Narrative and voice are crucial to my work. The stories I create might take root in a cultural reference, a favorite phrase, or even a single word. My work remixes, assembles, and puns on these through the use of original characters and timeless fictional settings. My encaustic process is one of assemblage and improvisation. After inspiration strikes, I develop my story by gathering images from many sources including fashion magazines, and the web, and photographing objects and scenery. I often draw from my personal collection of vintage hats, tin toys, travel and carnival souvenirs, and old photographs. I then draw and modify these images with colored pencils and markers, cut, rearrange, and develop a narrative by composing these into new characters and scenes. The fluid quality of encaustic wax enables my process and also inspires it. I can quickly go from hot molten wax to cooled solidified color. I fuse each layer with a butane torch, hot air gun, or crafting iron depending on my desired effect, and then re-work it with my assortment of metal tools such as styluses, picks, and scrapers. I add layers of color and line work and then excavate, incise, and scratch into these layers. I discover and shape the narrative throughout each creative and often magical voyage. Once a painting is complete, I invite viewers to have a similar experience of discovery by examining the visual and title clues each painting provides. My hope is for viewers to ask and answer the question What is going on here? and come up with their narrative.