The inspiration for my work comes from recurring dreams about tornadoes. Often these dream tornadoes appear far away but with the potential to turn, causing injury and destruction. Like me in my dream, the viewer is not sure if the tornado will remain distant or if it will become a threat. Sometimes the tornado is eliminated altogether, the primary imagery being telephone poles or the outlines of houses.

The telephone pole image emerged from news footage of a deadly Oklahoma tornado. The tornado blended into the clouds in the background, but the telephone poles were clear, snapping in half, one by one, as the tornado continued its path of destruction.

The house shape represents shelter, home and safety. Although more stable than telephone poles, houses are just as vulnerable to nature's fury.

This work illustrates the fragility of life. By focusing on the human need for order in the face of chaos, it serves as a reminder that life is fleeting.

The encaustic technique involves melting beeswax and Damar crystals (a natural resin) to create a wax medium. The medium can be tinted with oil paint. I brush multiple layers of hot wax medium onto my surface (wood, paper, or raw canvas) and use a heat gun to fuse the wax layers to each other and to the surface. I then often scratch into or scrape away areas of wax, applying oil pastel or oil paint. The wax adds texture, color, and an interesting play of transparency and opacity.