A relief printmaker, I specialize in nature printing: using the actual organism (fish, fern, octopus….) to create the image. I use mixed media collage techniques with encaustic (melted beeswax, tree resin, and pigments) to create light filled environments for my one-of-kind images.

I have been a proud member of the Nature Printing Society since 1997.

I currently have my gyotaku encaustics on display in Oak Grove (see details above). July 19 I will be opening a show and a week of demonstrations and classes at Bay Avenue Gallery in Ocean Park, Washington. Details soon!

Koi Pond, 24" diameter. Currently hanging in Rocco's (see above) and available for purchase.

Most of my pieces have a "back story." Many, but certainly not all, the stories involve a fishing trip. Like the encaustic process itself, bringing the subject matter to its new life as art draws on many layers of experience, meaning, and technique.

Watch this page for some of my stories. I'll begin with Koi Pond.

First a lovely 17" Koi was salvaged from a sad event, a "die off," in a backyard pond belonging to the friend of a friend. My friend, Betty, happened to be an avid nature printer.  Betty called me excitedly with the news, "I have a fresh Koi!!", and we met at my studio  for a session of gyotaku  with our favorite inks and paints and an assortment of papers and fabrics. We worked for several hours, and made quite a few images. Some of those Koi images stayed with me through a move to a new home and studio. There, several years after the initial printing session, I gathered some leaves and brought them home for a morning of botanical printing. By that time, I had discovered encaustic. I glued a heavy layer of linter (pressed cotton fiber normally used for papermaking) to a 24" diameter 1/2" plywood board and then applied many layers of encaustic, incorporating the Koi and leaf impressions. Heat, via torch and heat gun, was used  to fuse each layer to the one below. Warm wax became cool water, leaves floated to the surface, and Koi was home again.