I took a graduate course at Syracuse University in May 2012.  In six weeks, I created fifty paintings!  I love the briskness of the brushstrokes, the smell of the wax and the intensity of the color!  It’s all about texture too and the fact that I can easily incorporate mixed media items into the work.  My favorite thing was adding the Monopoly money as collage because I’m really into using game pieces in my work.  Playing cards, dice, and other gaming elements evoke personal connections for the viewer while still maintaining my own emotional link, which makes the work have a more universal quality.

Instead of oil paint mixed with wax, these paintings are made with oil pastels melted into the wax.  I was able to get variations in the hues using this method, which was an experiment that I enjoyed.  I photographed cows in Lafayette, NY almost twenty years ago, deciding finally to use the references to create a series of stencils to carve into the first layer of wax.  They are painted on masonite mounted on chalkboard painted masonite and are available for $125 each.