Fragmental

New and Used Landscapes

I have been visiting this burn area over the past few weeks. I normally would have driven by a location like this thinking what a shame. Because the landscape was "ruined" by the fire. As I walk around in the "wreckage" staying open to what it has to say, it speaks. Surprisingly as all the cars full of outdoor enthusiasts drive by to prettier locations, the locals; deer, hawks, lizards, and woodpeckers, are thriving. To me, it's in spite of the fact the humans have gone away. It's safe to return now.
In many ways it points to the ways I see human activities as being "throw away" in nature. When something is used up or no good we move on to what is new and good. We try to forget about our trash by putting it away in landfills or building walls and highways around it, on the way to the better part of town. Then the locals return again.

Finding the Elements

Drawing from Nature

The Gray Mountain

Distant gray mountain. It's an interesting metaphor for future and quest.

Suspended in Nature

Forest Window

playing with line

pencil drawing, september 2012

photo from the field, september 2012

Realization

The gestural abstract has become my language of choice.

Forest Decomposed

Pencil drawing

Pencil drawing

Transformation: a painting about landscape renewal

encaustic on birch panel, September 2012

Future Helen Padilla Studio!

It's a dream come true. And one I never want to wake up from. I thank my wonderful husband and friends. Can't wait to get down to some work in there!

A cup of coffee at the studio.

A little accent for my cup.

Art and Fear

Artists don't get down to work until the pain of working is exceeded by the pain of not working. 
~Stephen DeStaebler

Encaustic paintings August 2012

Fallen from the Tree, encaustic

Branch, encaustic

Divided Clearing, encaustic

Cycle, encaustic

Many over Few, encaustic

Youth, encaustic

Flow, encaustic

Two are One, encaustic

From the Mountain, encaustic

Sticks of the Forest, encaustic

Night, Sky, Land, encaustic

Two Stones, encaustic

Spring, encaustic

Seasons, encaustic

Broken by the Sky, encaustic