The Snake’s presence in the Chinese zodiac is a potent reminder of transformation, wisdom, and adaptability—qualities that resonate deeply with many of us as we navigate our personal lives and creative endeavors. It’s not just a year for change; it’s a time for metamorphosis, for evolving into something truer, wiser, and more aligned with our purpose. I find myself resonating more and more with these themes as the months unfold, and I can see how the Year of the Snake is not just about shedding old habits, but also embracing the new and the unknown.

The Year of the Snake: Shedding my Scrappy Self Blog post by Elise Wagner, encaustic painter, printmaker, educator. Photo: Elise Wagner at work in her studio at Pier 11 in Astoria, OR.

Embracing uncertainty has been a constant theme throughout my journey as an artist and as a human being. As this challenging year winds down, I find myself reflecting on the state of the world and the weight it carries. Hurricanes, political upheaval, climate disasters, dear ones passing—each event seems to amplify the fragility of the systems we live in and emphasize the fragility of life itself. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed, even defeated. Yet, I promised myself that I would write something positive today, because

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

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…