Oil, Wax and Metal

The paintings are expressions of impressions left by colors, light and textures of southwest landscapes from my travels through Colorado and New Mexico. They are my reaction to the mesas, vistas, and horizons in my memory. The expansive sky in this part of the country with its continuously changing light and colors is a constant in my life. Shadow patterns and the glow where the sky meets the land are two of my greatest inspirations.

My reaction translates to art in different ways. Oil paint with layers of beeswax pairs with metal: patinated copper or with steel that has been treated with copper sulfate. The dance between the mediums represents that of the sky and the elements of the land, and the wax adds luminosity and a sense of atmospheric softness. Some are textural color field paintings and others represent earth images using encaustic, metal and found objects. The medium encaustic (painting with pigmented wax) lends itself beautifully to this expression because of its pure, raw earthiness.