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As artists and makers we are accustom to being asked to do commissioned work. I have mixed feelings about this specifically with regard to creating commissioned artwork. While I enjoy the income and appreciate a clients interest in my work, I tend to feel more pressured and sometimes the work felt/feels somewhat "forced". I suppose that might be related to the specific requests, if they were more open, meaning I could produce artwork more of my choosing, then it is easier and more enjoyable. In cases where clients want a more specific look or feel, then I find it much harder and more stressful,...

The majority of my art practice of late has been focused on print making, encaustic monotypes to be specific. I really enjoy creating encaustic monotypes in part because it combines 2 of my passions, painting and tool making. I also really enjoy the mark making process when working this way. I have to be loose and relaxed when making marks, otherwise they just don't work. Over the last few months I have made 100's of prints, some of which I like but most don't make the cut.  Old Bones | Encaustic Monotype on Panel   The print I am featuring in...

There is something so immediate and wonderful about print making. I love the freedom of creating an image on the plate, then pulling the print. Some days the images come quickly and effortlessly, other days not so much! I do find myself often thinking, "I wish I had a specific size of tool" or "wouldn't that be cool to be able to make a specific kind of mark". This thought process lead me down the path of creating my own mark making tools for the Roland HOTbox™ and to developing a new series of work called "The Art of Tools" (example below).    ...

Creating art/painting will always be something that is a vital part of my psyche and makes me feel as if I am doing something meaningful with my time and energy. I don't think this will ever change, and as such, I expect that creating art will always be important to me. Recently I have come to realize that in addition to being a painter, I am also a maker - someone who takes deep satisfaction in making functional and beautiful things. I realized this because I was looking for ways to disrupt my painting process, and found that introducing new tools when creating my...