Prairie Night 2009


Night - subdued emotion in jewel-coloured tones - a time to reflect...

Life Changing Experience?

Lately I have been asking myself what direction I want my art to go - Should a life changing experience also change the direction my art has been moving or should I continue with what I have been doing. I love painting the colours and textures of the Alberta landscape but have been feeling an urge to return to some earlier motifs and try to work them out more completely.

My mother died in April and this profound experience of losing the person who was my first tie to the earth, my first loved one and the person who largely shaped who I have become, has left me hungry to delve back into ritual and fairy tales. I am going to post some old work on this blog and then, from there, try to develop the images and archetypes in a deeper, more intuitive way.

Autumn Ascent 2

Autumn Ascent (12" x 24")

Autumn Ascent 1

Autumn Ascent 1 (12" x 24")

Two New Paintings

These are my newest paintings - back to the bright colours for a while. I have too much winter around me right now (minus 41C with the wind chill this morning) and I can't even look at those chilly blues!

My trusty heat gun and old iron - essential tools for an encaustic artist

This is my palette - on a hot plate - which keeps the wax molten and ready to use.

Here are pictures of the lovely new panels (birch) and coloured pigments that I just bought.
I love the primary red, colbalt blue and the little pot of gold. I am going to experiment with the gold this week and see what effects I can get.

Stuff in my Studio

Encaustic (painting with molten wax) is a challenging medium. The hot wax is painted onto the support and has to be fused to the layer below. I love the translucence, textures and vibrant colours. Sometimes though, I wish I had more time to manipulate the wax before it cools.

I work from little thumbnail sketches that I do when I am roaming around. Sometimes I take photos as references, especially for colour. I take a lot of liberties - I am more interested in the abstract qualities of the landscape than trying to reproduce reality.

Big Plans for 2009

Last week I bought 30 new panels from Paint Spot in Edmonton and they are so well made and light-weight. I also got some new colours of powdered pigments that I have never used before. I am really excited about making some new encaustic paints and starting some new paintings!

My goal is to paint every day, (even if just a bit when I am overwhelmed).