My husband has been saving cigar boxes from our store for me to use with this project. Of course I had no idea what I was going to use them for a year ago. I slice the tops off, flip them over and transform them one by one. I used white pigment to tint the encaustic medium to a dense opacity, transfered my photo onto the wax, layered plain beeswax and rubbed in an oil bar in the shade of payne's gray.

Photos I have taken in the Columbia Gorge lend themselves to the Audubon's bird & nature theme. They are the focus of some of the encaustic pieces.This one was snapped out my back door last winter.

Encaustic Journey

A year ago when I sold my coffeehouse I had no idea what I would do next. I've always had a plan or at least a notion of what to research to take me subsequently into the next phase of my life. I knew it had to do something with art but that's a pretty broad subject. I purchased Golden acrylic paint tubes in colors that caught my eye, many, many canvases and begun to paint. It actually took six weeks until I painted something for I was frozen in fear I would ruin the expensive product I had just invested in. I recall passing a section in the art store that had encaustic materials. I was curious but totally turned off by the sample that hung on the wall. I walked away and thought who would ever spend their money on such a medium. I was apparently stuck in the small business mind frame and lacked vision and the openness it took to think outside my frugal box. Above is one of my latest encaustic creations, below will explain more of my journey. Click on it & check it out a bit closer.


I received a new camera from my husband for Christmas. I snapped photos of everything that triggered an interest. Sunlit dancing shadows, textures of household objects and the insane snowfall we had last winter. I ended up taking a beginners encaustic class given by local Portland artist Amy Stoner at the Collage DIY Lounge store on Alberta Street. The sample that hung on the art store wall haunted my thoughts. Not that "I could do better" but more of a challenge to explore that strange medium. Amy was a great teacher and I took my two class projects and hung them proudly in my art space at home. They are nothing like what I have morphed into recently with incorporating my photography into my encaustic pieces but they symbolise a step into the unknown. In taking that class I opened a door within the depths of my creativity that I did not know existed. Go ahead...Click on it, it's cool.


Through my exploration of mixed media, taking photos constantly, posting in this art blog, discovering new magazines in the trade of mixed media art and brewing them together to created encaustic pieces...I have surprised myself with a path of creativity that feels sooooo right. It's taken a year of self discovery and conquering simple fears (but fears none the less) that has landed me in this spot. Hard to believe a whole 12 months have gone by. I don't do much acrylic painting these days. My canvases sit snug behind my desk & under a chaise....patiently waiting. I have been accepted into an art show for the Portland Audubon Society's annual fundraiser Wild Arts Festival at the end of November. A first for me. I'm working on creating my booth space as well as a well stocked arsenal of encaustic art all in the theme of birds and nature. Yet another path in the new journey of my life.

My Mermaid R O C K S!!!

Who doesn't love a good mermaid?! I LOVE the process these mixed media projects take from concept to completion. Grabbing a color pallet and winging it begins the first phase. The art takes on it's own form and leads you along. If you think you messed up, keep going and what transforms is amazing. I had absolutely no idea this was to turn out as it did and a mermaid...who knew???. I seem to fancy sewing on a button here or there. Buttons of which were purchased at a local antique store (that has been "going out of business" since before I moved here six years ago - I'm glad it hasn't) in an old jelly jar for $3.00. If those buttons could talk I'm sure they would say some pretty interesting things about the lives & situations they have been privy to. Mmmmm...finding something that makes you content, excited & bursting with joy is definitely a thing you'd like to keep around. To have something to look forward to without expectations isn't always the natural path to allow. Our thoughts seem to get in the way in most cases. We're all right where we're supposed to be, I've read, been told & believe. I like this place I have landed for now. Click it for a closer look.

"My Thing"

A piece of art to keep the creative flowin'-goin'. After I made the decision to stop working on this project I took a step back and appreciated my efforts. I like it. I really do. I labeled it "ballet" for the simple reason of the black toe shoes she is wearing. I am so enjoying this medium and the new tricks I have learned. Her face came out somewhat like a china doll. How I did that I have no idea. It's all about the color pallet I presume. I'm lovin' the sewn on buttons and funky adornments I decided to use. I do think arm & leg tights will be "my thing" for a while. I am working on ideas for it's presentation. Framing it instead of creating it in a journal format. I'm thinkin' something with aged hand detailed tin will fit the bill. If you click on the image you'll be able to check out the detail.

How Bizarre How Bizarre

So I've been on a creative roll since I've learned a few new techniques. Actually more than a few...many. I've locked myself away for two solid days doing nothing but art. This piece I've labeled "Divine". I thought I ruined it right out of the gate and wanted to set it aside for a "more convenient time" to make something out of it. Instead I kept the creative juices flowing and pulled off something I love. I don't usually like anything I do, it's always been that way. A shift in my perception has been made with this particular project. How bizarre that this "Divine" work of art represents a different view for how I look at what I create, or lack of view would be a better way of describing it. I kept going and pulled through an awkward stage resulting in something that makes me smile. The intent was.....well.....there wasn't any. That made the entire process all the more joyous. I was present, without thought and this is what happened. I like that.

Creative Seed Planting

For the past two days I have been doing nothing but art. I enrolled in a mixed media 2-day course with the artist Misty Mawn at Art & Soul Portland. She instructed us along the path to create an art journal using various mixed media components.


I have chosen to clip my finished cover piece to show the depth & richness of the products once combined. Acrylcs, inks, stencils, ephemera, artist crayons, markers, razorblades & water all came together to form a basically unplanned piece of art with a lot of scraping, sanding, rubbing and pounding.


What transformed was an amazing, eclectic conception that my imagination kept rolling with as each texture morphed into another.


I had the pleasure of meeting some beautiful women who were in that same place at that same time all in the name of creativity and inspiration. Misty covered a lot of information. The seed is planted.

The Art of Going Back

Returning to Arizona to visit my family is always a mixed bag of emotions. Living in Washington State in a small river town there is an abundance of surreal natural beauty. An over population of rich greens & fairytale waterfalls provides a much needed sense of calm. In revisiting where I did a lot of growing up, I do not have such a connection. It is empty to me, as if my creativity was stripped away.


The dense populous lends itself to someone other than me. I have grown to feel embraced by my current surroundings which in turn unselfishly shares it's innate source of imagination and comfort.


The views at sunset are consistently awesome but I crave the misty rain and foggy blanket the pacific northwest possesses. I feel cocooned, ready to create after awakening into the crisp mornings.


The in-your-face mega consumerism coupled with the need to drive everywhere you have to go is so foreign. The more time I spend still, the more I come to the realization of what I like and can do without. Spending time creating of my own mind brings a wholeness like no other.



The family is what makes these trips possible. If it weren't for both of my parents living in Arizona I don't think I'd ever go back. I would much rather have my friends/family visit me here where I can share my fascinating discoveries of a life so different. Living in a small river town is an art of it's own, a dying lifestyle protected in my little bubble of the world.

Borrowed Abandon

I have been lead by this wonderful artist [CLICK] to this wonderful artist [CLICK]. With all of the creative ideas flying around in my head I am at a loss as to grasping a focus on any of them. With that said...I have chosen to follow Liss' "abandon" theme for a photo graphical pull out of the crevasses of my mind.


An abandon scrap of chain link fence from an impromptu back yard demo, sparked by the need for more entrance space. It is a constant reminder of the beginning of a larger demo project for next summer.



A once needed walnut has been abandoned by a local squirrel. It's necessary parts have served their purpose. I'm counting on that squirrel to have done it's job for know one needs 60ft. tall trees growing out of the foundation of their home.


A home left behind...by force or choice?


Important tools to start the morning abandoned until the next day for laundry or reuse...their fate depends on the mom....moi.

A Dave Matthews weekend of creativity

I am a big fan of freeway passenger photography. Most times my attempts are complete blurs, which allows for those few and far between appealing shots to be all the more glorious & rewarding. This barn was beckoning to be captured as we flew by. We had a long approach curving along HWY 90 near Ellensburg, WA, thus providing me with enough time to fumble my camera out of my bag. I like it. It's simple. It's colors are soothing. It represents a confident, content solitude amongst the constant fleeting traffic. On a more personal note... it brought to rest our 3 day 30k people camp out at the annual Dave Matthews [CLICK] concert at the Gorge Amphitheatre [CLICK HERE].


Seeing as how I can NOT stop seeing interest & beauty in my daily life, I have the disease of taking photos of just about every single one of them. Family trips are full of stopping moments of snapshots of the obscure. My camera travels with me like one of my children (it is a bit more behaved at times). I am forever haunted with the images of uncaptured (is that a word??) shots by those few cases of which I had forgotten to bring it along, even if for a 30 minute jolt to the store. When the sun hit the fence line at our 3 day DMB concert camp, it lit up the color contrast between the fresh crisp grass green and the rusty red wood stained panels on the fence...just for me.



The weather that weekend was an art show of itself. Thunderous skies broke into spectacular double arched rainbows. It did not scare off any of the tens of thousands of campers of which got to enjoy the art in the sky. A reward of sorts. CLICK ON THE PHOTOS to catch a closer look.