Rainy Days are Creative Days
People sometimes ask where I find my inspiration. The answer is that it’s not just where, but when! My work seems to revolve around the seasons. Now that spring is in full measure in Michigan, I find myself enjoying a misty rainy day. I’ve always felt my creative best when it rains. It helps the plants (and my inspiration) grow and bloom. I just completed a painting that revolves around rain, an element we’re getting a good splash of here in Michigan. While on the topic of rain, I would like to add that it often finds its way into my writing. Whether a...
Encaustic Painting
Recently, I decided to try encaustic painting. I purchased encaustic medium (in this case a blend of beeswax and demar varnish by R&F) and basically just went to it. I decided not to do a great deal research because I wanted to explore the medium. After all, I’d made candles in the past, so why not paint with it? As it turns out, it’s more than just melting wax and not burning your fingers! By just layering wax and acrylics, I completed the following pieces below. I’ve since watched some very helpful videos on YouTube and identified my missteps....
Painted Rocks
We’ve been working on relocating some of the rocks in our yard. Some of these we dug out of the earth as they were just poking out of the ground enough to bend our lawnmower blade! I was fascinated with some of the shapes and textures of these stones and spent a week painting some of the more intriguing ones. I’ve been painting rocks off and on since 1999, when a friend would bring her rocks to me to be painted with lighthouses. This latest batch of painted stones are inspired by animals! ...