"an ordinary article of life, placed so that its useful significance disappears under the new title and point of view - creating a new thought for that object"
		~ Marcel Duchamp
Artist's Statement ~ My work combines encaustic wax and found objects – an assemblage with layers of texture and meaning.  It is inspired by aged textures, science, repurposed utilitarian objects and landscape vistas.  The thrill of finding new meaning for an object makes my work spontaneous and includes varied themes which are reflective of my personal and graphic art experiences.  Love of the process has a great deal of influence on my work as well. Each piece begins with a wood panel as a substrate.  The gathering of objects can be anything organic or man-made.  Scraps of wood, stones, old shoes, book covers, pods from sea kelp, discarded organ or piano parts or old dominos can be included in an assemblage.  Layers of encaustic wax are painted on the background of my pieces and sometimes cover objects in the wax as well.  After the wax layers are finished - I assemble, screw down, nail on and wire together objects that find their way to the surface.  It’s a journey and I hope that the work calls for quiet reflection to allow a dialogue to develop between the viewer and the art that unfolds new perspectives and insights.  My desire is for these works to create not only beauty, but mystery – like the beauty of aged things – a natural history museum of the mind.

Encaustic Painting ~

Encaustic means "to heat" or "to burn in". The Encaustic process uses melted, pigmented beeswax and natural resins which are then painted onto a rigid surface. After each coat of encaustic paint is applied, heat and tools are used to fuse the layers together.

When cool, the wax cures to create a stable archival painting that can last for centuries without fading or losing its radiance. This medium began in Greco-Roman Egypt before 100 B.C. and was used in portraiture, but eventually fell into disuse. However, in 1954 Jasper Johns put pigmented beeswax on canvas. Thus, encaustic was back on the map.

The medium is well known for its transparency and translucent density and it is a delight to paint layer after layer and watch the color shine from underneath. It still remains an uncommon medium. The encaustic medium lends itself well to abstract art and contemporary paintings.