I was mesmerized by the intricacies of the surface of our amazing earth. I desperately wanted to replicate these marks, but when I tried, the results looked forced, hesitant and just wrong….when I literally discovered fire, I was in love.

For a long 5 years I had been searching the world for the perfect drawn line in encaustic; something thin, clean, that would flow from my hand like a pencil line. I had always been a doodler, I love to draw and was always frustrated by the line drawing techniques I found with encaustic. I tried it all-wire, thread, transfer papers, tracing paper transfers, oil pencils, incising and filling the wax-all were good, but I found something unsatisfactory about each.

As artists, Whatever we do in the course of making work begins as a mark on a surface that is made by one human to be interpreted by another in an effort to communicate.

I’m thrilled to say that now going on the 4th year, I have many returning retreat attendees as well as new participants. Over the years, I have answered many questions regarding these retreats and I’ve also made a few discoveries from my frequent visits to Lareau Farm Inn and Vermont in general, so I decided to compile them into this handy list of answers, secrets and revelations.
If you’re on the fence about registering for a retreat, hop on over that pesky thing and join us!

If you are stuck or need prodding like I did when the events in this story took place, it might help nudge you out of your rut. I have shared this story in bits in pieces, but never in full. I hope you will enjoy reading it as much as I did in recalling and writing it.

If you’ve taken a workshop with me in or spent any time longer than a few minutes with me when I’m in teaching mode, I probably encouraged you to draw at least 5-15 minutes a day. Over the years, I have received many requests for suggestions on how to get started. Even if you think you can’t draw, think you don’t know how or just stubbornly refuse, these 5 exercises will help.

Looking for a unique holiday gift for someone special? How about a gift for yourself? Look no further, scroll down for your Holiday Gift Checklist….

I’m not sure what it was that possessed me to use the Pepto Bismol pink in this age-old painting of mine. I had used pink many times before, but it was the usual pink that comes to mind-washed out baby, fuzzy 70’s robe pink…typical. This new pink was daring for me and it was exactly what the piece needed to finish it off.