Illumine

Illumine no. 1 – Photo Encaustic on Poplar, 6 x 8 inches, 2006.

Illumine no. 2, Photo Encaustic on Poplar, 6 x 8 inches, 2006.

Illumine no. 10, Photo Encaustic on Poplar, 6 x 8 inches, 2006.

Illumine no. 3, Photo Encaustic on Poplar, 6 x 8 inches, 2006.

Illumine no. 5, Photo Encaustic on Poplar, 6 x 8 inches, 2006.

Illumine no. 6, Photo Encaustic on Poplar, 6 x 8 inches, 2006.

Illumine no. 11, Photo Encaustic on Poplar, 6 x 8 inches, 2006.

Illumine no. 12, Photo Encaustic on Poplar, 6 x 8 inches, 2006.

Illumine no. 13, Photo Encaustic on Poplar, 6 x 8 inches, 2006.

Faculty Exhibition at University of Nebraska at Omaha, 2007

Iowa is an extreme place, at least when it comes to changes in the landscape. Seasons here are drastic and full of contrast.  Portland Oregon, my hometown, has two seasons: rain and summer.  The seasonal changes in the Cascade rainforest are subtle and the conifers are tall, thick and ever-present.  Here in Iowa, the trees are constantly changing, revealing themselves and their skeleton inner selves. And without the constant blur of drizzle the light seems different. All these polarities of place interest me.

I like to take long drives with my husband, with our children falling deeply asleep in the backseat. We have this union of closeness, constant motion and complete stillness in the front seat of the car.  We travel back and forth across Iowa, seeing family and exploring this place that has become mine.  He drives and I shoot images out the window, trying to catch things: the evening light descending on the landscape, the moment of the season and this feeling of perfection, even if so fleeting.  Back in my studio I try to capture all this in these tiny amalgams of photography and painting.

This work has been shown in group and solo exhibitions across the United States.