The Oracle Series abstractions unite my passion for art and literature with spiritual practice and mysticism. Gut reactions from current world events also find space in many of these pieces. I work in both encaustic and collage, embedding painted surfaces with random items from daily life, such as vintage book pages, sheet music, and stencils. The alchemical process of painting, fusing, burning, and carving has become like a spiritual practice for me, as allow artistic choices of color, form, and line to evolve intuitively. In Sun King, thick layers of saturated cadmium yellow cover blue pigment beneath scorched book pages from Tolstoy’s, Anna Karenina. The result is a sensuous surface alive with color next to textured edges with flecks of blue sky and glimpses of charred letters. The message is renewal and strength after darkness. Built on cradled birch in dense layers ranging from smooth-as-glass finishes to rough, burnt paper, The Oracle Series is an exploration in intuitive painting, each piece affirming the value of our individual and collective consciousness.