Mailing List

There has been an influx of traffic here recently and I'd like to say thank you for your interest in my work and for following my endeavors in the studio. If you haven't done so I invite you to sign up for my mailing list to receive my quarterly newsletter and other studio updates. I'll be sending out my Summer newsletter in the next week. Other places around the web you can find me are on my website, Instagram and Twitter.

Cut & Paste Drawings

As I work one train of thought informs the next, and my actions tend to propagate. In this instance, drawings for sculpture become fodder for collage series I'm referring to as 'cut & paste drawings'. I keep a small notebook to collect ideas (I love Field Notes!) but also keep a loose-leaf sketchbook which entails a pile of random papers pulled from the mail and old books. I prefer to draw on paper with less than perfect edges and maybe a wrinkle or two. This makes the empty page more inviting and gives the sketch character before a mark is made. I photograph work at various stages in the process, not only so I can share with you but also as a point of reference for myself. It's an invaluable tool to be able to look back from a finished work and see its evolution.

Material Remnants

Many times I discover small revelations in material remnants. I resist the urge to sweep leftovers into the trash bin immediately following a project. These remains often contains clues and can trigger new ideas through their shape/color/texture, etc. I'm interested in these secrets and find value in documenting the beauty of residue.

Landscape Collage

Erosion, book cover, buckram, paper, glue, encaustic

Over the last month I've finished up a grouping of landscape collage on old book covers. Tattered covers make the best collage surface as they are sturdy, inexpensive and have built-in character. It's much easier to get started when you don't have a pristine surface staring back at you. I unearthed various bits from previous collage binges to create layers of strata, distant horizons and even a mirage or two.

Collage With Wax

Off Kilter, wood panel, buckram, paper, glue, encaustic

In addition to working on new sculpture I've been carrying on with collage. This is the process I turn to when I'm stumped with other projects or need a 'brain break'. It's playful and requires much less commitment on my part. These new collage pieces are all book skin scraps on panel. They are coated with encaustic medium--the wax is applied with a brush and fused with a hot palette knife. The layers of translucent wax with the marks of the tools lend a tactile, painterly quality to the collage. Buffing the cured wax is gratifying as it brings a lustrous sheen to the surface.

Pearl & Wild Birds, wood panel, buckram, paper, glue, encaustic