"Woven Elements: Driftwood and Encaustic Stories". 13"Hx26"L x 5"D. $195 Each summer, as the sun sets over the shimmering waters of Lake of the Ozarks, I walk the shore, drawn to the rhythm of the waves and the shapes the lake leaves behind. Driftwood, weathered and worn by the passage of time, catches my eye. Its textures, smooth in some places, jagged in others, carry with them stories of distant places and forgotten currents. I collect these pieces, each one a fragment of a larger journey, each one holding its own tale.

In my studio, I begin to weave those stories into something new. The driftwood becomes the foundation, its raw, natural lines echoing the path of the water. I gather leaves from the same shore, their veins imprinted with the history of the land. Pressed between layers of encaustic wax, the leaves capture the delicate imprint of time. I then transfer rusted patterns onto both sides of watercolor paper, each print a trace of the environment—an impression of the weather, the texture of the earth, the ever-changing winds.

I fold the paper into a serpentine book, its pages shifting and moving like the flow of the river itself. The book is delicate yet resilient, a symbol of the journey that is both internal and external. It opens and closes, a metaphor for the rhythms of travel and homecoming, of departure and return.

Using recycled wooden skewers from a forgotten barbecue, I attach the pages of the book to the driftwood, completing the piece with a quiet, intentional grace. Each element—a fragment of driftwood, a pressed leaf, a rusted imprint—intertwines to tell a story of travel, of discovery, and of the fleeting moments that make up our lives.

"Woven Elements: Driftwood and Encaustic Stories" is an exploration of travel, not just through the places we visit, but through the memories and histories we collect along the way. It is a testament to the way nature, time, and art can intersect, creating something that feels both rooted and free.