Mental Structures - solo exhibiton in Studio M at Massillon Museum

I am drawn repeatedly to the shores of Lake Erie and the Cuyahoga River to catch both sunrise and sunset from my paddleboard.  The rhythmic waves beneath my feet, the meditative flow of paddling, and the focus needed to stay on the board set the tone as I race to see what new colors and shadows the sun will cast on the industrial landscape.

“Mental Structures” aims to convey the self-reflection I experience along with the intertwining steel structures, dizzying patterns of wires and the sun and natural surroundings.  When painting, I try to contrast the feeling and energy of a sunrise against the strength of the steel bridges and aging factories.  At either time of day, there is almost always that one special color that just doesn’t look real.  Through layering of encaustic wax (a mixture of bee’s wax, damar resin and pigment), I heat the surface fusing together the colors. The use of both brushes and putty knives to blend and carve the wax bring out the texture and depth only encaustic wax can provide. The wax extends past the edges of the canvas further reinforcing the dimension created by the many layers of wax.