I have been jumping out of my skin in excitement to share these photos.  In June, I had the privilege of spending the afternoon with internationally renowned encaustic artist, Natalie Salminen Rude, in her studio in Duluth, MN.  She asked me in to document her space, the light and colors that fill it and some of her process.  It was truly inspiring and humbling and little bit like eavesdropping on a conversation that hasn't yet finished.

For those who don't know, encaustic is an ancient medium mixing beeswax with resin and pigment to create bold and buildable colors, perfect for embedding mixed media elements and texture.  Her work is tactile and complex.  The more you look at a piece the more you discover about it and what was so remarkable about watching Natalie work was her willingness to discover where the piece was going as she was creating it.  It was as if there was no mandate by her as a creator but the hope and expectancy of what it could become with her gentle hand guiding it along.

More than being a creative soul whose work graces homes and businesses and churches all over the globe, she is passionate about giving back.  Her Commissions Project is a way for people who are desperate for art and for justice in the world to have custom work created and then have HALF the proceeds from that piece go to a charity of their choosing.

She is guided by a need to create because she believes without a doubt that creating is a spiritual act, connecting her to her Creator and to the world around her.  She is the wife of an incredible man and mom to three remarkable kids, all whom I miss dearly.  I am honored to call her my friend and my sister and to know that she is in this world making it stunningly beautiful with every brush stroke.

  Also, she's just really gorgeous.
The colors of the beeswax are so vibrant I almost forgot they were also really hot!  Oh, and  that is nearly 50 pounds of beeswax below.

 I love my art form, but she gets to work with a blowtorch on a regular basis with hers.

Her new website is now live, check out www.nataliesalminen.com.  Thank you for bringing me in to such a sacred space, Nat, I love you.