Cold Wax Paintings

Each painting progresses with a series of layers, each layer interacts with that lies below, and affects what comes next. It is a beautiful analogy for life, how each pass impacts the whole, and along the way of it’s creation, unexpected things occur that I must respond to. I become the watcher as the materials move and collide, get scraped back, pigment and wax are reapplied, only to reveal something new to respond to. This back and forth is the conversation between myself and the materials in my hand. Then comes the moment when there is a pause, that the painting has found it’s voice. It is a humbling and joyful process that requires me to be present, alert and patient. These paintings are created using mineral pigments, oil paint, marble dust, sand, beeswax, and damar resin on birch wood cradled panels.

I live in the high desert of Central Oregon, where there are many lakes, rivers and lava flows. The stunning landscapes are a result of the volcanic activity that shaped this area with dramatic mountains, forests and grassy plains. These landscapes inform my work both in material and color, especially wherever the water meets the land.