Relocating from Portland, Oregon to Astoria, Oregon on the North Coast where the force of the Columbia River meets the Pacific Ocean has been a big life change. Admittedly, I love the storminess of this part of the state and my work often references meteorology, climate, and geology. I can watch the storms land ashore from the constant horizon line surrounding me. Observing weather patterns and the greater connection to wild nature aligns with my creative practice, inviting me to focus. Now, as Winter makes way for Spring, the recent solar eclipse has ignited a surge of creativity that will catapult me to the completion of these twenty new works for my upcoming exhibition.

February 2024 Workshop and Studio Update

Over the decades, I've enjoyed sharing my artistic growth, discoveries, and innovations with students from around the world, helping them achieve their creative goals. In this Meet the Students collection, I present a glimpse of their aspirations and reflections.” —Elise

These days I am more selective about how often I take time away from my studio practice to teach, but it important to me that I continue to share the love of this ancient painting technique with the world. Teaching encaustic painting is a unique and rewarding experience that allows me to share me passion and knowledge with others. Encaustic offers a plethora of creative possibilities.

In this blog, I’ll delve into the challenges and rewards that come with teaching encaustic painting, and how it can transform both the teacher and the students.

I have no idea what to expect, my first open studio in my new hometown, the north coast town of Astoria… The herculean Winter marathon of settling into my new studio has ended just in time for Summer. In the infancy of creating in a new space, it feels good. My groove, rituals and daily structures are all falling into place. Not counting the many breakfast nooks of Northwest Portland apartments in my formative years and the significant creative development that took place in Studio 211 where Mark Rothko attended elementary school, this is technically my fourth working studio. My first, 1993-1996 was in a storefront…