Swimming in the Salish Sea

Swimming in the Salish Sea, the whale, the whale the seal and me.

We frolicked in the swirling tides with stars and sun as our guide.

Heads or tails, fur, feathers, fins or scales.

Differences matter not, when you are happy with your lot.

 

 details: atlas map waves with encaustic wax.

The ephemera: original atlas map snippets from the early twentieth century; high quality reproductions of an antique star chart and natural history illustrations of sea creatures.

Size: 14 by 18 inches

Advertisements

Flotilla

Ohé Ohé matelot, matelot navigue sur les flots.

The ephemera:  Various original letters and bills from the 1800s to early 1900s. Various original snippets of altas maps from the 1940s and earlier.

The found objects: One half of a papier mâché globe

Size: 22 inches by 30 inches on wooden cradle. Encaustic wax and cold wax finishes.

This was a challenge to myself to create a large piece. The composition changed as I began working on the piece.

I started with the boats..I adore making them and have become obsessed with them.

Next came the water and waves. It was quite challenging to get it right. I am not sure I am there yet but will make more in the future.

Finally the composition with the boats, birds and tiny globe and a top coat of wax on the waves.

The World’s Children

Make believe

‘Let’s put on our glass helmets and pretend we are in the transporter on the Enterprise.  You can be Spok and I will be captain Kirk. We can beam down to the planet surface and have an adventure.”

The ephemera: High quality reproduction of vintage portrait of fanciful children; antique book cover.

The found objects: bit from a vintage slide ruler,  vintage pressed flower found in old book; vintage glass lenses

Media: cold wax collage

A bicycle built for two

“Hurray, road trip!” she exclaimed, “I’ve got the map, I shoddy the front seat”.

“Hold on,” he replied “curb your enthusiasm, so we get there in one piece” as he applied the breaks.

Inspired by a recent holiday with the mister. This is how it goes down for us.

The ephemera : Ledger page for 1901; map of Scandinavia 1933; photo of tree in winter; vintage bicycle image; two pictures of ravens.   Encaustic wax top layer.

Size: 12 inches square on wooden cradle.

Blackbird in Winter

He saw the first signs of spring and was wistful.

If only winter would be 3 1/2 weeks longer, he sighed.

The ephemera: French legal document 1869; vintage stamps, old map of Ontario, Canada; photo of tree in winter; high quality copy of black bird illustration; label from a tool drawer.

The methods:  gel medium reverse transfer; encaustic wax.

Size: 7 inches square on wooden block

Winter Raven

There were a million reasons to stay for the winter but still he hankered for the south with it’s warmth and sunshine. He left a quick note and was off, just like that, decision made. 

The ephemera: antique French letter from 1800s; Map from 1921 atlas,  old label from tool chest, vintage stamps and high quality copy of natural history illustration of a raven.

Size: 7 inches square, encaustic wax on wooden block.

Winter Crow

Slim pickings for the Winter Crow.

Yet the desolate landscape suited him so.

SOLD (at Bound to Be Different)

The ephemera: original atlas map 1930s; original French legal document 1889; photo of trees in winter; photo of crow. Top layer encaustic wax.

Size: 7 inches square on wooden block.

Saltair

Summers at the beach at Saltair. 

Alberta and May gossiping in the shade.

The picnic, tucked in the basket can wait awhile.

Halycon days, watching  the grand children

sailing, padding, collecting shells.

Altered Cigar Box

The ephemera: Vintage photo of  Alberta and May. Antique original handwritten letter, original vintage postcard of sail boat, original vintage Map Projections from old Atlas, original vintage bill receipt and and a snippet of an original  vintage program to see Madame Butterfly.

The found objects: antique glass bottle, small sea urchin skeleton, fish vertebra, quartz crystal, bit of broken shell and and old cigar box.

Back of the Box : Map Projections

Details: Alberta and May, my two grandmothers, relaxing at the Beach at Saltair, Vancouver Island, Canada, in 1949 or 1950.

 

 

Text bubbles

Snatches of conversation float about, landing where they may.

A handful of heartaches,  born with silent resignation.

Not your average crap.

 

Mixed media: encaustic wax, oil stick, various snippets of text capturing brief moments of the past.

EMPTY NEST

She spent her days building the nest.

With care and love, it was warm, secure and nurturing.

It was her most important task in life.

Time passes and the fledglings have left

the nest empty.

The task is complete.

SOLD ( as Maple Bay Marina Gallery)

The ephemera : Old map of France, handwritten envelope destined for Paris, handmade paper with tiny twigs, old dictionary pages. Found objects: birds nest, antique key, door handle, small icon, beach glass, old crystals from a chandelier, beach stone and vintage thread.

APPAREIL RESPIRATOIRE: collage

All is not well with the appareil respiratoire.

It is clogged, the pressure is building, something is going to blow.

Just breathe.  Slowly.  In and out, in and out .

You will be fine….or not.

The ephemera: photo of old smoke stacks, page from a cahier scolaire from 1889, natural history photos of crows and ravens, a fragment from an old receipt,  reproduction of a vintage gage. Encaustic Wax as a top coat.

Size 7 inches by 7 inches on wooden block

 

THIS END UP : encaustic collage

This end up! Fragile! Caution! Do not shake!

SOLD (at Bound to be Different)

Prints available for purchase here:http://fineartamerica.com/featured/this-end-up-creartful-dodger.html?newartwork=true

The ephemera: old letter, vintage house number, water tower, old postal label, natural history photo of a raven, photo of a tree in winter, encaustic wax.

7″ by 7″ on wooden block.

 

 

Alexandre III : encaustic collage

Le pont Alexandre III, magnifique en hiver.

Photos, vieux text, encre et cire.  16 pouces par 16 pouces.

 

violette bicyclette: encaustic collage

un deux trois quatre cinq six sept

violette, violette

un deux trois quatre cinq six sept

violette bicyclette

Step one : glue old papers on to wooden cradle. Add background photos. Layer with paint and gesso. Sand lightly.

Step two: add main image, in this case the bicycle.

Step 3: Layer more paint, gesso, ink. Top with two coats of encaustic wax. Finish off with vintage house number.

NB I happened upon an old dictionary page that had both the words bissextile and bitch on it. I couldn’t help myself and had to use it…but no one else knows they are there…except you and me.

SOLD

For the birds : encaustic collage

 

http://fineartamerica.com/featured/for-the-birds-creartful-dodger.html

There goes the neighbourhood…. again. A crowd of crows, watching, a watch-faced moon. A crowd of houses, numbered, oddly. Who would live here?

NB: Having gifted the original “There goes the neighbourdhood” to a dear friend. I missed it and decided to rework it, this time encased in  encaustic wax, and rename it “for the birds”. 

Encaustic boxes

Wooden cradles, vintage drawer pulls, old papers and images, various bits and pieces from my vintage junk collection, topped off with a layer of encaustic wax.

GIFTED to Rachèl

number three

side view

side view

heart

                        

There goes the neighbourhood: collage

THERE GOES THE NEIGHBOURHOOD (SOLD)

Well the moment those old crows moved in we knew: there goes the neighbourhood!

the ephemera: old papers: menus, book pages, autographs, ledgers, postcards, letters; vintage game pieces, crows

 

A CROW IS NOT A BIRD: encaustic collage

A Crow is not a bird Benoit  (Bella)

Mesmerized by the moon, enshrouded in the mist can he read between the lines.

 

http://fineartamerica.com/featured/-a-crow-is-not-a-bird-creartful-dodger.html

The ephemera: old manuscripts from the 1800’s, a handwritten love letter, a map of manhattan, an old ledger page, an old recipe, a vintage post card, an old seal and a black bird.