Earth and Fire M Single Light

These pieces are made of 85 percent abaca fiber handmade paper. When the pieces have dried they are painted with gesso on all sides to seal the paper. The surface is then troweled with joint compound in the top half creating mostly a texture and in the bottom half a more cracked surface. While the joint compound is still wet, pieces of wood stove fired copper are embedded into the joint compound; they adhere naturally. The pieces are then sanded, and the top half is copper leafed and painted with deep blue acrylic, which is then rubbed off. This technique enhances the cracks and texture. It also creates an aged effect. The bottom half is painted with sage and gold colors. Over the painted surfac,e encaustic is used to create a deep, rich, semi-translucent look with the rust colored dry pigments underneath. Layers of colors and paint seem to float on top of one another. The encaustic can be buffed with a dry cloth to create a more polished look every six months or so.

The use of handmade paper for the canvas of the piece gives it an organic feel with the added benefit of keeping the work very light for hanging. This set of work weighs approximately 22 pounds. Each piece is unique one of a kind and will vary slightly. The pieces are wired and ready to hang.