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landscapes
My sister and I recently took a quick road trip to the eastern shore to look at a property where we hope to create future memories with our families. With no small children around, we had the chance to catch up on everything—talking about our kids, our partners, our parents, our jobs, and our everyday lives. I took pictures out of the passenger-side window while she played her favorite Taylor Swift songs for us to sing along to. We were already on our way to making memories.
Encaustic Wax on Birch Board, 6 x 6, with solid wood floater frame.
’Twas in another lifetime, one of toil and blood
When blackness was a virtue and the road was full of mud
I came in from the wilderness, a creature void of form
“Come in,” she said, “I’ll give you shelter from the storm”
~ Bob Dylan
Encaustic Wax on Cradled Birch Board with White Oak Frame, 10 × 10
“We’re running out of time, he said.
As if time were the kind of thing you could run out of, as if it were measured into bowls that were handed to us at birth and if we ate too much or too fast or right before jumping into the water then our time would be lost, wasted, already spent.
But time is beyond our finite comprehension. It’s endless, it exists outside of us; we cannot run out of it or lose track of it or find a way to hold on to it. Time goes on even when we do not.”
~Tahereh Mafi
Encaustic Wax on Birch Board, 6 x 6, with solid wood floater frame
One of my favorite sensations is feeling the wind in my hair. I’m not talking about a light breeze, either. I love a powerful wind gust. One with a little bit of a chill to it. Mess my hair up. Make me feel like I am flying. Make me feel free.
This painting recalls such a moment. Riding a bike along a rural road on a windy day, with the Chesapeake Bay on one side and the Choptank River on the other. Perfect.
Encaustic Wax, India Inks, Oils with Beeswax on 6”x6” cradled Birch Board panel.
I will never have
This version of me again
Let me slow down
And be with her
~Rupi Kaur
6x6 Encaustic Painting with Natural Wood Floater Frame
“I aspire to be
an old man
with an old wife
laughing at old jokes
from a wild youth.” ~ Atticus Poetry
Encaustic Wax on Cradled Birch Board with White Oak Frame, 6 × 6
You see many changing landscapes while driving from Baltimore to the beach. From city streets to beltways and high speed interstates to crossing one of the scariest bridges in the United States (I'm looking at you, Bay Bridge), it is a journey. And that isn't even factoring in beach traffic.
But once you get to the other side of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, Route 50 can take you the rest of the way.
Or, you can take 404.
Encaustic Wax on Cradled Birch Board, 6 x 6.
Doesn’t everybody keep their old pair of tennis shoes around, their swampbuggies, specifically for those times when they might have to traverse through difficult, waterloggd terrain like swamps and marshes? Anyone else? No? Just my family?
Oils with Beeswax over Encaustic. 6x6 with solid wood floater frame.
Living in Maryland allows us to experience all four seasons. We have the frost, snow, and gray skies of winter; the budding greenery and rains of spring; the warmth and humidity of summer; and the bounty of autumn with its crisp air and bright sun. Driving through our state at any time of year reveals the unique gifts each season offers. As a child, summer was always my favorite season. However, as an adult, I've discovered that my heart belongs to fall.
Exploring the countryside in late October showcases stunning views: bright blue skies, the sun's warmth, and the crunch of harvested fields. For some reason, I find myself frequently snapping photos from the car window of these empty fields. Over time, I've come to realize that wheat fields symbolize community and interconnectedness. The cultivation and harvesting of wheat require collective effort and cooperation. This crop exemplifies the interdependence between humans and nature, highlighting the importance of working together for the greater good. Wheat serves as a powerful symbol of the unity and harmony that can be achieved when people come together to support and sustain one another. Ultimately, it reminds us of life's fundamental aspects and our connection to the natural world.
Encaustic Wax on Birch Board, 6 x 6, with solid wood floater frame
“I only drink champage on two occasions:
when I am in love and when I am not.”
~Coco Chanel
Encaustic Wax on Cradled Birch Board with White Oak Frame, 8 x 8
Counting stars by candlelight / Some are dim but one is bright
The spiral light on Venus / Rising first and shining best
Oh, from the north-west corner / Of a brand new crescent moon
Where crickets and cicadas sing / A rare and different tune
~Robert Hunter
Oil Pastels and Encaustic. 6x6 with solid wood floater frame.
As any mother to small children knows, there is nothing, NOTHING, like getting a little weekend away. Especially when that weekend away is with your sister. And, especially after two-plus years of parenting (and potty-training) during a global pandemic.
Neither hell nor high water nor driving straight into the storm was going to stop us.
This painting is inspired by a memory of the drive between St. Michael's and Tilghman Island, with a brewing storm, and a weekend full of stories ahead.
Encaustic Wax on Cradled Birch Board, 6 x 6
“I only went out for a walk and finally concluded to stay out till sundown,
for going out, I found, was really going in.” ~ John Muir
6x6 Encaustic Painting with Natural Wood Floater Frame
My friend and I went camping at Crater Lake National Park. I'd been camping before. Like with the Girl Scouts, or with college friends on Assateague Island, maybe even camped overnight for tickets to a Phish show. I felt like I was a seasoned camper. However, what I didn't know was that there are wolves and bears and mountain lions at Crater Lake. And that Crater Lake is a volcano, aka Mount Mazama.
Needless to say, I didn't sleep at all on that camping trip.
Encaustic Wax on Cradled Birch Board, 5 x 8.
“She acts like summer and walks like rain
Reminds me that there's a time to change
Since the return from her stay on the moon
She listens like spring and she talks like June.”
~Train
Encaustic Wax on Cradled Birch Board with White Oak Frame, 10 x 8