I’ve been teaching encaustic painting since 2005 and throughout my teaching I have noticed five major recurring issues, problems and mistakes that many (beginner to advanced) encaustic painters encounter. Application, temperature, translucency, fusing and composition issues are the infamous problems. Even more of a problem is that these issues are difficult to pinpoint as some beginning painters may think it’s just the medium itself and give up before they really get started. Intermediate and advanced painters may have learned to adapt, but still end up getting frustrated. Encaustic is an amazing painting medium and it’s so sad when I hear that artists have given it up because of a problem that could have easily been fixed with knowing only one useful tip. If you’re having some painting bothers, don’t throw down your brushes in disgust just yet.

Through all of the talks and presentations at Kolaj Fest, I started to think about where my own work fits into it all. I have reacted to the trauma of the world’s response to Covid by going through a bit of a transition in my work…a really lonnng transition. One could say my work is ‘all over the place’. In fact, several people have said those exact words…and I didn’t take it well. With some thought, I realized that it’s not really all over the place. The series' may look different, but it all fits under the umbrella of collage; adhering little bits together to make a bigger bit.

I had been searching for something portable that I could both draw and paint with that was neither a pencil or a paint and didn’t need anything special to make it work. When I heard about the new R&F Paints Drawing Oils, I couldn’t wait to try them. As soon as I received and played with them a few minutes, I knew they were the product I had been searching for.

As a gift to my Newsletter subscribers, I’ve been creating collage cut-out pages with an inspiration challenge to get the ball rolling. Read on to see the most recent collage cut-out page and challenge, then view the work of the brave artists who submitted their work to be published for this challenge.

I get questions all the time from those who have still not made the transition from live to virtual teaching. This quick list of tips and tricks will help you to take to the leap and hopefully save you some of the many dollars I spent on equipment. Also, there are many comprehensive classes and posts regarding online teaching out there and I encourage you to look them up to augment my list with those ideas.

The long lazy days of summer sitting on the front porch rocking chair with a notebook, in the park under a shade tree or on the beach at dusk are the perfect times for generating new content for your newsletter, social media, artist statements, bios, etc or just writing stories to spark inspiration for new work. 

The following is a very helpful, expanded repost of an article I wrote in 2023 all about why writing is important for artists and how you can sharpen your skills with just a few easy tips. 

Lines lead the eye, visually and physically connecting the elements of your painting. They complete the composition by creating rhythm, balance, visual music, text, a linear ballet, if you will. Variations in width, direction, density, length and character create interest and integration of the painting surface. Lance Esplund said it best, Line is a rich metaphor for the artist. It denotes not only boundary, edge or contour, but is an agent for location, energy, and growth. It is literally movement and change - life itself.

Understanding composition fundamentals is so very important, but how many of us really do understand it and/or how to use it effectively? We all know when something doesn't look 'right', but how do we figure out why and how do we fix it? The following is an excerpt from a talk on composition that I give to all of my workshops. It's a bit technical, a bit boring maybe, but knowing these simple rules may be helpful to you when something not 'right' befalls you in the studio. Read on...this is going to be fun!

As humans and artists, we are prone to periodically self-focusing, often under the assumption that whatever is going on in our lives has never happened to anyone, ever. We are certainly all unique and yes, it is true, that the same moment you experience has never been experienced the same way by anyone ever before. However, overall, there have always been, more or less, vile and horrific times throughout history. Even under the best of times, one could still find someone on earth who was suffering. On the other hand, one can also find stories of beauty, strength, love and hope to brighten times of interminable tribulation. As artists, we have been put here for a purpose, to be the the light, for such a time as this (Esther 4:14).

Winston Churchill once asked a most important question, “What is society worth without poets and artists?” Over the last few years, I have had many conversations with artist friends, students and mentees who have the concern that it feels ‘selfish’ or ‘self-serving’ to make art in a world with so many horrible things going on in it. I’m sorry to say that according to history, the world always has and always will have horrible things going on in it…but it has always had art as well.

As a gift to my Newsletter subscribers, I’ve been creating collage cut-out pages with an inspiration challenge to get the ball rolling. Read on to see the most recent collage cut-out page and challenge, then view the work of the brave artists who submitted their work to be published for this challenge.

when the calendar page turns at the end of the year, something in my mind shifts. Suddenly, I’m full of new thoughts and hopes for making strides toward bigger and better things. I must confess that in the past I was never a New Year’s Resolution maker, I always thought it was kind of a silly thing to do. I tried many times and usually by March, my resolution to keep a diary, stop eating chocolate and lose 10 pounds was long forgotten. My resolution cynicism was put to rest, however, when I needed to either get back in the studio or give up being an artist for good. I guarantee if you commit to these basic tenets, your studio practice will improve, your work will expand conceptually and your production will grow exponentially.

When you practice moving those parts of your body and brain required to make a drawing, everything else in your art making process flows much more smoothly. The more marks you make and the more frequently you make them, they become indelibly written on your brain, your movements in the studio become more practiced and you will approach the work with confidence and knowing.

I’ve been obsessed with marks for over 20 years and I’ve given many variations of this talk many times for various venues. Each time I do new research I’m pleasantly struck that I haven’t seen it all, artists are always continuously and consistently inventing new and amazing ways to make marks. With this talk, I focused on the marks made in process driven work. 

As a gift to my Newsletter subscribers, I’ve been creating collage cut-out pages with an inspiration challenge to get the ball rolling. Read on to see the September collage cut-out page and challenge, then view the work of the brave artists who submitted their work to be published for this challenge.

I’m so excited to be offering 6 LIVE Virtual Workshops for 2025, including 2 FREE learning opportunities! Scroll down to see what’s happening and mark your calendars for the the Early Bird Registration dates.

Discover the art of encaustic painting in our immersive workshops designed for all skill levels. Participants will learn the ancient technique of using heated beeswax combined with colored pigments, allowing for unique textures and vibrant colors. Our experienced instructors provide personalized guidance to help you unleash your creativity while exploring various applications, from traditional painting to mixed media. Join us to enhance your artistic skills and connect with fellow art enthusiasts in a supportive environment. Sign up today to start your encaustic journey!

As a gift to my Newsletter subscribers, I’ve been creating collage cut-out pages with an inspiration challenge to get the ball rolling. Read on to see the July collage cut-out page and challenge, then view the work of the brave artists who submitted their work to be published for this challenge.

I created a class that included feeding all the parts of me that were needed in order to build a meaningful body of work. I settled on the idea that good art is made with 3 important features all working independently, yet in balanced conjunction with one another so that they come together in the end to make that amazing piece of art.

What’s your art about? Are you stumped by this question? Learn how to organize your thoughts and ideas by following this simple step by step outline to create a Mind-Map of your thoughts.