The Painting Made Me Do It

The past few weeks I have been juggling different tasks in and out of the studio. Turning 26 seemed to have come as quite as that big beetle sneaking across my bathroom floor. These next few weeks are a few one year markers for a variety of things in my life. But for now, I shall write about my work. I am currently working on a mini series inspired by the world around me. I am using objects and my love of the grid format and organizing to create a series of paintings. I will have approximately 40 5x5in paintings showing during the month of November. I will also have one large triptych I have been working on.




The large triptych :: I had these panels for some time and i have been playing around with them ever since. I had created these interesting paintings, good ideas but they always seemed like they were lacking something. I sat with the paintings in my space for a few months and with the upcoming show in Monterey, I thought this would be a great opportunity to work on the painting and get it where it really wants to be, which is the sea.

So, I took my paintings apart. For me there is always an underlying feeling of nausea and unease when I look at a painting im about to knowingly destroy. Sometimes I feel bad, as I look at it, and it looks at me. The painting and I have this moment which I can not really explain, but there is a moment and within this moment, I know, I can feel that the painting is ok with the change, and I have to be as well. I have to let go of all my notions and just go for it, full steam ahead. burn baby, burn and don't look back. Here are the photographs of two of the panels. before I destroyed them, which you never saw before either unless you are in my crit circle. :) These paintings both have bones I was collecting on my walks. I used a masking technique and heavy pigmented wax to achieve the bold...unrelenting shapes.





And here I go, With one already destroyed, there is no going back. Im going to iron it out and see how it feels. The painting took a few directions before we found the path we are on now. Anyone who has seen my work, or talked to me knows how in love with the environment I am. I love to read a good book about the ocean. "The Deep" is one of my favs, I have had this book for over a year and I still learn new things every time i open it up. There are amazing images in the book that really keep my imagination flowing. Science is rad I just love it!

I love to paint, I really love to paint and the weather is really testing that love. Im a layers kinda gal this day was one of the first times in a long time that my fingers were extremely cold after painting...with heat...but my friends, the show must go on! There are sunny days, warm days, days full of the chattering quail, and days where my lungs breathe in the crisp valley air and my eyes take in the changing color palettes on my hill.







Well on to the next. The work above is in progress and I have these small graphite transfers of all things underwater and even a few naked mermaids, even though the mermaids are NOT in any of my science books I think their cool. The painting made me do it. On to the minis!












There goes the Sun and here comes the Moon. Until tomorrow studio!

'Spirit Boats' showing at the Kathleen McMahon Fine Art Gallery in San Francisco

My new series of encaustic work is currently showing at the Kathleen McMahon Fine Art Gallery at 18th and Treat in the Mission District in San Francisco, CA.


I am exploring new avenues and working with different forms. I have 6 of these 4x8" encaustic paintings that slightly resemble a wall sconce. They were challenging to figure out what type of feeling I wanted to portray on this small and unusual space. These 'wall sconces' are very rad and as you can see in the above image they jut out of the wall at an angle. In person they are very engaging, hanging at a slightly higher eye level than normal, the angle of the painting brings you into it, playing with your imagination you might have left at the door.

All of this work incorporates contour line drawing in combination with pigmented bees wax and metallic oil stick, o, yea, and fire.

'Vampire Squid'

4x8"

'Goggly-eyed Glass Squid'

4x8"

'Ocean Sunfish I'

4x8"

'Mako Shark'
4x8"

'Letting Go I'

4x8"

'Pirate Ship'
4x8"

'Wasted Seamonster'
8x10x2"

'Ocean Sunfish II'

8x10x2"

'Great White'

10x8x2"

'Dreaming Boat'
16x20x2"

CLOSE UP of 'Dreaming Boat'

'My Anchor'

8x10x2"

'Xiphactinus'

20x16x2"

CLOSE UP of 'Xiphactinus'

Within this body of work there is a 'Letting Go' series. Like many of us in the journey of life there are things, feelings, and people you let go for a variety of reasons. I have been letting go of feelings and notions. Being who you are and not what everyone wants you to be can be a lot easier said than done...like most everything in life, right? Working on this idea and in this series has allowed me to explore thoughts and feelings I had been keeping locked up for some time. For each of you these paintings will mean something different or nothing at all. My hand and yours are releasing those emotions that are built up inside. Letting the ideas fly away with the sea.

'Letting Go II'

8x8"

'Letting Go III'

6x6x2"

'Letting Go VI'
8x10x1"

Back at the Ranch

This October has been so full of new adventures, friends, and learning about all different aspects in my life. October is a wonderful month of changing weather and landscape and life.





I have been having an interesting time in the studio. I have been in and out just like the rainy days here in the valley. Packing up and setting up the studio every other day is keeping me on my toes. The canopy is gone and im truly plein air painting...in wax...