My identical twin sister passed away on March 19, 2022. She lived five miles away from me, here in Colrain, MA. We interacted every day of our lives, for over seventy years.
Six weeks before my first birthday without her, a wonderful nephew who is also an artist asked me if I'd like to explore encaustics together, reminding me that I had once had an interest in that medium. I gathered the materials and equipment, and a week before "our" birthday, he came and I did my first one. I absolutely loved it. It has given me a field in which to combine my organic materials with color and magic. It has also given me a place to express my love, grief, and finally the inspiration and joy that comes from being alive. I am reminded over and over how very precious life IS!
These pieces feel like soul pieces.
They are all "painted" on rough cut scrap boards supplied by https://wilsonhillcarpentry.com/.
My Soul Encaustics are available for purchase or viewing by appointment, at my gallery in Colrain, MA, 15 minutes north of Shelburne Falls or at our town open studio event November 11-12 https://www.craftsofcolrain.com/
Please fill out the contact page if interested.)
Six weeks before my first birthday without her, a wonderful nephew who is also an artist asked me if I'd like to explore encaustics together, reminding me that I had once had an interest in that medium. I gathered the materials and equipment, and a week before "our" birthday, he came and I did my first one. I absolutely loved it. It has given me a field in which to combine my organic materials with color and magic. It has also given me a place to express my love, grief, and finally the inspiration and joy that comes from being alive. I am reminded over and over how very precious life IS!
These pieces feel like soul pieces.
They are all "painted" on rough cut scrap boards supplied by https://wilsonhillcarpentry.com/.
My Soul Encaustics are available for purchase or viewing by appointment, at my gallery in Colrain, MA, 15 minutes north of Shelburne Falls or at our town open studio event November 11-12 https://www.craftsofcolrain.com/
Please fill out the contact page if interested.)
I did this piece a week after my first one, on my first birthday without my twin. It is called "Our Birthday." As part of it, I reduced a copy of a previous birthday card from her.
"Held" (with detail showing newborn nestled in wolf)
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"Huge Love"
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As I created this piece, these words poured out of me:
"Huge Love" silver thread connects our souls sometimes, our paths run parallel sometimes, they cross our souls hold the stories each holds its own key some stories feel like make-believe some I know through all the lifetimes the land knows our stories the sea knows the bones know the crystals know the stars know the wind knows gossamer threads join the trail of our lifetimes, as if from one reel You couldn’t be more precious to me. |
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"ENFOLDING"
As I sit here, I feel enfolded by golden Light all around me—or is it you? I am solid at my core. But outside—where I am supposed to live and thrive—live life, I feel tied up and tangled and broken and lost, inside a dense forest of emotion. Somehow, still, if I sit in silence for long enough, Light comes through the trees And I remember myself, my true ancient Self, as Earth, as stone, as shell, as bone. And here, I find peace. |
"Finding Light Inside" (and playing with coloring outside the lines!)
"Being II (birch bark I)"
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“Holding the Child Inside” (excerpt):
I don’t know what else to do, so I’m holding the child inside, inside my light, inside where it’s safe. The child that hurts, who is lost, who doesn’t understand. The child, precious as sea glass, precious as moonstone, precious as spun gold. The trees, the flowers, the sea, the land, the gentle grasses-- even birdsong and the colors of nature—all soothe her. |
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“Looking for Joy" (excerpt):
where does joy come from? how does it happen like that, so unexpectedly? how is it that a moment of joy can change my whole world? like the full moon on my face when I wake, the smell of fresh cut roses by my bed, the miracle of form and color on a peony bush flower when the petals are gone, the first early morning birdsong, the simplicity of a single leaf. And yes, the stones. And yes, the bones. And yes, the shells. But mostly gratitude that I can color the dark with joy. |
My latest: "Place Inside (Being IV - peacock feathers)"
March 2023 Studio. My studio is constantly changing as I am.
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