wood assemblage

I grew up surrounded by granite -- my grandfather was a stone carver and he , my dad and brother ran a monument company, thus quarries, climbing on grave stones, and watching the men work in the granite shed were part of my childhood. As an adult I couldn't imagine working in granite -- too difficult, too heavy. So when I found wood pieces along the tidal reef at Sewald Beach in Maine that looked like rocks, I knew I had found a treasure . Then, soaking them in beeswax helped make them stronger -- not as strong as granite for sure, but good enough.

clockwise from right:

looking for wood at Seawald Beach; working on wood cairn; setting up new wood studio at 83 Winter Street.

PROCESS

1. low tide at barrier reef, Seawald Beach, Maine.

2. collect pieces of rounded wood found among the seaweed and in the tidal pools

3. air dry for a year and sand rough edges and dead wood

4. soak in melted beeswax then use a heat gun to permeate the wax, and for final finish, encaustic (beeswax, damar resin,

pigment [optional]) is added for strength

5. buff with a lint-free cotton cloth to maintain a subtle glow

note:

*the sculptures are organic – occasionally salt crystals may rise to the surface

*the cairs are needy -- instructions for care are in cairn section

My late sister Monica and I in 2017, returning from Maine with lots of found wood.