Journals

Artist Statement : Journals

I am an encaustic artist, and I am also a bookbinder. For years encaustic and bookbinding were separate entities in my life, the art and the craft, the experimental and the meditative, and I craved a convergence. My encaustic journals are designed to honor books as an art form.

These sculptural books originated with my morning tea, the caffeine awakening my senses and creativity. Jotting on journal pages, I examined facets of my humanity and designed books that visually embodied my discoveries.

The dried papers from my tea were embedded between layers of aromatic golden beeswax on the book covers. The moving meditation of tearing pages and folding signatures gave me time and space to elaborate upon ideas as the book sculptures emerged. The complex, challenging bindings pushed my personal boundaries.

Historical Coptic binding is paired with a Weave stitch along the spines, sewn with Irish waxed linen thread. Individual books are bound together in Dos-a-Dos or Gatefold structures, and some are bound completely closed or wrapped with a hand-twined enclosure.

The book sculptures are personified by their structures, through the interaction of covers and pages. Each book metaphorically conveys an aspect of my (our) humanity.

Selected work is featured. To see a portfolio of available and sold collections, please visit my Collections page.

To view my artist video, read my biographical article, or see upcoming classes, please visit my Artist page.

Selected Exhibitions

2018 Light is Elastic: Artist Talk with Erin Keane at The Gallery at Flat Rock, Flat Rock NC

2018 Perfect Imperfection, Embracing Wabi Sabi: Southern Highland Craft Guild, Asheville NC

2018 Arrowmont School Art Instructor Exhibition: Arrowmont School of Arts & Crafts, Gatlinburg TN

2018 Sometimes, Small Group Invitational Exhibit: Artist Talk and Demo with Erin Keane at A Closer Look: Cabarrus Arts Council, Concord NC

2018 March Art Madness, The Gallery Floorboards: The Gallery at Flat Rock, Flat Rock NC

2018 Paper View, Pop Up Shop: Atrium Gallery at The Bascom Center for Visual Arts, Highlands NC

2018 Member Exhibition, juried by Candace Reilly, assistant director and curator at Blue Spiral 1 Gallery: Asheville Area Arts Council, Asheville NC

2017 Design Vignette, curated by Matt Tommey, with Platt Architecture and Ann Sherrill Interior Design: Southern Highland Craft Fair, Asheville NC

2017 Art in Bloom, collaborating artists and florists: juried by Michael Sherrill, artist in clay, metal, and glass: The Gallery at Flat Rock, Flat Rock NC

2017 Navigating Our Humanity: Focus Gallery, Southern Highland Craft Guild, Asheville NC

2016 Fellowship, Collaboration with artist Sue Grier: Southern Highland Craft Guild, Asheville NC

2015 Seven Degrees of Connection, Collaborative: Patricia Baldwin Seggebruch, Michelle Belto, Crystal Neubauer, Susan Stover, Shary Bartlett, Amanda Jolley: Dumas Bay Centre, Federal Way WA