removing them (or not), trying things out and then leaving the tracing - really experimenting with texture and surface. The nest was ironed down into a built up square of wax, responding to the whole. - find me there
encaustic/photocopy transfer
Starting as a whimsical idea, it grew to become something deeper as it progressed. The tree house is so high and remote, yet also inviting and a sanctuary. How to get there? How to get down? - going deep
encaustic/collage
A lone pine blown by the west winds here - inspiring in it’s strength - underlined by the deep imaginary root that holds it to the earth. Even though the wind has stopped, the tree is shaped by the past. - do you see how it is?
encaustic/collage
This camisole from the early to mid 1900's is floating on a sea of rose petals - part of my on-going series involving clothes in wax. The photo transfer of birds gatheing in huge numbers is a way of describing a feeling .... of excitement & anticipation. The barbed wire hints at buried fears. - cross my heart and hope to fly
encaustic/collage
This camisole from the early to mid 1900's is floating on a sea of rose petals - part of my on-going series involving clothes in wax. The photo transfer of birds gatheing in huge numbers is a way of describing a feeling .... of excitement & anticipation. The barbed wire hints at buried fears. - a fluttering below my heart
encaustic/collage
This camisole from the early to mid 1900's is floating on a sea of rose petals - part of my on-going series involving clothes in wax. The photo transfer of birds gatheing in huge numbers is a way of describing a feeling .... of excitement & anticipation. The barbed wire hints at buried fears.
