creating fine art + creative communities
During the Clark County Open Studios Tour, works from each artist will be on display in one location through November 22.
>> Join me and other artists as we discuss our creations in an art talk this Saturday, Nov 16 from 1 - 2 pm at Art at the Cave Gallery, 108 East Evergreen Blvd, Vancouver, WA 98660.
No painting or drawing experience is necessary for this beginning encaustic class. You can collage with wax instead of glue to incorporate thin papers, fabric, and beads and even add pastels once you get used to working with the wax.
We will use techniques involving collage, painting, and layering using wax in an assortment of vivid colors. Don't worry if you haven't tried anything like this before, the medium is very forgiving.
>> Learn more and REGISTER HERE
Working with encaustic wax paint is a magical way to create one-of-a-kind, handmade ornaments and magnets that make lovely gifts for any occasion! Join me in my private studio to create something beautiful for yourself or for your family and friends.
Studies have shown that making art can significantly reduce stress-related hormones in the body, and can be a way to express emotions and release feelings of tension. I’ll share how I do this with quick sketches.
Sketching can take many forms, so let’s find what’s right for you. Join me to learn my 90-second sketching technique which makes this accessible to anyone with even the most basic materials. This is a fun way to capture memories from a trip, relax at home, create with friends, and capture ideas while they are still fresh.
Creating with encaustic is a dream come true for mixed media artists! The wax-based paint comes in beautiful colors that you can use to easily add depth and texture to your paintings. It's one of the most forgiving mediums available, allowing you to "undo" virtually anything, giving you the freedom to be fearless and let your creativity flow. No painting or drawing experience is necessary for this class; just an adventurous spirit!
>> Let me know if you’d like to be notified when registration opens.
Photographers seem especially drawn to working with wax because of the variety of ways their images can be reborn in a new medium. Working with encaustic expands the traditional methods of hand coloring photographs, also allowing you to easily add texture.
>> Learn more and REGISTER HERE
This year I’ll be on the Clark County Open Studios tour for the first time! You’ll be the first to see brand new work in my new Vancouver studio, after 25 years of painting and teaching just over the river in Portland. I’m artist #35 on the map. The tour is free, so come celebrate with me!
Join the 20th Anniversary celebration at Aurora Gallery on September 6 from 5 - 8 pm. I’ll have work in their silent auction through the month of September. I’ll be out of town for the opening, but I hope you’ll stop by and bid on my painting!
Creating with encaustic is a dream come true for mixed media artists! The wax-based paint comes in beautiful colors that you can use to easily add depth and texture to your paintings. It's one of the most forgiving mediums available, allowing you to "undo" virtually anything, giving you the freedom to be fearless and let your creativity flow. No painting or drawing experience is necessary for this class; just an adventurous spirit!
>> Details and Registration here
Join me for Embracing Magic, a fantastic painting adventure in Ireland! I'm thrilled to be leading an another art retreat for Lora Murphy in Ireland at her Essence of Mulranny studio.
Many of my favorite painters create expressive landscapes that capture the sense of a place rather than what you might view through a camera lens, and that will be the goal of our journey together. I’ll share some of my favorite ways to create art that represents much more than a postcard version of your time in Ireland.
I’m thrilled to host Lora Murphy as our guest teacher for this class, joining us from Ireland!
Ravens were the favorite bird of the god Lludd, the Celtic god of artists and artisans who had two ravens in his company at all times.
They are intelligent and playful and feature in so many Celtic myths and stories. This is you chance to paint your own studio companion!
I’m thrilled to host Lora Murphy as our guest teacher for this class, joining us from Ireland!
Many people would like to try portraiture in encaustic but are unsure of where to start. This Workshop will take the mystery out of it, but not the magic! Her step-by-step instruction will show you how to approach a portrait or figure, from the initial drawing to the final highlight.
Changing the Narrative is a special exhibition of encaustic and cold wax at the Pacific Art League in Palo Alto, CA in collaboration with International Encaustic Artists.
Virtual Art Talk: March 30 from 10 - 11 am (PT). I’ll be speaking about my 2 paintings in the show.
Art provides a way to tell stories visually. Through mythology, fairy tales, cultural commentary, dream imagery, family history, and personal narrative, art has sought to examine the challenges and mysteries of how we live.
Pacific Art League, 668 Ramona St, Palo Alto, CA
Find more info here: https://www.pacificartleague.org/changing-the-narrative
FREE Artist Talk about our travels on Saturday, Feb 24 from 2pm - 3pm
LK Gallery, 3535 North Vancouver Avenue, Portland, OR, 97227
In support of their January/February show called Winter Light, featured artists Linda Robertson and Kimberly Kent offer a talk about how and why they create while traveling. They’ll share images and stories from their their painting trips to Ireland, France, and Hawaii. Whether you're creating overseas or in your own back yard, art adventure awaits!
Join me for a free talk to share photos, videos, and stories from my two trips to Ireland last year.
My talk will be followed by an informal Q&A for those who are interested in joining me for my epic 8-day Embracing Magic art retreat in Ireland this June.
This year will be my fourth trip to Ireland, and our hosts at Mulranny Arts make it really easy. Your lodging, studio instruction, and insightful tours with a local guide are all included during the retreat, along with most meals and more new friends than you’ll know what to do with!
Celebrate with me as we begin the new year with hope and peace. I’ll be sharing art that inspires you to take a moment for yourself, make space for others, and remember that darkness never lasts.
RESCHEDULED: Join me for coffee and conversation on Thursday January 25, from 1 - 3 pm.
A group exhibit featuring 12 Portland artists who shared their work here in 2023. Please join us for an evening of amazing art and fellowship.
Salon Style Discussions by Dan Pillars on Creating Art Communities
Wednesday, January 24, 2024 6 - 8 pm
Join me for a FREE virtual class in creating Lively Lines, where I’ll share some of my favorite encaustic line techniques using tools you are likely to already have in your studio. Start the year off right with some new inspiration!
Visit my Lively Lines page to join in the fun.
The Winter Light show at LK Gallery celebrates the end of winter darkness in favor of firelight and dreaming, as spring waits beneath the cold earth. After winter solstice the gradual waning of daylight hours is reversed and begins to grow again.
This show has been extended through February!
I’m excited to be back for another show at Arrowood!
>> Join me for my artist talk on Wednesday, December 20 from 6 pm - 8 pm for great food, a great happy hour, and to support a great art community. Our discussion will be about taking unintended paths toward creativity in our lives, with examples from my own circuitous path.
Click the image for more details. I hope to see you there!
Small wonders abound this December with works by a myriad of local talents in the upper gallery, including 2 of my own paintings from my Healing Nature collection.
Join me on First Friday December 1 for the artists' reception from 4 - 8pm.
Located at 108 E. Evergreen in downtown Vancouver, WA. Open Tues-Thurs, 11am-5pm, Friday and Saturday until 6pm.
I’ve already been invited back to teach in Ireland in just a few months at the Celtic Convergence retreat!
My pre-retreat workshop called Lasting Impressions will be held on October 11-12, so jump start your retreat with me! With this extra time I’ll be able to direct you to Clew bay, the stunning labyrinth, lively pubs and more!
Register to join us in Ireland for this amazing opportunity here!
Enjoy some fresh and wild paintings from me, along with the work of my talented friend and travel buddy, Kimberly Kent.
Our work (nearly 40 not so small paintings!) will fill the lobby of Portland’5 Newmark Theatre from September through October 2023 as we celebrate Wild Spaces.. Join my Studio Stories newsletter for updates!
It's (close to) my birthday, but you get the present: I'm having a big Studio Sale & Treasure Hunt! I need more room to paint, so I'll have many large and small paintings priced to move. I'll even encourage you to make an offer if you have a favorite that you can't quite afford. There will also be framed prints, note cards, and some great deals on paint and art supplies!
In this class we'll use shellac mixtures to paint onto warm wax then super heat until it cracks, leaving an elegant organic finish that would be impossible to paint by hand. It's gorgeous! I have mixtures in a variety of colors and will show you several easy ways to make your own custom colors at home.
Sign up to paint with us here!
Join me to create multiple panels of paper and wax that are thin enough for natural light to penetrate, filling your space with energy and movement. In using paper we'll trade some durability for dynamism, but wait until you see the result! If you keep them indoors they will last for many years, but you can still decorate your garden with them on special occasions.
Come join us!
Join me for Embracing Magic, a fantastic painting adventure in Ireland! I'm thrilled to be leading an art retreat for Lora Murphy in Ireland at her Essence of Mulranny studio.
Many of my favorite painters create expressive landscapes that capture the sense of a place rather than what you might view through a camera lens, and that will be the goal of our journey together. I’ll share some of my favorite ways to create art that represents much more than a postcard version of your time in Ireland.
Feeling spontaneous? A couple of spots have just opened up for the trip! See what we'll be up to in Ireland.
There are several ways to add texture to your encaustic paintings, so we'll explore some of them in this class. We’ll also incorporate pigment sticks with this texture, adding depth to your encaustic paintings not possible with wax alone.
This is it! My final Irish Pub night in the countdown to my trip in May, when I'm leading an 8-day art retreat in Ireland.
RSVP to join the celebration!
Feeling spontaneous? A couple of spots have just opened up for the trip! See what we'll be up to in Ireland.
Hand coloring is a fun way to revitalize vintage photos or make new ones look older. The look you achieve depends on your color choices so you can make your images look very contemporary too. For this technique we'll use pigment sticks and pastels to add color to your black and white photographs that have been encased in wax. The best part? If you don't like the color you can easily remove it until the end when we set it with heat!
Join my countdown to leading an 8-day art retreat in Ireland called Embracing Magic this May (Just 2 spots left!)!
I’ve changed things up this month to join friends for the Sean Daly & the Shams album release party on March 18 at the White Eagle. Join us for some live Irish Rebel Rock!
Tickets here: https://www.mcmenamins.com/events/240600-sean-daly-and-the-shams
A fellow artist once told me that any mark is better than no mark, and that advice has served me well. You can use mark making techniques to avoid that dreaded blank canvas as you begin new work or to add gestural marks at any point in your creative process to add more spontaneity and life to your work.
Learn more and register here!
This is the 13th year of this great printmaker show which will once again benefit p:ear, a place of self discovery for brilliant and resilient young people moving through and beyond homelessness.
Join me for the opening party on First Friday, February 3, 2023 from 6-10 pm. Additional show hours are 12-4 pm on Saturday Feb. 4 and Sunday Feb. 5. I’ll see you there!
View the FB invitation
Meet me at Lan Su Chinese Garden to view my work and an accompanying “Moment of Peace” meditation which are included in the Year of the Rabbit Lunar New Year art exhibit.
The show runs from Thursday January 19 - Tuesday, February 28, 2023. I’ll be there for the Artist Meet and Greet from noon - 2 pm. Come see me and the show!
Join me for this exciting new workshop where I will share my secrets for how to capture the spirit of one of my favorite things to paint: water. I'll demonstrate how I choose my colors of encaustic paint, work with layers of encaustic medium, when and where to add pigment sticks.
