The encaustic medium is magical, vibrant and translucent.  My creative muse guides, inspires and feeds my soul through this medium, mixed media and collage.  Blessing me with endless moments of creative joy and harmony...providing those ahhaa moments about life.  Join me on this creative journey, spend some time reading my musings about this life, the blessed other souls that come into contact with mine, however brief or often, that can leave everlasting imprints on our journey....perhaps our lives might share some similarities, bringing us closer and more connected...and less isolated.

"I suppose there is one friend in the life of each of us who seems not a separate person, however dear and beloved, but an expansion, an interpretation, of one's self, the very meaning of one's soul." ~ Edith Wharton

Here's to finding those expansive moments.....

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Cultivating - Wakefulness


"Cultivating", Encaustic Mixed Media, 12 x 12, 2011
Detail  below.  On exhibit at the Whitestone Gallery, Guelph, ON. 


"Everything supports wakefulness if you are willing to let yourself be awakened by tenderly yet consistently connecting through your senses.  Everything. But it requires a brave heart, and a mind that sees the folly in clinging...to anything."

Recently, I lost my father, quite suddenly and unexpectedly, it has been a very surreal journey since that day...I never really know what the day will bring...There are ebbs and flows of emotions, and some days for sure are harder than others, for really no apparent reason...it isn't an anniversary, it isn't even a grey and gloomy day...but today of all days the sun is shining..yet cheer is vacant...
I do know even this is impermanent..and another day will bring another set of emotions..So today, I chose to write another story for myself, one of gentleness, non-expectation to create..."those burdening thoughts of I have to create, I have deadlines to meet"...I chose instead to putter, to be easy, share an ice cream with my daughter after school, walk by the river, look over some books, and I found a lovely gift....
A book called .... "The Heart and the Bottle" by Oliver Jeffers...it is a children's book about a little girl who marvelled at the wonders of the world, the night sky, the curiosities of the world...until one day she was faced with something that took the wonder away...so she chose to bottle up her heart, to protect it from the pains....until one day she realized she needed her heart...and another little girl younger than her was able to help her find it again...it reminds me of this piece I created recently during this time...called "Cultivating"..it has within it bottles that contain some magical wonders of the universe..a glittery butterfly wing, seed pods that give life, sparkle beads, ancient hindu text, all of which remind me of my ancestors...All of which I chose to capture in a moment, in this time ....for me it is like holding onto the treasures of our good memories....but knowing I still have to let my heart feel all of it...vs. clinging to it 
I loved this book of 'hope' and human resiliency.




Friday, June 24, 2011

Art in the Yard 2011 - I will be there...come in for a visit and a chance to win something ....


I continue to really enjoy being part of Art in the Yard, Summer Art Show and Sale, Sat & Sunday July 9th and 10th....10  to 5 p.m.  I love the atmosphere, the music, the ice cream and other food treats, the kids activities are really wonderful and all the magnificent art too....
I will be there and would love to chat; this year I plan on doing demonstrations and will have lots to offer in terms of teaching classes, summer programs and a draw for the weekend...come out to visit me and fill in a ballot for draw to win a prize.

Hope to see you soon!

I am really excited about offering a week long encaustic intensive in the summer, August 22nd to August 26th, daily from 10:30 to 4:30 p.m. If you ever wanted to learn all the encaustic techniques from beginner techniques to the more advanced techniques..I have the program for you...more information on my website


Thursday, June 9, 2011

A Glimpse of the "Changing Surfaces" exhibit at the Carnegie Gallery, Runs Until June 26th

"The Collector", Encaustic Mixed Media, 12 x 24, 2011

"Intuitively Guided", Encaustic Mixed Media, 18 x 34, 2011

"Darling Yellow", Encaustic Mixed Media, 8 x8 , 2011

"Writing a New Chapter", Encaustic Mixed Media, 12 x 24, 2011