I named my most recent series of paintings after a friend commented on the work above, saying it feels Celestial. I realized that is the exact feeling I wanted to achieve in my work.
For many years I painted in oils, focusing on the landscape during the liminal times of twilight & dawn, because I loved the feeling the light at those times evoked, so peaceful yet full of mystery.
Thirteen years ago I began exploring encaustic painting and found the way the paint is applied is so different from oils and acrylics that it inspired me to focus on the application and colors in an abstract way. I have worked through different series in encaustic finding each builds upon the other starting with my first series Internal Alchemy, through Summer Magic, Earth Song, Spiral Dance, and Eye Contact.
The paintings in Celestial are inspired by the idea of the infinite, and the impossible idea of an endless universe. Photographs from space, as well as contemplating the sky have provided a lot of inspiration. But each painting develops in its own direction and I hope conveys the feeling of infinite space and light.
For me these paintings serve as small, meditative studies that evoke all the beauty and mystery surrounding us and provide a respite from the stress of daily life.
